Don’t Wake Them
The apartment always smelled like cigarettes.
Not fresh ones.
Old ones.
The kind that seeped into walls, clothes, furniture, and skin.
The kind that never left.
Deshawn Davis sat on the edge of a broken couch staring at the clock hanging crooked above the television.
3:17 AM.
The power had been cut twice this month already.
The landlord had taped another warning notice to the front door.
And somewhere down the hallway, water dripped from a leaking pipe.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Deshawn rubbed his eyes.
He hadn’t slept much.
Not because he couldn’t.
Because he couldn’t afford to.
Not with Ronnie and Tasha in the apartment.
Not with Jayden’s insulin running low.
Not with Maya crying herself to sleep some nights when she thought nobody could hear.
A small voice came from the bedroom.
“Deshawn?”
He stood immediately.
Jayden.
Deshawn crossed the apartment and quietly opened the bedroom door.
Moonlight spilled through torn blinds.
Maya slept on one mattress.
Jayden sat upright on another.
His face looked pale.
Sweaty.
Scared.
Deshawn’s stomach tightened.
“You okay?” he whispered.
Jayden nodded.
Then shook his head.
“I feel weird.”
That wasn’t good.
Deshawn moved closer.
“Did you check your sugar?”
Jayden looked down.
“No.”
Deshawn already knew why.
The test strips were almost gone.
Everything was almost gone.
Food.
Money.
Medicine.
Hope.
The list got longer every week.
Deshawn grabbed the meter and checked.
The reading flashed.
Too high.
Way too high.
Jayden looked ready to cry.
“Am I gonna die?”
Deshawn immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“But—”
“No.”
Jayden stared at him.
Deshawn forced confidence into his voice.
“You’re not dying.”
The boy nodded.
Trying to believe him.
Trying.
Deshawn looked toward the kitchen.
Toward the nearly empty insulin bottle.
There wasn’t enough left.
Not for much longer.
And they both knew it.
“Get some sleep,” Deshawn said.
“What if Dad wakes up?”
Deshawn glanced toward the living room.
Toward the closed bedroom where Ronnie and Tasha slept.
Or passed out.
Same thing.
“Then I’ll handle him.”
Jayden nodded.
Deshawn pulled the blanket over him.
“Don’t wake Maya.”
Jayden gave a tiny smile.
“Okay.”
Deshawn left the room and quietly shut the door.
Then he looked toward Ronnie’s bedroom.
And made a decision.
Ronnie Davis slept with his wallet hanging halfway out of his jeans.
Drunk.
Snoring.
Empty beer cans covered the floor.
A glass pipe sat on the nightstand.
Tasha was unconscious beside him.
Deshawn stood in the doorway.
Watching.
Waiting.
Listening.
His heart pounded.
This wasn’t the first time.
But every time felt like the first.
One wrong move.
One noise.
One mistake.
And Ronnie would wake up swinging.
Deshawn slowly approached.
Carefully.
Quietly.
His fingers slipped into Ronnie’s pocket.
Found the wallet.
Pulled it free.
Ronnie shifted.
Deshawn froze.
The room stopped breathing.
A few seconds passed.
Then Ronnie rolled over.
Still asleep.
Deshawn quietly stepped backward.
Then left.
Fast.
Once outside the room he opened the wallet.
Thirty-two dollars.
Not much.
But enough.
Enough to keep Jayden alive another day.
The sun wasn’t fully up when Maya joined him.
She looked exhausted.
Dark circles under her eyes.
Messy hair.
Same oversized hoodie she’d worn all week.
“You took money again?”
Deshawn nodded.
Maya sighed.
“He’s gonna notice.”
“I know.”
“He’ll blame us.”
“I know.”
“He’ll get angry.”
Deshawn looked at her.
“I know.”
Maya fell silent.
Because there wasn’t anything else to say.
Being blamed was normal.
Getting screamed at was normal.
Getting hit was normal.
Living like this was normal.
That was the worst part.
The fact it had become normal.
By noon they were walking back toward the apartment.
Insulin inside a paper pharmacy bag.
Jayden’s medicine.
Their victory.
Small.
Temporary.
Necessary.
Maya held the bag tightly.
Like it was treasure.
Maybe it was.
“Think he’ll be okay?” she asked.
“He’ll be okay.”
“You sure?”
“No.”
Maya laughed sadly.
“At least you’re honest.”
Deshawn looked away.
Honesty was easier than hope.
When they got home the apartment was quiet.
Too quiet.
Deshawn immediately knew something was wrong.
The front door slammed behind them.
A voice growled from the living room.
“Where were you?”
Ronnie.
Awake.
Standing.
Angry.
Deshawn felt his chest tighten.
Ronnie held the empty wallet.
“YOU THINK I’M STUPID?”
Maya froze.
The pharmacy bag slipped slightly in her hand.
Ronnie noticed.
His eyes locked onto it.
“What is that?”
Nobody answered.
“What is that?!”
He stormed forward.
Maya flinched.
Instinct.
Years of conditioning.
Ronnie reached for her.
Deshawn stepped between them.
Immediately.
Ronnie stopped.
For a second everyone froze.
Even Ronnie seemed surprised.
Because Deshawn had never done that before.
Not really.
Not like this.
Ronnie shoved him.
Hard.
Deshawn stumbled.
But didn’t move away.
Ronnie shoved him again.
“Move.”
Deshawn stayed where he was.
Maya stared.
Jayden stood in the hallway.
Watching.
Terrified.
Ronnie’s face twisted with rage.
“You got something to say?”
Deshawn looked directly into his father’s eyes.
For the first time.
No fear.
No apology.
No backing down.
Just anger.
Years of anger.
Years of fear.
Years of watching his brother and sister suffer.
Finally boiling over.
Ronnie raised his hand.
Deshawn grabbed his wrist.
The apartment went silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Ronnie looked shocked.
Deshawn squeezed tighter.
His voice came out low.
Cold.
Dangerously calm.
“Don’t touch them.”
Silence.
Ronnie stared.
Deshawn stared back.
The moment felt endless.
Then Ronnie ripped his arm away.
“You think you’re a man now?”
Deshawn didn’t answer.
Ronnie laughed.
A crazy laugh.
The kind that made everyone nervous.
Then he stormed out the apartment.
Slamming the door behind him.
Everything shook.
The silence that followed felt strange.
Almost unreal.
Maya looked at Deshawn.
Jayden looked at Deshawn.
Neither knew what to say.
Because something had changed.
Maybe forever.
Deshawn turned toward them.
His hands were shaking.
His heart was racing.
But he didn’t let them see.
Instead he looked at his brother.
Then his sister.
The only family that mattered.
And made a promise.
A real one.
The first one.
“We get out.”
Maya stared.
Jayden stared.
Deshawn nodded.
Not someday.
Not maybe.
Not hopefully.
A promise.
“We get out.”
And for the first time in years…
They believed him
End of chapter 1
