Cup of Tae

Prologue

Breathe, Tiana.

Something simple like breathing shouldn't be an action that anyone has to *think* about. But the effort it takes to force your body to intake air was a feeling I knew all too well.

I stared at the TV screen, trembling from the lack of air… and fear.

Breathe, damn it!

I inhaled as if I was a newborn baby taking my first breath in the world. I pushed out that same breath, and told myself to focus on the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

But the TV was so much louder than I ever could be.

“...one of Miami’s most infamous drug dealers, Santiago Pérez, will be released soon, in a move that angers many critics of our city’s Judicial system. Reports state that Pérez was awarded a judicial release after serving just three years of his ten year sentence. Pérez is schedule to be released this Friday...”

Now, I was breathing too much. My breath was coming out in spurts as I fell to my knees and started to hyperventilate. There were too many memories crashing in my mind at a billion miles a minute.

My cell phone rang from the night stand.

I turned to the device, breathing deeply through my nose, trying to calm down. I didn’t have to look at the Caller ID to know who it was.

“Mama, he-” I choked out, but I couldn’t say any more than that.

My mother’s voice was calmer than I expected, “Baby, I know. I saw the news. You need to go.”

“Go where? I can’t leave you-”

“We’re fine, honey. You know he’d never hurt us.”

“He will if you refuse to tell him where I am!”

“Go. Don’t tell me where. Don’t tell anyone where. Just leave. Now. You need to go, Ti.”

“Mama, where do I even run to? There’s nowhere I can go where he won’t find me.”

“Don’t you have friends all over the country? Hop around. Leave the country if you need to. Do whatever you have to. Just go. Tonight.”

I paused. Leave the country? If I left the country, I could go find my best friends. I could see Taehyung. I had always felt safe with Taehyung. I was inspired by everything about him.

...It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go to South Korea...

“Tiana, just go.” My Mom repeated, breaking me out of my thoughts. I nodded, finding the strength to stand up again. I turned off the TV and ran to re-pack my suitcase. I’d have to cancel the bridal appointment I had in the morning. Thankfully, there were two of us assigned to this wedding, but finding a replacement artist was going to be a .

“I’ll let you know when I make it.” I told her, suddenly remember my Mom was still on the line.

“Just remember not to tell me where you are. Call me from a different number. Hell, use a pay phone if you can even find one.”

“I’ll just grab a burner phone on the way out. I love you, Mama. Keep-”

“I promise you, we’ll be fine. I love you too.”

We ended our phone call, and I moved into the bathroom to put all my belongings in my cosmetics bag. I was almost done packing up my toiletries when there was a knock at my hotel room door.

It was my partner for this gig, Sara. I opened the door and she immediately hugged me tightly.

“Ti, you gotta go, girl.” She told me, patting my shoulder comfortingly. I nodded, forcing myself to focus on packing and packing only.

“You saw the news?” I asked, as she finally released me from her hug. I moved back into the bathroom to finish packing up in there, stepping out with my travel bag in hand.

“I got an alert on my phone, and then the Boss called. He says the same thing I am. Go, girl. Go right now.”

“But where?”

“I don’t know, but take the credit card. Donelle says he’ll be my partner tomorrow, so don’t even worry about it.” Sara reached into her back pocket and pulled out our makeup studio’s credit card, “Just mail it back once you get where you’re going.”

I smiled, accepting the credit card gratefully, “Thanks a lot. Thank the Boss for me too.”

Sara nodded, biting her lip, her eyes filling with unshed tears, “What are you going to do about-?”

I dropped my cosmetic bag in the suitcase, effectively cutting Sara’s words off, “I already talked to my Mom. Everyone is safe as long as I’m not around. He won’t hurt anyone if you guys don’t know where I am or try to contact me.”

Sara sighed, stepping across the room to hug me again, “I’m so angry about this! How could they let someone that dangerous get out of jail!”

“I don’t know,” I said, feeling myself get a little choked up. I had to get out of this hug, and get my to the airport. I stepped out of Sara’s embrace and walked over the the dresser to pull my clothes out.

“Be careful. I hope we can see each other again, but if we can’t -- it was great working with you.”

“Me too,” I replied, not bothering to look up at Sara. I couldn’t look at her, or I wouldn’t be able to pack. I couldn’t wallow in feelings of pity for myself; there was no time.

Sara excused herself and left my room, and I moved about the room in a whirlwind, gathering everything I had brought with me. I was in an Uber, on the way to the airport, in thirty minutes. My phone rang again and I smiled softly when Niah’s name flashed across the screen.

“Niah?”

“Hey girl! We hadn’t heard from you in a few days, so I wanted to check up on you! Everything alright in Miami?”

I smiled bitterly; I wouldn’t be in Miami for too much longer.

“Yeah… yeah, it’s fine.”

Niah paused, and I froze, wondering if my tone of voice was believable enough. Niah was oddly perceptive when she wanted to be.

“Ti, I know we haven’t been friends for long, but if there’s something wrong, you can tell me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

That was it. I bit my lip, trying to hold back tears, “Niah… Do you-... Do you think Quinn would let me stay in your old room at her place?”

“Hell yeah!” Niah shouted excitedly, “She wouldn’t tell you no at all! Are you coming out here for a business trip?”

The lie came easily from my lips, “Yeah. The K-Pop look is trending around the world, and my Boss thinks it’d help us diversify our skills if we learn how to do those types of looks too.”

“Oh, that sounds amazing! If anyone can do it, it’s definitely you.” Niah replied cheerfully, then she added, “So when are you taking your trip? This week? Next week?”

“Tonight,” I declared, just as we drove by the sign for Miami International Airport.

End Prologue