Page 27 of Stay Dangerous

“Five more minutes,” she mumbled into my shirt.

I glanced at the time before slowly lifting us to a sitting position. “It’s six in the morning, Snow. We both got school.”

“What school you go to?” she asked, sleep still heavy in her voice.

“Grant. I can’t be late when I’m starting high school, right?”

“We can always run away,” she shrugged, finally letting me go to wipe her face. “Who needs school?”

I shook my head as I climbed into the front seat. She got in the passenger after me, and I turned over the engine to warm up the car.

“I’on know, Snow. I need my girl to be smart as hell.”

“So I’m your girl?” she asked, arching her brow and folding her arms.

I smirked at her before pulling the gear into Drive and easing out of the park. “If you earn it.”

She rapped along to every song on the early morning radio as I cruised back to her house. How she knew every song is beyond me, even the older ones, but she did. She was aggressive when it was Mystikal, sweet when it was Eve, and made stank faces when it was Trina.

I turned the radio down when I pulled up in front of her crib. It felt like her energy left with the music, and I almost didn’t wanna leave her there.

“You gon’ be okay with ya mama?” I asked. In the morning light, the red mark was more noticeable on her face.

She still smiled, though, and nodded her head. “Yeah. Have a good first day of school, Rico.”

“You, too.”

She took off her seatbelt and scooted over to wrap her arms around me. I shifted the gear to Park to do the same.

And when she pulled back, I leaned forward, and pressed my lips onto hers.

An electric shock went through us, making her squeal and lurch back.

“Dang, Rico. Way to mess up my first kiss,” she laughed, touching her lips.

They probably stung like mine did, but that didn’t mean it was ruined. Not at all.

Nah, my first kiss with Snow, my first kiss ever, was the opposite of that.

She shook her head again, eyeing me as she slid out my car. I rolled down the window to watch her disappear to the back of her house, and only then did I peel off.

A nigga felt on top of the world. I felt so good, I smiled all the way home. I sang Nothing Really Matters twice in the shower. I didn’t complain when it took Set, Ty, and Reem too damn long to come down. I even stopped and got us all breakfast before I dropped them off at their school, making me and Fredo almost late to ours.

Yeah, Snow made me feel as good as pulling the trigger. I didn’t know how or if she could fit into my life as easily as pulling the trigger did, but I was damn sure gonna try to figure it out.

Playing with Fire

Wyn

EverySaturday,forthreemonths, we sat at that kitchen table and had breakfast like we were a normal family.

Dad came home from the hospital with a concussion and Mom came home with a new-ish attitude. She still didn’t speak to Auty, but the nasty looks were gone, and Dad was home more.

There was no more talk of us leaving California.

But I didn’t mind that, because I had a reason to stay.

“What are you girls up to today?” Dad asked as he poured sugar into his grits.