Page 52 of Stay Dangerous

“Nah,” he said, grabbing the bowl. “Ty-Ty’s granny always looks out when Nan is gone. Go wash your hands.”

“What’s up with everyone thinking I just don’t wash my hands,” I complained to myself.

When I came back into the room, he was sitting in the chair, with it rolled to the side of the bed I was sitting on.

As I walked down the green mile, I took in how clean and neat the room was. A full sized bed, a desk, and a huge tv on top of a dresser. Shoes lined the bottom, and a peek in the closet told me it was full, though I already knew he could dress better than the hoodies and basketball shorts he loved to sport.

I climbed onto the bed and crossed my legs, as he rolled in front of me. We stared at each other for a moment, before I shifted my gaze up and smiled.

“You need your hair done.”

“You gon’ do it for me?”

“Be serious, Rico.”

“I am, Snow. We in the crib for at least three days. Plenty of time for you to learn to braid my hair.”

“Why three days?”

He shrugged, his eyes steady on me.

I licked my lips, bracing myself for any answer or non-answer he’d give me.

“What happened tonight, Rico? Why were you at that kickback?”

He rested his hands on my knees, before sliding them slowly up. “You sure you wanna know? You ready for that?”

I knocked his hands off of me and straightened my legs so that they rested between us. “I already know the kickback got shot up after I left.”

“Then why the fuck you asking what happened?”

“Because!” I pushed his chair back and stood. “A party I was at got shot up! People died! What if I wasn’t going outside?! I could have–”

“Why the fuck was you there anyway?” Rico stood toe to toe with me, tilting his head so we were inches apart. “I done told yo ass not to be anywhere near here, but Ice Princess gotta be wherever the function at, right? You almost got caught up, and that’s on you.” He bopped me on my nose with his index finger, so I pushed him out of my face.

He grabbed my arms, twirling us around until my back was to the wall and he was back in my face.

“Watch your hands, Snow.”

“Let go of me.” I clenched my teeth, crunching my toes into the soft carpet.

My vision became blurry the more I glared at him, but I still noticed when his eyebrows furrowed, the browns and golds in his eyes melting like lava, and the hint of defeat that took over in the drop of his mouth.

He pulled me to him gently, wrapping his arms around me as I clung to him.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until an ugly sob wrenched out of me.

“Now, why you crying, Snow?”

“I’m…s-s-sorry for not listen-n-ning,” I managed to get out, making him chuckle as he leaned his head onto the side of mine.

I pushed him off again, wiping my face aggressively. “Don’t laugh at me.”

He shrugged his t-shirt off, showing me prime teenage boy abs and pecs, and handed it to me so I could get myself together.

“I was leaving, you know,” I said, throwing the shirt onto the floor. “They started throwing up gang signs, and I recognized them, and I got up to tell Porscha we needed to leave. And I didn't know I was that close to the projects, I swear.”

Rico nodded, pulling me back to the bed. I sat down, and he sat back in the chair, wiping his face over and over.