Page 60 of Stay Dangerous

“Look,” he continued, “the Birch gon’ be in my blood until the day I die, same as you. But that don’t mean we gotta die there, brodie. Set wanna build it up, just like Boog did. That’s why he be keeping all the young niggas Tiny makes us recruit. And if anyone can build it up, it’s him. I’m cool off it, but I get it. Either way, we need some real money if we gonna make any moves. So yeah, you should think past next week. Shit, past this year, whether you tryna get the fuck like me, or build them towers up like him.”

His words rang in my head long after we departed from each other. I was glad that after I got home, that Fredo was home, too, for once, and didn’t think anything of barging in his room and taking a seat in his desk chair.

“Glad I wasn’t beating my meat,” he joked, muting his tv.

“You do that?” I asked, my brows shooting to the sky.

He waved me off, and we both held it in for five seconds before laughing.

“Wassup, Rick?”

“You think about what we gon’ do after we graduate? You think our grades decent enough to go to school out of state?”

“Yeah, but you got suspended for ten days in ninth grade for socking Mr. Dayton,” he smirked.

I’d forgotten about that, and slumped my shoulders, wiping Fredo’s smile off his face.

“Where this coming from?”

“Peanut talked about all these plans he had after he turned eighteen. These plans the others had. I wondered if you did, too.”

Fredo peered at me, not saying anything. I leaned back in the chair and held his gaze, waiting for when he was done processing what I said.

“Would you go to the Navy? Or the Marines?”

I tilted my head. “But what about our records?”

“We could get them expunged. I been looking into that. They get sealed when we turn eighteen, but we could get them expunged in a year. We could go when we nineteen.”

“That’s what you wanna do?”

Fredo shrugged. “That Navy recruiter came to our class, I chopped it up with him. Them niggas be traveling the world, getting paid to do it, and it’s hella jobs. We could be in the kitchen, or shit, cleaning up offices. Depends on some test, and we always been good at those. We could go, and Nan could get back to Belize where she wanna be. But you know, it’s just something to think about.”

“Nah, I can hear it in ya voice. You wanna do it.”

Fredo grinned. “Fashitsho. But I think you’d like the Marines better. They actually be shooting shit up. Going on top secret missions and operations and shit.”

“But is the Marines cool with you? Don’t niggas in the Navy need to swim? You never taught me, bitchass.”

Fredo cackled. “I’m good either way, ho ass nigga. But since you can’t swim, the Marines sound like a bet.”

I got up, feeling lighter than I had since I left Snow. We did the Birch handshake, then did our own twin twist on it, sealing in the promise.

“No more getting arrested, Rick. Don’t be letting Peanut and Ty get you in bullshit.”

I waved him off, leaving his door open just because I knew he hated it, and made my way into my room.

Tucked into my bed with the light off, I dialed Snow. As always, she answered on the third ring.

“Richard,” she droned, sleep heavy in her voice.

“You sleep too easy without me,” I teased her.

“Richard, we have school–”

“I know. I just wanted to hear yo voice before I go to bed. I’ll let you go.”

The phone was silent for long seconds before she cleared her throat.