Page 61 of Stay Dangerous

“Goodnight. Love you.”

My heart tripped up something crazy. I let the words settle before I replied.

“Yo ass scary for waiting to say it on the phone.”

“I’ll never say that shit again.”

“Yeah, right. Bet you will.”

“You make me sick,” she hissed. “Goodnight.”

“Ay.”

“What.”

“Te amo, mi Nieve.”

“That better be what I think it means, or they’ll be hell to pay. Knew I should have chose Spanish instead of French–”

“Go back to sleep, Snow,” I chuckled, hanging up on her rambling.

“Damn,” I whispered to myself.

Passing US History was a must, now that I had a plan. If it did take a year to get my record expunged, we would leave after she graduated high school, and she could come with us.

Shit was lining up like it was meant to be, and by my lonely, in my darkened room, I let myself feel something for the first time; hope for the future.

Her Future

Wyn, age 16

Itwashotashell, even for early July.

And somehow, it was cooler next door on Turkey’s porch than it was inside the house.

I sat in an old barber chair, bouncing one of the twins’ babies on my lap while eating an ice cream cone. They were out in the blazing sun with their other kids, getting more treats.

The block was lively, more lively than it had ever been. For whatever reason, some boys at school started up their own gang. The Parcside Crips.

Lame.

But one of the founders lived on our block, across the street, so the niggas were outside. On their porch, too, but outside, nonetheless.

The kids ran inside with their treats, while Rain grabbed the baby from my arms and settled onto the brick opposite me.

“What’s the plots? It’s Renelle’s turn to babysit and I’m ready to find a stepdaddy for my baby.” Rain flicked her tongue while her sister Rian slapped hands with her.

Between the three of them, they had four kids. Renelle and Rain had just had a baby each, while Rian had two by two different men. Pops had turned the den into a bedroom for the little crumb snatchers, but still, it waswaytoo many people in that house. Another reason why I was perched on the stoop.

Those were the days I wished Rico was a normal boy, who lived in a normal house. Something had shifted within their gang, because he was almost never around, not even at night. I worked up the courage to ask Fredo twice, but he wasn’t any help. The only good thing that came out of it was whenever I asked, Rico would show up the next night.

The last time had been the day after Autumn’s birthday. I was pissed he missed my sixteenth birthday, but when he gave me a gold chain withSnowattached, I melted, like I always did.

The chain was stuck to my chest in the summer heat, but I never took it off, not even to shower. It was my little piece of him when he was off doing whatever he did.

“Whatever we do, can itnotbe somewhere we might get shot at? And somewhere with some AC.” I fanned myself for extra effect before licking my popsicle stick clean.

Rian grinned, and I instantly knew she would be on bullshit. “You feel like busting a mission to the East?”