|
Post by charlie on Aug 7, 2009 12:09:59 GMT -5
Michael Lee stretched out on the wall, bag slung over his shoulders, the sleeves of his red shirt. His little brother Bug leaned against the wall beside him, before yawning. 'I'm bored,' he huffed, looking up at his older brother. 'They'll be here soon,' Michael said, rubbing the top of his head. 'We'll be late!' Bug protested. 'We can't be late for school. We'll have to stay afterschool and then momma will get mad.' 'Look, they're here now,' Michael said, slipping off the wall and stepping across the curb to greet Namond, Randy and Duquan.'Shit, i can't be doing this every morning,' Namond groaned, rubbing his eyes and checking his watch. 'This is too fucking early for me. Damn, school. Why the hell we have to go anyway?' 'Yeah, why the hell!' protested Bug, throwing his arms up. Michael shoved him gently in the arm, but there was a fond grin on his face and he looked up. 'Come on, man. I ain't getting detention on the first day.' The group cut across the street, heading towards the school. They arrived at the school gates and they waited around for Michael to send Bug into his classroom, before they followed the flow of students into the school. They passed the Principal, who gave them all the hawk out. 'Namond, I want that ring off,' she said as they passed. Namond groaned, put tugged it off and stuffed it into his pocket. Randy gave a low whistle as they arrived in the classroom; Mr Prezbo wasn't in sight, but a woman was scribbling something on a paper on the desk and the four boys stopped in the doorway. Namond grinned. 'Well, hello,' he said, putting on a posh accent as he came forward. 'Yo, where's Mr P?' Michael asked. 'He's here,' the teacher said, entering the classroom behind him. 'And I'll have silence!' he called to the class, but as usual, he was ignored. Then, he offered Dukie a small smile and a nod. 'Can you sit down, please fellas?' Michael turned, heading to his desk at the back and swinging his bag down.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 7, 2009 12:51:01 GMT -5
'Pissing twat,' came a mumble from the kitchen, along with a bang and a slam of a fridge door. 'Fucking... arse, what an idiot. Invalid! What right does he have to say that to me!?... idiot.. wanker..' The voice trailed off as Gracey rolled over in her bed, placing the her cushion over her ears. What time was it? 'Wanker.. bastard toaster... oh, fuckin' hell. Grace! Grace, are you up. Fuckin' hell, stop smoking. Damn it. Grace!' 'Mhmm,' lifting her hands, Grace slipped the night mask off and placed it down besides her, before she sleepily glanced around the room, waiting for her eyes to fix. The bedroom door was open, and she could see smoke coming from the kitchen. 'Grace, do you want your fuckin' kitchen to burn down? Help me... christ sake....' there was a rushing sound as he switched the tap on, and a splash of water, mixed with a crackling sound of electric. Bare feet padded across the floor, and Grace stood in the frame of her bedroom, looking out into the kitchen, where Luke had put out the toaster - in a fashion. Water was sloshed all around it, and the electric cable had fizzed. 'What are you doing?' she asked, stepping forward more and turning the kitchen tap off. Her feet met a puddle and she groaned. She didn't need this. 'Luke.. my kitchens soaked... where's the kettle? Have you even unpacked anything yet? Do you know where my trousers are? Luke... Oh, christs sake,..' moving away from the small kitchen, she moved to the lounge and began to pull at all the taped boxes. A box labeled kitchen, contained bath salts, and a box labeled Lukes things contained the cat food. 'Where's Rufus?' slowly, she turned to her brother who was now headed towards the flat door. 'You didn't let him out... did you?' Lukes face told it all 'We're in a five story flat, how the hell is he supposed to know where we are?' 'I'll find him!' he protested. 'You better,' she muttered, turning back towards the box. She had a new job to go to. She had to look smart. She had the outfit all planned. But then, she had her wedding all planned too. But, what did a year of being engaged really mean? Not a lot obviously. Nothing stood for anything anymore. Lalalal. That Morning. :3Be yourself. Be calm. Be friendly. Smile all the time. Never treat one student different to another. Be welcoming. Help at all times. The students were all darting around the playground, kicking balls and leaning against tree's. In little gangs. It gave Grace the feeling they were all plotting something. Little Hooligans. A large pile of papers were stacked before her. Deliver them to Mr. P. Who in Gods name was Mr. P? The delivery man was barmy. Just as she reached the school doors; a haven away from the crazy children. A ball came towards her. Full on. SMACK. Into her forehead. The papers went flying and Grace fell backwards, her head banging against the concrete. There was a shuffle of feet, and when she opened her eyes, all she could see were floating heads looking over her. A wave was broken in the group of children and a brown haired man stuck his head in to see what was going on. A moment passed where his lip quivered; unsure whether to laugh or not to. He decided no, and so offered her a hand. 'Are you okay?' he asked, and Grace's knees buckled. She'd kill Luke for this. She'd had to come dressed in a black skirt, up to her waist, and down to just above her knees. And a white shirt, ironed to some aspect by her brother, but with the fault of a missing button that had popped off in the ironing process. '.. Yeah..I'm... fine,' Lalala. Late Again.'Well, Hello'Mhm. Grace looked up as all the pupils came into the room. Mr P was off at a meeting, not too long she hoped. She didn't know what to do. She'd got bored of waiting and had started her own game of hang man on a sheet of paper. One of the boys whistled, and she tried as hard as she might not to roll her eyes. But she was saved, Mr P arrived. Her heart jolted. Her shouted for silence, but they didn't, and she wasn't surprised. 'Mr Prezbo has asked for you to be silent, I think you'd all be doing yourself a favour if you did so!' moving around the desk, Grace went to stand by Roland and she looked across at the tables. A couple of children were still nattering, but most was quiet. 'Thank you. Now, I'm Mrs Thomas, and I'll be helping Mr Prezbo out for the next month or so. I'd prefer if you called me Miss. I'm not a dog, so I don't reply to whistling,' she shot a look at Randy, before nodding and sitting back on the desk. 'Okay then.'
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 7, 2009 13:14:54 GMT -5
Namond gave a snort. ‘You called him Mr Prezbo!’ he laughed. ‘See, sir,’ he said to Mr P. ‘Y’all have such a difficult name, that even the educated Miss here don’t know whatta’ call you!’ He laughed, but the class generally went quiet. Mr Prezbo cleared his throat and fiddled with his tie a little. He fingered the blue silk, seeming a little embarrassed. Great, she probably thought he had no control over the students.
‘Yes, this is Miss Thomas. She’ll be helping me around the classroom. And that doesn;t mean you'll be able to get away with things.’ ‘You can’t teach us yourself, sir?’ a girl called out. Her friends laughed. Namond swung back on his chair. ‘Nah, nah, he jus’ wants some fine lady in the classroom, so he can tap it,’ he said, winking. ‘It’s okay, sir. Your secret’s safe wid me!’
‘Settle down,’ Mr Prezbo told him, flushed before he turned and wrote on the board. Randy blushed a little at Miss Thomas’ words, before looking down at his hands and the graffiti that covered his desk.
‘Today, we’re going to be learning about fractions,’ he said. ‘What? We did all that last term!’ ‘Yes, but you all failed your tests,’ Mr Prezbo replied, turning back to face the class. He patted a pile of sheets on his desk. ‘Could you hand them out?’ he asked Grace with a smile. ‘And Rachel, put that game boy away!’
The lesson passed easily and by lunch, Roland leaned back in his chair, concealing a yawn. He gestured to the people still in the classroom. ‘They usually stay and eat over lunch. And Duquan uses the computer here,’ he says. ‘I got it especially for him. He finds it easier to work from,’ he explained, before getting out his lunch box. He pushed his sandwiches to the end of the desk for Dukie. ‘Do you eat here or go home?’ he asked her with a smile.
Namond, Randy and Michael were sat around a desk, rolling dice across the wood. A few girls were sat in groups near the back. Another couple of boys were drawing cars on paper.
‘You’ll get used to this place,’ Mr Prezbo continued. ‘They aren’t all bad, even if they try and act macho and tough. You’ll get through to them,’ he said. He watched Gracey’s closely and then gave a shy smile and looked away. ‘What brings you here? If you don’t mind me asking. I read your credentials. There’s a lot better jobs for people like you.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Randy asked; he’d been hovering around the table. ‘You white people all the same. My dad got credentials. He do a good job.’
‘Randy, it’s not polite to come up in a conversation like that,’ Mr Prezbo said, leaning forward in his chair. ‘Did you want something.’ ‘I ain’t got no lunch. I left it at home,’ he said. ‘If you don’t mind...?’ Mr P watched him closely, before giving a small smile and putting his hand in his pocket. He handed Randy some loose change. ‘Just this once, okay?’ ‘Thanks, sir,’ Randy grinned, pocketing the change. He nodded to Grace. ‘Miss.’ Turning, he left the classroom, bag slung over his shoulder.
Mr Prezbo sat back in his chair, watching the others for a minute. Namond was showing Michael something on his phone and Dukie was leaning over their shoulders.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 7, 2009 13:50:42 GMT -5
‘Nah, nah, he jus’ wants some fine lady in the classroom, so he can tap it,’Grace turned away at the mention of this, a small smirk coming across her lips, rather than embarrassment. The poor bloke. But she could see they meant well. Sometimes. Maybe. He handed her some papers and she moved around the tables with ease, frowning slightly at the mention that they'd all failed their tests. It wasn't possible. Obviously one person had passed it. Fractions weren't that hard after all. Were they? Handing a sheet to Duke, she smiled; he looked friendly enough. It was when she got to Randy that she stopped. He had his own scrap of paper on the desk, it had a funny squiggle on it. Writing... bad writing. If he doesn't tap her, I wi - The writing wasn't even finished, he still had the pen in his hand. Maybe it wasn't that hard to believe they'd all failed. Taking the note, Grace screwed it up with one hand and looked at Randy in a -Maybe-In-Ten-Years way. The lesson flew, and she enjoyed herself. Laughing as the kids made comments, and smiling when they did work. She found a sense of enjoyment, proudness for them, all though she'd hardly known them all a day. Dinner came, and everyone filtered off to do their own thing, spare a few kids that stayed at the back. Grace hung around for a moment; unsure what to do. She'd been in such a rush this morning she hadn't gotten anything, and even if she had, it'd take her a year to find a lunch box or something of the type. Just as she was about to go over and see what the boys were doing, Ronald spoke to her and she moved straight back. She didn't know. What was she doing in this job? In a school. In a school where students apparently fail everything. 'My brother got me the job,' she admitted, not being able to say more as Randy came towards the desk. his hands out for money. A warm spot found her heart as Ronald passed him some money. Although they acted like they didn't co operate, it seemed the students and teachers got a long well enough. 'I'm not doing anything for dinner... in all honesty, I don't have anything... I was in such a rush this morning, and -' she as going to ask for some money, in a jokey fashion, like Randy. But her phone rang. Timing. It was Luke. He'd found Rufus. 'I have to get going,' she frowned, sounding sad as she put her phone away. 'It my brother.. he's got into some trouble with one of the new neighbours,' with that, she started off down and out of the classroom, stopping by some boys oggling at a phone. Porn. Tssk.Grabbing the phone, she waved t at Ronald before smiling 'Save me a sandwich, I'll be back.'
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 7, 2009 17:05:05 GMT -5
Roland gave a small smile. ‘Your brother?’ he frowned, but then went, ‘Ah! Thomas. Luke Thomas, right? On the governing school board.’ He picked up his apple and tossed it between his hands, catching it each time. ‘He’s a good man. Due for a visit soon.’ He gave Grace a smile. ‘Have you lived here long?’ he asked, before her phone went.
‘Oh, well, I’ll see you later then,’ Mr Prezbo said, giving a small wave and watching as she passed the boys table. Namond gave a grin. ‘Ain’t porn, miss,’ he protested lightly. ‘It’s art. And education.’ ‘Yeah, sex education,’ Michael grinned. When she left, he stretched out and elbowed Dukie playfully. ‘Hey, y’all heard about Luna coming home?’ he asked, voice low so no one else would hear. Randy perched on the corner of the desk, playing with the money in his hand. ‘Luna? Your sis?’
‘Yeah, she’s coming home. Well, not home cause of mom, but she renting a place nearby,’ Michael explained. ‘Y’all coming ‘round after school to see her? I’ll need to pick up Bug first.’
‘We’ll be there,’ Randy said, before his stomach gave a grumble. He rolled his eyes and slipped off the desk. ‘I’m going to eat. See you later.’ ‘Laters,’ Namond said, before looking back at Michael. ‘I can’t be too long at her place, bro. I have a stash I gotta sell for Marlo or he’ll kill me.’ Michael nodded and turned to look at Dukie. ‘Will you be coming?’ he asked. Mr Prezbo got to his feet, picking up the chalk and writing down the next lesson plans on the board, biting into the apple as he did so.
--
The elderly man waved a broom in the air in front of Luke’s face, before gesturing to the cat. ‘You think its acceptable for animals to be wandering around, not only in the hallways but in other peoples apartments!’ he yelled, voice croaky with age. ‘It wouldn’t have happened in my day,’ he said, brandishing the broom at the cat, who hissed and tried to pull itself out of Luke’s arm.
‘I do not expect to come home from bingo to find a cat eating my tuna and playing about in my sink! I have half a mind to call the landlord and see what his say on the matter is. I’ve lived here for twenty six years and never, never in my life have I had this type of behaviour from my neighbours. New neighbours in fact! You have a lot to live up to young man.’ He glanced to the side as Grace came in through the door. ‘Are you with this man and this animal?’ he demanded.
‘Because you should be in and making sure it doesn’t escape! I could have killed it. I thought it was a giant rat,’ he yelled, but finally seemed to run out of breath. He fell quiet, red faced, breathing heavily in his anger and glaring at the cat.
--
Luna Lee gave a groan of effort as she carried the final box into the small hallway of the apartment blocks, frowning as she heard shouting ahead of her. She hurried her steps, trainers silent on the worn, red carpet and she turned to corner to see a woman, a cat and two men; one who was yelling and old and angry. She frowned, blowing her hair from her face with a huff.
‘Is everything alright?’ she asked, setting her box down and rubbing her back. She tugged her keys from her jeans and unlocked her apartment door. She kicked it open and picked up her box, still looking uncertainly between the group. Then, she entered her apartment and set the box on the table with the other three.
Four boxes made up ten years of her life since she’d last been in Baltimore. Fuck, that was depressing. She sighed, turning and moving into the bedroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror; the tips of her dark hair were dyed electric blue, her jeans a little tattered and she was wearing a large hoody and battered converse. She really hadn’t changed much over the years.
Luna thought briefly about her mom, but then pushed that thought away. The bitch never wanted her anyway.
The man was shouting again. Luna rolled her eyes and moved back through her apartment. ‘Hey, will you shut the hell up. It’s a cat. The cat didn’t mean to go into your apartment, but if it didn’t stink like fish it wouldn’t have. Go back into your pit and leave them alone.’
The old man stared at her. ‘Kids these days,’ he muttered.
‘I ain’t a kid. I’m almost thirty,’ she said. He turned and moved back into his apartment, slamming the door shut. Luna blew out a breath and gave a laugh, turning to the man and the woman. ‘Cute cat,’ she mused, before holding out a hand. ‘I’m Odessa Lee. But, call me Luna,’ she introduced.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 8, 2009 8:06:44 GMT -5
‘Is everything alright?’
Luke stood outside the mans flat, a small grey kitten wriggling around in his arms. Wanting to get free so it could dig up the plants in the front border.
‘No, everythings not alright, love. Bloody animal wrecked my pansy’s, don’t you know the rules of these flats? No. Animals!-’ The man had stated arguing again; the woman having gone back to her room.
‘I spoke to the man, he said seeing as he was so small we could have him. He causes no harm … he’s house trained,’ Luke protested but the old man was having none of it. He waved his spade at the kitten, who spat and hissed angrily, scratched Luke’s arms and dropped to the floor on all fours. ‘Yes, I bet you trained him to do this didn’t you. I saw the look you gave me when you first came here. Yes. I know your type.. I’ve got my eyes on you,’ he did the -eyes-on-you signal with his fingers before mooching inside and slamming his bottom flat door.
‘What was all that about?’ Grace asked, watching as the man gave in and shut his door. Rufus gave a mew and swaggered over towards her, his tail stood erect as he rubbed against her legs.
‘I found Rufus?’ Luke suggested, watching his sister pick up the kitten, she handed it back to him.
'I can hear you talking!' the man called, you could see a beedy eye peeing through the view hole. There was a shuffle of locks, and he appeared again. Seeing the kitten, he gave a hissing noise and stamped his foot. Only causing the kitten more agitation so it dived for his ankle.
‘Hey, will you shut the hell up. It’s a cat. The cat didn’t mean to go into your apartment, but if it didn’t stink like fish it wouldn’t have. Go back into your pit and leave them alone.’
Luke had to try his hardest not to laugh, he lifted a hand and put it over his mouth. The man gave a look of shock, before glaring at all three in a -you-will-pay, or a -this-isn't-over gesture, before slamming his door once again.
'Luna... nice,' he reached out a hand to shake her own, but Grace got in the way and handed Luke the kitten.
‘I have to get back to the school-’ ‘But its lunch time… I.. made you dinner,’ he protested, and Grace paused, watching him for a moment before he sighed ‘I brought you Chinese.. But at least I took it out of the box.’
'I promised Ro-' Luke gave the puppy's eyes trick, the one you gave when you were little and you wanted something. And that was the end of the argument. Mr P would have to wait.
'Do you want to come too?' he asked, watching as Luna turned to go back to her flat. 'Oh.. but its a mess-' 'She won't mind, will you... Odessa?' he smirked, the name was pretty. Different. It suited her.
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 8, 2009 8:36:52 GMT -5
Luna gave him a grin. ‘And your name is...?’ she prompted, watching him curiously. She pulled a face at the name Odessa, but laughed. ‘It’s ghastly,’ she said. ‘My mom’s idea. A character from a story she said she read, but I’ve never seen her pick up a book so who knows if it’s true?’ she shrugged, before stroking the top of Rufus’ head. ‘Awh,’ she grinned. ‘He’s so cute.’
She looked up at Gracey. ‘I don’t mind Chinese, if that’s okay with you,’ she asked, before her phone vibrated. ‘Oh, ‘cuse me,’ she said, stepping aside and checking the text. A grin fell on her lips as she read it. It was Michael telling her they’d drop by afterschool. She pocketed her phone and followed the other two into the apartment. ‘Have you guys just moved in too?’ she asked, looking around at the array of boxes that littered the apartment. She was a little thankful that she didn’t have lots to deal with after all.
The room was similar to hers, but this apartment was a little bigger; two bedrooms instead of just one like hers. It was nicely decorated, which reminded her she needed to buy paint to add a bit of colour to her dull brown walls. She gave Luke a grin. ‘So, what do you do?’ she asked. ‘As a job, I mean.’
--
‘Dukie, keep up,’ Namond called behind him. ‘We only have twenty minutes until lunch is over.’ ‘Fuck, what we even doin’?’ Randy asked, trying to keep up. Michael shook his head. ‘I ain’t doing no stash with you Namond.’ ‘It ain’t that,’ he replied. ‘It’s important. C’mon.’
Michael sighed and glanced back at Dukie, before the group hurried across the street to the park area. They stopped at some bushes and Namond reached in and grabbed a duffel bag. He unzipped it to reveal a load of cash. ‘Shit,’ Randy breathed, wide eyed before glancing around. ‘Who’s is it?’ ‘I dunno,’ Namond grinned. ‘Thought I’d share it with you guys though.’ ‘No way, man,’ Michael said. ‘What if it some dealers, huh? They cut you up if they find out.’ Namond pulled a face and slugged him in the arm. ‘A’ight man, your call, but I’ve been watching this for weeks and no niggas come up for it. C’mon, Michael. Why not?’
Michael sighed, glanced around and then nodded. ‘A’ight. Will it last till tomorrow? Luna will start thinking something’s up with i roll in with my pockets full of cash. And Bug will blub to mom and she’ll take it off me.’ Namond nodded. ‘Tomorrow night, we’ll meet down here and split the cash. You in, Duquan?’ he asked, looking up at the other boy.
--
Luna sat with Luke and Grace on the sofa, a plate of Chinese on her lap, the boxes all scattered about the small coffee table. ‘I’ve not been in the city much,’ she said, gesturing around. ‘I’ve not lived here for ten years, though I’ve visited for a few days to see my brothers.’ She mixed the rice on her plate with the chopsticks, before glancing up again.
‘Do you guys have any family?’ she asked, popping a meatball in her mouth. ‘Like... close by?’ She’d only been here an hour or so, but already she liked them; they were funny and the way they bantered with each other made her laugh. She ate some rice, before leaning over to pick up her glass of wine, raising it to her lips and taking a drink. She set it back on the coffee table again and gave Grace a smile.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 9, 2009 7:57:42 GMT -5
Dukie picked up his pace to stay in with the boys. He didn't even know where they were going, he hoped it wasn't anything bad. He'd got into enough trouble as it was. Stopping at a large bush, they all stared for a moment. Maybe it was a trick, but then Namond reached in and retrieved a duffel bag.
Loads of notes fell out as he turned it upside down, and Dukie looked in awe.'Where did you get those!?' What he wouldn't give to have that much money. The things he could buy. He breathed in it, the scent of money was amazing. But then Michael spoke of people coming back, coming to cut them up for touching it. He didn't seem so happy then, but all the same.
'I'm in,' he replied with a small nod.
'I'm. So. Full,' Gracey groaned, stretching herself out on the sofa, her bottom at one end, back resting against the arm, and her feet laid over Luke's legs. The dark haired man placed his empty glass back on the table and slunk back into the sofa himself, Luna by his side. All of them full of chinese and food. Rufus was laying on the floor, his head in one of the empty chinese boxes, trying to salvage something to eat. Giving a mew, he looked at the doped three before moving off into Grace's bedroom and onto the bed. There he sat and began to pull the feathers out of her pillow.
'You should be, you ate most of it,' he smirked, placing his hands on his sisters legs lazily. 'I did not, Odessa did,' she giggled slightly at the name, and acknowledged the girl with a small smile. Lifting her head slighty, she glanced over at the clock on the mantle and almost jumped up from where she was sitting. Five o'clock?!
'I should have been back by now-' 'Calm down,' Luke sighed, grabbing onto his sisters arm to pull her back down again, but she had none of it as she grabbed her coat and ran out the flat. Looking back to Odessa, he grinned 'Guess it's just you and me then,'
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 9, 2009 12:16:00 GMT -5
Luna watched as Grace quickly got to her feet. She’d learned from the conversation that had taken place over dinner that Grace had started a new job at Baltimore County, the school where Luna had gone for ten years of her life and where her two younger brothers went down. She forgot to ask if Gracey had seen them, but Luke was proving rather distracting with his good looks and charmish ways.
‘Oh, shit, man,’ she said, glancing at her watch; it was just her and Luke. ‘As much as I’d love to stay, my brothers are gonna be here any minute now.’ She grinned, finishing her wine and getting to her feet. She tugged her trainers back on, allowing Luke to lead her out. She hesitated in the hallway, watching him leaning in the doorway and she smiled. ‘It was nice-’
‘Shit, sis!’ A voice broke through her words and Luna turned to see a group of boys at the other end of the hallway. She broke into a beam as they came forward. Bug raced ahead and she knelt to catch him as he practically through himself at her. Luna picked up the six year old, kissing her cheek. ‘Bug! And Michael, gosh. Namond? You’re all so big!’ Luna felt tears prick her eyes because she was finally here with her family, as she’d wanted for a long time. She tugged Michael forward, putting an arm around his neck and kissing the top of his head. Michael blushed and tried to squirm away, but she wasn’t ready to let go.
‘And who is this?’ she asked, grinning at Duquan. ‘Go on, man,’ Randy urged in his ear, patting him on the back. ‘Dukie; this is Michael’s sister, Luna.’ Luna reached out to shake his hand.
--
Mr Prezbo moved across the concrete to his car, struggling with one box tucked under his arm. He managed to tug his keys from his trouser pockets, unlocking the boot of his car and lifting it open. He dropped the box in there, grabbing a packet of pencils that had fallen out and putting them back, precariously, on the top. He slammed the boot of the car shut, looking up as he caught sight of Grace. ‘Ah, I wondered what had happened to you,’ he said with a small smile. ‘Any explanation?’
He looked around and then offered her a smile. ‘You’re lucky the Principal didn’t come into my lesson. Not being there on your first day might not have gone down so well,’ he told her. A speck of wet hit his face and he glanced up at the rain clouds overhead. ‘Look, I’ll give you a ride home?’ he offered, gesturing to his car as the rain started to fall lightly down.
He moved over to his car and opened the side door for her. ‘I insist,’ he smiled, waiting for her to climb in before moving around the car and getting into his side. He shut the door and slipped his seatbelt on. Roland shook water from his hair, before putting the key in the ignition and turning the engine on. It purred into life and he reversed out the parking spot and out of the school gates. ‘So, where abouts do you live?’ he asked, turning a corner and heading down the main street. He looked across at her, before giving Grace a smile.
‘You did well in class today. They listened to you. I think it’s because you’re a woman,’ he laughed. ‘The female teachers in this school have a lot more respect than the males,’ he mused. ‘They are listened to a lot more.’ Mr P rolled to a stop at a red light, tapping a tune on the steering wheel.
--
Michael couldn’t keep the grin off his face; it had been there since lunch at the thought of his older sister being home, finally. Namond gave him a sideways look as they headed across the road towards the apartment block Luna lived in. ‘You high or somethin’?’ he asked. Michael grinned at him and laughed.
‘No, I am not. Can’t a guy be cheerful once in a while?’
‘Nah, he can’t,’ Namond replied, but gave a teasing smile.
They arrived at the apartments, Michael opening the main door and stepping aside to let Randy, Namond, Dukie and Bug in. ‘Let’s take the elevator,’ Randy suggested, moving over and pressing the button. The door pinged open and the group stepped inside. ‘Yo, what floor?’ ‘Four, man. Floor four.’ ‘Fuck, that’s a tongue-twister,’ Namond said, as Randy jabbed the 4 button a couple of times.
‘I’m scared,’ Bug whispered, tugging Michael’s trousers. Michael bent down and grinned. ‘Don’t be scared, little man,’ he said in a quiet voice, before rubbing the top of his head. The door pinged and opened again and the boys spilled out into a hallway; the carpet was red and well worn, dark tread marks in the middle; the halls were covered in a cream wallpaper with a red and gold patterned border and there were gold lamps screwed to the walls.
‘Ghetto,’ snorted Namond as they moved along the hallway. They turned a corner. And there she was. Luna was just leaving an apartment, chatting to another man in the doorway, but she turned as she caught sight of them, a beam breaking out across her face. Michael was frozen for a moment, before Bug raced ahead and Randy pushed him forward. ‘Come on, man,’ he said, smiling.
Michael grinned, picking up his steps until he got to her. Luna pulled him into a hug and even though he pretended otherwise, he was pleased that she was actually here.
‘You hangin’ wid a white man?’ Namond asked, a slight scowl on his lips as he looked Luke up and down. ‘Yo, nigga, what’s your name?’ he asked, raising his eyebrows and talking as you would to a retard. Luna shot him a look. ‘Leave it, Namond,’ she warned. ‘You may not be in nappies anymore, but I’ll still tell your momma if I have to.’ Namond just shrugged, pushing his beanie further on his head and scowling at Luke.
‘Thanks again,’ she smiled at Luke, reaching out to squeeze his arm. All the boys’ eyes were on Luke at this point. Luna didn’t notice, as she was too busy trying to open the door to her apartment and hold Bug at the same time. ‘I’ll do it ma’am,’ Randy offered, taking her key and unlocking the door. He kicked it open. Luna gave him a thankful smile. ‘Thank you, Randy,’ she laughed, but reached out to squeeze his cheek gently. ‘You’ve all changed so much.’ Randy blushed and ducked his head, before Luna led the way into the apartment.
Michael and Namond hung behind. ‘You ain’t with my sister, are you?’ Michael asked. ‘Cause she don’t need none of that. She got me and Bug. She don’t need no one else.’ ‘Yeah, so back off, white man,’ Namond threatened, stepping forward a little. Michael stared at Luke for another moment, before pushing Namond lightly in his chest. ‘Come on, man. Let’s go see Luna.’
--
Mr Prezbo pulled up against the curb, leaning forward to look up at the dark apartment block he was parked next to. ‘Will you be okay here, or do you want me to walk you up?’ he asked, leaning back in his seat and looking across at Gracey. ‘You’re not alone, are you?’ he said. This wasn’t a great part of Baltimore and the last thing he’d want was for her to be wandering around alone.
He’d heard the stories about what happened to white girls at night in this part of town. It was a racial problem. Shit, he’d been a cop long enough to know what damage a gang could do to a single woman.
He definitely didn’t want that to happen to Grace.
‘Come on, I’ll walk you up,’ he grinned, offering her no protest as he cut the engine and climbed out his side of the car. He waited until Grace had gotten out the car before locking it and pocketing his keys. He stepped along the curb until she’d reached him, before opening the door.
‘Ladies first,’ he smiled. ‘Just fuck her already, man!’ someone yelled from across the street. A group were men were hanging around on the corner. His friends chortled around him and Roland flushed and followed her into the building. Definitely, definitely not safe.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 10, 2009 11:48:13 GMT -5
‘Oh, shit, man,’
Luke had been so busy watching her, that when she spoke it caused him to jump slightly. Everyone was leaving him. His own sister had bailed on him for some teacher with a stupid name, and now his new neighbour was passing an evening with him for some little children. He was about to stop her and say that they could wait, but she’d already stood up and was now pulling on her shoes. ‘Another day perhaps?’ he smiled weakly as he pulled open the flat door and let her go forward. Luna stood in the hall and he idly lent in the doorway, a stupid boyish grin to his lips.
‘Shit, sis!’
Cursing under his breath, Luke feigned a welcoming look as he saw a group of boys at the end of the corridor. A smallish boy charged towards Luna and for a moment he thought he was going to take her down. These were obviously her family; unless it was something people did around here, tackling strangers in the hallway.
Grace had to stop at the corner to catch her breath; having jogged all the way from her flat she was warn out, she wasn’t exactly an athlete. Looking up, she caught sight of Ronald loading some boxes into her car. Once again she worked herself into a sprint, and had to lean against the car for support. As he closed the boot, she caught his eye and offered a tired smile. ‘My brother -’ pant ‘decided to cook dinner… I mean… he ordered Chinese…-’ pant ‘and… well, we have this new neighbour you see and…’ stopping, Grace put a hand to her chest in a look of exaggeration ‘I shouldn’t have had all that rice, they say you feed it to birds and they pop. I think that’s going to happen to me.’ giving a small laugh, she looked up into the sky, and true as he had said, a spot of rain landed on her nose. Perfect.
Offering her a seat in his car, she hesitated for a moment before agreeing. The heavens had just opened and it was about 3 blocks to her apartment. Sitting herself down, she pulled on the seatbelt and slunk back down in the seats. God it was so nice to sit down, she felt like she’d run a marathon. She should really start going to the gym. Didn’t they do boxing here? The smell of leather hit her nose, and she wrinkled it happily.
‘I bet if you wore a dress and a wig you’d get more attention. Its just because I’m new, give them a few days and they’ll not care what I have to say,’ smiling, she glanced out the window as the rain started to splash against it, making it hard to see what she was passing on the outside. ‘Me? Turn the next corner… go straight on and you’ll see a block of flats. They’re not much, but that’s what you get if you let your brother chose your place for you,’
‘Yo, nigga, what’s your name?’
Luke couldn’t believe what he had just been asked. He blinked a couple of times at the kid. How old was he? Luckily, Luna scolded the boy and he was grateful, he seemed to have forgotten his name. Sure, he liked Luna. She was pretty - beautiful, if he was honest, and she was funny, but if this was her family. He wasn’t sure if he could be doing with them.
An older boy helped Luna open her door - by kicking it, although it did work, and Luke was ready to turn back to his apartment when a voice called him back.
‘I don’t think its any of your business what me and Luna are doing,’ he replied, voice calm as he weighed the two up. Then one of them came forward, and for a moment he was a little scared. He’d seen kids like this on television, the ones that did drugs and shit. The two stared at each other for a moment - Luke gladly much taller than both boys, before they decided to go off and see Luna. A large sigh escaped his lips as he lent back against the wall. What the hell had just happened?
Pulling up at the flats, Grace gave a smile of appreciation towards Roland as she unclipped her seatbelt to get out. ‘I’m fine… My brother should be up there, with our new neighbour in fact,’ now she’d had a rest to get her breath back, she was more calm. But then he was getting out of the car. Grace got out her side slowly, and irked an eyebrow at Roland now standing on the curb ‘You don’t have to, its really okay… You’ve done enough for me today as it is-’
‘Just fuck her already, man!’
Turning her head, Grace caught sight of a group of people across the road, her eyes narrowed, and she was ready to shout something back, but Roland gave her back a little push and the two moved into the building. ‘You really, really, don’t need to come. My apartment… I’m ashamed of it, I don’t want you to think little of me, boxes, they’re everywhere-’ a gasp left her lips as Rufus charged towards her and jumped up for her to catch him.
‘What are you doing down here?’ she asked, stroking the grey kitten as it purred excitedly. Wriggling out of her arms, he stuck his nose out and sniffed Roland’s arm before rubbing his head against it. ‘did Luke let you out again? What did I tell him about that?’ handing the kitten to Roland, she made her way towards the stairs and started up them. The lift was full, and she wasn’t going to wait to have a go at him. She bet he and Luna were at it right now, he’d left the door open and was too busy to even notice the feline escape.
But as she got to the top of the stairs, she saw the backs of two boys, going towards her brother. ‘Oi’ she yelled, striding up towards them. What did they think they were doing? Luke simply gave a confused look and turned back into the flat. He’d had enough of today and just wanted to have a beer and to watch some football.
'Michael?' she asked, confusion now on her face 'What are you doing here? Namond... why are you yelling at my brother?... Are you here for Luna...?' turning back, she saw Roland come out of the lift holding Rufus. 'Why are you shouting at my brother?' she repeated again, looking back at the two boys.
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 10, 2009 13:46:03 GMT -5
Mr Prezbo watched with amusement as she tried to get her words out, giving her a small smile. ‘Let’s just hope your brother doesn’t tempt you with Chinese again,’ he said as she placed a hand on her chest, struggling to get her breath back. ‘That’s very true,’ Mr P nodded at the bird comment. ‘Just don’t pop all over my car,’ he said, making an awkward joke and blushing a little. He got into his car, the rain hitting the windscreen. He put the wipers on, watching as the screen cleared.
‘A dress and a wig?’ he laughed, giving a grin that lit up his whole face. He followed her directions, heading down towards the apartments. He didn’t comment on the look; it wasn’t his right. ‘You live with your brother?’ he asked, curious to who she was. He headed down the road and round another corner before pulling up in against the curb. He got out, smiling over at her.
He led her into the building, ignoring the yells of the men and heading into the apartment blocks. Grace was babbling about her apartment and he could see she was nervous. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘You didn’t see my old place, so I have no right to comment about anyone,’ he assured Grace, jumping as there was a loud hiss. He glanced down at the kitten’s tail that he’d stood on before it leapt into Grace’s arms.
‘Sorry,’ he said, flushed. He gave a nervous titter and blinked as she handed the kitten to him. He lifted Rufus up at arm’s length, before following Grace up the stairs. It didn’t take long to get there as he tried to keep hold of the wriggling cat. ‘I’m not that good with animals,’ he peeped out, swallowing nervously as he looked at Rufus’ claw that was stuck in the sleeve of his coat.
‘It is my business seeing as she’s my sister,’ Michael said to Luke, voice low as he stared. He was distrustful of adults, especially males and this one was no different. ‘Why you be interested in her anyway? Ain’t we too low in your standards? We ain’t rich.’ They were interrupted by a voice at the end of the corridor.
Mr Prez looked up as Grace yelled, catching sight of the two boys. ‘Michael? Namond?’ he frowned, coming forward. The two turned to face the others. ‘Not my fault he getting all up in Luna’s space,’ Michael said. ‘He should jus’ stay away.’ ‘What you doing here, sir?’ Namond asked, before looking at Grace. He gave a laugh. ‘You sly, sir.’ He shook his head, glancing back at Luke as the other men went into the apartment.
They disappeared into the other apartment and shut the door. Mr Prezbo cleared his throat awkwardly. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbled, before handing Rufus back. The rain was hitting the hallway window at the end and a flash of lightning lit up the hallway. He frowned, watching the outside. ‘I should get back before it gets worse,’ he began.
--
‘You better don’t give him any grief,’ Luna said, looking as Michael and Namond came in. Namond just rolled his eyes. ‘I mean it. He’s nice. I like him.’
‘How long you known him for?’ Michael said. ‘An afternoon,’ she said, flushing. ‘Shut up. Now, you here to see me or complain about the neighbours?’ Michael grinned as Randy helped Luna move a few boxes aside. They sat around the table, bags slung on the couch. ‘How’d you get money for this place?’ Michael asked, looking around.
‘I worked my ass off and spent nothing, that’s how,’ Luna grinned, moving into the small kitchen area to fix drinks. ‘You guys want soda? Snacks? How about you Dukie?’ she asked, looking back at the other boy.
He was cute in a kiddie kind of way; his face gave her the idea that he hadn’t lost his innocence yet and he held his purple bag close. Completely the opposite to Namond, who was swinging back on his chair and playing with a lighter, flicking the flame on and swiping his thumb over it.
She dropped her gaze back to Dukie and offered him a small smile, before getting a juice carton for Bug and moving to give it him. ‘What’s life doing with you guys?’ she asked.
‘I got an A in my Math homework,’ Bug announcing proudly, sucking the juice through a straw until he slurped from the empty carton. ‘Math is my favourite. I do good, don’t I, Michael?’ ‘You do, little man,’ Michael said, with a fond smile.
--
Snoop stared up at the apartment blocks from the passenger seat of the car, peering through the rain speckled window. She could feel the gun’s cool metal against her stomach from where it was stuffed in her jeans, under her coat and she glanced across at Partlow.
‘You sure this is the place?’ she asked. ‘Cause I don’t want to go fucking things up. And you sure Marlo wants Luna? Shit, how does he even know her? I ain’t seen her since I was sixteen.’ She shook her head and fell quiet.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 10, 2009 14:31:25 GMT -5
‘Yes, I’m fuckin’ sure he wants ‘er. What do you think I am?’ Partlow was sat in the seat next to Snoop. He bent his head so he could see the block of flats. ‘it’s the fourth floor… but she’s got a bunch a kids up there, give it an hour… and if they’re not gone by then… well…’ trailing off, Partlow sat back in his seat and stared at the road ahead.
--
‘Why you be interested in her anyway? Ain’t we too low in your standards? We ain’t rich.’
'You think I'm rich? I live in a fuckin' neighbourhood where if you go out after 6pm you face getting shot.'
'Luke, keep it down, you're having an argument with a kid- no,' Grace reacehed out and took Roland's arm; Rufus resting on her other. ‘I mean… won’t it be better if you wait for it to stop? It could get worse… freak floods are known to happen, they just pop out of nowhere, don’t want to take any risks, do you?’ smiling slightly, she turned and placed the kitten back in the flat. A swear word was heard as Luke almost tripped over the feline but Grace simply ignored him.
‘You could help keep Luke company, its been ages since he’s had male company,’ taking his hand, she tugged him into the flat, but frowned to see the mess was worse than she had remembered. Luke hadn’t bothered to put the Chinese boxes away, and there was a strong scent of rise floating around in the air. Glancing around, she saw Luke about to disappear into his room with a can of beer ‘Oi-’
‘I’m goin’ to sleep, that wines done my head in,’ he replied grumpily, shutting the door on the two of them. Pausing, Grace felt a rush of embarresment come over her as she turned back to Roland. ‘I’m sorry,’ she sighed, moving over towards the sofa and collecting up all the food boxes ‘I didn’t expect him to be like that…'
--
‘We got a new teacher,’ Randy perked up, swinging back slightly on his chair, arms folded over his chest ‘Mr P fancies her bad,’ he smirked and all the boys laughed in agreement ‘You were with her brother-’ he added moodily. ‘Can I ave’ a drink?’ Dukie asked, interrupting Randy, as he looked up with a small smile to Luna
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 10, 2009 15:05:20 GMT -5
‘You look rich,’ Namond growled in reply. ‘With your fucking cashmere sweaters.’ He gave a nod. ‘That’s right, so you better stay indoors or it’ll be my gun in your face.’ Michael just grabbed his arm now as Miss Thomas butted in between them. ‘This man’s a prick,’ Namond told her, before letting himself to get taken into the apartment.
Mr P opened his mouth to say something, but Grace seemed to have everything in control. He gave her a smile when she took Rufus out his hands. ‘If you don’t mind,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to intrude-’ Apparently, she wouldn’t take no for an answer as she tugged his wrist and led him inside.
‘Hi, I’m Roland Pryzbylewski,’ he offered his hand, but Luke had already turned and stalked into his bedroom. He let his hand drop and he glanced at the floor. ‘I’ll help you clean up,’ he said, looking up at Grace. He pulled off his coat and hung it on the back of the door, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
Picking up a few empty Chinese cartons, he glanced around before spotting the bin and moving to put them in. Then, he looked back at the plates and glasses on the coffee table. ‘I wash, you dry?’ he asked with a friendly grin.
--
‘A new teacher?’ Luna asked with a smile. ‘What’s his name?’ she asked, before looking at Dukie. She nodded, moving to grab some soda’s from the fridge. She took two trips before everybody had one, before going back to shut the fridge and grab some biscuits from the cupboard. She grabbed a plate and put some on the plate. Moving back to the table, she set it down and cracked open her can.
‘There,’ she smiled, looking about them all. She was still in shock at how big they’d got. Michael himself, couldn’t take his eyes off her. Maybe this meant he could move in with her and he’d not have to go back to his stepdad and mom again. ‘Who’s Mr P?’ she asked Randy, taking a drink from her can before setting it down.
She sat down and Bug slipped off his chair and climb onto her lap. She held him there while he grabbed a biscuit and held it in two hands. ‘And this new teacher. Tell me about her. Did you all learn things at school today?’
Namond gave a laugh. ‘Learn? We don’t learn shit,’ he scoffed. ‘Teachers don’t know what they talk about most of the time.’ Luna shook her head. ‘You should pay more attention,’ she scolded lightly. ‘It’ll be worth it in the long run.’ She picked up a biscuit of her own and bit into it.
--
Mr Prezbo stood elbow deep in soapy water, scrubbing the plates clean and handing them to Grace. He glanced over his shoulder at the boxes, before looking at her as he cleaned a glass. ‘How long have you been moving in?’ he asked. ‘Or is this a two year kind of thing. Never getting around to unpacking?’ he teased lightly, before handing her the glass.
He plugged out the plug and washed his hands under the tap to get off the soap suds, before trying them on a pot towel. The rain had got harder over the time they were cleaning and now it was dark and cloudy outside.
He hoped there wouldn’t be a flood and that it would pass soon. Not that he wanted to leave. He just hated the rain.
|
|
|
Post by kittypatter on Aug 10, 2009 16:21:27 GMT -5
‘I’ll help you clean up,’
Watching as he hung his coat up, Grace smiled and took her own off, placing it on the back of one of the chairs, she grabbed a tea towel and slung it over her shoulder. 'I would say that was a fair deal,'
There was a bang in Lukes room, and the sound of the television as he turned it up soon blast. It wouldn't last long, he'd soon get a call from the neighbours telling him to keep it down. As Roland moved to wash the dishes, she stood waiting for them to be dried.
The washing soon went down; faster than she tough, seeing as there was a lot of it. He made a comment of the boxes in her living room and she narrowed her eyes, flicking some bubbles at him from one of the mugs. 'Oi, I'll have you know we've only been here 3 weeks. More than a fortnight.. but not a month. So you can't moan. When it gets to a month and they're still not unpacked, then... I give you the right to tell me off,' she smirked.
--
'Mr P's our maths teacher,' Dukie smiled, looking up with twinkling little eyes. He liked Mr P. He was good to him. Nicer than the rest.
'He has an assistant,' Randy carried on for him 'Miss Thomas. We all think he wants to get her in bed- Don't give me that shit,' he muttered, looking towards Namond 'I bet you learnt more today than you did any other day... well, I bet you learnt more in the morning... She wasn't there after dinner.- But anyway, you couldn't stop gawking at 'er-'
'Neither could you,' Dukie put in, looking away as Randy shot him a glare, his cheeks turning pink.
--
The rain outside got heavier, and Rufus gave a mew, glad that he wasn't outside in it all. His little eyes looked down on a car - the one that held Snoop and Partlow.
'It looks like it could be set to rain for a while.' Grace spoke sadly, smiling at the almost clean flat 'only got the boxes to unpack. Give me a year,' she joked.
|
|
|
Post by charlie on Aug 11, 2009 3:36:51 GMT -5
Mr Prezbo gave her a grin, before glancing at the bedroom Luke had disappeared in. ‘Is he okay?’ he asked, moving to put the plates and glasses in the sink and fill it up. He began to wash. ‘I don’t want to be in the middle of anything,’ he said, worrying again.
He laughed at her comment. ‘Three weeks? You’re lucky to have gotten the job when you did,’ he said. ‘Things are tough at the moment.’ He dried his hands on the pot towel and drained the sink, before turning to look at her.
She really was pretty; her dark hair framed her face, but it also had a reddy look to it in the light of the apartment. Her brown eyes twinkling lightly as she joked, full of humour. He realized he was staring and quickly glanced away. ‘I’ll be sure to come back in a week to check if you’ve unpacked or not,’ he smiled.
--
Luna smiled, looking at Dukie as he spoke. He was soft-voiced and her heart actually felt like melting. She wanted to cuddle them all, but knew they were all too old for that and had an ‘image’ to uphold, so she settled for kissing the back of Bug’s head as he ate his biscuit and cuddling his middle.
‘Miss Thomas? Next door?’ she frowned, recognizing the name. ‘Gosh, small world,’ she murmured. ‘Well, you be next to her, because if not, I’ll hear about it,’ she said with a look of mock sternness, but she gave a laugh and drank from her can. ‘And I like Grace, so if this Mr P messes her around too...’ she threatened. Namond cast Randy a look and shrugged.
‘Y’all no i ain’t into this education shit. Y’all do at school and y’all do your homework. I don’t do shit. All i need to know is if the right about of stash is there and if the costumer has given me enough cash.’ He drained his can and crushed the metal between his hands, focussing his gaze on it. He didn’t admit that he did think Miss Thomas was fit and that he’d do her if the opportunity ever arouse.
Luna gave Randy a smile when he blushed. ‘She was good,’ agreed Michael. ‘I actually understood what she meant with fractions this time,’ he smiled, glancing at Randy and then at Luna. ‘Do you have a job?’
Luna winced, but laughed. ‘Admittedly, not yet. I’m going to have a look ‘round town and see what’s on. There’s a few shops around here that could need a helping hand,’ she smiled, setting her can aside.
--
‘So, is there only your brother?’ Mr Prez asked, looking across at Grace; they’d moved to the sofa, drinking the rest of the wine, which wasn’t that much. ‘Where do your parents live?’ he asked her. He sipped his wine; he didn’t usually drink, but he knew it wasn’t much.
The music had eventually died down in Luke’s room and Roland stretched. ‘I should be doing,’ he mumbled, running a hand over his face. ‘Lesson plans for tomorrow.’ He attempted to get to his feet. He must have drunk more than he’d realized as he couldn’t even fully straighten up before he fell back on the sofa next to her. ‘Oh, damn,’ he said with a laugh. ‘I’m terrible at this drinking thing. I’m so sorry.’ He leaned forward to set his glass on the coffee table, before slumping back on the sofa. He looked at the ceiling for a moment. Then, he turned his head to look at her, a small smile playing about his lips.
He didn’t even think about what he was doing. Instead, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. It was hesitant at first and shy, his hand coming up to ghost along her jaw. His eyes fell shut as his tongue ran along her bottom lip and he deepened the kiss, needing to taste her.
--
Too soon it was time for the boys to go. They all gathered in her hallway with their coats and bags and Luna knelt down to hug Bug tightly once more. Then, she straightened up. ‘Can I have a word with you?’ Michael asked. ‘Y’all go ahead,’ he said to the others. Bug reached up to take Dukie’s hand and Michael waited until they’d gotten to the end of the corridor before turning to his sister.
‘Bug and I can come and leave wid you, right?’ he asked. Luna looked at him. ‘If you tried, the Social Services would just take you away again,’ she sighed, reaching out to cup his cheek. Michael looked down, expression sad. Luna felt her chest tighten; Michael really hated being at home. ‘You can stay if you ever need a place though,’ she said, trying to lighten the conversation. ‘And you and Bug can come and visit whenever you want. And if you need to talk...’
Michael looked up and gave her a grin. ‘Thanks, Luna.’
‘Now, you catch those boys up,’ she said, ruffling his head. ‘Good night!’ She waited until he’d gone and the chatter of the boys had fallen quiet before she backed into her apartment and shut the door.’
--
‘Ah, fuck this, man!’ Snoop complained loudly, slumped in her chair. ‘Let’s just go get the kids an’ fuck them about so we can talk to Luna.’ Her impatience had grown during her fear of the lightning; the most feared woman in Baltimore, scared of lightning? Good joke, she mocked herself.
She didn’t have to complain long; soon, the rain died away and the door to the apartment opened and the boys came out. Snoop peered forward in the car. ‘Michael Lee. An’ there’s Namond. Randy,’ she said, calling off the boys names. Then, she tugged her gun from her jeans.
‘What we waitin’ for?’ she asked Partlow, before going to open her door.
|
|