“Calm down. I did what needed to be done. You just worry about school. Like I told you, we’re going legit now, so get your emotions under control,” Palo said calmly.
“Don’t you tell me to get my emotions under control! I have to worry about you every day in that stupid gang,” I yelled. The overwhelm pounding my chest was too much for me to bear. I wanted to pull over.
“We can talk later. I gotta go to work,” Palo said sharply and clicked off. I closed my eyes for a moment as I sat at the lights. So much confusion swirled in my brain. What could I believe now? I pulled into the parking lot ten minutes later.
First up today was pharmacology; Shauna and I were paired up, working on a project. I texted her as I walked on campus.
“Where you at?”
“Cafeteria, before this dry ass subject.”
“Lol”
Today the place looked bare as I crossed the manicured lawn to the square building in front of me. I spotted Shauna’s curls before her and she was in line, picking up her coffee from the front counter. I approached sneakily.
“Boo!” She jumped and nearly lost her coffee.
“I’m going to kill you! If you made me drop my coffee there would be hell to pay.” She kissed me hello on the cheek.
“I know. I have to get one too. Wait for me.”
“How are you this morning? Ready for Mr. Dry-ass Stewart and his pills?”
I shook my head at her with a downturned mouth. “I don’t know how I am. I saw Diego last night and he’s into some things I didn’t know he was into…” I ordered my coffee and waited.
Shauna’s eyes lit up as bright as her yellow hoodie. “Ooo! Girl, tell me everything! So he really is a badass?”
“Thank you,” I said to the cashier while he handed me my coffee. I walked with Shauna as we headed to class. “I never said that. I just don’t know that I want to be associated with it all.”
She gave me a strange look. “You’re being cryptic. What does that mean?”
We headed up the stairwell to Block C. “He’s part of some motorcycle chapter and he says it’s a good one. I’ve never known a motorcycle chapter to represent anything good,” I blurted out.
“Ohh, so you don’t know if you can trust him yet,” Shauna answered.
“Something like that. I guess it takes time and I don’t need that shit right before those exams.” I huffed as we reached the top of the stairs. “Damn, those stairs nearly killed a bitch.”
She laughed as she opened the stairwell door. “You and me both. Might be kind of cool though to date an outlaw. Plus, I can hear the goss’!”
I shook my head. “Girl, you are crazy. I knew I shouldn’t have told you. And you pretty much hit the nail on the head. The chapter is called Outlaw Souls.”
She rolled her eyes as we walked in the classroom. “Well, that’s not predictable, much.” We walked in single file as the classroom filled with students taking their seats. Mr. Stewart, a hefty man, nodded as we entered. “In all seriousness, if you feel uncomfortable, just take your time and see what comes. He might be legit, you know. You don’t want to miss out on something great because you misjudged the guy.”
“When did you become wise, Shauna? What happened?”
She shook her curls and shrugged her shoulders as we slid into two seats near the back. “Life, I guess.”
Pharmacology was not my strong suit as I struggled to focus on the words Mr. Stewart said. Men and their motorbikes... Somehow I couldn't seem to escape them. Maybe I was the secret outlaw.
NINE
DIEGO
I texted her the love hearts. I didn’t know what else to do. I threw the wasted toast in the trash and dumped the cold coffee in the sink. I stood at the sink for minutes, sipping on my coffee after she left. Shit didn’t make sense. It was eight o’clock and my phone buzzed on the counter.
“Hello, Diego speaking.”
“Hi, this is Courier Express, we are confirming pick-up delivery of two motorcycle platforms today. Will you be at the warehouse address of 34A Multon Road Merced between nine a.m. and five p.m.?”
