“No. I’m going to church.”
I wanted to bark,Church?but I didn’t want to insult him. I mumbled, “Oh, that’s good.”
“You want to come with me? I have to go back home to get my Bible and can swing back this way to get you?”
I rarely went inside a church for anything other than a funeral. But we had plenty of funerals in our family, so I figured me and God were even. I didn’t need to come to His house because He had already taken enough people from mine. Yeah, me and God were even.
“Naw. I have to cook breakfast for Big.” I swallowed my lie and sunk deeper into the seat. The occasional white lie came easy, but I realized I hated lying to Sean.
“Okay, maybe next time,” he said, turning on the radio.
Sean’s radio played gospel music softly, and I wondered if I had made the right decision to ride with him.Is he in a cult?Maybe he was trying to recruit me. Maybe they were going to offer me as a human sacrifice.Maybe this is how I die.
I kept my mouth shut most of the way to the store, nodding as Sean attempted to make small talk. From what I heard in the neighborhood, he was back home for good after being discharged from the military sometime in April. He’d earned some certification and was about to start a job in a nearby suburb. People said he was helping other people get jobs. Recruiting, I think. Sean had moved into his own apartment on the fancy side of town.
“That’s good,” I said. “That’s great.”
He waited outside for me to buy Big’s things, then took me back home. When we arrived at Big’s, I didn’t wait for him to let me out of the car. I unlocked my door. “Thanks for the ride.” I stepped toward the house.
“Niya. Wait.”
I turned to face him, walking back to the rolled-down window of his car. “Yeah?”
“How’s your family?” His eyes became shiny.
Instantly, I knew he was thinking of Jhavon and Sean was my second brother again. My heart softened. “We’re fine. We all miss him.” My short nails bit into the interior of Sean’s cushioned door panel.
“Me, too. I still can’t believe he’s gone.” Sean shook his head.
“Me, either,” I agreed.
“Let me know if you need anything.Anything, Niya.”
I nodded, then skittered away so Sean wouldn’t see the tears streaming down my face.
