Page 47 of The Wright Man

"Girl, you live in Langston Park. Your whole neighborhood is hoodlum activities."

Tina scoffed. "Langston Park is up-and-coming, thank you very much."

"Translation: you dodging bullets to check the mail."

"Fuck you, Twin. Get in the car before I change my mind."

Kareem turned to me. "Let Ma know I'm at Leon's. I'll be back tomorrow."

I hesitated on the dap. He noticed.

I didn't trust Leon. Never had, even back when we lived in the old neighborhood and saw him every day. But Kareem was loyal, almost to a fault, and that was his best friend.

"Be safe, Gump," I muttered.

"Always am, Shrimp."

Another crash. Mr. Reed yelling now.

Kareem grimaced. "Good luck."

He hopped in Tina's passenger seat, and they were gone.

The engine faded down the street, taking Kareem's laughter and Tina's shit-talking with it.

For a moment, the porch was quiet again.

I sat beside Angelica, letting the silence hang.

"You okay?"

She laughed, dry and hollow. "What do you think? My dad had a secret crackhead sister, I have a surprise cousin who hates us, and I just found out prayer has loopholes. I'm fantastic."

I didn't say anything. Just pulled her into a hug.

She sank into me, soft and tense at the same time.

"Everything just flipped," she muttered. "We were supposed to be watching movies. Now I have a cousin who called me a skank before I even learned her middle name."

I snickered before I squeezed her arm. "Y'know... Tiny Terror in there probably feels the same way right now. Confused. Scared."

Angelica groaned. "Nobody asked you to come over here and make sense. Shut up and let me vent."

I grinned. Let her rest her head on my shoulder.

And I thought about me. Five years old. New to this block. My world upside down. Angelica had pulled me out of that darkness with grass under her nails and a fearless smile. Maybe it was my turn.

"I'll be right back."

I walked into the house.

Photos were on the floor. A vase was tipped over. In the center of the chaos stood a small girl with wild black curls, arms crossed, lip curled. She was lighter than Tina and Angelica, but had the same almond eyes as Tina. Cap's eyes.

She saw me. Scowled. Knew she was intimidating somebody.

"And who the hell are you?"

I smirked. Yup. Just like me at that age.