Page 129 of Easy Out

“After his game.” I check my phone. “In a couple of hours. The game just started.”

“Then we’re going to get cheeseburgers and milkshakes at the diner,” Manny reminds us.

“Is food all you think about?”

“Of course not! This morning I thought about my baseball game tomorrow and how I’m going to beat that jerk Kenny’s team. Hart said he takes out his anger at the plate. That’s what I’m going to do too.”

My eyebrows bunch in confusion. I know Kenny is the little boy around Manny’s age that lives at the end of Hart’s street.

“Kenny’s been picking on Elizabath.”

“Elizabeth?”

“She lives next door,” Manny says in a tone that informs me I need to do a better job at keeping up.

“Right. I knew that.” Carlos chuffs a laugh. It’s good to see the boys settling into some kind of rhythm. Linda is doing really well in rehab. She’s trying and that’s all we can ask.

He won’t admit it, but Manny misses her. He writes her letters and sends her photos. The facility had a no contact rule for the first few weeks. It was difficult for him.

Linda still has a few more months until she is finished at the clinic. Then she needs to get back on her feet.

Trix exits the auditorium with a smug look on his face.

“Well,” I say when he steps up to our group. He shrugs.

“I did my thing. I don’t think they hated it.”

“One lady has a real big stick up her ass,” Cash says from where he’s been sitting against the wall with Michie, and the rest of the girls.

“We don’t need her vote,” Vivi sneers.

“You’re right. You don’t. You don’t need any of their approval for that matter. No matter what happens today, I want you to leave here feeling proud of how hard you worked. I know I will.”

“I will too.” I turn to face the gruff voice behind me. Carter. “And when you graduate from this pretentious school, there will be a place for you waiting on my crew.” The kids smile and bump fists.

“In between college classes,” I add. That is the point of this after all. To give them a better chance at life.

“College isn’t for everybody, Lo,” Rocky says solemnly. I take a few steps and crouch in front of her.

“I know. And you don’t have to go to a big school like Newhouse. There are other places that might be a better fit. There’s a cosmetology school not too far from here.” Her eyes light up with interest. I tug on a piece of her hair she styled in intricate braids.

“You could open your own salon. Take a few business classes at the community college.”

“That could be cool.”

“Don’t sell yourself short Rocky. That’s all I’m asking. Okay?”

“Okay, Lo. I won’t.” I give her a hug.

Teenagers filter in and out of the holding room slash hallway. A few have broken off into smaller groups practicing their next audition piece.

No one from our small crew even tries. It’s a Kings Crew rule. You don’t show your cards. Most of the kids practicing aren’t nervous they’ll forget part of their routine. They are trying to intimidate their competition.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Carter takes hold of my elbow. It’s something he’s done dozens of times but feels unfamiliar now. His hands are so different from Hart’s. My body doesn’t like it.

“Sure,” I agree drawing away from him.

“This isn’t something I do. Don’t expect it to happen again.”

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