Page 67 of Keepsake

My smile opened even further, but Dashiell was quick to destroy it. “Don’t give her any ideas.”

“What I am trying to say here,” Alvaro started again. “Is that the world is full of idiots.”

“You guys are great at this. Keep going,” Dash mocked.

“Do you know how many shitty names I was called?” Alvaro continued. “We can’t beat up every idiot.”

“I don’t see why not.” The teen shrugged.

I flinched. I was on his side, but I didn’t want him to think punching people was ok. I just felt… stupid. I trusted Godwick’s judgment on this. She told me Dash was in the wrong and I believed her.

Alvaro tried again. “Because brown kids get punished for existing, you start punching every idiot and it’s not college where you’re headed. It’s jail.”

“Rich coming from someone who made a career out of punching.” Dash raised an eyebrow.

Alvaro sighed. “So you should listen. And next time some ass calls you shit, you come directly to me, alright?”

Dashiell moved from the couch. “Can I go now?”

We both nodded and watched him go.

“The kids upstairs?”

I faced Alvaro. “Yeah.”

“I’ll have a look.”

He left me alone and without even thinking about it I put my boots on and grabbed a coat, sliding the double doors for the outside open area.

Hugging myself, I watched the lights of Chicago from one of the most beautiful buildings in the city with a checklist running through my head.

I could never keep up. It never ended. I breathed through my nose, trying not to shake and it wasn’t from the cold.

The double doors slid open, and I closed my eyes knowing my time was up. He came after me.

“Logan,” he said my name with a sigh.

“I’m ok.”

He breathed out and joined me at the city vigil. “It’s only one day of suspension.”

“It’s more than that.”

“Tell me what it is then.”

I rubbed my eyes. “It’s… I can’t keep up.”

“You’re doing fine.”

“I don’t understand why Sofia thought I could handle this. I clearly suck.”

“Jefa, help me out here.” I felt him shifting at my side. “How did you go from that fire in your eyes wanting to burn Godwick’s office to this?”

“I can’t believe someone called him that at school.”

“So it’s your fault because you registered them at Lone Pine?”

“It’s stupid,” I muttered.

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