If I have my way, he’ll go soon. “Don’t worry. You’ll get to go before you know it.”
“Because you’re about to get your come up, right?”
“Um, what?”
“I know about your song, Bri,” he says. “I also know you got kicked out of the Ring last night.”
“I . . . how’d you . . .”
“I’m not on social media, but I don’t live under a rock,” Trey says. “About half of my coworkers sent me links, asking if that was my little sister rolling with the GDs at Jimmy’s. Kayla texted me right after it happened.”
“Who—oh, Ms. Tique.” Damn, I gotta respect sis a li’l more and remember her actual name. “Trey, I can explain.”
“I told you not to hang around Pooh’s rough behind,” he says. “Didn’t I tell you? You’re lucky nothing happened.”
“She was only protecting me.”
“No, she was being the hothead she always is. Shoot first, ask questions later behind bars. Doesn’t help that you showed your ass.”
He sure knows how to make me feel like shit. “I was only defending myself.”
“There’s a way to do it, Bri. You know this,” he says. “Now, I listened to your song, and I’ll admit, you got some dope-ass lines in there.”
My lips turn up a little.
“But,” he says, in a way that tells me to wipe the smile off my face, “although I get the song, now people are gonna take your words at face value. And let’s be real: You’re clueless about half the shit you rapped about. Clips on your hips?” Trey twists his mouth. “You know damn well you don’t know what a clip is, Bri.”
“Yes I do!” It’s the thingy that goes on the thingy on a gun.
“Sure you do. All that aside, this is a distraction on so many levels,” he says. “If you put this much energy into school, you know how far you’d go?”
Not as far as this song could take me. “This is our way out, Trey.”
He rolls his eyes. “Bri, that’s a long shot. Look, if you wanna be a rapper, fine. I personally think you can do something even better, but it’s your dream. I won’t get in the way of that. However, even if your song does blow up, it’s not the lotto. It doesn’t mean you’ll be rich all of a sudden.”
“But I could be on my way.”
“Yeah, but at what cost?” he asks.
Trey pushes away from the table and kisses the top of my head before he leaves.
There are only two people on the bus when I get on—Deon and Curtis.
“Bri, you really got kicked out of the Ring?” Deon asks, soon as I step on.
“Why, good morning to you as well, Deon,” I say, fake smile and all. “I’m just dandy; how about yourself?”
Curtis busts out laughing.
“For real though,” Deon says as I take my usual seat. Curtis happens to be in front of it today. “Did you really get banned?”
It’s like I said nothing at all.
“D, you saw the video, you know the answer,” says Curtis. “Ease up.”
“Dawg, some people think that was staged,” Deon says. “It wasn’t though, was it, Bri? You really be hanging with GDs like that, huh? You claim it or you just affiliated?”
“You know what? Here.” Curtis tosses a water bottle all the way to the back of the bus. “For your thirsty ass.”
I snort. Ever since he talked to me like a decent human being at church, my tolerance levels for Curtis have been much higher. I even laugh at some of his jokes. It’s weird. And I never thought I’d say this, but—“Thank you, Curtis.”
“No problem. I’ll invoice you for my bodyguard work.”
I roll my eyes. “Bye, Curtis.”
He laughs. “Cheapskate. It’s all good.”
“Whatever,” I say. “What are you doing on the bus this early anyway? You’re usually one of the last pickups.”
“Spent the night at my dad’s.”
I’m pretty sure my face says what I don’t. I had no idea he had a dad. Wait, I mean, of course he has a dad. I didn’t know he had a dad who’s around.
“He’s a truck driver,” Curtis explains. “He’s always on the road, so I live with my grandma.”
“Oh, my bad.”
“It’s cool. At least he’s not around for a good reason.”
I’ve always wanted to ask him something, but frankly, it’s not my business. Curtis kinda brought it up, so maybe it’s okay? “You don’t have to answer this,” I say. “For real, you don’t, but do you get to see your mom?”