if you don’t want to,” I jump in before he can say anything.
“I know, but I kinda want to.”
“Okay.”
Dominic turns his body towards me and leans in like the conversation just became our little secret, so I lean in too.
“You’re my best friend, Alannah, you know that?” he says quietly.
“Yeah, I know. You’re my best friend, too, Dominic,” I reply, a little thrown off by the start of the conversation.
“Good. We’ve known each other a while, and we’re best friends, so if I tell you something, you’ll keep it a secret, right?”
“Of course I will. You’re honestly freaking me out a little.”
“It’s nothing to get freaked out about. I told you a little bit about my dad, right?”
“What do you mean? Like, what he does?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, you told me he’s a business man or something.”
“Well, he is, kind of. My dad’s a part of a family in St. Louis that conducts business together. I’m still kind of learning about it all, really, but the reason my dad’s gonna be coming to get me more is because I kind of started working with him. Well, for him, I guess.”
“You work for your dad?” I ask, frowning. “How is that? You’re only thirteen.”
“I know, but it’s not like it’s flipping burgers at McDonald’s or something. I’m just doing little stuff for him and The Family, and I get money from the stuff I do.”
My frown is still holding on strong. “So, what kind of stuff do you have to do?”
Now it’s Dominic’s turn to frown. “I can’t really say, mainly because I’m not really sure yet, but the stuff I have to do . . . isn’t always good.”
“What? What do you mean it’s not good? Like, illegal?”
“Sometimes . . . I guess.”
“So, your dad does illegal stuff, and now you’re doing illegal stuff with him?”
“Look, the only reason I’m telling you is because you’re my best friend in the whole world, and I like that I can tell you stuff about me. Stuff that nobody else knows. So, I don’t want you to judge me. I don’t need that. I just want us to be able to tell each other everything. That’s what best friends do. Right?”
I pause for a minute to let all of his words sink in, then I answer. “Yeah, that’s what best friends do. I’m not gonna judge you, Dominic. I told you when we were in fifth grade, I only care about how you treat me. And I promise not to tell anyone. Ever.”
He smiles at me and I feel butterflies in my stomach, although I’m not sure why.
“Good,” he says, just as a dark red Cadillac turns into the parking lot, and he grabs his backpack as he stands.
“Is that your dad?” I ask, marveling at the nice car with the tinted windows so dark I can’t see inside.
“Yeah. I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow, Alannah,” he says as he starts walking towards the car.
“Okay, see you tomorrow.”
As Dominic walks to the car, the passenger window slides down and I can see his dad’s smiling face. He’s got slick black hair and the same strong jaw as Dominic, but there’s something about him that makes me feel nervous. Even as he smiles at Dominic, he looks like a person who you want to be your friend, not your enemy. I guess that’s probably the same way people see Dominic.
I don’t know exactly what Dominic was talking about when he was saying all that stuff about his dad. I don’t know how he could be working for him when he’s only thirteen, and I don’t know what illegal stuff he was talking about either, but it doesn’t matter. Dominic really is my best friend, and there’s no way I’d say anything to anybody about what he told me, and nothing he said changes the way I feel about him or the way he treats me. We’ll always be close. No matter what.
Dominic
“I’m getting ready to go.”
“You’re getting ready to go where? Like, out?”
“Yeah, Ma has to work tonight, so my dad’s coming to get me here in a few.”
Alannah pauses for a moment like she’s surprised. I can basically see her scrunching her forehead and pinching her lips together like she does when she’s confused. I’ve always liked when she does that.
“So, your mom has to go to work, and your dad is about to come pick you up and take you into St. Louis? It’s, like, nine o’clock at night. I’m actually getting ready to