“Same here.”
“See you tomorrow, Bethany,” I call as she walks away without saying good-bye to me.
Sam waits until she gets into the house and then backs down her driveway. “She mad at you about something?” he asks.
“Probably. It’s whatever, though. She’ll get over it.”
“So which way do I go to get to your house?”
“Oh. Take a left at the stop sign, and then down the hill.”
At the bottom of the hill, in front of my house, are about six police cars. Lights flashing and everything. There’s an ambulance and a fire truck, too, which puts me in straight panic mode. I almost lose it when I see my mother standing in our yard crying, with Aunt Charlie holding her up.
“This your house?” Sam asks.
“Yeah, let me out.”
I run toward my house and a police officer grabs my arm and tries to stop me. “Young lady—”
“This is my house! That’s my mother!”
“It’s all right, officer, sir. She lives here.” This is Sam talking. I didn’t even know he followed me.
“Well, move it indoors, then. There’s nothing to see out here.”
Sam nods in agreement. “Yes, sir.”
The police officer lets go of my arm, and Sam and I run over to my mother.
“Mama, what’s wrong?”
My mother opens her mouth to say something, I guess, but then she just breaks down crying.
“Someone shot Carlos.”
My eyes open wide. “What? No way!”
“I’m riding to the hospital with him, Sunday,” my mother says between sobs. “Just go in the house and stay inside, okay. In case they come back.”
“In case who comes back?” I ask frantically. “Do you know who did this?”
My mother kisses my cheek and runs to the ambulance to ride with Carlos to the emergency room.
I turn to Aunt Charlie for answers. “What is going on?”
“He was meeting up with some guys to buy into a club. One of the guys is LaKeisha’s brother.”
“His baby’s mother, LaKeisha?” I ask.
“Yeah. I guess a fight broke out and they followed him back here to finish things off.”
“Finish things off? Is Carlos…”
Tears well up in Aunt Charlie’s eyes. “They shot him so many times that I don’t see how he can make it. But God is able.”
It must be bad if Aunt Charlie is talking about God. She’s one of those people who only thinks of religion, God, and church when she’s in some kind of trouble. My chest tightens at the thought of us losing Carlos.
Aunt Charlie looks Sam up and down. “Who are you? And where is Dreya?”
“Dreya stayed with her boyfriend, Aunt Charlie—and this is Sam. He just gave me a ride home from the studio.”
“What do you mean, Dreya stayed with her boyfriend?”
I shrug. “I don’t know, Aunt Charlie. Where’s Manny?”
“Will you go in the house and check on him for me? I’m gonna drive your mother’s car to the hospital.”
Even though I want to go to the hospital to be with my mother, I nod and obey Aunt Charlie. Sam follows me to the door.
“Are you going to be all right?” Sam asks. “Do you need me to stay?”
Wow. He looks like he’s concerned for real, and I’ve only known him a few hours. I’m touched.
“Could you, please? Just for a little while. I don’t know if I want to be here by myself.”
“I can stay for as long as you need me to stay.”
“Do you have to call someone?” I ask. I don’t want him to get in trouble trying to make sure I’m okay.
“My mother works nights. She doesn’t come in until after I’ve already gone to school.”
“Okay, well, I just wanna warn you, this isn’t a mansion. We’re just a regular hood family.”
Sam shakes his head. “Sunday…why do you think I would care about that?”
“I’m just sayin’.”
Truth is, I’m embarrassed about our little house. It’s clean and everything, but it’s definitely not ready for entertaining. I never have company. In fact, the only people at school who’ve been here are Bethany and Romell.
I show Sam into the living room, where Aunt Charlie’s blankets are still on the couch in front of the television. Her ashtray is filled with several smoking cigarette butts, which I snatch and throw in the garbage.
“You can have a seat here,” I say, pointing to the love seat that is blanket free. “Aunt Charlie would trip if she came back and you were sitting on her bed.”
Sam sits down. “This is better anyway, because you’ll have to sit closer to me.”
“Look at you getting fresh!” I say with a tiny giggle. “I could always sit at the table.”
“Or we could sit in your bedroom,” Sam suggests.
“Now you’re tripping,” I reply, my tone now all business.
Sam raises two hands in defeat. “I’m joking, Sunday. Calm down.”
Manny walks up from the back hallway with a frown on his face, and all that mean mugging is directed straight at Sam. Manny takes that whole “don’t talk to strangers” rule to a whole other level.
“Who are you?” Manny asks. He looks angry but his face is streaked with tears.
“I’m Sam. What’s up with you, lil’ dude?”
“I ain’t yo’ lil’ dude. You don’t even know me like that.”
I stifle a laugh at the look on Sam’s face. He obviously didn’t know that Manny was gangsta wit’ it.
“Sam, this is my cousin Manny. He’s Dreya’s little brother.”
Sam smiles. “Oh, I’m sorry, sir. You must be the man of this house.”
“Yeah. Don’t get it twisted, knucklehead. What you doin’ here and ain’t no grown people home? My auntie don’t let no boys be all posted up in her spot like that.”
Sam laughs out loud and looks at me. “How old is he?”
“Four going on thirty-five. He watches way too much TV.”
“Hey, I can hear y’all,” Manny fusses.
“I’m sorry, little man,” Sam says. “Some scary stuff happened tonight, and I’m just staying here with y’all until your mother and auntie come back. Is that all right with you?”
Manny gathers his blanket around his shoulders. “It was scary. I heard a gun.”
“I’m scared, too, Manny.” I scoop Manny up and hug him to my chest.
Manny throws his arms around my neck and squeezes hard. He might think he’s four going on thirty-five, but he’s just a baby. I kiss his forehead and lay him down on the couch.
Suddenly, I feel kind of open, like Sam is up in my personal space way too quickly. He’s got