9 Years ago

  “Mr. Carmichael,” Mr. Sing said as Andre stepped into the detention room after school. He held up the phone, “Your mother,”

  With an annoyed sigh, Andre took the phone, “Look ma, it wasn’t my fault this time, that stupid bus driver—!”

  “Andre, I don’t care about the bus,” his mother replied, “What I’m worried about is that you were messing with them trailer park kids again. What did I tell you?”

  “Mama, this guy threatened me and Ty-ty. I had to—”

  “Wait, Ty-ty was there too?!”

  ‘Dang it,’ he thought, “He was away but I could see him—look I had it all under control—”

  “Oh did you now?” she said, “What else happened that you’re not telling me?”

  “Ma that’s it, I promise!” Andre said, “Nothing else happened, I swear.”

  “…just get back home, alright, Andre?”

  “I will, ma.” He said, pacing the phone to the receiver.

  “Oh, oh, oh, and one more thing,” she added, “Since you gettin’ off later can you stop by the bail bondsman’s place and grab my statements? Courts actin’ up with all these parking tickets.”

  With a heavy sigh, Andre nodded, “I got it.”

  “Ok, sweetie, love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  ‘Click’

  Turning back, Andre took a seat in the back of the class near the window. Looking around, he noticed it was mostly kids he knew from the neighborhood, but were all bored, either listening to music, sleeping, or eating under the table. Looking for the few girls in the room, he tried to get a good view before something hit the side of his head casing him to shake and stand up quickly and looking around. Mr. Sing glanced up from a game he was playing.

  “Mr. Carmichael, please remain seated. I don’t want to say it again.”

  Andre sat back down with a brief grunt. Then he heard the sound of giggling behind him. He spun back to see the messy haired girl smirking at him. Waving, she popped a bubble, “Did I get your attention?”

  “You gonna get something alright!” Andre retorted as quiet as he could, “Don’t think I won’t lay you out like how I did your brother.”

  She stifled a snort, “Why would I be pissed? That was some of the funniest shit I’ve seen in my life!”

  “What?”

  “Now turn around,” she said, “So I can thank you properly.”

  “No,” he said, turning his head to the front again. It wasn’t long before another wrapper hit him in the back if his head. Then another, and another, then one landed on top of his head, couple somehow piled on his shoulders to the point where he could begin to smell the candy. He spun all the way back, glaring, “Will you knock it o—!”

  Her hand was thrust in his face, “Jacklyn Wollfe, nice to meet you.”

  Andre glanced at her, getting a better look at the girl. She wore a wrinkled white top and dark tight pants, her shaggy hair falling along the sides of her face covering her strong looking jawline. His only regret was not being able to see behind her.

  “Andre Carmichael Jr.,” he replied, taking her hand to a gentle shake.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t smother my hand,” she said, running her thumb on his knuckle.

  “My dad taught me how to treat a man and a lady,” he said. “He’d beat my ass if he ever caught me grabbing up on a girl.”

  “Oh,” she said. Andre sat, still facing the girl, waiting for the handshake to end. Instead he found her blue eyes still fixed on him, as if they were still in the first moments of meeting. Her head tilted slightly to the side, trying to get a better look at him. It was then when he noticed her thumb was now digging into his knuckle. Feeling his stomach grow light, he snatched his hand away and looked back at the classroom. Jacklyn made a face. “The fuck’s your problem?”

  “My problem?” he replied not bothering to turn back, “What’re you holding on to my hand so hard for?!”

  “Funny,” she replied, “You didn’t seem to wanna let go of my hand either!”

  “Wasn’t I ‘nappy’ just a few hours ago to you?!”

  “Mr. Carmichael, Ms. Wollfe, if you two don’t behave yourselves I’ll have come over there.” He glanced up from his game, expression unchanged, “Are you two in a hurry to be further disciplined?”

  “Ta, fuck off!” Jacklyn laughed, “What are you gonna do? Beat our asses?”

  For the first time all year, Andre saw the slightest of grin cross Mr. Sing’s face. “Is that a request?”

  “No—!” Andre shouted, shooting to his feet.

  “Oh, YES!” Jacklyn shouted louder, excitedly shooting to hers. “I’m tired of your brown ass anyways!”

  Andre’s eyebrow twitched. ‘I’ve known this chick for all but a day and she already talkin’ too damn much!’

  ‘FWOCK!’

  Andre and Jacklyn were swatted back, the two crying out as they each landed against opposite ends at the front of the school. At the center was Mr. Singh, standing in front of the fountain of a river otter spouting water from its mouth. Yardstick in hand, he patted the end in his other, and began to pace left and right, “Law permits,” he said, “that once you’ve reached the legal working age of twelve, you’re allowed to intact ‘Workplace Retribution’ on your alleged ‘unjust’ employer.” He stopped at the middle, looking down at the two, “Luckily for the two of you, school counts for this as well despite your nonexistent salaries.”

  “Ain’t too far off from Orange Collar,” Andre mumbled, forcing himself to sit up. A sharp pain filled his back and behind him, he noticed a large crack against the bricks he’s hit. He grunted, forcing himself to his feet and gripped his chain. “You just HAD to pick a fight with him of all teachers! Didn’t you?!”

  Jacklyn shot up, “Shut up! Don’t act like you never wanted a shot at him either! I saw the looks you gave him with all those ‘surprise’ homework assignments!”

  The teacher furrowed brow creased even more. “It’s not my fault you two single handedly lowered your class’s average GPA.”

  The girl forced herself to her feet, panting. “Besides, once he goes down…” she stuck a wad of gum in her mouth and reached behind her, smirking, and producing two silver handguns. “We get the rest of the year off and he loses his job!”

  “Wait, you get all that too?” Andre said, ‘Damnit, why don’t I know about this stuff?’

  “The catch, however,” Mr. Singh said, “is if you two lose, you both get expelled and black balled from the rest of the state and I get a nifty little paid vacation. I was thinking Mumbai.”

  The two kids eyed each other, then their teacher. Jacklyn chewed hard. “Hold him still for me?”

  Flashes of countless work-filled Christmases filled Andre’s mind in that moment.

  “Yeah.”

  He shot forward to the stationary man. He quickly feinted to the left, swinging his chain from behind over his right shoulder. Seeing the overhead attack, the man raised his weapon to block—only to catch the boy’s chain with his free arm instead and spin his stick at his side to deflect.

  ‘BLAM!’ BLAM!’ ‘B-BLAM!’

  “Nnngh!” he yelped as a few shots grazed his arm. He shot his head to Jacklyn, “Guns? Are you stupid?!! You trying to get revenge for your brother or something?!”

  “Then get your nappy head out the way—!” she shot back before the bottom of the Mr. Singh’s yardstick—which he’d thrown—bonked her forehead and bouncing into the air. She yelped in pain, grabbing for her face. Seeing that, Andre tried to swing at him again, only for the man to pull him forward, shooting his open palm into his face and yanking the boy off his feet by his throat.

  “Tell me,” the teacher asked, squeezing tightly, “What is the number seven hundred in its lowest radical form?”

  He croaked, “W…what—?”

  ‘FWOOM!’

  The teacher’s fist stuck the top of the boy’s head so fast his limp body seemingly teleported to a fresh crater in the ground. He sighed, “Too slow, we’ll have to work on that.” he glanced over his shoulder, “What about you, Miss Wollfe?”

  The girl responded by firing at him. “Stay back!! STAY THE FUCK BACK!! ANDRE HEL—”

  But the man had already shot forward towards her, reeling his arm back. She shrieked and shielded herself, waiting for his yardstick to crash over her head.

  But nothing happened

  “Hmm?” he looked back to see Andre behind him, both hands gripping tightly to his chain, which was wrapped around his arm.

  “Shoot…him…” The boy grunted, “Shoot him…now!!”

  “But you’re—!”

  “JUST SHOOT!”

  The girl hesitated, watching Andre. Then, shaking her head, she opened fire on their teacher.

  ‘BLAM!’ ‘BLAM!’ ‘BLAM!’ ‘BLAM!’

  The two students cringed away from the gunfire. Then everything seemed to stop, leaving only whistling in the trees against the wind and the sounds of traffic. Letting out sighs of relief, the two turned back to the teacher only for their faces to turn to terror. In Mr. Sing’s other hand was a second yardstick, which was smoking from a single shot he’d deflected. He looked at the two, unimpressed, “My turn.”

  He twisted his body, taking Andre of his feet and swinging him around like a propeller. The boy yelled as he was thrown far off school grounds. Jacklyn shot her head back, “No!” she cried—only for him to thrust his foot into her stomach.

  ‘THWUMP!’

  ‘ACK!” she yelped, tumbling on the ground until crashing into the fence. Wiping the blood from her mouth, she looked at the approaching man with a glare. “You should’ve been dead!”

  “Miss Wollfe, you know that is no way to talk to your teacher.” He replied calmly. “You should also know my Talent isn’t simply swinging some stick around, it transfers weight based on how far my strike lands.” He held the tip of his weapon over her head so she could see the ‘36’ inch mark. “The larger the number, the heavier my strike is.”

  “Fuck you!!” she screamed.

  “A poor choice of final words,” He said. He brought his weapon down over her head, “I only pray you’ll do somewhat decent in the next district.”

  ‘FWHIP!’

  A heavy metal chain shot through the fence past Jacklyn, only for the teacher to deflect it. At the same time, a red one wrapped around the girl, yanking over the fence and across the street.

  “Ow!” she cried, hitting the ground. She looked up, nearly cursing before seeing Andre already talking her arm and dragging her down the hill to the train yard.

  “Hurry!” he said, “He’s right behind us!”

  …

  The two fell into an open cargo car, panting.

  “Did we…lose him?” Jacklyn asked.

  Andre rolled to his side. He saw Mr. Singh standing above the hill, rolling away along with the rest of the upper street as the freight train picked up speed.

  “No,” he gasped, “We’re in…the clear.”

  She groaned, “Oh…thank God.”

  The two lay in the gentle swaying car, the strong smell of coal and dirt filling their lungs. Graffiti and rust stained walls surrounded the two, while the metal floor was chill due to the dampness. The girl blew a strand of hair from her face. “I’m surprised…”

  “About what?”

  “That you…helped me back there.” She replied. “Y’know, if it were me—”

  “Don’t start.”

  She turned her head to him. “Then why?”

  “…” Andre looked at her, then out the train. “I don’t know.”

  “What? What do you mean you ‘don’t know’?!”

  “It means I don’t—you know, I could ask you the same thing!” he said, sitting up. “Why’d you hesitate to shoot me when we had Singh?”

  “Are you dumb?” She groaned while shifting upwards against the wall. “If I missed we’d both be dead, literally! What’s you excuse? You’re the strong one!”

  “You know what? I don’t gotta tell you nothing!” he snapped and turned away again. “Geez, girl, I did it cause it was the right thing to do, alright? Now get off my case.”

  “Ta! Right thing? What are you, some kind of ‘momma’s boy’?” she leaned forward and tilted her head to the side. “That’s gotta be the stupidest thing you’ve spewed yet! Ta! No wonder you lost!”

  “…You know what?” he said, “You’ve got to be the most disrespectful, annoying, bad-mouthed, rude-ass… I’d rather deal with your dumbass brother any day of the week than you for one! You talentless bitch!!” his eye locked with hers. “Just shut up and do what you do best, NOTHING!”

  For the first time, Jacklyn’s face changed, as if he’d smacked her across the cheek. Then, without a word, she turned away from him and wrapped her arms around her knees. The clacking of the tracks filled the ambience.

  “Trailer park’s up first,” she said, “scram before someone sees you.”

  Andre’s teeth clenched together while his eyes gawked, his body feeling odd. ‘The heck’s with her all of a sudden? Never mind that, she made me curse today, sorry mama!’

  He shook his head and stood on the edge of the train. He glanced over his shoulder once more to see her back still facing him. He turned back and hopped from the train. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was forgetting something

  ...

  The next day after detention, Jacklyn was the first one to leave, getting up and quickly shuffling out door. Andre watched her disappear down the hall, shoving past the other students. He felt the same odd feeling return to him as he watched her leave the front of the school, disappearing across the street into the woods.

  “Are you troubled, Mr. Carmichael?”

  “GAH—oh, uh, Mr. Singh!” Andre said to the man unpleased-faced man, who was suddenly standing by his side looking out the window with him. “Why’re you—”

  “You and Miss Wollfe were awfully quiet today,” He said. His eye glanced down on him. “Real quiet.”

  The boy growled. “Shut up you dumb teacher! We ain’t scared of you or your stupid stick!”

  “Hmm, is that so?” he went back to his desk and took out his handheld game. “I’ll keep that in mind as I wait for round two then. Feel free to take your time.”

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Andre gritted his teeth. It took all he had to leave the classroom and get outside as soon as he could. He looked down the hill where Jacklyn disappeared to. The odd feeling had finally worked its way to the back of his head, making it pound relentlessly.

  ‘Why do I even care what happens? I barely even know her! She hated me, got all clingy all of a sudden, and then hated me again!’ he stopped, looking down the street to the woods, then, to his left where his neighborhood was, ‘Arrrgh, enough of this puzzle! I’m going to grab those statements for ma, then I’m going home. Period.’

  The trailer park was loud and smelly, even more than the rail yard, the smoggy sky casted dirty hue over the area, the dirty sky matching the even dirtier ground. People were outside leaning against their homes, smoking and taking to others on their littered property while others sat around a few fire pits, yelling and drinking. Andre snuck by, careful not to get anyone’s attention. Thankfully, most seemed under the influence or busy with their rowdy pets, the constant sound of barking always in his ear. He caught the sight of Jacklyn walking home with her head down. A few older men threw a glance at her and began snickering amongst themselves. Doing his best to ignore them, the boy watched her walk up the steps to a busted up off color trailer, banging on the door and jumping back—just as the door swung open.

  “Jacklyn!” an angry male voice yelled. A brown haired middle aged man stepped out. He had a strong jaw and arms, but a belly that seemed out of place. He wore a stained blue collared shirt and tie and darker blue shorts showing off his pale hairy legs. He took a swig of his bottle and threw it near her, shattering near the girls legs. “I heard you watched your brother get beat up at school the other day! Is that true?”

  She just chewed her gum.

  The man went over and took her by the shoulder, slamming her against the side of the trailer. She cried out in pain as he glared at her, “I asked you a question, girl!” he snarled.

  “Gah! It was his fault!” she said nearly choking, “Bob’s always pissing off—”

  ‘SMACK!’

  She cried out, her head jerking back and her body falling to the ground. She held her face, watching her father stand over her, “His fault? He’s the pride and joy of this house you lazy girl! You shoulda stepped in and at least shielded him!”

  She crawled back quickly, climbing with her back against the trailer, “You stupid idiot! Even Bob said he could take care of himself!”

  “He don’t know any better! And you better watch your mouth cause they’re ain’t no one here for you to cry to!”

  “Jay?” a female voice said, followed by a middle aged woman with similar colored hair and line son her face stepped out, cigarette in hand, “You talkin’ to our girl?”

  “That’s right,” he said, “she thought it be funny to watch Bob get the shit kicked outta him by some hood rat!”

  “What?!” the woman glared to the girl, strutting over and pressing the cigarette bud on her neck, causing her to scream. “You think this’s funny now? Little liar!”

  Jacklyn shoved her mom away, causing her to stumble back and hit the stairs. Now her father’s eyes lit with anger. He grabbed the girl by her hair hand punched her in the stomach so hard she fell to her side, her eyes bulging. “How dare you hit your mother!!” he boomed.

  Andre’s own eyes widened in shock as vomit burst from her lips, leaving the girl coughing on the ground. She crawled to her knees looking up with tears in her eyes, “Like I’m not your favorite punching bag!”

  “Jay,” her mom said holding her nose, “I think she gave me a nosebleed!”

  “Oh, that does it now,” the man said, reaching behind him and pulling out a baton, “I think three good taps outta set you straight!”

  Jacklyn shielded herself with her arms just as he swung.

  ‘FWIP!’

  The weapon smashed the side of the house next to her and fell to the ground in two. The three looked back to see Andre standing there, chain in each of his shaking fists, his lower lip quivering in anger. Her father snarled.

  “Who’s you?!” he demanded, “The hell you come from, boy?!”

  The mother’s face turned concerned. “Ray,” she said getting behind the man, “Is that the boy who beat up our Bob?”

  “Hmm,” Ray leaned in for a closer look, “Can’t tell cause of the hair. Hey, boy! Was it you?”

  “Yeah,” he said, much to Jacklyn’s shock, “yeah it WAS me!” He spun his chain around even faster, “I came back to beast his ass a second time, but yours’s gonna have to do.” He pointed to the woman, “And your boyfriend too!”

  “Oh just shoot his ass already!” the mom exclaimed. Ray yanked a silver handgun out from behind him and began opening fire just as the blaring of the train sounded off in the distance. Bullets exploded from the barrel, but Andre threw his shoulder downwards into a forward roll, his chain on the other hand spinning overhead and smashing over the top of the man’s head. He howled in pain and aimed for the boy again blasting—but now on his feet—Andre burst past the shot and crammed his elbow into the man’s ribs so hard saliva flew from his mouth.

  “Ray!” Jacklyn’s mom cried. She went behind the trailer and came back with a hunting rifle, loading it and taking aim, “Hold still ya rat!” she yelled.

  “Andre!!” Jacklyn yelled.

  ‘BLAM!’ ‘BLAM!’ BLAM!’

  A bullet tore against the boy’s shoulder as he spun back behind the dad. The last two, however, tore into the man’s knees.

  “YEOOOWWWWW!” he bellowed, falling to the ground.

  “Oh, no!” the mom said, “Ray—!”

  ‘T-THWAP!’

  The chain whipped against the woman’s arms and the other against the side of her head. She howled in pain, her ankles twisted hard and her knees buckling before landing face down into the ground.

  But Andre wasn’t done.

  “You think it’s funny to beat up your kid?!!” he yelled, stepping closer. His chain spun even faster, sparks flying off the dry ground. With an angry grunt, he threw his arm to the Dad’s head.

  ‘BLAM!’ BLAM!’

  Andre stopped cold as two shots whizzed past him. Only his eye went to his left to see Jacklyn standing there, shaking, and holding her dad’s gun.

  “Get outta here you thug!” she shouted, showing her head to the side a couple of times. “Scram or I’m calling the cops!”

  The boy stared at her, his mouth slightly open. The girls eyes winded in anger, “I said GO!”

  ‘BLAM!’ BLAM!’ ‘BLAM!’

  Feeling as if he’d actually been shot, Andre pivoted and darted back for the hill. He overflowed with anger, ‘Mama was right! Never shoulda trusted that bitch! Can’t believe I even saved her worthless ass from those folks. I shoulda just let them be!’

  Finally reaching the top of the hill, everything before seemed to die down. He threw a glance just up ahead, seeing his familiar neighborhood come into view. Letting out a relieved sigh, he fell back to the grass to catch his breath, watching the sun set. Then it got dark, too dark.

  “Huh?” he looked up to see Jacklyn looking down at him. He jumped up, his forehead ramming against hers with a loud ‘thump’. The two fell to the grass in pain.

  “You dumbfuck!” she yelled, holding her head, “Why’d you do that?!”

  “Me?!” he said, “I could ask you the same thing back there!”

  “It wasn’t like that!” she said, “I had to make it look good!”

  “‘Good’—what does that even mean?!”

  “It means they had to think I didn’t want you to come and save me!” she said.

  The sound of the distant train could be heard between the two. Andre looked on, trying to get a better look at her but she turned away from him, her messy hair blocking the side of her face. He looked ahead again to the distant sight of the smoggy trailer park. For a while, neither of the two said anything. Then, Andre spoke up.

  “Were those people you’re…parents?” he asked.

  She simply nodded.

  “But why—”

  “Why?” She shot her head to him, “Why not me? It’s like you said, I’m the one who’s Talentless!”

  “I didn’t mean it like—”

  “I’m not like my brother, I don’t have the potential to do cool shit with my body—hell, I can barely use my own Talent!” a sob escaped her lips. “So every day…every FUCKING day they remind me!” Her head slightly turned in his direction enough so he could see tears leaving her eye. “Just like what you saw.”

  ‘So her aim back at the school…is that why she didn’t say anything?’ Andre thought. He looked back to the park, then over his shoulder to his neighborhood. “Well just…just leave then, right? There’s gotta be someone down there—”

  “I have no one!” she cried, “Don’t you get it, Carmichael? Everyone’s got enough mouths to feed in this shithole, let alone my worthless ass! I don’t have the potential of manifesting Bodily talent one day like my brother might! He’s the guy everyone loves—the park, my folks…” she choked back more sobs, “we aren’t privileged like him…”

  “No.”

  Her body shook at his voice, “Why are you still even here?! Why do you care so much?! Go home already!! Leave me ALONE—!”

  But he’d already pulled her close to his side, holding her tight. The girl grunted and tried to shift away.

  “What’re you—”

  “It’s gonna be alright.” He said.

  “What are you even on about?! How do you even know that?!”

  “Cause I’m the oldest of a house filled with brothers and sisters.” He replied, “And sometimes someone’s gotta hear that.”

  She froze, then, let her body slump in his grip. She then held onto him. The two sat there in the quiet. Distant noises of the street behind them and the park below mixed with the soft sounds of the wind.

  …

  “I don’t get you, Carmichael.” Jacklyn said as the two walked along the hill sometime later, “I can’t tell if you like me, or hate my guts half the time.”

  “What? No it ain’t just me—c’mon, anyone would’ve helped you if they saw what was going on.”

  “Then why hasn’t it stopped? Park’s not that big.”

  The boy glanced at her then sighed. “Is it really that bad down there?”

  “Yep,” she replied, “Life was a lot better before those rich fucks kicked us out.”

  Andre winced a little.

  “What’s wrong?” Jacklyn asked.

  “I’m just tryin’ to cut down on cursing.” He answered. “Mainly the stuff you just said.”

  “Oh, well fuck me!” she laughed. “Sorry.”

  Rolling his eyes, he stopped and looked down to the railyard. “You know, I still think you’re pretty lucky to be down here though.”

  She looked puzzled, “This place? Really?”

  “Uh-huh,” he nodded, “Anytime you got a problem you can just hop on the train and watch it all slide away. You’d always get far enough but never get too far. I’ve always liked trains for that.”

  “Ta, never thought of it like that.”

  “Yeah. If I were here I’d use it every day,” he said, “‘specially to get away from the house on family game night.”

  Her expression warmed to him. “So that’s what you’d use the train for, eh?” she nudged him with her elbow. “To me it sounds like your family at least gives a damn about you.”

  The boy chuckled, yet his smile faded, “You’d be surprised how suffocating a home full of people can be.” He glanced at her, “Where’d you go?”

  “Anywhere but here, duh,” She replied, “Maybe…maybe some place that’d actually teach me Talent.”

  “Why not armed services? That’s what I’d want to do if I left.”

  She made a face at him, “Really? The military?”

  “Well,” his face turned flush, “I haven’t told anyone at home yet, but it’s something I thought would be cool. Keeping the peace was something I’d always thought of. Maybe I could come back and fix this neighborhood up one day…” he looked up, “At least that’s what my dad would’ve wanted, y’know?”

  Jacklyn could hear the change in his voice. “…Did he pass away in the service?”

  He shook his head, pausing a moment. “He…there was a shoot-out.” He stared off at the trailer park. “We later found out he was caught with enhancers and…the cops lit the house up. He stayed so his guys could get us out. Saved our lives that night.”

  Jacklyn looked over as well, “You ever thought about finding the guy who killed him?”

  “…Don’t matter.” He said, “If I did that, I’d have to kill every cop in this damn city. No, the fault was mine.” He held his chain, “He always preached the same thing every day, ‘everyone does their part for the sake of their home, that’s how peace is maintained’, and I always wanted to be part of that peace. I guess that’s why I did it.”

  The girl found herself smiling at him. She playfully punched his arm, “Well seeing the way you handled my parents and brother, I’d say you’re doing everyone a fine service.” Suddenly, she groaned, placing her arms behind her head. “I just remembered I still have to go back home. Uuuuuugh.”

  “Seriously?” Andre asked.

  “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry for now,” she replied, “I told my parents I’d chase you off and get revenge for Bob, so they’ll probably be somewhat pleased over that. It’ll probably buy me a few days of privilege before they’re back to beating the shit out of me again.”

  He thought a moment, “Well what if they couldn’t?”

  The girl looked puzzled, “How?”

  “I’ll honest I don’t know a thing about Talent besides what some crazy guys showed me,” He held his chain up, “This was my dad’s before and he was a beast with it. The most I can really do is swing this around tryin’ to imitate him. But maybe, just maybe if we can spend a few days going back and forth then we could beat Singh and—”

  She was already hugging him before he finished. Stunned, Andre could only hug her back, letting his hands run down her back before abruptly stopping. Suddenly, the sound of rustling shook both of them, sending their attention of the top of the hill. But all they saw were flowing leaves.

  “Well, I gotta go.” Andre said, “Sun’s pretty much gone.”

  Jacklyn pulled off, grinning at him, “Same time tomorrow? I can show you more of the railyard since you’re interested.”

  Andre nodded, “As long as it ain’t the trailer park.”

  “Ta!” she laughed, turning to leave, “Not in a million years!”

  …

  Over the next couple weeks, Andre had been getting home later and later. It was to the point where one night, he wasn’t seen until past midnight. That night he came home with a big smile on his face, ignoring the usual smells and yelling of his building on his way up the stairs to his apartment. However, he was greeted by the sight of his stern faced mother, who was sitting on the rocking chair near the window.

  “Six hours,” she said, “You were supposed to be home six hours ago.”

  “M-mama! I didn’t think—!”

  “I was still up?” She got up from her chair and marched over to him, smacking him on the head, “How can I sleep when I don’t know where my baby is?!!”

  Andre looked back at her, his face dejected, “Ma I’m… I’ll get the bonds papers tomorrow, promise! I’m so sorry—”

  “Sorry? Andre I needed those statements last week! Now I got a court date tomorrow! Son, you know they tryin’ to put me away!”

  Andre didn’t say anything.

  And more importantly I couldn’t get ahold of you, boy! What if something’d happened to you?!” she folded her arms, “You wanna tell me where you’ve been?”

  “I…I was in detention…” he said.

  “After detention,”

  Andre hesitated, “…Mr. Isaac’s?”

  His mother shook her head, “I can’t believe it, I cannot believe it!” she looked away, “You’re not gonna tell me about your trips to the train yard, are you boy?”

  “…”

  “Oh my God. You’ve been missing classes, sneaking food from the house, talking to your siblings less…” she shook her head. “It’s like I can’t recognize ya anymore, boy!”

  “Ma—”

  “Stop it!” she said sharply, holding her hand to him, “I don’t wanna hear you lie again.”

  “No, for real!” he pleaded, “I was meeting up with this girl I met in detention and she happened to live in the trailer park. Her folks was messing with her and I set them straight and—”

  “You did WHAT?” his mother nearly shrieked, “I told you specifically not to go anywhere near that damn park—yet here you go starting fights again! And for what? A lil’ girlfriend?!”

  Andre pressed his lips together, his shoulders hunched.

  “That settles it,” she said, “It is very late right now so after you come straight home from school tomorrow and when I get back from the courthouse we are having a long, long, talk. You understand me? Go ‘head and skip you’re detention cause tomorrow’s gonna be your last day.”

  “Ma!”

  “You will be grounded until I find somethin’ for you to do!”

  “That ain’t fair!” he said, “We was just practicing our talent, she’d help me and I’d help her!”

  His mother was in disbelief, “Excuse me?”

  “Ma, just hear me out. I wanna get Collared and join armed services, that way help the community in a way dad could never!”

  His mother looked at him, horrified.

  “We both wanna take talent more seriously. Brining proper order here is what this neighborhood needs! Don’t you get it, Ma?

  “You naive little boy!” she snapped in a low voice. “It was that proper order that got you father killed in the first place! You didn’t happen to think them folk didn’t smile and try to be his friend before? You don’t think them folks is gonna smile and pretend to be your friend to get you killed to? Are you that stupid?”

  “And what did YOU do for us when dad died, huh?!”

  “…”

  Andre quickly bit his tongue the minute those words left this mouth, but his mother had already heard them perfectly clearly. Her torn face stained his vision. He was dry for words as his mother marched up to him and looked down at him past her nose

  “Go to bed, boy. Now.”

  Shaking his own head, Andre turned and stomped down the hall to his and Ty-Ty’s room. He threw the door open and threw his chain on the ground, punching the wall hard afterwards with an angry cry. His brother stirred from his sleep, “Andre, you good?”

  “Shut up!” he snapped.

  “C’mon, what I do this time?”

  “I know it was you, Ty-ty!” he growled, “You were the only person who knew I had detention with Jacklyn!”

  “…” He sat up on his bed, “Look, bro—”

  “Don’t gimme that! You said yourself you’d sell your left kidney before you’d rat! Well you snitched, pay up then!”

  “Andre…”

  “Now I’m never gonna see her again or this school!” he exclaimed, “Not to mention I ain’t ever gonna leave the house or see the light of day until I’m where dad is and it’s your fault! She needed me, man!”

  “And we needed you too!” his brother said, his face hurt. He looked down to his covers and squeezed them, “I was just tryin’ to look after you. Like how you do for us.”

  Andre could only stare at his brother, his nose twitched. Then, with a disgusted look he lay on his bed and rolled to his side so he couldn’t see him.

  “Worry about your damn self,” he said, “And stay out of mine.”

  “…I hear you. G’night, Andre.”

  Looking to the floor, Andre saw his chain laying there just under the portrait of his father. He picked it up again and squeezed it tight.

  …

  The minute the bell rang the next day Andre was the first one out of the class, beating everyone in the hall to Spanish, Jacklyn’s last class off the day. Ignoring the teachers call for him to stop running, the boy reached the classroom, panting hard as the doors opened and students piled out. His eyes searched franticly for Jacklyn but saw none. He grabbed a nearby student by the shoulders, “You!”

  “Gah!” the fair skinned boy said, “What do you think you’re—!”

  “Jacklyn Wollfe, where was she today?!” he demanded, “Answer!”

  “Gum girl left earlier!” he screeched, “At the beginning of sixth period her brother and their friends came and got her!”

  “Anything else?!”

  “S-she wanted to see you again,” he said, “At least that’s what it sounded like. That’s all I know I swear!”

  Andre dropped the kid and darted out of the school and across the busy street, nearly running into a car if he didn’t slide out the way before it swerved. He ran all the way down the hill to the train yard, it was smokier than usual and more barren. He looked around franticly, his head leading his body into a full circle, but saw no sign of her.

  “Jacklyn!” he yelled running, “Jacklyn where are you?!” he kicked a railway track, almost stumbling but caught him himself and ran over to the main station. ‘The operators, they gotta know something, right?’ he thought. But upon arrival, Andre saw from the window there was no one there. He kicked the wall, resting his fist against it.

  “Damn it…” his voice shook, “Damn it this’s all my fault!

  “Oh don’t worry,” a young, gruff sounding voice spoke from behind him, “we know.”

  ‘THWOCK!’

  Andre stirred; he could hear voices and feel himself swaying. Shaking his head to un-blur his vision, he saw he was chained from head to toe, the metal so tight he found himself breathing harder than he’d realized. He tried to force his head around but to no avail, instead relying on his eyes.

  “Drop him here,” a familiar voice said.

  ‘Thud!’

  Andre was dropped to the ground, twisting back the best he could to see the blond boy looking at his black and brown haired friends. Then, Bob stepped from in between them, grinning.

  “Well look who’s up!” he said, looking down at Andre. He tapped the boy with his foot, “Like what we did? We figured since you like chains so much you can die with them too!”

  Then, Andre heard the sound, the loud blaring familiar sound and rumbling of the yard they were still in. His eye shot to his left, shaking.

  The afternoon train was on its way.

  Andre shook even harder, trying to squirm, twist, and jolt, anything break free, but it was no use.

  “Y’know,” the blond one said, couching next to him, “You really put us through a lot of headache, you know that?” he began to tie him to the tracks.

  “Yeah!” the black haired one piped in, “Bob’s dad can’t see straight anymore so he lost his job on the police force! You happy? What do you have to say?!”

  “Mmmph—MMMPH!!!” Andre continued to jolt his body.

  “He can’t say anything because he’s damn near gagged!” the brown haired boy exclaimed. “We know he messed up but this is too far!”

  “Be quite, Left!” Bob snapped, “This thug’s not even began to pay for what he’s done. From me to my sister and now my parents, he’s destroying my family!”

  “No, this is completely outrageous!” he exclaimed. His head shot to the black haired boy, “Cenner, you’re always the most level headed of us! Say something!!”

  “I don’t think you get it, Left,” he responded, “I’ve tried to be reasonable but these people are absolutely unhinged! Their loud, they litter, and steal from hard workers like us!”

  “You sound just like the White Collars who kicked us out of our old neighborhood!” he shot back, “Can’t you see—!”

  ‘Click!’

  “Left,” the blond boy said calmly, holding his hand gun to the back of his head, “From one friend to another, please step back.”

  “Right…” he quivered. He looked back at Andre one last time and looked away, moving back. Andre’s blood boiled.

  “Say,” Right said, still eyeing Andre with a smile, “Didn’t this thug’s father have some history here or something? Hey, thug, you always wanted to be like you father, right?”

  Andre’s body shook in anger, his face beaded hot and his eyes burned red.

  “Yeah!” Cenner agreed, “His daddy was killed somewhere around here some time ago!”

  “Right, right,” Right nodded. “Weird, since he loves trains so much.”

  ‘Huh?!’ Andre thought, ‘How do they know—?!’

  ‘BUUURRRRRRRRRR!’ the train’s whistle blared.

  Bob gave one last smirk to the boy, “Looks like someone’s go a train to catch. Let’s go boys.”

  The boys turned and left, leaving Andre tied to the tracks. Now his eyes were even hotter and heavier. He blinked rapidly to fight it off, but he couldn’t stop it. A single tear rolled to the side of his face to the rumbling ground.

  He’d lost the ability to think straight.

  He began jolting again, harder and harder, feeling the heavy metal dig into his flesh, blood pouring from his fresh wounds but it didn’t matter. He struggled, shaking his head and twisting his fingers through the loops, feeling a few of them snap under the sheer weight of his bonds, but it didn’t stop the desperate boy form breaking more, breathing, panting, and eventually gagging.

  But it didn’t matter.

  From his left, he saw the blinding lights on the monstrous train come into view, its size was immense to his small twelve-year old body. His head fell back, more tears streamed past his face to his forehead as he looked up. It was then when he wished the train had hit him before he saw.

  Jacklyn was at the top of the hill, looking down at him.