The First Last Boy(10)

"Did you know about this?" Mama Leena asked me. She searched my face and  when I didn't answer fast enough, she wagged a wooden spoon that  dropped a blob of mashed potatoes onto the linoleum. "She called me  crying and carrying on. You're going to do the right thing by her,  Juvante. A man supports his child."

"I told you it's not mine!"

She held up her hand, shook her head, grabbed a paper towel and picked  up the potato blob. Then she glared at me. "You boys think you can have  sex with all these girls without consequences? I'm not talking about  pregnancy alone either." Her lips tightened. "You're messing with these  girls' hearts every time you take something you don't have any business  taking because you know you're not sticking around. If you're not  careful, you'll end up creating more single mothers raising children."

"Ma, come on. I told you. I never hit that. I swear."

Mama Leena looked at Juvante for a long time and then thrust a platter  of salad greens into his hands. "Take this to the dining room and tell  Destiny to get in here and help you boys set the table. Cooper says he's  not coming by. Are Ryker and Zane?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I don't think so. They went up to Illinois for  the weekend." She nodded, handed me a basket of cornbread and I followed  Juvante. "You dog. You looked her in the face and lied."

Juvante set the greens down and said, "I only hit it a little, but I  know it's not mine. I wore my raincoat. That girl's like a revolving  door. I can't let her mess me over right before I sign up."

We'd talked about him joining the military but I'd thought he was joking. "You? A Marine?"

"Don't laugh. I look good with a bald head."

"Shit. You're serious?"

"Yeah. Four more years of schooling? Not for me. You know I hate it." He  raised one eyebrow and droned in a nasal voice, "Students, if you will  check your brain at the door, you too, could develop a stick up your ass  and become a professor like me."

I laughed again, but what sucked was if anyone had the grades to get  into a good college, Juvante did. Smart as hell with a high GPA. I  couldn't imagine not hanging with him.

Destiny came in carrying a stack of plates.

"Girl, you look so pretty," Juvante said, licking his lips and smacking them loudly.         

     



 

She banged the plates on the table and with a dismissive wave of her hand left again.

"Chanos came by the garage today."

Juvante stopped staring at the door after Destiny and whipped his head around to look at me. "What'd he want?"

"Thinks I might know where some of his product from the warehouse is hiding."

Eyes wide, Juvante hissed, "Are you fucking for real?"

"Yeah."

He stroked his chin. "That's bad news. Those little shits probably took that stuff."

I nodded. "That's what I'm thinking." Anger burned in me at the  potential consequences their actions could bring. "I'm going to beat  their asses."

"I'm going to help you," Juvante promised.

After the table was finally loaded with food and Mama Leena said a  prayer over it and ended with praying for all the missionaries in the  world, the pounding beat of rap music outside the house shook the  window.

Juvante and I looked at each other and rose at the same time.

"Sit down, boys. Clarke and Roman will be in shortly," Mama Leena said calmly while spooning gravy over her potatoes.

I slid back down into the hard chair and a second later, Juvante did the same.

The rap music went silent.

"I smell something good!" Roman shouted and then appeared in the doorway.

I stared at his clean shaven face and didn't see what I was looking for.  When Clarke entered right behind him, that's when I saw it. His blue  eyes were red and glassy. His hair stuck up in different spots all over  his head. Rubbing at his nose, he came around to the head of the table  and leaned down to kiss the top of Mama Leena's head.

She took him by the hand and held on when he tried to walk to one of the empty chairs. "Where have you boys been?"

His gaze darted around the table. "You know, Ma. Around."

Her shoulders slumped and because she wasn't one to sweep things under  the rug, she said in a tone full of fear and fractured hope, "Have you  been using?"

Clarke looked at Roman who ducked his head.

"You stupid sonofabitch!" Juvante launched himself at Clarke. His fist  connected with the side of Clarke's face and they both tumbled backward  to slam against the wall. They grappled for a few seconds before Juvante  sat on his legs, pinning him against the floor. He pounded on Clarke  and the dull thud of his fists connecting with flesh filled the air.

Roman joined in the fight, punching Juvante in the back at the kidney  line. At seventeen, he was built like a linebacker. He'd put a hurting  on Juvante if I didn't do something.

I grabbed Roman from behind around the waist and flung him toward the  opposite wall. He hit it hard and slid to the floor. "Stay there!" I  pointed my finger in his face when he shook his head groggily and tried  to stand.

Clarke had his arms raised, feebly trying to cover his face. Blood  dripped from one side of his lips and the skin underneath his eye was  already starting to bruise. I doubted Clarke could top one fifty soaking  wet. He was always getting his ass beat. Not because he was skinny but  because he was stupid as hell. Always running his mouth or being  somewhere he shouldn't be. Tapping Juvante on the shoulder, I said, "Let  him up."

"I'm not through with him yet." Juvante paused mid-strike and glared at Clarke.

"Yeah, you are. That's enough."

"Take it outside and don't break any bones." Sadness coupled with weariness coated Mama Leena's voice.

I hauled Clarke up by the collar of his shirt and shoved him out in  front of me, then went back for Roman. I looked at him and he angrily  shuffled along with us until we were outside in the muggy heat.

Across the street old man Moore waved at us from his rocking chair. I  nodded at him and followed my brothers around the side of the house to  the garage, out of view of the street.





Chapter Five

TANA



"I saw a warthog," Mark announced while I cleared the table after supper.

I was trying to rush things along so I could have time to get ready  before Ryan arrived. I was riding with him to the party. He was always  teasing me that I was late everywhere I went. Brooklyn had called to say  she could make it to the party after all and knowing us, we'd start  talking and then none of us would be ready to go on time. "Where'd you  see a warthog?"

"Mom took me to the zoo this morning."

The Caldwell Zoo had always been one of Mark's favorite places to visit  but we hadn't been back since the move. "Did you get to see your Gila  monster?"

"Uh huh. He's still there. I told Mom I wanted one."         

     



 

"I don't see a habitat here for it, Creature," I teased.

"She said when hell froze over."

I laughed.

"Dad called," Mark said.

Speaking of hell. I stopped laughing. "Oh? Did he say he was coming to  pick you up tomorrow?" If that was the case, it figured. By waiting  until Sunday if he bothered to show, Dad wouldn't have to spend the  whole weekend with Mark as a visible reminder he sucked as a father. I  doubted that he ever felt guilty for anything wrong he'd done. He'd  always had a narcissistic streak.

"Uh uh." Mark twisted a small Spiderman toy over and over in his hands. "He's getting married tomorrow."

"Oh." I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the last minute, offhand way  my so-called father had shared that information. It made me sad that he  treated Mark as an afterthought. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"I asked if I could go and he said I would be in the way at the wedding  because I acted like a moron." He lifted his thin shoulders in a shrug.  "I don't care. I'm having fun today."

Mom was taking Mark and some of his friends to the movies, probably so  he wouldn't dwell on Daddy Douche, but the way he spoke to Mark pissed  me off. "You're not a moron, okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nope. Dad's the fuck up, not me."

My mouth dropped open.

"What?" He drew his eyebrows together. "I called Ryan at the garage. He said that about Dad."

"Umm...well..."

The doorbell rang and I didn't have time to remind Mark that it was  better not to repeat everything Ryan said. I opened the door to let  Brooklyn and Shelby in. They were so opposite each other. Shelby was  slender and blonde. She exuded class and money, and was dressed in  tailored jeans and an expensive button up shirt.

I'd met Brooklyn after moving to my current neighborhood. She struggled  financially the same way that I did. She wore several piercings in each  ear with double hoop earrings, a T-shirt featuring a rock band, and  ripped blue jeans. She kept a red bandana around her black hair more  often than not. In school, she'd had a reputation as the girl everyone  knew better than to cross. She had a number of brothers she complained  smothered her but they were a close, loving family and she knew she was  lucky to have them despite all her grumbling.