anything from your mother or your grandmother Rubylee?â
Keysha looked over at me. âWhy would you ask that question?â
âI donât know. Itâs just a question,â I said, wanting to ease any fears that I was attempting to offend or upset her.
âI actually got a letter from my grandmother Rubylee but I havenât read it yet. As far as my mom goes, I have no clue where she is and as far as Iâm concerned she can stay gone.â
âAnd how are you getting along with Jordan and Barbara?â I asked about her dad and her stepmom.
âGood. As long as I donât get into any more trouble, not that Iâm looking for any, mind you,â Keysha said with a smile.
âI know thatâs right because, Keysha, you have most certainly had to deal with a lot of drama.â
âIâm hungry. Do you want to get something to eat?â Keysha asked.
âYes, Iâm starving.â I laughed as Keysha and I placed the clothes we had in our hands back on the rack.
âWe could catch the shuttle bus over to Navy Pier and get something to eat at the food court thatâs over there,â Keysha suggested.
âSounds like a plan to me,â I said as we exited the store. âBesides, maybe weâll run into a really hot guy whoâs perfect for you.â
four
VIVIANA
After the parade, Toya and I came back to the apartment where she lived with her elderly and blind grandmother. We went into her bedroom and emptied the backpack on top of her mattress. Since there was no chair in the room I sat on her bed, which squeaked loudly like birds arguing over a worm after a morning rain shower. The pack was filled with all types of merchandise. Cash, wallets, credit cards, cellular phones and watches. I was absolutely amazed by all of the stuff Toya was able to take from people without them realizing it. She definitely had a skill that I wanted to learn.
âYou didnât pocket any of the cash I gave you to hold, did you?â Toya asked while eyeing me suspiciously.
âNo, why would I do a thing like that?â I answered, offended by her accusation.
âItâs not that I donât really trust you, Viviana, itâs just that you may think about getting over on me.â Toya opened the drawer of a nearby desk. I watched as she pulled out what I thought was a flashlight and aimed it at me. In her hand sheheld the black object which was slightly larger than a digital camera.
âWhatâs that, a flashlight?â I asked.
âYeah, it can be used as that, too,â Toya said as she turned on the light.
âWhat do you need a flashlight for?â
âThis little thing here is more than a flashlight.â Toya flicked another switch on the device. It was then I heard the eerie crackling of an electric current.
Horrified, I asked, âWhat are you doing?â
âMaking sure that we have a clear understanding,â Toya said, pressing the trigger on the device again, causing it to make another gruesome sound.
âA clear understanding about what?â I immediately rose to my feet, grabbed a pillow and backed away from her.
âWhen it comes to my money I donât trust anyone, not even my blind grandmother.â Toya once again pulled the trigger on what I now realized was a stun gun. The sound echoed in the room like wood crackling in a fireplace.
âSo youâre going to stun me?â I bravely stood my ground and prepared for our friendship to suddenly turn sour. I wasnât about to turn and run away from her. My father taught me to never run away from a fight.
âWhere did you get that?â I asked, positioning myself just out of the reach of her arm.
âThis is Chicago. You can get anything you want on the streets for the right price.â Toya extended her arm toward me and once again pressed the trigger. âThis baby carries a charge of two million volts and canââ Before she
Keysha looked over at me. âWhy would you ask that question?â
âI donât know. Itâs just a question,â I said, wanting to ease any fears that I was attempting to offend or upset her.
âI actually got a letter from my grandmother Rubylee but I havenât read it yet. As far as my mom goes, I have no clue where she is and as far as Iâm concerned she can stay gone.â
âAnd how are you getting along with Jordan and Barbara?â I asked about her dad and her stepmom.
âGood. As long as I donât get into any more trouble, not that Iâm looking for any, mind you,â Keysha said with a smile.
âI know thatâs right because, Keysha, you have most certainly had to deal with a lot of drama.â
âIâm hungry. Do you want to get something to eat?â Keysha asked.
âYes, Iâm starving.â I laughed as Keysha and I placed the clothes we had in our hands back on the rack.
âWe could catch the shuttle bus over to Navy Pier and get something to eat at the food court thatâs over there,â Keysha suggested.
âSounds like a plan to me,â I said as we exited the store. âBesides, maybe weâll run into a really hot guy whoâs perfect for you.â
four
VIVIANA
After the parade, Toya and I came back to the apartment where she lived with her elderly and blind grandmother. We went into her bedroom and emptied the backpack on top of her mattress. Since there was no chair in the room I sat on her bed, which squeaked loudly like birds arguing over a worm after a morning rain shower. The pack was filled with all types of merchandise. Cash, wallets, credit cards, cellular phones and watches. I was absolutely amazed by all of the stuff Toya was able to take from people without them realizing it. She definitely had a skill that I wanted to learn.
âYou didnât pocket any of the cash I gave you to hold, did you?â Toya asked while eyeing me suspiciously.
âNo, why would I do a thing like that?â I answered, offended by her accusation.
âItâs not that I donât really trust you, Viviana, itâs just that you may think about getting over on me.â Toya opened the drawer of a nearby desk. I watched as she pulled out what I thought was a flashlight and aimed it at me. In her hand sheheld the black object which was slightly larger than a digital camera.
âWhatâs that, a flashlight?â I asked.
âYeah, it can be used as that, too,â Toya said as she turned on the light.
âWhat do you need a flashlight for?â
âThis little thing here is more than a flashlight.â Toya flicked another switch on the device. It was then I heard the eerie crackling of an electric current.
Horrified, I asked, âWhat are you doing?â
âMaking sure that we have a clear understanding,â Toya said, pressing the trigger on the device again, causing it to make another gruesome sound.
âA clear understanding about what?â I immediately rose to my feet, grabbed a pillow and backed away from her.
âWhen it comes to my money I donât trust anyone, not even my blind grandmother.â Toya once again pulled the trigger on what I now realized was a stun gun. The sound echoed in the room like wood crackling in a fireplace.
âSo youâre going to stun me?â I bravely stood my ground and prepared for our friendship to suddenly turn sour. I wasnât about to turn and run away from her. My father taught me to never run away from a fight.
âWhere did you get that?â I asked, positioning myself just out of the reach of her arm.
âThis is Chicago. You can get anything you want on the streets for the right price.â Toya extended her arm toward me and once again pressed the trigger. âThis baby carries a charge of two million volts and canââ Before she
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