Underdog by Eric Walters

said.
    â€œNot all of them. There are black people who live in this neighborhood.”
    â€œI haven’t seen any.”
    â€œBut there are,” I repeated. “It only seems like we’ve been to every house in the neighborhood.”
    â€œDavid and Jordan and Jamie and Tristan all live around here,” Kia said.
    â€œThey do?”
    â€œAnd the last time I checked, unless they all have really, really good tans too, they’re black as well,” Kia said.
    â€œOkay, then maybe there are a few black families here, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the people aren’t going to be scared of me if I’m pounding on their door.”
    â€œWho’s pounding? Most of these houses have doorbells,” she said.
    â€œYou know what I mean,” Ashton said.
    â€œBesides, do you really think anybody is going to be scared of you?”
    Ashton didn’t answer, but he gave Kia his best attempt at a mean look. She chuckled and his look dissolved into a smirk.
    â€œIf you don’t want to sell almonds aroundhere, we could always go to your neighborhood,” Kia suggested.
    Ashton burst out laughing. “Now that’s a bright idea.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with it?” Kia questioned.
    â€œFor starters, you two would be just as out of place in my complex as I am here.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Kia asked.
    â€œYou know all those black people who don’t live in this neighborhood? Well, they all live in mine.”
    â€œEverybody in your neighborhood is black?” I asked.
    â€œNot everybody. There are some East Indians, Chinese and even a few whites—but not a lot.”
    â€œThere are all of those in this neighborhood. All of everybody,” I said.
    â€œMaybe so, but it still wouldn’t be smart. How much money you have in that little carton you’re carrying?” Ashton asked me.
    â€œI guess close to three hundred dollars,” I said under my breath, as if I was afraid that somebody would hear, even though there was nobody in sight.
    â€œThat’s a lot of money. Too much money for three kids to walk around with in my neighborhood,” Ashton said.
    â€œI’m beginning to think that’s too much money for three kids to walk around with in any neighborhood. How about if we head back to my place and drop off the money so we don’t have to carry it around?”
    â€œThat sounds like a good idea,” Kia said. “Do you think we could get a snack while we’re there?”
    â€œLike muffins, maybe?” Ashton added.
    â€œMuffins I can’t guarantee. Food I can. Let’s head home.”
    As we started off, I became more aware of the money I was carrying. I hadn’t really even thought about it until Ashton brought it up. It was a lot of cash and I was becoming more nervous. I started looking up and down the street, scanning the area for robbers. What exactly would robbers look like?
    â€œSo let me get this straight,” Kia said. “If we were in your neighborhood, we’d get robbed?”
    â€œWe might.”
    â€œHas that ever happened to you before?” I asked.
    â€œMe? Never.”
    â€œHave you ever seen anybody being robbed?” I asked.
    â€œNever.”
    â€œDo you even know anybody who has ever been robbed?” Kia persisted.
    â€œNo, but it happens. I know somebody who had their apartment broken into.”
    â€œI know lots of people in this neighborhood who have had their houses robbed,” I said.
    â€œThat happens everywhere,” Kia said. “It sounds like you think that crime only happens around your house.”
    â€œWell, if nothing else, we should stay around here because people have more money so they should have more cash to spend on chocolate-covered almonds,” Ashton said.
    â€œIn that case maybe we should head to a neighborhood with bigger houses and fancier cars so we can sell more boxes,” Kia