Simple Man

- EIGHTEEN -

   It was the officially the weekend. The weekend meant no school. No school meant no awkward exchanges with Mrs. Tripp. But Kyra remembered tomorrow was Sunday which meant she only had a days reprieve from having to face her teacher. Maybe she could fake a fever. Either way Kyra was going to make the most of what little time she had before then. She was already awake and making eggs sunny side up with bacon in the kitchenette; jamming out to Neneh Cherry's 'Buffalo Stance' on her CD player.

"—Smokin'. Not cokin'. Get funky sax. Looking good, hanging with the wild bunch. Looking good in a Buffalo Stance. Looking good when it comes to the crunch. Looking good's a state of mind. State of mind don't look behind you. State of mind or you'll be dead. State of mind may I remind you. Bomb the Bass... rock this place! What is he like? What's he like anyway? Yo' man what do you expect the guy's a gigolo man. You know I mean?—" Kyra rapped and danced to the song in a grey over-sized night shirt as she flipped the bacon, jumping out of the way a little when the grease popped at her.

   Her eggs were done so she slid them off the skillet and onto her plate. Her bacon needed a little longer to be just right, not too limp but not too stiff—like a swimming pool springboard. She kept mouthing the lyrics and dancing to the refrigerator to grab some orange juice. She really wanted coffee but she knew the last time she made herself a cup Iyana did not approve. The toast popped just then and she grabbed it on her way back to get her bacon.

   She fixed up her plate and turned off the CD player. She liked to cook to music but she preferred to eat in silence. For the second time that mornin Kyra wondered where Iyana went off to. It wasn't like her to leave Kyra on her own unless she was in school or Iyana was working the desk. Kyra thought she was off today but she had went down there when she first got up to double check. Elijah was at the desk with both feet propped up, headphones over his ears as he read a Sports Illustrated magazine.

No sign of Iyana.

Kyra cut up her eggs and took a bite. This was the first weekend Kyra could recall eating at this small kitchen table alone. Iyana wasn't much of a talker but her presence was missed just the same. She was getting use to her serious demeanor that cracked only seldom. Usually only if Kyra said something undeniably funny would she get a brief smile out of Iyana. Kyra's sense of humor had been dampened since her mother's death but she was starting to find things funny again. Happiness still felt wrong but it also felt good and this was very confusing to little Kyra.

"Hey, get him!" She heard someone shout from outside.

Kyra curiosity was piqued as she finished off the last of her bacon, wiped her hands on her shirt and walked over to the window. The glass was old and wavy but it was clear in some parts. She saw Danny Giles and his friends, Mark and Tyler, chasing another faceless kid down the sidewalk. Without thinking about the fact that she was in nothing but a oversized shirt and a pair of underwear Kyra dashed out of the apartment, down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time before hurling herself out the door and down the street.

Danny Giles was another bully. Not like Laurel who used her words to cut people she didn't like down and her parents wealth to win others to her side. Danny was a classic bully. He was a bulldog of a boy, a year older and much bigger than the other boys in school—even the sixth graders. He had a reputation for fighting and Kyra knew she wasn't a match for the likes of him but she wasn't going to do nothing knowing someone was about to get the crap beat out of them for no reason. She had to try and do something.

Her bare feet were getting scraped up as the paved road they turned a corner onto a dirt road lined with old oak trees. She knew where this road lead and it wasn't good. Bobby Lee's Junkyard was coming up on the right and she prayed whoever the boy was he wasn't dumb enough to try to go in there but—of course he was. She might have been able to take Danny on with the element of surprise but the two mean Rottweilers Bobby had guarding the place where another story entirely.

The kid pulled through and opening in the fence and that's when Danny and his boys stopped. "Shit! I'm not going in there!" Mark stated.

"Don't be a wuss!" Danny said as he tried to squeeze through the same opening in the fence but it seemed he was too wide.

"Hey, what's she doing here?" Tyler said as he looked back and saw Kyra.

Danny quit trying to get in the fence as soon as he saw Kyra, he yelled at her, "Mind your own business runt! Or your next!"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Kyra yelled back.

"Ha! You think I won't hit a girl?" Danny asked.

"I won't hit a girl." Mark blurted, Danny shot him a dirt look.

"Shut up Mark!"

"I don't know. I'm just not afraid to get hit." Kyra said, defiantly.

  Danny closed the distance between him and Kyra. Kyra braced for impact as he came closer with his right fist in the air. He went to swing and Kyra hated that she still winced a little. Especially since he stopped just short of her face and laughed, "Everyone is afraid of pain." Danny said, "Whatever. This is no fun anymore. Gabriel's now dog food." Danny said as he walked past Kyra, his friends followed.

Gabriel Santos. Another fifth grader and one of the few students who was nice to her her first day at school.

"We should help him!" Kyra said, turning around.

"There's no we. If you want to die failing to save his dumb ass go right ahead and be my guest."

"His blood is on your hands!" Kyra yelled after them.

  Danny didn't looked back but kept on walking as he gave her the middle finger. Kyra watched for a moment as the three cowards walk away like they didn't just run him into this place. It was surely a risk taking on a Danny Giles and his friends but to walk into the dwelling of two full grown Rottweilers was practically suicide. She groaned to herself and stomped her foot on the dirt in frustration. She couldn't just leave him. She needed a plan.

"Hang in there dummy! I'll be back!" Kyra yelled toward the fence as she ran back towards the grocery store.