Unexpected 9: Crime Set

Chapter 22: Old fair

"Hey Calvin! I got your call. Everything alright there?" Hondo asked

"Yeah. Where are you?" he answered

"I'm on my way back home. Was solving an issue. You wanted to talk bout something, boy?"

'Yeah, but...uncle Hondo, something's up and it ain't good." the boy lamented

"What happened?"

"Don't freak out."

"That's not a good way to start, homie!" Hondo said shaking his head, as he made a stop at a red light just a couple of minutes from home 

"I know...it's just- What happened with Rubio? Ever since Connor brought him, he's been down. Real quiet, like. I hope he doesn't run."

"What makes you think he's gonna run?"

"Coz when we went camping, he told us some stuff that happened when he was homeless. I 'ont want him to go back to the streets, uncle Hondo. What happened with him? Or his parents? Do you know?" the boy asked as Hondo sped along to the green light

"Listen, Calvin, his folks are not in a good place right now. Whatchu need to do is help him out. Get his mind off of it coz aint nothing he can do about adult issues."

"Is he going back to foster?"

"I don't know."

"I hope not. The guys here have tons of plans this week and I...well..."

"Yeah?"

"Mom's not gonna want to drive me back and forth and I still have a full year to go to get my driver's license, uncle Hondo. They're going to water parks, skating, hiking, all those stuff. She's always on my back bout not hanging out with the bad crowd but them white dudes she wants me to hang out with always look at me down coz I'm black. These guys, they don't mess with me, they're actually cool."

"You like hanging out with 'em?"

Hondo turned off the engine and stepped inside. Nichelle was in the kitchen counter swiping through her phone and drinking tea. Hondo rolled his eyes and greeted her with a soft kiss. She gestured to the cup, to offer tea, but he shook his head. He opened the fridge and went for a bottle of water.

"Yeah, they aint stock up, they aint treating me like crap and they aint bullies. Plus, this Rubio kid is so cool."

"Life of the party, huh?"

"Yeah, I hope his parents don't split up, that he gets to stay with them."

"It's complicated, young man."

 "I know, but um...I wanted to ask you if you help me out? I wanna hang out here with my dudes!"

"Whatchu need?"

"Can I stay with you? Just for this week, uncle Hondo. You know momma always be saying we should spend more time together."

"Yeah, but a whole week? Listen, Calvin, I gotta consult that, coz I don't live alone no more and I got tons of work."

"I aint gonna be a bother, uncle Hondo. I did an internship and got paid." he said while Nichelle made hand gestures

"Why not?" she whispered

He shrugged. "Baby, it's a lot!" he whispered back

She shook her head and returned to her cellphone.

"C'mon, Hondo. Just this week!"

"Aight, let me think about it. Give ya momma a call too, coz you be doing stuff like you grown now! You forget you only 15!"

"I know, I know. You gonna let me know tomorrow?"