No Way Out

Shay- Tutoring or Trouble?

Shay Washington had always been the one everyone relied on to have it together. Straight A's, honor roll, and a GPA that sparkled like a diamond, she was the "golden child" in her group. While her friends navigated the hood's unpredictable streets, balancing survival and small hustles, Shay had her sights set on a bigger prize—college. It wasn't just about the education for her. College was her way out. A one-way ticket to freedom from a neighborhood that seemed to trap people like quicksand. But lately, the golden path she'd carved out for herself had started to lose its shine.

Sitting on her bed, bathed in the pale glow of her laptop screen, Shay stared at the scholarship website that had become her lifeline. She clicked the refresh button for what felt like the hundredth time, her heart hammering in her chest. She was waiting for that one word she needed to see: open.

Instead, the screen blinked back at her, cold and unforgiving: closed.

"Closed?" Shay's voice cracked with disbelief as she stared at the word in horror. She hit refresh again, her fingers trembling. "No, no, no. They can't just close it! I need this!"

The screen didn't change. The scholarship that had been her key to escaping the block, to reaching her dreams, was gone. Just like that, her plans were slipping through her fingers. Shay sat there, numb, as the noise of the streets outside—the honking cars, the shouts, the muffled music—blurred into an overwhelming hum in her mind. College wasn't just a goal for Shay. It was the lifeboat she'd been clinging to, the only way she could see herself getting out of this neighborhood alive. And now? It felt like she was drowning.

Her phone buzzed on the bed beside her, snapping her out of the spiral. She glanced at the screen. Keisha.

Keisha: Yo, you tutoring tonight?

Shay hesitated. Something about the casualness of Keisha's text didn't sit right. Keisha rarely asked about her tutoring gigs unless she had something planned, and that usually meant trouble.

"Yeah, why?" Shay replied, already suspicious.

On the other end of the line, Keisha's smirk was practically audible. "Good. We might need to stop by afterward. You know, for that business we talked about."

Shay groaned, knowing full well that nothing good ever came from Keisha's business ventures. "Keisha, I'm just trying to get through the night without getting arrested, alright?"

Keisha laughed, carefree as ever. "Relax, Shay. It's nothing big. Plus, we're helping you pay for school, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Shay muttered, stuffing her notebook into her bag. She didn't like this. She didn't like any of it. But with her scholarship now off the table, what other options did she have? "Let's just get through tonight."

The tutoring session started out as normal as any. Shay was at Trey's place, sitting at a small, wobbly table in his cramped living room, helping his little brothers with their math homework. The kids were smart, even if they had trouble sitting still, and Shay found some comfort in the routine of explaining equations. But the comfort didn't last long.

Trey, the eldest brother, had been in and out of the room all evening, his movements quick and distracted. Shay noticed how he kept slipping into hushed conversations with his boys, who definitely weren't here for help with algebra. The air in the apartment shifted, the atmosphere growing thick with something unspoken, something dangerous.

Shay couldn't ignore it any longer. "Trey," she called out, keeping her voice calm but firm as she watched him carry a bulky duffle bag into the room. "What's going on?"

Trey looked at her, his expression hard to read. "It's nothing," he replied, brushing her off. "Just handling business. Keep tutoring."

Shay's stomach twisted. She wasn't stupid—she knew what kind of "business" Trey was into. The kind that got people in serious trouble. And now, she was sitting in the middle of it. She forced herself to focus on the kids in front of her, but the tension in the room was impossible to ignore. The bag Trey had dropped in the corner definitely wasn't full of school supplies.

Minutes passed, feeling like hours, and the tension only grew. Shay's heart raced as she watched Trey's crew move in and out of the apartment, their eyes sharp, their hands carrying small, tightly wrapped packages. She didn't need to ask what was inside. She knew. Everyone knew.

I need to get out of here.

But leaving abruptly would raise suspicion. Trey might've been cool with her tutoring his little brothers, but walking out on his operation? That was a different story.

She forced herself to stay calm, focusing on the math problems in front of her. "Alright, guys," she said softly, her voice steady despite the panic building inside her. "Let's wrap this up for tonight."

Marcus, one of the younger brothers, looked up at her, his wide eyes reflecting the tension he could clearly feel in the room. "Shay... are we safe?"

The question sent a chill down her spine, but Shay forced a smile. "Yeah, we're good. Just finish your homework."

But they weren't good. Not even close. Every second that passed felt like it brought her closer to the edge of something she didn't want to be part of. She stole another glance at Trey, who was now whispering urgently with a guy in the corner. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were in the middle of a deal, and she had front-row seats to the danger.

Shay packed her things slowly, her movements deliberate. She couldn't bolt—she needed to slip out, unnoticed. She had to act like everything was normal, even though her pulse was racing and her instincts were screaming at her to run. As she stood to leave, Trey's hand shot out, grabbing her arm. His grip was firm, but not aggressive.

"You good, Shay?" His voice was low, his eyes searching hers.

She forced herself to smile, though her heart was pounding. "Yeah. Just a lot going on tonight. I should get going."

For a moment, Trey held her gaze, and Shay wasn't sure if he'd let her go. But then he nodded, his grip loosening. "A'ight. Be safe out there."

Shay exhaled shakily as she hurried out of the apartment, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps as soon as she hit the cool night air. She had always prided herself on being the one who stayed out of trouble. The one with a plan. But tonight, she had gotten way too close to the line.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Keisha, again.

Keisha: Yo, we still meeting up after?

Shay stared at the text, her mind spinning. She was already in deep enough, and now Keisha wanted to drag her into more? She was on the verge of texting back when she paused, the weight of the night pressing down on her.

She had always thought she could juggle it all—the tutoring, the hustle, the dream of college. But now, standing on the sidewalk, her heart still racing from the scene she had just walked out of, she wasn't so sure. The lines were blurring, and she was starting to realize that her side hustle wasn't as harmless as she'd hoped.

Her phone buzzed again.

Keisha: You good?

Shay ran a hand through her hair, feeling the weight of every decision she'd made pressing down on her. She had a choice to make. One that could change everything.

Finally, she texted back: Shay: Yeah, I'll be there. Give me a minute.

Because in this neighborhood, there was no such thing as staying out of trouble for long.