Deetra

13.

"I don't need help, stop it." Mani said to Sage.

Sage was try'na push Mani around the mall, but he wasn't having it.

J.I., Key, and Mani's families all put their two cents in about the incident. Jamon, whose parents didn't even come cause they were enjoying the Caribbeans, made sure the doctors did not call them. J.I.'s mom had a silent talk with him. Apparently she'd been expecting he delt drugs cause of the amount of money she'd get from him for the bills and from the money she'd get for stuff for herself. She wanted him to stop but of course, she couldn't make him.

Key's dad, who was a mechanic, been gave up on trying to make him stop. So when he found out, he didn't even ask what happened cause he already knew. But of course, he cared.

Mani's grandma was devastated. She cried so much in the hospital. She wouldn't let anyone comfort her. Apparently she knew Mani was on the streets. The only things that were on her mind was restricting him from going anywhere except school and keeping him safe.

My dad, well my dad didn't come cause of course, he was somewhere around the country. We weren't even able to reach him. So like I said before, Sage is basically all I have, but I wasn't sweating it.

Ann wasn't the same at all afterwards. Before, she was happy and fun most times, then after that day, she would never talk to us and she would always look so mad. Killing Gold killed her innocence.

~~~

Our first day coming back to school was annoying. First of all, it was December so it was cold and that annoyed me. Second of all, we had to make up an excuse for our injuries that we had to give to the office - it was that we got into a car accident. Third of all, I would get the same question - "what happened?"

I walked into home room with my crutches. I sat in my usual seat, avoiding everyone and anyone who questioned why I was on crutches. I set my crutches to the side and laid my head down.

As soon as the 1st block bell rang, I picked my crutches up, and hopped to ELA. I sat back in my seat once I got there. I watched as most of the class  began to walk in. There was one person that caught my eye - it was the guy from the party, who was also the guy I shot.

Fuck, I thought.

I laid my head down in effort to hide from him. He was in a wheelchair when I saw him at the party, and at school he was on crutches.

After a while of my head being down, I fell asleep. Once the bell rung, I grabbed my crutches and hopped out. I got to gym and I gave the teacher my note. I hopped to the bleachers. Soon, I was accompanied by the same dude I shot. Guilt overcame me so I looked at everything but him. I still felt him staring at me.

"You're that girl from the party." He said pointing at me.

I just ignored him. "What's your name?" He asked.

I didn't respond nor did I look at him. He sighed.

"Thanks for saving me." He said nervously.

"You're welcome." I found myself saying.

"You do talk. Okay, we're making progress, what's your name?"