The Colours of August MxM (Staten Krown)

11

"Sissy? Sissy you here?" I'm calling out.

I'm running where I last saw Sissy and Carol. There are no sign of them though. When I walk over I see Peter. He walks into the room.

"She went out with Ms. Carol for a walk. You OK?" he states.

He's kind of loud.

"Keep it down Peter."

"What's wrong?"

He can see it all in my face. I've always had a hard time not showing things that I was feeling. Now was one of those minutes. The fear stains my face like paint. I had just seen Beau downstairs. He was holding Chuck and Stevie prisoner in the basement. I'd heard the last part when I was walking back up the stairs. I heard Beau say that he was going to wait until my Uncle and Aunt were back from the country club. Then he was going to kill the Crawfords. He said he was going to kill every last one of them.

I didn't have a plan. Stevie signaled something about getting Beau's brother Shug. Shug would be the one to talk him off the ledge. That's what he said. But I didn't know. Beau seemed crazy. He seemed psycho. From the foyer, I can see the little rotary phone that they have in there. I can call the cops right now. They should be handling something like this. Not me. Not me.

"I uh..."

I pause up real good. He's looking at me like I have three heads and the sad part is even if I did, I wouldn't be able to think with not one of them. Right now I was shit deep in something that I didn't want to be caught up in no way.

I should have stayed my ass up north.

"You sweating," the Crawford driver realizes taking a few steps forward, "You scaring me August."

"Shouldn't you be with Uncle Charlie?" I ask.

"They sent me home. Said ain't no need for me to sit around in the parking lot waiting. The Millwood driver ought to be dropping them off with Roger Millwood back here at about 'bout 9 or so."

"What time is it now?"

"6:30."

I didn't have much time. Anyone else I would have assumed wouldn't have waited, but I saw how determined Beau look. Beau had death in his eyes. That there was the real death. He wanted to kill. I ain't never seen anything like it. He would have killed Chuck if Stevie wasn't there and it wasn't too late. Hell, the way he was looking at Stevie made me nervous. What if he snapped on Stevie too? What if I couldn't do anything about it.

"So you free?" I ask.

Peter smiles at me, "You asking me out on a date or something?"

He smirks and gives his best imitation of a flirty laugh. I wasn't in the mood, especially not with him and especially not now with Stevie and Chuck stuck down in that basement with that fuckin madman.

"I just need you to take me somewhere."

"What's in it for me?"

"You work for the Crawfords. Ain't I a Crawford?"

"Your Uncle ain't too fond of you lately. What did he call you the other day? Believe he called you a Doo-Doo Dickin' Double Crosser. Sounds like you been exempt from my household obligations if you ask me."

"Ain't nothing going on between me and Uncle Charlie," I lie straight to his face hoping to call his bluff.

Peter sees right through it, "You sure? He said something about you hiding your favorite garden nigger in our basement."

Dammit. I was never a good liar and I try to keep my face as straight as I can but the smile that keeps getting wider on Peter's face lets me know I'm going to have to try a little bit harder to fool a guy who's been around a bunch of Crawfords for this long.