Baby

Chapter Two: Harlem Shuffle

Baby has his iPod earphones firmly in, his shades on and his bubble of sound around him. Again, he's clearly a big kid when away from the gang, lost in his music. He strolls down the street listening to 'Harlem Shuffle'. The song is as funky as the business district is not. Office workers stride to work, while Baby struts along like Tony Manero. Baby walks against the traffic, the world syncing around him: a chorus of car honks, cell phones and barking canines.
Baby uses a crosswalk, the bleeps and his steps all in time. He reaches the other side of the street and breezes into a Coffee ship only for a second Baby takes one ear out, orders from a barista.
"Can I get your order sir?"
Baby counts on his fingers with the headphone as he says
"One black coffee. One black coffee. One black coffee. And one coffee, black."
The barista gives him a weird look as he ask
"So, four black coffees?"
Baby hesitated as he goes to answer
"Uh. Yeah."
The guy shakes his head and continues
"Size?"
Baby looked at the menu and points as he says
"Middle one."
The barista didn't even look back slightly rolling his eyes
"Four grande black coffees. Name?"
This time baby doesn't hesitate to answer
"Baby."
The guy gives him another weird look thinking he was messing with him
"Your name is 'Baby'"
Baby just looked at him stoic as he says
"B-A-B-Y. Baby."
Baby puts his second headphone back in as the coffee machine screams to life.
Baby looks around the Coffee, sees other young people of his age, smiling and chatting, enjoying their carefree lives. Their actions are magically in time with his personal soundtrack.
Baby looks out through the window, sees a gorgeous boy walking past baby looks over the top of his cheap red sunglasses at him. He too is wearing headphones and lost in his own world of music.
For a beautiful moment this boy and the whole damn city is alive and all in step with the music in his head. All except a cop Ironically, the only person not walking on beat. Babys eyes followed the boy until he disappears from the store front. he went to go after him when the barista handed him the coffeee. He pays and runs out after him but he was gone and a Cop was in his place lingering around Baby grabs his coffee tray tighter and Splits across the street passing the Cop, only doing a subtle strut in time. His stoic expression returns as he approaches the building from where he came. Police cars drive by reflected in the glass of the building. Baby hears their sirens and watches as they pass. As the song fades, Baby opens the door with his elbow, stops it with his foot, all while switching the coffee tray from one hand to the other. He then pirouettes into the open door.

The Coffee is drunk cash split all over the table. The gang are in a garment warehouse space with some vintage sewing desks around them.
On a large table in the middle. Doc also known as Lotor, a older long sliver haired man in a very expensive business suit stands counting money
Darling, fixes herself 'up' if anything it was down in baby's opinion now looking trashier than before. Buddy, sits next to her and sips his coffee quietly.
Baby sits at the back of the group earphones in and shades still on. The goofy kid has completely disappeared, the stoic, poker faced Baby has returned. The beefy guy, Griff, glowers at him.
"What's his deal?"
He points a baby looking at Doc who just glances up as he answers
"Baby? Full cut. Same as everyone."
Doc is brusque, seems irritated at answering any questions. Griff rolled his eyes at the answer he got
"No I mean, is he retarded?"
Doc slammed his hands down on the table
"Retarded means slow. Was he slow?"
Griff hesitated as he answered the pissed of doc
"No..."
Doc straightened up as he says
"Then he don't sound retarded to me."
Doc smiles for a second. Then resumes counting the money ignoring the thug who wasn't done yet
"I don't know. There's something wrong
with him not saying anything."
Doc irritated he stops counting again as he says
"There's nothing wrong with some quiet."
But Griff didn't catch the hint he kept going
"I'm just saying it weirds me -"
Doc makes a zip-it motion as he says pissed off
"Hey! I'm going to lose count."
Griff swaggers over to Baby, who taps his fingers on the table to 'Egyptian Reggae' on his iPod. Griff observes for a while, then holds down his tapping hand. Baby slowly takes his hand away now his feet tap in time. Griff finally felt he had enough
"What are you even listening to?"
Baby doesn't even look at him giving him no answer. Griff takes out one of Baby's earphones Baby just stares at Griff blank as he asks again
"What are you listening to Baby?"
Still no answer Griff looks at Baby's iPod dropping it with a scoff.
"You think you're pretty smart acting
dumb, that it?"
baby just continues to stare buddy jumps in to defend him
"Leave the kid alone Griff."
Griff laughs humorlessly picking up his iPod again as he says
"I just wanna know what's going in his
head. Aside from...'Egyptian Reggae'."
Griff drops the iPod once again as Darling chimes in half listening
"I love reggae."
Buddy smiles at his wife as he looks back towards griff questioning him
"What does it matter to you?"
Griff just glared at baby
"I think he thinks he's better than us,
Buddy. Wants to keep his white shirt clean while we plays dirty."
Griff snatches off Baby's shades showing off his deep purple eyes The other looked at him noticing he's so young. Griff didn't care about his age he kept going.
"It don't work like that. Someday
you'll get blood on your hands and find out it don't wash off in the fucking sink."
Darling groaned and shook her head saying accusingly
"Griff."
He threw his hands up towards them all as baby puts on another pair of shades
"Hey Darling, he wants to hang with the
older kids, he's going to hear some grown up words. Like 'fuck'."
Griff watches baby for a second before screaming 'Boo!' In his ear while smacking the second shades off his face baby doesn't flinch or blink doc yells at griff stuffing money into a bag
"Will you cut it out!"
Buddy speaks up again for baby
"Yeah, he did his job, let him be."
Griff scoffed hitting baby on his shoulder too hard
"Hey, I ain't saying he's not great. Boy's a star, right?"
Doc puts picks up baby's cut and brings it over to his desk setting it down as he says.
"Would I vouch for him if he wasn't?"
Griff shrugs doc starts walking out griff shouts after him.
"Hey I'm just checking he's gonna be
okay out in the world. You know, since he's the only one in here not packing"
Smiling, Griff takes out his pistol l, puts it on the desk. Baby looks at the revolver, but doesn't show any emotion griff gestures towards it
"Take it. There's bad people around."
It was buddy's turn to scoff at griff as his wife leans to his ear sitting on his lap buddy spoke up
"Speak for yourself."
Griff ignored buddy placing both his hands on the table trying to intimidate baby who still sat completely still and emotionless
"Don't want it? Say I took your share, walked out? How you gonna stop me? I wanna see you stop me."
Darling and Buddy exchange glances as Griff playfully swipes Baby's holdall and walks slowly away towards the door Griff continued as he walks closer towards the door
"C'mon. Don't let me get away."
Baby looks at Griff, then to the pistol with no emotion but doesn't make a move Griff laughs.
"Do it Baby. I'm a real bad guy."
Baby just looks up at the ceiling ignoring him griff face Morphed to a pissed off look walking back over
"Okay. Enough games."
Griff huffs, reluctantly puts back the holdall. Baby quietly puts his a third pair of shades back on again. Buddy watching the kid in awe of his guts just laughs as he says
"I figured out why you call him Baby. Still waiting for his first words."

Baby travels with Griff, Darling, Buddy and Doc in a packed elevator. All five of them clutch Money bags.
Darling is all over Buddy smooching and laughing. Baby inwardly puked the 20 year age difference was a bit much he just tunes them out closing his eyes listening to the music sending him away. Darling giggles as she says
"Well isn't this quite the squeeze?"
Buddy squeezed her butt smiling down at her
"I think you're quite the squeeze."
Griff again eyeballs Baby who has shades back on eyes closed, headphones in. Griff snaps at he boy who was clearly ignoring everyone around him
"You still mad-dogging me boy?"
Doc snaps, Darling and Buddy sigh, tired of this shit.
"Jesus! You're mad dogging him."
Buddy jumps in holding Darling close
"Yeah, where do you get off?"
Griff grumbled and growls
"Kid's gotta grow up sometime."
Buddy shakes his head using one hand to gesture towards griff
"Seriously. Where do you get off?"
Just then the elevator pings signaling a stop
" Right here."
Buddy darling and doc sigh in relief Griff makes a move, looking to Doc.
"Okay folks, if you don't hear from me.
It's because I'm dead."
The doors close and Darling laughs at the release of tension. The lift descends Buddy and Darling kiss again she stops to ask.
"Hey, what's that song?"
The singer in the song then says the name
"Love in an elevator"
Buddy chuckles pecking her lips
"That would be 'Love In An Elevator'."
Darling smiled as she let out a long annoying while twirling her hair around her finger
"Riiight."
The elevator pings again Buddy salutes Doc getting off with Darling.
"Sir, I will call you as soon as the nose bag is empty."
Buddy punches Baby's arm playfully he looks up towards him opening his eyes finally as buddy continues
"And you? You did great. You aced it.
You're one of the good guys. And.. if
he calls you again, don't pick up."
Buddy laughs as the door closes
And with that, the elevator descends. Doc smiles tersely.
"Don't listen to him."
Baby just looks away.
Doc and baby walk off the elevator together towards two cars doc turns to baby
"Now you know I don't like taking candy
from Baby, but..."
Doc holds out his hand. Baby gives him his holdall. Doc takes out one stack of bills and throws both bags in the trunk.
"Didn't want to embarrass you in front
of the gang. When we're square we'll work out a new deal. Deal?"
Baby hesitated there is no way in hell he would do this again
"Uh...Yeah."
Doc gives Baby the one stack of bills. He gets into his car Pointing at the cash as he says
"Don't go crazy with that. I want you
back behind the wheel and soon. I'll call you."
Doc pulls out Leaving Baby all alone in the nearly empty parking lot