Shootout

(21) Carmelo

     "Soooo his dad hit him?"

     "Yes he did." I tell Bryson as we're in the Parking lot of the preschool because he picked me up. We've been sitting here for about an hour just talking about what Carmelo told me.

I could see the anger in his eyes. I knew Bryson had a soft spot for little kids ever since I seen him outside playing basketball with the neighborhood kids. He's cool with all the kids when visiting his hood where he's from, and they look up to him as a big brother.

     "Who his father is? so I can beat his ass."

     "I don't know but I don't want that lil boy going back to that house. Who knows what the hell else be going on behind closed doors." I shake my head. "He doesn't deserve whatever he's going through. Hell no kid does. He's so young and innocent, I just don't want anything bad to happen to him." I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt Brysons finger wiping away both of my tears that fell from each eye.

     "Penelope calm down." He reached for my hand. "Ain't there some documents or some shit that shows where he lives?"

     "Yeah." I nodded. "But I don't have access to them. I could get fired if someone catches me looking through them."

     "Don't you got a key to the building? We can just go inside and look through em real quick."

     "What if someone catches us?"

      "The school let out an hour ago, we just been out here talkin'. There shouldn't be nobody in there."

     "I don't know about this Bryson."

     "Girl you wit me, you should know by now living on the edge is what I do." He chuckled.

     "You stupid." I rolled my eyes jokingly and laughed.

He chuckled. "Come on." He motioned his head and opened his door. I opened mine and let him follow after me so I can put the key through the door of the locked school.

Once we got in, the building was dark so we flicked on the lights and went to the front desk to look through his documents.

     "I think I found it." I said after I pulled out his folder from one of the drawers.

I begin searching through all his information.

The document stated his age, parents address, phone number, social security number and a copy of his birth certificate.

I took out my phone and took a picture of the document and Bryson and I turned off the lights, left out the building and headed towards the address on the document.

      "Fuck you shakin for?" Bryson bucked.

     "I don't know... I'm just nervous."

     "Nervous for what ma? Why the fuck you always so scared and nervous. I told you that you don't have to be when you around me." He said as he rubs my thigh while his other hand is in the steering wheel.

     "You're right." I rubbed the back of his neck as he drives.

The drive wasn't far away. As we pulled up it looked like a decent house from the outside. I could tell they didn't have a lot of money but neither do I, so I can't even talk.