“Wow, you’re telling me something I didn’t know.” Elijah teared up.

  “Some people are irreplaceable and your husband was one of them.” Mrs. Yang smiled and then grinned at Elijah. “I have something for you.”

  Elijah’s eyes widened.

  Mrs. Yang grabbed a powder blue dress shirt and a dark blue striped knit tie from under the counter. “My husband picked this up for him yesterday.”

  Elijah grinned. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Yang.”

  “I have one more gift for you.”

  “What is it?” Elijah said excitedly.”

  She passed him a small black box.

  Elijah tore into the box. “Cufflinks?”

  “Jade cufflinks.”

  “Jade.” Elijah narrowed his eyes. The cufflinks didn’t match his shirt exactly.

  “Jade is good luck, Elijah,” Khadijah said.

  “Wow! Thanks so much, Mrs. Yang,” Elijah said.

  “You keep up with them,” Khadijah said.

  “Again, I thank you,” Elijah said.

  “Elijah, you’ve always been so respectful to my husband and me. Maybe you could come work for us on the weekends.”

  “I’d like that,” Elijah said.

  “What about school?” Khadijah asked.

  “Mrs. Yang said the weekend and we could use the money,” he said.

  “We will make a way. I will be back at work soon and then I’ll return to school,” Khadijah said then turned to Mrs. Yang. “Thank you, Mrs. Yang. I appreciate you.”

  Mrs. Yang embraced her. “If you need anything, please let me know.”

  Chapter 13

  Khadijah and Elijah drove into Chick-fil-A, Elijah hopped out and entered the restaurant and returned with nuggets and Sprite. As they exited the parking lot, Khadijah noticed a patrolman behind them. Her heart sank when she saw the blue lights flashing. Khadijah turned to Elijah, “Sit still and don’t even reach for your nuggets. Do you understand me?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  She was disturbed she had to give her son instructions about how to behave around cops, but her reality was a black woman with a black son. This was a teachable moment on how to conduct himself when he was confronted by police officers because she knew that as much as she wanted him to be her baby forever, she knew he’d be alone with the police officers. She pulled the car over into a 7-11 parking lot and parked next to a dumpster on the side of the building. She’d spotted a security camera hovering over the dumpster. She popped open the glove compartment and removed the registration. Then she rummaged through her purse, removing two vials of lipstick and a container of Vaseline before she was able to retrieve her license. She cut her eye at Elijah who was trembling.

  “It’s gonna be okay, son,” she reassured him.

  He nodded.

  The potbellied, pudding-faced officer approached the car and tapped on the window with his index finger. Khadijah lowered the window and passed him her license and registration.

  “Ma’am, you have any idea why I stopped you?”

  Elijah trembled. All he could think about was the gun under the car seat. If the officer were to search the car, he’d surely find it. He’d seen cars getting ransacked in the neighborhood by cops looking for guns and drugs. But there was no reason to search his mom’s car. She was a law-abiding citizen and their bumper sticker proclaimed that he was an honor roll student. He’d never seen his mom break any law or rule until he’d found out that Virgil was not listed on the lease.

  “Officer, I have no idea why you’ve pulled me over.”

  Pot Belly glanced at Elijah, who was looking straight ahead still quivering.

  “Why is the kid so nervous? Is there anything you want to tell me?”

  “Nothing at all. You want to search the car, search it because we really need to be on our way,” Khadijah offered.

  Elijah’s heart raced as his left leg shook. Why was his mom offering to let this man search the car? To violate their rights? Well, their rights wouldn’t be violated if she volunteered.

  Elijah made eye contact with the officer. “Sir, my father was just murdered a few days ago, and I’m nervous because I don’t want anything to happen to my mother. She’s all I have. I watch the news and I see black people getting murdered on the news all the time.” Elijah turned and pointed at the back of the car. “That’s my suit hanging up in the window. My very first suit ever. My dad brought it for me from the thrift store. Ironically, he’ll never get to see me wear the suit. Mom took me to get my suit tailored to wear at dad’s funeral. We’ve had enough to deal with. Can you just please give us a break this one time?” Elijah pleaded.

  The man sighed and passed her back the license and registration. “You’re free to go, ma’am.” He smiled at Elijah. “For what’s it’s worth, my dad died at work when I was nine.”

  “Was he a police officer? Did he get killed on duty?” Elijah asked.

  “No, a crane fell on his head, but I remember how devastated I was when my hero died.”

  Khadijah said, “You didn’t tell me what you pulled me over for.”

  “You rolled past the stop sign.”

  “I’m sorry,” Khadijah said.

  “Yeah, just be careful. And you, young man, you need to go to law school. You have quite a mouth on you.”

  “Yes, he does,” Khadijah said, smiling.

  When the officer had left, Khadijah turned to Elijah. “I’m so proud of you, son.”

  “You know I really don’t want anything to happen to you.” He smiled and leaned into her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Then he plucked a nugget from the box of nuggets, dipped it in the barbecue sauce, and tossed it into his mouth.

  Five minutes later, Khadijah pulled in front of her home. Elijah reached for the gun at the side of the seat, but he didn’t feel it. He had to get his mom out of the car somehow, so he could get the gun from underneath the seat without raising suspicion.

  When they stopped, she asked, “Elijah, did you lose something?”

  “I think I may have dropped the cufflinks Mrs. Yang gave me.”

  Khadijah picked up the cufflinks from the cup holder and passed them to him.

  “Cop made me so nervous, I’d forgotten that I placed them there.”

  “It’s okay,” Khadijah said.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, Elijah?”

  “Will you make me some French fries?”

  “Elijah, why didn’t you get some waffle fries from Chick-fil-A?”

  He tried his best to look sad. “But I like your fries better.”

  “Elijah, I don’t have time. Besides you know how to make french fries.”

  “But they’re not like yours.”

  “I gotta go pay the funeral director.”

  “I know.”

  “But when I return, I’ll make the french fries. Better yet, I’ll show you how to make them like I do.”

  He grinned.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said.

  All he could think about was the gun underneath the seat. “How long will you be gone?” he asked as he stepped out of the car.

  “Maybe an hour or so.”

  Elijah walked toward the house with the suit in one hand and the Chick-fil-A bag in the other when he heard someone call his name. Elijah turned and JJ was walking toward him wearing pink and white snakeskin Jordans—the ones that almost aroused Brandon sexually. He laughed thinking about how he’d been so hyped by some freaking shoes, but he had to admit, JJ looked spectacular, and he felt an attraction toward her. He’d always thought she was pretty but in a sisterly kind of way. His heartbeat sped up.

  “Why aren’t you in school?” he asked.

  “Social services came to inspect granny’s house today to make sure I had what I needed. My dad is still trying to get custody of me.”

  “Just go live with your dad. Are you crazy? It’s the Valley. Everybody wants to live there. I mean who wouldn’t want to live in a million-dollar home?”

  “It’s a neighborhood, but it’s not a community.”

  “Huh?”

  “Those people over there don’t know each other. Like nobody over there knows who makes the best fried chicken, who can dance the best, who can run the fastest—though I run the fastest in every neighborhood.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “There is no culture over there.”

  “Culture?”

  “No black barbershops, No black churches. No black beauty shops. Nobody doing braids. No soul food. No Candy Lady. Nobody talking shit at the basketball court.”

  “You like that?”

  “Elijah, I’m black. Why wouldn’t I like black culture? Don’t you?”

  “I’ve never paid that much attention to it,” Elijah said.

  “I like it here, Elijah, and granny needs me.”

  “What about your Uncle Tuck?”

  “What about him?”

  “He can take care of your granny.”

  “I supposed he could, but he won’t, so it’s me. Plus I love my granny,” she said, staring at what Elijah held in his hand. “What’s that?”

  “My suit.”

  “I never knew you owned a suit.”

  “Yeah, Virgil bought me two. He told me that a man is supposed to have at least two good suits. A blue one and a gray one. And if you could afford a third one, make it a brown one.”

  “A Virgilism.”

  “Please don’t tell me Daniel and Brandon got you saying that too.”

  “You know I loved Virgil too.” She flashed a big smile. Her braces matched her Jordans.

  “I know,” he sighed.

  “He loved that I could beat you racing.”

  “Is that what you loved about him?”

  “I loved the way he adored you and auntie. You’re going to miss him, aren’t you?”

  “I loved him more than anyone, except mom.”

  “Have you cried yet?”

  “What kind of question is that? I cried at the hospital.”

  “Yeah, but did you really cry? All I keep seeing is you talking about revenge. Elijah, you need to cry. It’s good for you. I know Virgil probably told you that men don’t cry.”

  Elijah smiled, remembering the time he was running and skinned his knee on the sidewalk. Virgil had picked him up before he could start crying and shushed him, telling him that it was going to be okay, that he was a big boy and that big boys didn’t cry. Then there was the time where they lost the flag football championship. Virgil was the coach and he’d encouraged the team to cry. So Virgil’s position on crying was kind of confusing to him.

  “See, I can tell that you want to cry. It’s okay.”

  “I don’t wanna cry.”

  “Your eyes are watery.”

  “They’re not.”

  “They are.”

  JJ embraced him, and he held her before she said, “You know you’re my best friend, right?”

  “Where’d that come from?”

  “I was just thinking. I know you have Daniel and Brandon. I know they are your boys, but whenever someone asks who is my best friend, I tell them you. I don’t have to be your best friend. I know I’m a girl. But I’m just telling you.”

  “Well, okay, bestie,” he said. “You’re such a loyal person.”

  “And so are you. I think that’s why we get along so well.”

  Elijah smiled.

  “I wanna see you in your suit,” she said.

  “I’m sure I won’t look as good as you did in that dress you wore the day you had court.”

  JJ smiled. “You noticed?”

  “I did.”

  “But you didn’t say anything. Daniel and Brandon commented, but you didn’t say anything.”

  “I thought it would be weird.”

  “Why would it be weird?”

  “Because I’ve known you for so long.”

  “They’ve known me for a long time.”

  “But I’ve known you since Miss Sandy’s daycare.”

  “What, we were like three.”

  “We’re getting old, JJ.”

  “I know,” JJ said. “I don’t want to get old. I’m so dreading my sixteenth birthday.”

  “Wow, you will really be a teenager. I mean technically we’re teenagers now, but at sixteen you’re a teenager teenager.”

  “Yeah, it even sounds old.”

  Elijah smiled before frowning.

  “What’s wrong,” JJ asked.

  “I just remembered that I left the gun in my mom’s car.”

  “Huh. What gun?”

  “The gun I bought from Kwame. What gun do you think?”

  “Elijah, how could you be so stupid? What if your mom finds out that she’s riding with a gun?”

  “She’s not gonna find out. Don’t be so negative.”

  “But she might. Where is it?”

  “It’s under the seat.”

  “She still might find it.”

  “Why would she look under the seat?” Elijah rolled his eyes at JJ.

  “Don’t get mad at me because you left a gun in your mama’s car.”

  “I’m not mad. I was just telling you what happened.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “What can I do?”

  JJ shrugged. “Where did she go?”

  “She went to Black’s Funeral Home to pay for Virgil’s funeral.”

  “So she’ll be back soon?”

  “Yeah. Come with me to the house, okay? I’m going to put this suit up.”

  JJ followed him into the house.

  “You know, this is the first time I’ve been inside your house in about four months.”

  “Really why?”

  “I don’t know. I guess because I know all you do is play Fortnite all day and I don’t have time for that.”

  “So what are you doing that you can’t play Fortnite?”

  “Training for the Olympics.”

  Elijah laughed. “You’re fast, JJ, but you’re not Olympic-level fast.”

  “Not yet, but I will be.”

  “The fastest girl in the county.”

  “No, I’m the fastest girl ever in the county and the fastest person to ever attend Sun Valley High School.”

  “What?”

  “I hold the record for the 100 and 200 meter. I thought you knew. I broke my mom’s records.”

  “Virgil used to laugh so hard when you would beat me in racing.”

  “Yeah, I remember that one time you started crying after I beat you. You didn’t wanna race me no more and claimed that I cheated,” JJ said.

  “I wasn’t crying.”

  “What do you have against crying?”

  “Why do you want me to always be crying?”

  “I don’t want you to always be crying, but I do think you should have a good cry for Virgil.”

  “Did you cry? He meant a lot to you as well.”

  “Actually, I did cry the night he died and I said a prayer for you and auntie.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Don’t get smart with me, Elijah, or I’ll race you and beat you and make you cry again.”

  “I didn’t cry.”

  “You did, but it’s okay because you’re the smartest kid I know. God gives us all gifts and when we’re old, like thirty-five, what good will running fast be?”

  “Thirty-five is so far away. We’ll have gray hair and stuff.”

  “Right,” JJ said, “but I’m gonna be drippy with my gray hair.”

  “So superficial.”

  “I’m a girl.”

  He eyed her up and down and said, “I’m realizing.”

  “Wait. What does that mean?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Say what you wanna say Elijah.”

  “I was just thinking you’ve changed.”

  She smiled, “So how are you gonna use your gift Elijah?”

  “What are you talking about? You see, I don’t actually think anybody is gifted. I think either you work hard or you don’t succeed. I do think genetics play a factor in everything, but I don’t believe you would be as good as you are if you didn’t work.”

  “I get that, but what I’m saying is do you want to waste your potential in jail? You think I want to be the fastest person in the girls’ home?”

  “Huh?”

  “If I go to jail, I’ll be the fastest person in the girls’ home.”

  “What is the girls’ home anyway?”

  “I don’t know, but I hear old people saying that if I do bad things, I’m going there,” JJ said. “If you shoot Major, you’ll more than likely be the smartest person in juvie. A waste of a good brain.”

  “I don’t wanna talk about that.”

  “When you get the gun back, why don’t you just give it back to Kwame?”

  “Why?” He looked annoyed at her.

  “Because you don’t know how to use it, for one thing.”

  “You don’t know that!”

  “I saw you this morning running toward the park. You dropped the gun and a shot fired into the basketball goal. You could have killed somebody, and your life would have been over. Your purpose in life, null and void.”

  Elijah’s eyes widened. “You saw that? Where were you?”

  “I was peeking out the windows.”

  Elijah thought for a moment before saying, “Do you think anyone else saw it?”

  “You know old folks are always peeking out the window around here.”

  He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “But nobody called the police. Usually when there are shots, the police will ride through an hour later. But today, I didn’t see any.”