Crimes of the Streets

Chapter Thirty-Five

Diamond was in her room, looking at herself in a handheld mirror.

Diamond: Ugh...

Her hair was messy, she was tired, and she hadn't gone to school today. Her dad walked in her room.

Michael: Hey, sweetie. I bought you a gift!

Her eyes immediately lit up.

Diamond: Wow, really?

Michael: Yep! Come in the living room, I'll show you.

She jumped out of bed, following him, and he led her to the living room, where a puppy was sitting in a kennel, wagging its tail. Diamond was immediately overwhelmed with joy.

Diamond: A dog! Really?

Michael: Yeah, I know you've had....and lost...a lot of pets, but I think it's finally time you've gotten a dog.

She jumped up and hugged him. Maybe a little "too" tight.

Diamond: Thank you so much!

She grabbed her dog and brought him into her bedroom. Michael sighed and sat down at his couch.

Michael: Well, I'm glad she's happy, but it seems business must be handled...again.

He pulled out his phone and made a call.

Michael: Hey, yes, I'm going to need to borrow your facility for a little bit.

A voice on the other side of the phone replied.

Michael: Oh, it's nothing much, just for a father-daughter moment, you know.

The voice seemed to allow it, and Michael hung up.

Michael: Hey Diamond! You want to go out for a little exercise?

She immediately responded.

Diamond: Yeah!

Taking her dog with her, she walked outside her room. The trio got in Michael's car and drove off.

Diamond: I think I'm going to name him...Razor. He seems sharp so, I think it fits.

Michael eyed his daughter with a humorous look.

Michael: (Shaking his head) What am I going to do with you?

Meanwhile, Diamond's friend Jayla was busy doing her nails. She texted her friend to see what she was up to.

Jayla: (Text) You overslept or something? I didn't see you at school today.

Diamond: (Text) Yeah, sorry, I'll be back tomorrow.

Jayla: (Text) It's cool, it's cool. School's irrelevant anyway.

Diamond sent a laughing emoji. Jayla put her phone down and looked out the window, silently. Then she sat on her bed and went back to doing her nails. She turned on her TV and saw news of the warehouse standoff, but her face remained impassive to it.

Jayla: Oh. Wow...

A few hours later, she finished her nails and decided to go outside and stretch a little bit. She grabbed a duffle bag and walked outside the door in some casual running clothes.

Jayla: (To herself) Wow, sky looks nice...

She decided to head to the nearby park: South Riverside Park. Half an hour of walking got her there, but when she arrived, she saw straight chaos.