Thorns

10 - Rai

Rai

Ok, ok. I was teasin' Copper Girl. Pushin' her buttons until she popped. What c

an I say, I'm a scumbag, and it was funny as hell seeing her look at me with her blue eyes on fire.

"FYI, I dn't sleep arnd. Not that I have to give u any explanation. And what kind of moral do u have? U sleep around like Mata Hari."

Funny girl, wasn't she? Ok, smartass, let's see what you got.

"FYI, Miss Type I, I do sleep arnd. But it's different: I'm a guy. U r a girl. Pretty girls should b pure & graceful. Doin d football team isnt a very nice thing for a little grl... & u're sick & all! Very irresponsible of u, 1 could say."

"HOW DARE U, U SMUGGED BASTARD! GO STRAIGHT T HELL! U R A MALE WHORE!"

Nice! Popping yet, Miss Flawless?

"Wht? Isnt it true? Heard u were 2 timin college guy & d jock captain."

"Who told u that?! & werent u the one who said – it's written a few lines back, BTW – u didnt care for gossip?"

"Heard it, dosnt matter where. So, is it true? & I know I said I dnt do gossip. Doin is different than hearing it, smartass. Look it up in d dctnry"

"Go to hell. Do whatever u want. It's what a Cuervo does, anyway."

"Chica, dont use that tone with m. U tryin to pass as d perfect student & daughter, but u'r as weak as d rest of d mortals. So stop tht superior act, cause u'r not d little pristine grl u wnt every1 to think u r."

When she finished readin' my answer, she left the chat group. Of course, leave it to Whitney Gordon to have the final dry, void word. And here I was thinkin' she could actually have a brain.

***

My cousin was waitin' for me outside La Ronda. There was another shift to be done, tonight. Tito, Nacio and I got out of my black Cadi and met my cousin and the three other Latinos that were with him.

"Was'up?" Nacio greeted, tapping on his black cap.

"El Cuervo has a job for us." Mi primo told us "The Korean pendejo is tradin' in the back. Gotta give him a warnin'."

We all looked at each other and nodded. Seven against probably three or four tops. Would be nice and smooth. Easy.

In the back alley, there were three Korean guys, and two other junkies tradin' some Benjis for some white powder. When they saw us, they quickly packed their shit up and ran. Mierda. I had a crappy day, wasn't really in the mood for a dance, right now.

Tito and I were the fastest, and Jorge knew it. He let us try to get the Asian, while they would look inside La Ronda for what was being traded and by whom.

Tito and I ran for what seemed like hours, goin' from our safe East Side down to the South. I felt the exact second we crossed the border. It tingled in the spine. I felt watched like I carried a target on my back.

I heard it only two seconds before it hit me. A bat right on my face. Carajo! Hurt like a bitch! Heard the Asian laugh and talk in their own language; heard Tito's groan, and then my face being smashed, my body bein' reduced to dust.