Sierra Santiago and the Invisible City

Chapter 5 - The Party

Sully Bradwick was one of those trust fund kids whose parents decided to put him in a public school to build character or something. His family lived in a huge Southern style mansion in Cobble Hill, complete with swimming pool, guest quarters and imposing pillars lining the front porch. Mister and Misses Bradwick had conveniently retreated to their New Hampshire house this week and were either blissfully unaware or just didn't mind that a throng of wily Brooklyn public school kids has taken over their home for the night.

By the time Sierra got there, just about every PS 122 9th, 10th an d11th was running around the backyard, exploring the many winding passageways or otherwise looking for trouble. It was a cloudy, cool night for early June, but that didn't stop a group of freshmen from starting a highly competitive game of Marco Polo in the pool. Some kids stood in a little circle beat boxing and freestyling back and forth, inventing brand new ways of putting each other down and sending up wild cheers when each new dig finds its mark. Hip hop blared on the stereo, but a group of alternative kids was making some noise about getting their grungy stuff on there too.

Sierra's eyes jumped from face to face, urgently seeking Robbie's serious gaze and slender locks. She watched Big Malik pick up Little Malik by the scruff of the neck like a puppy and toss him into the pool, upsetting the Marco Polo players. Ysenia twirled her curly hair and flirted shamelessly with some senior kid in a fitted cap who wasn't paying much attention. Nearby, Emani delivered a crushing 16 bar denouncement of another kid's mama in the freestyle circle. Bennie watched from nearby and egged her on. Emani wrapped up with a triumphant and brutal couplet rhyming dead dog with sad old log and the crowd erupted in thunderous hoots and hollers. The other kid, an extra short and quite dapper 10th grader named Pitken, recognized defeat and stepped back into the crowd with a gentlemanly bow. Bennie came running over to Sierra as another rapper took center stage.

"Did you see that, girl? Emani on fire! She's unstoppable!"

"I saw, I saw," Sierra said, giving her best friend a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"What's wrong, mama? You still caught up in everything from today? Let that go, girl, it's over. We here now."

"I know, I know," sighed Sierra. "I'm cool. Just been a weird week is all. You seen, um, Robbie?"

"Girl- you're blown to pieces over that kid, huh?"

"Maybe so. But you seen him? I'm worried."

"He's right over there by the mango tree or whatever that is, in that little dark garden area. Being creepy like always. Hey- where you going?"

Robbie sat away from the crowd in a small pool of darkness surrounded by a number of overgrown plants and fruit trees. It was dim, and his slender form blended so well with the curling vines and branches it was a wonder Sierra found him at all.

"You hunting or something?" she said as she enters the quiet little hideaway. "You camouflaging it?"

"Something like that I guess."

"Stalking anyone?"

"Nope."

Sierra stood there awkwardly, wondering why she felt uncomfortable when he was the one sitting in a bush. The music thumped along less intrusively now that she was away from the main party area.

"You want to sit with me?" Robbie said suddenly.

"I do." She made her way into the tangle of leaves, doing her best not to trip over anything as she settled into a patch of earth beside Robbie. Placing her board calmly in front of her, she tried, but couldn't slow her frantically beating heart. It's nothing, she told herself, just me and this kid sitting in some dirt outside the party. That's it. She inhaled deeply, taking in a musty, church-like scent that brought a certain joyful nostalgia.