Self Righteous

22: Snitches get Stitches

22.

             WHEN THE pressure of my day is inside me, not like a tangled knot but like a ticking time bomb. I need to let it explode somewhere safe. I need to go somewhere it can't do lasting damage—and that's why I have Lola.

I've always admired Lola. When we were in middle school, she would always get bullied for her dark skin. I could imagine the way this beautiful child questioned her beauty everyday but she held her head up high. Lola was tough, had a voice and never let anyone take it away. Something I wished I could steal from her.

Lola threw popcorn at the TV, "You're going to get caught Dexter! What is this fool doing?" I chuckled and nodded my head in agreement. Watching Dexter on Saturday's when we were free was our thing.

I checked my phone once again and sighed. The No Notifications tormented me. Katrina never stayed this mad at me for this long. I did cross a boundary I admit, but she wouldn't hear my apologies.

"She'll come around," Lola reassured, "You know she a drama queen." I sighed, she may have had a point. I haven't heard from her in three days, nor did she bother to show up to school.

I rested my head against her shoulder, "I worry about her, I really do." Between her perfect parents suddenly having problems to her new liking to doing drugs, I didn't know what was going on and how to help her deal with it. So far, I was doing a horrible job.

Lola munched on popcorn then spoke, "I mean, why would you tell Ryan all of that, I thought you didn't like him."

I stiffened militarily and cleared my throat. "I— um, I don't know."

She looked at me with condescending eyes then smacked her lips, "It's that Noble charm I tell you, you falling right for it." I opened my mouth to protest but it fell shut. Everyone liked Ryan, you couldn't dislike him. CeCe surely loves him.

"They are made for that shit, don't take any Noble seriously, you know this." Lola bumped my shoulder and I still fell silent. I did know it.

Derek walked out from the hall in tow with my mom. "What y'all ladies up too?"

I groaned, "Watching TV, all up in our business for what?"

"All up in our business for what," Derek mocked in a high pitched voice, ruffling my curls. I swatted his hand away rolling my eyes.

"Hey, Ms. Dickens and Derek," Lola greeted waving. My mother, being extra as she is, went in for a hug.

"You are so gorgeous I swear!" Lola cheesed at the compliment.

In a blink of an eye Derek had the remote and started to change the channel. "Hey! We were watching something!" I tried to to grab for the remote but he just mushed my face. Derek the Dick.

"Yo, that's in front of my aunties house, turn it up please." Lola stood from the couch her eyebrows raised. She was right alright.

"— Once again we have a man shot, execution style, with again—no witnesses. Not one person in this neighborhood even recalls gun shots."

I uncovered my ears, my heart rate returning to normal. My mouth went dry as I unwrapped from Duke. The aftermath of the onslaught of fires left my hands shaking.

"S-should we call the police, I think we should call the police," I stuttered, gaining my voice back. Duke didn't even flinch during the gun shots that went off.

"Snitches get stitches Ree," He said sternly, "Pigs ain't gonna do nothing anyway."

I swallowed my inexistent spit, "Have you held a gun before?"

I didn't see those brown eyes turn my way, he looked straight ahead as his jaw flexed, "Too many times to count."

I didn't want to think too much of his answer hoping he was only kidding. I didn't ask anymore questions after that.

I blinked, returning to the television. The reporter held the microphone to the police officer. "We have seen this before, not too long ago. In both cases, it has been execution style. Forced on their knees and shot right through the forehead."

Gregory Fleance body flashed in my mind. I held onto my stomach as it tightened. Don't think about it, don't think about it. I tried suppressing those gruesome images with everything in my body.

"Change it honey," My mom mumbled under her breath to Derek.

Violence in our community wasn't anything new. Being surrounded by gang violence was so normal, so inescapable, that it is ignored by the majority. I was soon intertwined in it, having my brother die from a bullet to the heart. I was still confused on who would ever want to murder my brother. Duke was right, the police and detectives didn't do shit, just "another shooting in the hood". He wasn't involved in any gangs or hustling, so what was it? The question tormented me in my sleep night after night.

"Who could ever kill a human being without feeling no remorse, a damn shame," Lola voiced shaking her head in distaste.

My heart beat rang in my ears, I knew exactly who.

The one and only, Alec.