The Right Side of Reckless

by Whitney D. Grandison

In a bold move, Avery reached out and shoved him, drawing an “ooh” from the growing crowd around us. “You cheated on my sister and humiliated her. You want to bully someone, fuck with me.” Avery stepped toe-to-toe with him, confidently calling him out.

  The effort was admirable, but Troy had a good eighty to ninety pounds on Avery. I was not letting this happen. It was time to intervene.

  “Avery.” I tried to step between them.

  “Shut up, Mo.” Without taking an eye off of Troy, Avery pushed me back. “You hurt my family, Troy. I don’t give a damn about your football status, you’re dead to me.”

  Troy looked around, noticing how large our following had become. His anger lessened a degree. Avery was smaller, it would be too easy to tear him apart. Even Troy was decent enough to see that as he took another step back.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. Damn. Those classes in juvie, the lectures from Harvey, and even Mrs. London’s reprimanding had rubbed off on me.

  Once more, I stepped between Avery and Troy. “Avery, listen to me, Troy is a piece of shit for what he did, but you don’t want to do this. He’s not worth it.” Reluctantly, I looked at Troy. “Do yourself a favor and get goin’, you’ve done enough here.”

  Troy narrowed his eyes.

  He couldn’t be this stupid. He couldn’t be willing to let his ego win and play out a one-sided beef with me over a girl he’d lost all on his own.

  Could he?

  Tommy J came forward and planted a hand on Troy’s chest, pushing him back. “Come on, bro. Coach don’t care if the season’s over, I’m not tryna run laps for you.”

  Begrudgingly, Troy loosened up, shrugging out of Tommy’s touch before backing away. “See you around, Con.”

  Slowly the crowd dissolved, but Avery’s tension remained as he turned on me, clearly agitated.

  “Why’d you do that?” he demanded.

  I placed my hand on his shoulder, leaning down to meet his angry eyes. “He’s not worth you gettin’ out of character, Ave. There’s nothing wrong with defending your sister’s honor, but Troy isn’t worth it. He fucked up messin’ up with a girl like Regan and he’s going to learn that real soon. He just lost a real one, and he’s never going to forget that. You, you’re too good to be fighting and gettin’ in trouble over his ego.”

  “I could’ve handled him!” Avery snapped. His pride was on the line, echoes of his father’s disappointment in his desire to prove himself.

  “Violence doesn’t solve the issue. It causes more problems than not. Look at me, I’m on probation, trust me, my life hasn’t been the same since. I don’t want that for you.” Trying to ease his mind and anger, I went for a joke. “Besides, if Troy touched you, Naya was jumpin’ in, and we all know all hell would’ve broke loose if she messed up her nails.”

  Jenaya instantly observed her long acrylic nails. “Damn right.”

  Avery managed to smile, revealing dimples in his cheeks that reminded me of his sister. “No one messes with my sister and lives.” He was serious again as he looked me in the eye. “That stands for you, too, Mo. I know you like her, and she likes you, but if you hurt her, I won’t hesitate to kick your ass, got it?”

  Avery wasn’t aware just how much his sister loved and cared for him, and Regan didn’t know just how much her brother loved and cared for her.

  Holding my fist out, I smiled. “Understood.”

  He bumped his fist against mine and all was settled.

  Who knew, maybe this mentoring thing was my calling.

  Regan

  For the first time in forever I felt free. I felt alive, as if electricity was running through my veins, keeping the spark of my mother’s approval thriving.

  I was free to do what I wanted and it was exhilarating.

  My mother had dropped me off at the front entrance, and I buzzed in early to speak with Mrs. Greer before school. There was no going back, I wanted out of accounting and into a class more fitting for me.

  Mrs. Greer wasn’t my favorite member of the staff; she had a way of forcing what she wanted out of you and your schedule. Hence my taking chemistry instead of waiting until my senior year to satisfy the three science credits I needed. She’d advised taking four sciences, to impress the colleges I would apply to. That was another thing about Mrs. Greer: the topic of college wasn’t a what-if, but a definite yes in her eyes. If you didn’t go to college, you weren’t going to make it far.

  Personally, I hated this pushy mentality. It wasn’t encouraging in the least. Some kids didn’t have the answers, and rushing into a four-year commitment seemed pretty costly.

  I didn’t have all my cards laid out either, but I had an idea of where to start.

  “Regan, what brings you by this morning?” Mrs. Greer was sipping coffee and reading her emails when I stepped into her office.

  “I wanted to talk to you about changing my schedule,” I said, taking a seat before her. “I don’t want to take accounting anymore.”

  Her brows knitted together in a frown. “I’m sure accounting is challenging at first, but to just drop the class isn’t a very good idea.”

  Of course she wouldn’t make this easy. “I hate accounting. It’s never been my thing. It just isn’t for me.”

  She came away from her computer and gave me her full attention. “What’s going on here? Why take accounting if it’s not your ‘thing’?”

  It was time to speak up, time to be honest. “It’s always been my dad’s dream, and for the longest time I went along with it because I didn’t know what I wanted for myself. Now I’ve got an idea.”

  Mrs. Greer appeared thoughtful as she grabbed a sticky note and a pen. “And what idea is that?”

  “Maybe a veterinarian. I know we’ve got the Animal Care & Management course here.”

  “That’s a two-year program for juniors and seniors, and we’re already two months into the school year, Regan.”

  I was very aware of the risk I was taking, but I was ready. “I’ll work really hard to catch up. I’ll stay after school to do extra work. I don’t care what it takes. This is what I’m interested in.”

  She seemed to sympathize with me. “And you don’t enjoy accounting?”

  I shook my head. “I hate it. I’d rather drop out and get an F for the grading period than continue to struggle. Sometimes you have to fail to succeed, and I’m prepared to do that to secure my future.”

  My parents would kill me if I got an F on my report card, but it would be worth it in the end. I’d done my research; the Animal Care & Management program provided internships, job placements, and scholarships. I would walk away with a lot of opportunities by the end of my high school career, leaving me better equipped for college or a trade school.

  Slowly, Mrs. Greer began to smile, and she jotted something down. “I’m not making any promises that they’ll take you into the program so late in the grading period, but come back after school and I’ll have word for you.”

  It was a start. There was hope. Fireworks went off inside of me. I so needed to speak up more often. “Thank you so much, just for trying for me.”

  She reached out and placed her hand on mine. “It’s not a problem. In the meantime, I want parent signatures confirming that they acknowledge and are okay with you dropping accounting. Understand? This is a big step you’re taking, Regan.”

  Because I was confident in my decision, I offered Mrs. Greer a big cheesy smile. “Yes, ma’am, I know. This is what I want.”

  Guillermo

  Word spread around school about my run-in with Troy. Because some people thrived off of high school drama, I was approached in a few classes. Some guys were impressed by how calm and collected I’d been, and some teammates of Troy’s were itching to show their loyalty by attempting to intimidate me. None of it got to me as I kept my head down and said nothing.

  As much as I didn’t want to,
I distanced myself from Regan for the day. If only to avoid appearing as though I was antagonizing Troy or staking claim. She wasn’t a pawn either.

  Regan seemed to understand, keeping space between us in our shared classes, and eating lunch with Malika.

  I buried my discomfort and kept a watchful eye on her all throughout lunch, making sure no one bothered her. People were idiots to still champion Troy. To think, all because the guy could catch and run with a damn football.

  Pathetic.

  I cruised into the community center later that day, hoping Mrs. London wasn’t on our trail just yet. There was only so much confrontation I could take for the day.

  “There you are.” Mrs. London was leaning against the front desk as I stepped into the building.

  If she was pissed, I couldn’t tell. Mrs. London was the type to keep you on your toes.

  “Yes?” I said as I came to a stop before her.

  She didn’t shy away from the fact that she was sizing me up. She must’ve liked what she saw, as a corner of her mouth quirked up. “Let’s talk.”

  I didn’t want to go in blind. “Am I in trouble?”

  She tilted her head to the side. “Why would you be in trouble? It’s not like you went back on your word and took my daughter out and kissed her. No, a smart boy like yourself would never do that.”

  Her sarcasm made me smile. I was caught, but I wasn’t afraid. Not when her taunting tone was making light of the situation.

  “I’m sorry,” I came out and said. “I like Regan.”

  “Clearly. I gathered that from your little date last night.”

  A nervous chill ran down my spine. “You know about that?”

  Mrs. London ate up my fear with joy. “We literally live across the street from each other. It wasn’t that hard to look out the window and watch her race right up to you.” Her attention was drawn past me. “Ah, just the perfect person to complete our trio.”

  I glanced behind me to see Daren entering the facility. He was a young White guy, bald, sported glasses, and dressed like a hipster. He was a few inches shorter than me, but never seemed intimidated, not even by the body builders who frequented the center’s gym. Daren always came off as easygoing and laid-back. I guess going through the Respect program really had changed his life.

  Still, I wondered what was up as he came and stood beside Mrs. London and me.

  “Afternoon, Guillermo.” Daren reached out to shake my hand.

  “You two already know each other,” Mrs. London went on without skipping a beat. “I’ve decided from now on Daren will be overseeing your service here at the center, Guillermo. You and I are crossing a personal boundary outside of work, and I feel that would potentially set an unfair bias toward you. The Respect program is very important to me, to Daren, and for your growth. I think we all agree we don’t want to compromise it.”

  A lot had been said, leaving me in general confusion. All I could grasp was that Daren was taking over for Mrs. London as far as I was concerned, but I couldn’t pinpoint why.

  He stepped in to explain further. “You’ve shown phenomenal growth over your two months here, Guillermo. Gloria and I want to see it through in a way most beneficial to everyone. From now on, you’ll report to me should you have any questions or concerns. You know me, I welcome fun, but we’re here to serve the community and do a job.”

  “Understood.” But really, what was going on?

  Mrs. London must’ve sensed my confusion as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Before you guide Guillermo for the day, I’d like to have a word with him.”

  “Absolutely.” Daren stepped to the side, allowing us to leave.

  Mrs. London led the way outside of the facility and I was quick to walk in stride with her.

  For a while we walked in silence, taking in the back of the center and all the outdoor activities it offered. The general vibe coming from both Daren and Mrs. London felt bright and positive, so I at least knew I wasn’t in trouble.

  “You knew about Troy and Regan,” Mrs. London said, more as a statement than a question.

  I didn’t know what she knew, about Troy or about me. It wasn’t my place to expose Regan, so I answered carefully. “I knew there was trouble, yes.”

  We neared the playground, and Mrs. London watched as the little boys and girls in their fall jackets ran free in innocence and glee.

  “She didn’t tell me everything, but I got the gist of it. You let me sit there and judge you, tell you how happy my daughter was with Troy, and you knew I was wrong.”

  “It wasn’t and isn’t my place to overstep and tell Regan’s truth. You know Troy better than I do, I could only hope there was more I wasn’t seeing.”

  Mrs. London shook her head. “My daughter wants to make her own choices and I have to accept that she’s a young woman with her own mind and opinion. She has to live her own experiences. Should she choose to be with you, I won’t fight it.”

  I blew out a heavy breath, my shoulders relaxing. She didn’t want to fight us.

  “I don’t want to be tolerated, Mrs. London. I really tried to avoid Regan, but it felt inevitable and I grew a soft spot for her. She’s amazing, ma’am.” Most of all, I liked how different we were, and how the change of pace with her was more than easy and welcome.

  “Relax, Guillermo. These things happen, and I’m okay with you seeing her. When she felt like she couldn’t confide in anyone, she chose you, and you didn’t take advantage. My daughter seems to be happy and comfortable with you, and that’s all I could want for her in a partner.” Mrs. London stuck her hand out. “Thank you, for keeping her safe and being there.”

  I could’ve never seen this coming from the beginning. Mrs. London didn’t seem the type to back down and accept another way rather than her own. To have her approval and respect was humbling.

  We shook hands and I felt myself begin to breathe at a normal pace. “Thank you, not just for being okay with whatever develops with Regan, but for teaching me that I’m not a monster. I was lost when I got here, confused, angry, and I didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. You didn’t give up on me and you weren’t easy on me either.”

  Mrs. London appeared thoughtful. “Do you have any regrets?”

  Did I regret my past? In some ways, I did, and in others all my screwups made me who I was and led me here. I’d learned from my mistakes and seen the error in them. Tynesha had hurt me, betrayed me, and had I nursed that wound in Rowling Heights, I probably would’ve been on a destructive path to cope—I had been on a destructive path prior to our little affair, all on my own. Beyond that, I never should’ve fought my best friend. I’d taken it too far. My downfall was my own doing, and it took me a while to learn and accept that.

  Here, through my probation and discipline, I could see that there were other ways through the dark.

  And in time I’d guide my friends, especially Raviv.

  “Had I not messed up, I don’t think I would’ve survived Rowling Heights. Regretting it puts me back out there in the street and making poor choices. I’m ashamed of what I did, but the bigger picture is it led me here, to a better environment,” I told her honestly.

  “Violence isn’t the answer, as cliché as it sounds, and it’s important that you learn that,” Mrs. London said. “One of my biggest concerns was stopping a situation where you and Troy got into it over Regan. If that had happened, I wouldn’t have hesitated to call Harvey and let him know. I’m happy that it didn’t and you were smart enough to step back the right way this time.”

  It had been tempting to give Troy what he wanted, but in the grand scheme of things, it was a lose-lose situation. To some, I’d look like a punk for backing down, but honestly, who cared? I was capable of defending myself, and that was all that mattered.

  Not all fights had to be fought.

  “This isn’t last time. I really want an
honest start,” I said.

  Mrs. London nodded with understanding. “Because of your involvement with my daughter, I decided to assign Daren to be in charge of you. I’ll attend to other incoming probationers. Daren may talk a big game of being strict, but everyone knows he’s a softy. But I trust you to do right and listen to him.”

  The smile she was giving me made me feel special, as if she were doing something she wouldn’t normally do, just for me.

  “Thank you, Mrs. London,” I said.

  In the next moment she was all business once more. “Now, let’s get back in there, you’ve got rooms to clean.”

  She may have been a tough one, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  I couldn’t say I wouldn’t ever put my hands on someone again. Had Troy hit Avery, there was a great chance I would’ve stepped in. When it came to defending the people I loved and was close with, I would stick my neck out every time.

  But I was learning there were more ways to fight than one. There were other ways to win the battle and the war.

  A black Envoy pulled up and parked near the front entrance. A familiar face soon climbed out of the truck, gaze landing straight on me.

  Harvey.

  Mrs. London patted my shoulder and entered the facility without me.

  I stood by the front bench and waited for Harvey to come over.

  “Gloria and Daren told me you’ll be switching supervisors,” he said. “It seems you’re a conflict of interest?”

  “I didn’t mean to be,” I swore.

  He snorted, shaking his head. “Her daughter must be really pretty for you to go and get tangled up—again.”

  “It’s different this time,” I told him. “She’s just a girl that I like, and she likes me back, there’s no games or bullshit involved.”

  Harvey lifted his chin, eyes serious. “That’s what Gloria said. She said she wasn’t too thrilled, but judging by your behavior and how you’ve rubbed off on her son, she doesn’t feel bad about it.” Even with her blessing, he appeared skeptical. “This is risky business, Lozano, you understand that, right?”