He said his words funny.
Guys from Buffalo! said Beens.
No more breth holding. The deel was going down now. Be reddy for any thing said Snocone in a low voys.
Jaden was staring across the hood of the van and biting his lip.
Any thing I thot. Any thing.
The baby girl and her dad were walking tord the mall. She was kicking and he was holding on tite.
Jello put away his sell phone. The SUV swung into a parking spot and the guy from the front ran around and opend the back door.
GUY CLIMING OUT OF THE SUV WAS OLDER THAN US
NOT LIKE MORGAN OR COBRA but reel old like Dad. Weerd to have this deel going on with your dad eh? He shook hands with the Angel pirate and said hi kid you must be Zeke. Im Bobby. Then he did it with Cobra only he dint call him kid. Im Bobby he said. He dint shout but he was loud enuff to here. He said he workd for Mr Wings in Buffalo and that Mr Wings wud of come himself but that he had a littl rat problem he was deeling with and sent him insted.
So lets do this he said.
I was reddy for any thing but I had to poke Jaden.
He talks funny I wisperd. His name came out Babby did you here?
Lets go you guys! said Snocone.
Jello was waving at us. Zeke the biker was waving 2 and the Buffalos were climing out of the SUV. So there we all were around the M pole of the parking lot—our possy and the Buffalos and Angels. The Buffalos all wore soots and shiny sunglasses so there eyes lookd like meers. Morgan and Xray had the trunk of Jellos car open and they were taking out the boxes of car parts. 1 of the Angels took a nap sack off the back of his bike. Jaden poked me.
That guy he wispered.
Holding the nap sack? With the black gloves?
Yah.
Bobby was talking about Al Capoli. Al Capoli this and that. What he wantd to do to Al Capoli. What Rocko was doing to Al Capoli rite now.
Cobra hookd his finger at me like come here.
Me? I pointd at myself. He nodded.
The Buffalo guy stoppd talking wen he saw me.
Whos the white kid?
This is Bunny said Cobra.
Bunny with the tatoo. White bunny in a black gang. Yous do things funny up in Canada said Bobby.
Bunnys the 1 who found Al Capoli said Cobra. His brother phond from Jackfish.
Jackfish!
Bobby spat the word. Dont talk to me about Jackfish! he said. Mr Wings is there now. He keeps trying to call only he cant get thru on account of theres no what do you call it up there. What do you call it?
He lookd at me.
I dunno I said.
Well hes there. Finally. Do yous no how far away that podunk town is? Do yous no?
Far I said.
12 ours! To drive from 1 podunk town to an other podunk town it takes 12 ours! Thats the problem with Canada. Place is 2 big. And after Mr Wings and the boys take care of that rat Al Capoli they have to drive all the way back to Buffalo thru all those podunk towns. What?
I tryd to stop laffing.
Whats so funny now white rabbit? said Bobby.
Evry 1 went shhhh for a bit and I cud here banners flapping and sirens going beep bo beep bo and see gulls saying gimme.
Bobby wasnt happy about me laffing at him. He was old as Dad but not like him. You can laff at Dad. 1 time he was so mad he was spitting and cudnt talk rite and Spencer startd spitting 2 and they ended up laffing together for a long time.
Podunk I told Bobby. Podunk is funny.
And then evrything went rong and nothing was funny any more. Pleece cars were coming at us across the parking lot. 1 2 4 6. More. 8 9. They came from all over. I cudnt count them. The sirens were loud—beep bo beep bo! Lots of things happend reel fast—like Bobby calling us rats and jumping into the SUV and driving it rite into a pleece car. Smash. And Jello with his hands in the air saying dont shoot. And Angels vrooming away with pleece cars after them. And Jaden grabbing me and saying come on. We ran tord a crowd of screeming peepl and they made room for us and we went thru and into the mall. Behind me I cud here sirens and brakes and smashing and popping noys. I ast Jaden about the deel and he shook his head.
Its over he said. Cops found out. Were all dead.
O.
I dint say any more. We went past stores selling close and toys and more close and books. Mall stuff you no? Evrything was norml and yet not. Music playing peepl shopping and Jaden crying.
There there I said.
Stupid eh? There there. What does that even meen?
He wiped his face. You see what happend to my brother? he ast.
No.
Sure Way Mall goes in loops and you come back to the middl or you can go a differnt loop. Wen we saw the Angel with the nap sack Jaden swore and took the other loop to walk away from him.
Whats with you and that guy? I ast.
Dont you member him?
No.
Well I do.
We came to the fish tanks. I always like to look at them. I pointd the black fish out to Jaden. See? I said. They have these fluffy fins so they look like storm clouds floting.
No time Bunny.
Rite rite.
Next doors we came to had a crowd round them shuffling not going outside. We joind them. Sum girls were checking us out. About our age or mayb yunger. 1 was kinda fat.
You guys here whats going on? she said. There was a gun fite in the mall. Like gangs shooting each other. No ones allowd to go home and theres cops wating rite outside that door there! Isnt it xiting! she said. My moms watching on the news and like freaking out!
She smiled at Jaden.
My names Kira whats yours?
Her frends were staring at us all this time and now they draggd her away wispering and looking back at us. Then Kira gave a yell and they all startd running.
I dint get it but Jaden did.
Those girls will tell the cops about us he said.
Huh?
They no who we r. Come on! And cover your arm.
My—O.
HAFF WAY ROUND A LOOP
WE PAST A BATHROOM and there was Snocone looking out—just his head. Jaden pulld me after him. Snocone was pacing up and down swaring.
Who did it? he said. Who set us up?
Did what?
How did the cops no about the deel? How did they get here so fast? Sum 1 told them. Sum 1 set us up.
Jaden lookd at me. You no thats rite he said. They were wating for us. They were reddy the hole time. Wen we all got there they jumpd us.
Thats what Jello thinks said Snocone. I find out who set us up Im going to kill him he said.
The bathroom had hi walls and his voys went ping pong ping.
Where is Jello? ast Jaden.
Snocone shook his head.
Sum 1 gave us up he said agane. Sum 1 told the cops about the deel.
1 of the Angels said Jaden. Or the yanks.
Not the yanks said Snocone. They wudnt tell the cops here.
Angels then.
Yah there the bad guys I said.
Mayb.
Being in the bathroom reminded me. I went over and peed. There were 4 places and I pickd the far 1.
What now? said Snocone. Cops going to pick us all up and sum 1 going to give us away agane. Going to work with the cops so he wont go to jale.
No way I said.
I was drying my hands.
Whos going to give us away? Not Jaden not me I said. Not you or Jello or Cobra or Beens or Morgan or even Xray. Were 15 I said. Together we fly. Rite?
They stared at me.
Sum thing my grampa told me I said.
Cops got Morgan said Snocone. I saw them. And they got Beens and Cobra and Xray in the parking lot. We’ll never sell those guns now.
Guns? I said.
The deels dead said Snocone. Cops will catch us all. The only 1 wholl get out is the 1 who gave us away. The rat.
Guns? I said. They talkd sum more about a rat in the possy and about Jackfish and how the cops w
ere probly there 2. I stared into the meer and thot about what was going on. Guns. Wow.
You dint do it did you Bunny? said Jaden. His face was all tite and twistd.
Huh?
You told Cobra that Al Capoli was in Jackfish. Scratch went up there and found him and so did the guys from Buffalo—and thats why there was a deel today. There wudnt be a deel without you. Did you tell the cops 2? Did you sell us out? He stood beside me. His eyes were big and sad in the meer. Mine were small and blank. I punchd myself in the meer. Nothing happend to the glass. My fist hurt.
Did you Bunny?
I shook my head.
Im 2 stupid I said.
We left Snocone in the bathroom. We went past a muffin place and a bikini place and an other close place.
I never new it was guns I said.
Huh?
The stuff in those boxes. Guns. I never new. The boxes said car parts. You said it was stuff. I dint no stuff ment guns.
Cobra found a hole stash of them he said. They were in a barn out in the country sum ware. Old ones but never bin used. He got them reel cheep from the lady who ownd the farm. Were selling them to the Angels and the Buffalo guys and there selling us stuff. Like a pool you no—they have drugs and money and we have guns. Evry 1 gets sum thing.
Drugs? I said. Like—drugs?
That was the problem with Al Capoli—he ran away with Rockos drugs. Cobra told me about it. Thats why there calling him a rat.
I was lost. I meen I new ware I was but I was lost 2.
So the cops r after us for selling drugs?
No—guns. The Buffalo guys had the drugs.
He shruggd.
I cant beleev your upset Bunny. Your a tuff guy. You have to be—you made it thru juvy. Your 1 of us. And—and—you killd sum 1. Whats rong with you?
No I dint.
What do you meen?
I dint kill any 1.
He grabbd my arm near Grampas tatoo. The tatoo I put goop on. The tatoo Id lookd at 100 times. 200. 1000 times.
See that candl he said. Its out. That meens a dead body.
It does?
You belong to the 15 Street possy and you killd sum 1. Thats what the tatoo meens. You killd sum 1 for the possy.
I shook my head.
No I dint.
Not now but wen you were in jale.
I wasnt in jale.
You said you were.
No—you said so.
You had to check in with your mom. Thats your prole offiser.
No I said. Its my mom.
We were in front of a place selling glasses. They were all over the windo—a store full of eyes staring out at us. Sum things began to make sens. The jale stuff yah and me being in the possy even tho I was white. And also the guns—bang bang. Jeez Bunny I thot how dum can you get? Cobra on the phone to Buffalo. Jaden thinking I was OK.
Hah.
Xept there was still lots I dint understand. Like why Grampas tatoo was the same as the possy tatoo or what I was doing here in the mall running away from the pleece with my best frend. Or if he was my best frend.
I new more than I used to and I still dint no any thing.
I startd to count the glasses in the shop windo.
Bunny said Jaden.
I kept counting.
You saying your not part of the possy? Come on he said. What about that tagging we did? And the fiting and driving round? Member what you said just now in the bathroom? Together we fly.
He grabbd me.
You got the ink Bunny. The cops r after you. What r you going to do?
20 21 22 I said.
What about you and me? Were frends rite? Rite?
I pulld away from him. I was way stronger.
I ran.
Hey Bunny—come back!
I dint.
I WAS—I DUNNO WHAT I WAS.
NUM I GESS. I breethd. The deel was guns and drugs and money. I was part of the possy. I was part of the deel. I breethd. In 2 3 4. I felt the gun in my pocket. I membered Jello giving me the gun and how cool that was. I meen guns r cool. You feel strong with a gun. There grate for killing zombis. But this gun was differnt. This was reel. Cops were after me cuz of guns. They were shooting there guns cuz I was selling guns. It was scary and confusing and bad. I breethd. My arm said I was part of the possy. Cobra said I was part of the possy. Jaden and Jello and Snocone and Beens were my frends. But I dint belong. I dint kill any 1 or go to jale. So my arm was a liar and I was a liar and I wasnt part of the possy and the guys wernt my frends. Not even Jaden. I breethd and ran. In 2 3.
I herd yelling. Peepl were pointing at me. I had the gun in my hand. I droppd it and ran and then I thot—thats rong. I shud hide it. So I went back to ware it was spinning around on the floor and pickd it up and kept going til I came to the fountin and threw it in. But wen I lookd back I cud see it sitting there. It was huge—like a frying pan or sum thing. So I went into the fountin and grabbd it and put it back in my pocket and ran. I was running and dripping from the bottom of my pants and crying.
Yah crying. I wiped my eyes. I ran.
Close store. Shoo store. An other close store. TV store. I stoppd.
TVs were looking out so you cud watch them and peepl around me were saying wow and o my god and like that. The TVs were showing pick sures of the mall. There was the parking lot and the SUV and pleece car and bikes. There was the M pole. We were rite there a few minits ago. The news was about us. Across the bottom of the screen was a line of words.
GANG SHOOT OUT IN WEST TRONO MALL.
All the TVs had this. I saw it 4 5 7 8 times in the windo. I checkd each TV. Now they all showd pick sures of the pleece with sheelds and masks. And a guy lying on the ground.
Hey thats Bobby I said out loud and peepl turnd to look. Sum 1 pointd at my lying arm with the 15 and the candl. I dint no what els to do so I ran away with my wet pants flapping on my legs. Round the next bend I saw 2 pleece men in the distance and I held my gun over my head and ran tords them shouting help and hey and I give up but they got xited and took out there guns and pointd them at me. So I ran back the way I came past the TVs only this time I took a differnt turn and came to a store with paper on the windos so you cudnt see in. The paper said COMING SOON on it and the door was open a littl so I pushd on it and went in. The place was empty. I was alone and crying in an empty store. I countd my breths for a bit and took out my phone and calld Mom and Spencer. No anser. At the back of the store I found boxes like the kind washers and dryers come in. I threw my gun in 1 of them. And hid behind it wen the the door opend and the Angels came in.
Thats rite. Me behind the box and 3 Angels in the room. They dint talk much xept to sware. They wantd to no what went rong just like Snocone did. Sum 1 sold us down the river they said. Sum 1 from 15 Street talkd to the cops.
They used a word a lot. I wonderd if 1 of them was black and how he wud feel about that word. But probly they were all white.
I thot about me. I ran away so I wasnt in the possy any more and I dint like that. Drugs and guns were bad but so was being alone. Jaden used to be my frend. Man I dint like not having a frend.
The Angels were talking about a guy named Butch. Butch had the cash in a nap sack they said. Butch was pretty smart. He wud find a way to hide the cash from the cops and those basterds from 15 Street.
I dint like them calling 15 Street names and I must of made a noys. They herd it and came charjing back and found me. They were white guys all rite—with lether jackets and long stringy hair. 1 of them had a beerd like a patch on his chin. Wen they saw my tatoo they swore at me and said the possy had reckd evrything. Im not in the possy I said but they dint beleev me. They jumpd at me and the fite was on.
3 to 1 is tuff. I cot 1 guys foot and pushd him away. The other 2 were punching. I duckd 1 punch and cot the other 1. I got a kick in like Morgan had tot me and sum 1 went down. An other guy got me in the gut but not hard. I spun side ways and grabbd 1 guys rist and that hurt him. O he said. I ran for the door but sum 1 nockd
me down from behind befor I got there. I got up and 2 guys were kicking me. I cot 1 foot and pushd it hi in the air and the guy fell but the other guy got me in the nee and I went down and then they were all round me kicking. That was bad. 1 of them had cowboy boots. I stoppd fiting and tryd to cover myself up. This went on for a wile and then I herd a voys I new.
Get away it said. Get away now or Ill shoot.
I lookd up.
I meen it. You basterds get the hell away from him.
It was Jaden. He stood in the doorway. He had his gun pointd at the Angels. Nun of them had guns—just Jaden. He was smaller than any 1 but the gun made a differnts. He held it in both hands. The end was reel still.
You wont shoot said the Angel with the patch beerd.
O yah? said Jaden.
You wont dare.
O yah?
He shot the box at the back. The Angels jumpd. Me 2—it was so loud and suprising. Jaden movd the gun back so that it was pointing at them agane.
I was standing up. My side hurt from the cowboy boots. Hi Jaden I said.
Hey Bunny.
I was mad at the Angels for hurting me and for being Angels and saying bad things about us. And I was happy to see Jaden. Mostly I was happy.
Come over here he said to me.
I did.
You OK?
Sure.
The Angel with the beerd said that if he shot any more the cops wud here him.
Im not scard of noys said Jaden. You were making noys wen you were beeting on Bunny. I herd you. Thats why Im here. It took all 3 of you eh? 3 big Angels to take 1 of the possy.
They dint say any thing.
Were going now. Let us alone. No 1 messes with 15 Street. Come on Bunny.
There was a bench out front of the COMING SOON store and we jammd it next to the door. Now the Angels cudnt get out for a wile.
We ran. I dint think about not staying with Jaden and he dint think of it ether.
Thanks I said.
Uh huh.
We kept going.
Whyd you run away? he said. Was it about the guns?
I dint no how to xplane. Guns and drugs and my arm being a ly. Me being in the possy and then not in. Him and me being frends and then not being frends. I dint no.
It was all—evrything I said. It was evrything.
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