by Various Orca
We walkd round the out side of the mall. Beens and Snocone were talking about what to do if there was trouble with the Angels or Buffalos. Snocone said we shud go in hard—reddy to fite. Show who we r so they no not to mess with us. Beens said sum thing I dint understand. Jaden turnd to me.
What do you think Bunny—if things go rong how shud we go in?
Together I said. Thats how. Cuz we r together.
We were round the front of the mall now. Cars parkd. Banners flappd. Clouds floted. We found a place to wate next to a low sement wall. My tatoo felt sticky. A lady came out of the mall with a white Sears bag. That made 44 of them to 36 blu.
I herd the vroom vroom sound in the distance. I new what it was and who.
Angels said Jaden.
Basterds said Snocone.
There were 4 bikers riding 2 and 2. They went round the parking lot leening over to turn. We watchd them ride out of site. Beens was thin and his head was big so it lookd like a lite on a pole. There checking the place out he said. Tell Cobra.
Snocone all reddy had his phone out.
Basterds r cheating he said. There here erly.
I wispered to Jaden. R we here erly?
Jaden nodded.
So were basterds 2 I said.
BEENS WENT INTO
THE MALL
AND CAME OUT WITH COFFEES for him and Snocone and cokes for me and Jaden. Snocone wasnt much older than us but he got the grone up drink. He liked that. I countd more blu and white bags.
We talkd about what made you strong. Not just doing pushups and lifting wates but other stuff like how you stuck with your frends and dint care what any 1 els said. I told them about Grampa and having a teem with you and that made you strong. Like he had his own crew way back wen.
Who cares about your grampa? said Snocone. What does your grampa no about being strong and standing up for himself? What does he no about killing peepl?
Grampas a killer I said. He killd 100s and he hurt them 2—blu there arms off and there legs. He was strong all rite.
They stared at me.
100s? said Jaden.
At leest.
Thats what Dad said—100s at leest. Spencer and me were littl and we thot it was cool and Dad said no no the hole thing was aw full and evil. I ast if Grampa was evil and he said no that Grampa was fiting the not sees and they were evil. And then it was bed time.
A girl walkd past with her mom. She was about as old as me. Thin and pretty with sunglasses and hair pild up and tall shoos making her taller. Beens ast Jaden what he thot. That sisters pretty hot eh? Dint you think so Snocone? Bunny?
Shes hot all rite said Snocone.
Hot I said.
Jaden punchd me. I punchd him back. Beens sippd his coffee. The girl and her mom got in there car and drove away.
Jaden and I climed on the sement wall and startd walking up and down. I was thinking about the hot girl.
Cud I call her a sister? I ast.
Who? said Jaden.
Beens calld her a sister cuz shes black I said. And I was wondering if I cud call her a sister 2. Cuz shes still black even wen Im talking about her.
No.
No shes not black?
No you cant call her sister. Shes not your sister. Your white.
Is she your sister?
Yes.
He was so sure.
But shes still hot rite? I said.
The sun was out agane. Shining down it made things hard to look at. Why dint I have sunglasses? But I dint. Jaden stood on the wall with his hands out. I cud see the gun bump under his shirt.
Im glad your here Bunny he said.
Me 2.
You and me well stick together.
Yah.
The parking lot had poles with letters on them—A B F like that. Jellos big black and white car pulld into a free spot under the M. Cobra and Jello and Morgan and what was his name got out and stood round the car with there hands like this. Tuff.
Deel time. We movd closer—behind a van with a dent in the side. I cud see a baby seat inside the van with a Sponj Bob doll. You no Sponj Bob with the big eyes and the skinny littl arms. Hes funny.
Angels were giving us money so we cud keep the jim. I wonderd what we were giving them.
Vroom. The Angels were here. They rord round the car. Round Cobra and Morgan and Jello and Bonesaw—that was the name I forgot. Jello had a sell phone up to his ear. Head turning to follow the bikes.
Basterds said Snocone.
Ware r the guys from Buffalo? said Beens.
Jaden put his hand in his shirt feeling for the gun.
The sky was the sky.
The bikes made farting noys wen they stoppd.
The Angel in front had a black beerd and vest like a pirate. I new him from watching the TV news with Mom that time. Cobra and Morgan were leening on our car. I thot about Morgan kissing Snocones mom. And teeching me to fall. The pirate Angel sat on his bike with his arms across his chest.
Wares the guys from Buffalo? Beens said agane.
Basterds said Snocone.
The Angels were wating. We were wating. I cud feel the wating like evry 1 was holding there breth together. I wonderd about evry 1 in the world holding there breth and what wud happen wen we all let it out.
I wonderd who Jello was talking to on the phone.
A dad came up to us. He was waring shorts and flip flops and carrying a littl kid in his arms. The kids hair was xploding around her head. Shorts. Brown legs. Littl toes in sandals.
Mine! said the kid. Mine! She was pointing at the van.
Snocone went close to the dad.
Were bisy here he said. Go away.
Dad took a step back. Uh he said.
Daddy! said the girl.
Uh.
He took an other step back and turnd. The top of a white bag stuck out of his shorts pocket. That made 76.
No! said the girl. Daddy! No! Go home. Go home!
A black SUV slid to a halt in front of the bikers. It had fat bumpers and head lites like eyes staring. A white guy stuck his head out the front windo.
1 of yous named Cobra? he shoutd. Im looking for a guy named Cobra and a guy named Zeke. Got sum thing for yous.
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?
&n
bsp; 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 BATH ROOM 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 were 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.