Lying to Live

by Darrien Lee

  Dré reached inside the mangled car and pulled her book bag and jacket off the front seat. He also got all her personal information out of the glove compartment before leaving the salvage yard.

  By the time they made it to Dré’s house, they had been on the road approximately thirty-five minutes. Hand in hand they entered the quiet house and Dré’s room, where he closed his bedroom door and locked it.

  “Are you sure your parents won’t walk in on us?” she asked nervously.

  “I’m sure. They’re at their second home,” he joked.

  “They’re at the casino?” she asked.

  He placed his keys on the dresser and nodded in silence. Denim proceeded to shed her jeans and shirt, and when Dré saw just how bruised and battered her body was, he took a step back and said, “I can’t do this.”

  She walked over to him and said, “It’s not as bad as it looks. I’m okay, seriously.”

  Dré rubbed his neck as he contemplated what he was about to do. Seeing how reluctant he was, she took his hand in hers and caressed it. Dré had always loved her hand massages, especially before big basketball games, because they had a warm, soothing effect on him.

  “The clocks ticking, prime time,” she whispered in his ear. “Are you up for this or not?”

  It had been a while since she had called him by his nickname, and hearing it helped him let go of any apprehension he was having. So, after careful thought, he disrobed, exposing himself, as bare as a newborn baby, and over the next twenty minutes they intimately confessed their love for one another. It was overwhelming for Dré, who thought he had lost her forever, so he made a point to kiss each and every one of her bruises. Denim relished the waves of passion flowing over her.

  Dré kissed her soft lips and whispered, “I can’t wait to marry you.”

  She looked him in the eyes and said, “As soon as we both graduate college, I’m all yours.”

  Tears formed in Dré’s eyes because he knew Denim was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. If he could marry her right now, he would, but he had promised his parents that he would wait. The problem was that he had no idea which college he was going to end up at, making it unlikely that he and Denim would be together during that time. He kissed her once more and then stared at the ceiling.

  “We’d better go, before your mom does a drive-by.”

  She noticed the look of sadness in his eyes, so she cupped his face and said, “Whatever you’re worrying about, let it go. I love you, and you love me. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  He smiled and said, “You’re right, babe. Let’s get out of here.”

  Julius lay across his bed, still in shock over coming face-to-face with Viper. He had nearly peed on himself when their eyes met. He felt like Viper was reading his thoughts and would figure out that he had seen him shoot the store clerk. Julius feared that Denim could get hurt because of her association with Viper. He’d found out that a lot of people had witnessed her helping Viper out of the burning car and they were pissed. They didn’t care that she was a Good Samaritan. All they cared about was that Viper was still going to be roaming the neighborhood, doing the callous things he was already suspected of doing. He just prayed that nobody would take their anguish out on Denim, whom he had come to care for very much. Then there was the man who was gunning for Viper at the restaurant. He was still out on the streets, and Julius knew that this man wouldn’t think twice about taking another shot at Viper, no matter where he was. Now, staring down at his math book, he found it hard to concentrate, but he couldn’t let his tutor down by failing the algebra test coming up. He would have to push through all the drama on his mind so he could get an A on that test.

  Chapter Eight

  A few days later Julius and Domingo sat outside talking to friends as they waited on their bus. Julius proudly glanced down at the B-plus he had received on his algebra test and then waved it in Domingo’s face. Denim was feeling much better and had returned to school. She saw Julius and Domingo when she exited the school, so she walked over to them and sat down beside them.

  “So I hear you got your test back. Did you pass?” she asked Julius.

  With a huge smile on his face, he held the test up to her and said, “B-plus!”

  Denim took the test out of his hand and said, “I knew you could do it! I’m so proud of you.”

  Just then, a couple of guys walked past them. One stopped for a moment and then reached into his book bag.

  He turned to Denim and said, “Since you like rescuing vipers so much, here’s another one.”

  The boy tossed the item into Denim’s lap and took off running. Startled, all three of them jumped up and realized that he had thrown a snake at her.

  Denim screamed as she watched the critter slither toward some nearby bushes.

  “Son of a bitch!” Domingo yelled as he backed away from the snake.

  “Did it bite you?” Julius asked as he checked Denim for bite marks.

  She shook her head and said, “No, I don’t think so.”

  Domingo yelled for someone to get a school resource officer. When the officer arrived, he found out what happened and then took his baton and searched the bushes.

  “Did anyone see what kind of snake it was or who threw it?” he asked as he continued to search for the snake.

  There were a lot of kids standing around, but no one spoke up to help the officer. Some were laughing, and others were shaking their head in disbelief. The officer finally found the snake, and he and a science teacher were able to determine that it was harmless before putting it in a large container.

  The officer approached Denim, who was clearly trembling, to make sure she was okay. Once he determined she was, he asked, “What really happened out here?”

  Domingo spoke up and said, “We were just sitting here, chilling, and some fool walked by and tossed that snake at her.”

  The officer pulled out his notebook and asked, “Who did it?”

  “I didn’t get a look at him. All I saw was the snake,” Denim admitted.

  “What about you?” the officer asked Domingo.

  “I’m scared of snakes. Hell, I ran,” he revealed.

  Julius knew exactly who had done it and he planned to handle it himself, so when the officer asked him the same question, he lied and said that he saw the guy only from behind as he ran away. He told him he was too busy trying to make sure Denim was okay. The officer closed his notebook and told them that if they remembered anything to let him know as soon as possible. As he left, he made the crowd disperse, leaving the three standing there, trying to understand what had just happened.

  Domingo turned to Julius and said, “You heard what that dude said, right?”

  Julius picked up Denim’s book bag and said, “Yeah, I heard him.”

  “What did he say?” Denim asked nervously. “Was it directed at me?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Denim,” Julius replied. “I know what this is about, and I’m going to handle it.”

  She grabbed his arm and said, “No, you’re not. If you know something, you need to tell me!”

  Julius thought about it for a moment and said, “No, I’m tired of walking around here, not knowing what’s going to happen next. Domingo, let’s go.”

  “Where are you going?” Denim asked, but her question fell on deaf ears as she watched Julius and Domingo walk out of the school yard and down the block.

  Once they got a block away from the school, Domingo looked over at his friend and asked, “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know, but I have to do something,” he replied.

  They climbed on the city bus and made their way back to their neighborhood. When they hopped off the bus, all Julius could think about was how scared Denim was when she saw that snake. When they reached the neighborhood store on the corner of Elk, they saw a group of young men standing on the corner. Julius recognized one of them, and a sudden wave of anger immediately hit him. He dropped his book bag and sprin
ted over to the young men and jumped on one of them and repeatedly punched him in the face. The other guys tried to pull Julius off of the young man, but Domingo intervened, warning them to stay back. He wasn’t sure why his best friend had jumped on the guy, but whatever the reason he was going to back him up and make sure he didn’t get ganged up on by the others. Julius continued to beat the young man until they heard a car come to a screeching halt.

  A man jumped out and pulled Julius off and yelled, “Get the hell off my brother!”

  Domingo jumped in and shouted, “Get off my partner!”

  The man pulled out a gun and said, “Back the hell up, youngblood!”

  Domingo couldn’t believe his eyes. He recognized the man, who appeared to be in his mid-to late twenties.

  Julius was still angry, so angry that he wasn’t aware that the man was pointing a gun at him.

  “Julius, chill,” Domingo whispered.

  “I’m not chilling,” Julius muttered. He faced the man with a gun. “Your brother threw a snake on a friend of mine. What kind of bullshit is that?”

  The man smiled and then looked over at his little brother and asked, “Did you do that?”

  “Yeah, I did it,” the young man replied as he wiped the blood running down his nose. “I threw it on that bitch that helped Viper out of that burning car.”

  The man looked at Julius, and with a scowl on his face, he asked, “What is that girl to you?”

  Breathing hard, Julius said, “She a friend, and she had nothing to do with Viper. She didn’t even know who he was when she helped him.”

  “Is that so?” the man asked as he put the gun back in his waistband and folded his arms.

  Julius stood toe-to-toe with him and said, “Hell, yes, it’s so. I don’t know what kind of beef you have with Viper, but I want you to leave my friend out of it!”

  The man smiled and then said, “You have a lot of heart to jump my little brother like this. All right, I believe you.”

  “He’s lying, Rock!” the young man yelled.

  “No, I’m not!” Julius yelled back. “She’s not that kind of girl. She’s not from the hood.”

  The man put his hand up to silence his brother. He looked at Julius and said, “Like I said, you don’t have to worry about your friend anymore. She must be cool if you would risk your neck over her like this.”

  “She is cool,” Julius stated as Domingo handed him his book bag.

  “Get in the car, bro,” the man instructed his brother before they pulled away from the curb, just as a police cruiser eased down the block.

  Domingo pulled Julius by the arm and said, “That’s the guy.”

  “What guy?” Julius asked.

  “That’s one of the guys that shot at Viper at the barbecue joint, so you know he wouldn’t think twice about shooting your skinny ass.”

  “Are you serious? This is getting too crazy.”

  “You could’ve been killed, dude. When I saw that gun, I thought that was it.”

  “I know, but I can’t worry about Viper anymore or that guy, Rock, or whatever his name is.”

  Domingo grabbed his arm and asked, “What do you mean, you can’t worry about Viper?”

  Julius stared up at the sky as he fought to keep his secret.

  Domingo punched him in the arm playfully and yelled, “Talk to me, bro! We’ve been friends since we were little kids. Whatever it is, I got your back.”

  Julius looked over at his best friend and said, “It’s nothing.”

  “You’re lying, and you know I can tell when you’re lying. You haven’t been yourself for a few weeks now. Talk to me!”

  Julius felt overwhelmed. He didn’t know if it was because the detectives wouldn’t leave him alone or if it was because the guy had thrown a snake on Denim or even if it was because he had been up close and person with Viper. Whatever it was, he was fed up and ready to rid himself of all the anxiety he was holding in.

  He grabbed Domingo by the sleeve of his jacket and said, “Follow me.”

  Domingo followed Julius down the block and over to the park. When they reached the bleachers at the basketball court, Domingo sat down and Julius started pacing up and down the bleachers.

  “What’s up?” Domingo asked again.

  Julius took a breath and said, “Bro, can I trust you, and I mean really trust you?”

  “Of course you can.”

  “I’m serious, Domingo. This is some real shit I’m about to tell you, and you can’t repeat a word of what I’m about to tell you.”

  Domingo put his hands over his head and said, “Will you just say it already?”

  Julius sat down on the bleachers next to Domingo and whispered, “I know who killed Remy.”

  “Everybody knows who did it. Tell me something I don’t know,” Domingo joked.

  Julius mumbled, “Well, I know who did it because I was there.”

  Domingo’s face suddenly faded to a pale shade, and he mumbled, “What?”

  Julius looked Domingo in the eyes and said, “I was there. I saw Viper shoot Remy.”

  “Get the hell out of here!”

  “You know I wouldn’t joke about something like this,” he replied. “We’re talking about Viper. I almost pissed on myself when I ran into him at Denim’s house.”

  “Denim’s house? Why was he at Denim’s house?”

  “He came by to pay her for the damage to her car. He was in the car that T-boned her the other day.”

  “Wait a second. That had to have been the same day those fools shot up the barbecue joint. She’s lucky she didn’t get killed.”

  “I know. Denim didn’t have a clue who he was. Her boyfriend, Dré, almost went ballistic.”

  Domingo was speechless. He had no idea his best friend had been carrying this burden around all this time. “If Viper finds out you saw him, you’re as good as dead,” he finally said.

  Julius picked up his book bag and said, “Exactly! That’s why I’m ready for this to be over, one way or another.”

  “What are you going to do now?” Domingo asked as he followed his friend toward the park exit.

  “I’m trying to figure that out. Those detectives have been sweating me. I don’t want to be a snitch, but Remy was cool and didn’t deserve to go out like that, and it’s only a matter of time before he does it again.”

  “Yeah, unless that dude who shot at him finds him first.”

  Julius stopped in his tracks and said, “That’s my out.”

  “How the hell can that be your out?” Domingo asked.

  “You’ll see. I have to go!” Julius said to his friend. Then, as he walked slowly down the block, he called back, “Remember you promised not to say a word to nobody.”

  “Okay! Okay! I’ll text you later.”

  Julius continued to walk down the block toward his house. His mind was going in a hundred directions as he tried to figure out how to get out of this situation. Then he figured the best thing for him to do was to face his fears head-on, deal with them once and for all. So when the bus pulled up to the curb, he got on and settled into a seat for the short ride that would take him to the other side of the neighborhood and into enemy territory. He sat next to an older gentleman who was reading a newspaper. Julius looked down and noticed his dirty shoes. He wondered what kind of work he did or if he worked at all. He looked at his hands, and they looked callous and tired.

  The man caught Julius looking at him and asked, “You have something you want to ask me, son?”

  “No, sir. I was just wondering where you work. I’ve been looking for a job.”

  The man closed his newspaper and said, “Is that so? Tell me, son, what do you know how to do?”

  “Well, I can do almost anything if someone trains me.”

  The gentleman laughed and said, “I hear that. What’s your name?”

  “Julius Graham,” he answered.

  The man shook Julius’s hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Julius. My name is Frank McElroy. How old are
you?”

  “I’m fourteen,” Julius admitted.

  “You’re a little young, but I’m glad you’re willing to work. Most of these young cats around here don’t want to do nothing but rob, steal, or sell drugs. It’s good to meet a kid who’s willing to work for his money. Your parents raised you right.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Okay, Julius. If it’s okay with your parents and it won’t affect your schoolwork, I have a job for you.”

  Julius eyes widened with excitement. “Yes, sir, I would love a job. What do you do?”

  “I do landscaping for most of the business complexes in the city. I have a little shop in Arrington. It’s hard work, but it’s honest work.”

  “You don’t own a car?” Julius asked.

  He smiled and said, “I do, but I take the bus three days a week to conserve gas and to help the environment. What about you? Are you going to be able to do this in the afternoons and some weekends?”

  “I have to talk to my parents, but I should be able to.”

  The bus stopped, and the man stood and gave Julius his business card. “Give me a call after you talk to your parents, and we can work out a schedule for you.”

  With a smile on his face, Julius took the card and said, “Thank you, Mr. McElroy.”

  He shook Julius’s hand and said, “I look forward to hearing back from you.”

  Julius watched Mr. McElroy get off the bus and walk down the block. He stared at the card and hoped that this was a sign of his luck changing for the better, then tucked it inside his book bag and got back to the business at hand. Three stops later, he reached his destination and jumped off the bus and walked toward the dingy pool hall frequented by Viper and his crew. When he walked in, he was stopped at the door and frisked by a couple of men.

  “Where do you think you’re going? What’s in the bag?” one of them asked.

  “Just my school books,” Julius replied.

  “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the library somewhere, bookworm?”

  The other man laughed upon hearing that statement.

  “Leave him alone,” Viper said as he made his way on crutches over to the men. “I know this kid. You’re Denim’s friend, right?”