the girls had paid for their food, they bumbled their way through the crowded cafeteria to find a place to sit.
“So Laci, where are you from?” Meranda asked after settling into her seat, as she cut into her tuna sandwich with a plastic fork.
“I’m from the South Bronx.” Laci put her spoon into her chicken-and-rice soup, stirred, and tested the warmth with her tongue.
“The South Bronx?” Meranda asked, taking a bite of the sandwich. They all looked at her in amazement but with concern. “Isn’t that kinda rough?”
“Yeah, it is, but I lived in Riverdale to be exact. Most people don’t know about Riverdale, so I just said the South Bronx. Everybody knows about that.”
“Oh yeah, Riverdale. I heard of that,” Samantha said, putting dressing on her chef salad. “That’s a nice community.”
“Yeah, it’s cool.” Laci looked among the girls. “So where are y’all from?”
“I’m from Boston,” Meranda said, opening up the bag of chips she’d bought with her sandwich. “We live in the South End.”
“I’m from California,” Samantha chimed in, “Orange County specifically.”
“And I’m from Upper West in Jersey,” Gabrielle said as she dug into her cheeseburger like it was the last meal she’d ever have.
Laci knew that she would fit in with her new friends. They were a lot like her—they were privileged to have more than the average person. Even though Laci thought it would be easier to not be around people like her, the summer proved differently and she welcomed them.
“Did you ever go to the heart of the South Bronx, where all the stuff was going on, Laci?” Gabrielle asked. “The news always reports stuff going on there. It’s just horrible!” She frowned.
“You’re right, but that’s why I’m here,” Laci told her, ignoring her initial question, “to get away from it all and start my life over again.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re here,” Meranda said.
Gabrielle and Samantha agreed.
Laci smiled and realized that she finally fit in with people who liked her. She was able to enjoy life.
CHAPTER 16
D IRTY AND SMURF began spending a lot of time together. They had been traveling more often between the South Bronx and Harlem. Unbeknownst to Smurf, Dirty was training him for the next level in the operation.
A couple of days later, at Dirty’s suggestion, Smurf called an emergency meeting at the corner store. Both men sat inside the office and waited for the crew to show up. Smurf normally held their meetings on Monday, but a lot of shit had popped off since their last meeting.
“It’s important to keep your workers on their toes and not be too predictable,” Dirty told Smurf. “Although they’re your boys, you have to know their whereabouts at all times. This is where Dink fell short.”
The sound of feet stomping down the stairs alerted the men that the crew had arrived. “Boss man,” Drake acknowledged Smurf, interrupting his thoughts, as he entered the office before the rest of the troops showed up.
Smurf looked up. “Whoa . . . ,” he exclaimed when he sawDrake’s brother in tow, in his uniform. “What the fuck?” Smurf reached for his gun.
“Hey man,” Dirty grabbed Smurf’s wrist, “everything’s cool,” he assured him as he looked among the three men. “Come on,” he nodded for Drake and his brother to enter the office, “it’s time for the meeting to begin.”
“Everyone’s not here yet, man,” Smurf reminded Dirty.
“Yes they are.” Once they were all inside the back room, Smurf closed the door.
Smurf was glad that Lil’ Rob wasn’t around, because the dude would have gotten smoked with a quickness.
Dirty looked at his young protégé. “The rest of your crew ain’t coming. That was an exercise to see how quickly they would respond to you, and it looks like you got the crew you need to back you up, man.”
Smurf was getting angry. He felt like he’d been tricked. He looked at Dirty, at the cop, and then at
“So Laci, where are you from?” Meranda asked after settling into her seat, as she cut into her tuna sandwich with a plastic fork.
“I’m from the South Bronx.” Laci put her spoon into her chicken-and-rice soup, stirred, and tested the warmth with her tongue.
“The South Bronx?” Meranda asked, taking a bite of the sandwich. They all looked at her in amazement but with concern. “Isn’t that kinda rough?”
“Yeah, it is, but I lived in Riverdale to be exact. Most people don’t know about Riverdale, so I just said the South Bronx. Everybody knows about that.”
“Oh yeah, Riverdale. I heard of that,” Samantha said, putting dressing on her chef salad. “That’s a nice community.”
“Yeah, it’s cool.” Laci looked among the girls. “So where are y’all from?”
“I’m from Boston,” Meranda said, opening up the bag of chips she’d bought with her sandwich. “We live in the South End.”
“I’m from California,” Samantha chimed in, “Orange County specifically.”
“And I’m from Upper West in Jersey,” Gabrielle said as she dug into her cheeseburger like it was the last meal she’d ever have.
Laci knew that she would fit in with her new friends. They were a lot like her—they were privileged to have more than the average person. Even though Laci thought it would be easier to not be around people like her, the summer proved differently and she welcomed them.
“Did you ever go to the heart of the South Bronx, where all the stuff was going on, Laci?” Gabrielle asked. “The news always reports stuff going on there. It’s just horrible!” She frowned.
“You’re right, but that’s why I’m here,” Laci told her, ignoring her initial question, “to get away from it all and start my life over again.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re here,” Meranda said.
Gabrielle and Samantha agreed.
Laci smiled and realized that she finally fit in with people who liked her. She was able to enjoy life.
CHAPTER 16
D IRTY AND SMURF began spending a lot of time together. They had been traveling more often between the South Bronx and Harlem. Unbeknownst to Smurf, Dirty was training him for the next level in the operation.
A couple of days later, at Dirty’s suggestion, Smurf called an emergency meeting at the corner store. Both men sat inside the office and waited for the crew to show up. Smurf normally held their meetings on Monday, but a lot of shit had popped off since their last meeting.
“It’s important to keep your workers on their toes and not be too predictable,” Dirty told Smurf. “Although they’re your boys, you have to know their whereabouts at all times. This is where Dink fell short.”
The sound of feet stomping down the stairs alerted the men that the crew had arrived. “Boss man,” Drake acknowledged Smurf, interrupting his thoughts, as he entered the office before the rest of the troops showed up.
Smurf looked up. “Whoa . . . ,” he exclaimed when he sawDrake’s brother in tow, in his uniform. “What the fuck?” Smurf reached for his gun.
“Hey man,” Dirty grabbed Smurf’s wrist, “everything’s cool,” he assured him as he looked among the three men. “Come on,” he nodded for Drake and his brother to enter the office, “it’s time for the meeting to begin.”
“Everyone’s not here yet, man,” Smurf reminded Dirty.
“Yes they are.” Once they were all inside the back room, Smurf closed the door.
Smurf was glad that Lil’ Rob wasn’t around, because the dude would have gotten smoked with a quickness.
Dirty looked at his young protégé. “The rest of your crew ain’t coming. That was an exercise to see how quickly they would respond to you, and it looks like you got the crew you need to back you up, man.”
Smurf was getting angry. He felt like he’d been tricked. He looked at Dirty, at the cop, and then at
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