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“It was Kenny.”
    â€œKenny?”
    I sank farther down on the couch. I knew it was coming.
    â€œOh, is that the name of his friend?”
    â€œI guess,” I told her.
    â€œWhat did he have to say?”
    â€œJust forget about it, okay.”
    â€œBoy, you want your last beat-down before you go overseas to be in front of your friends? Tell me what he said.”
    â€œMom, whatever. He just said something like, of course you want me to go pro.”
    â€œWait a minute. Do I even know him?”
    â€œNaah, you don’t know him.”
    â€œAnd he put my name in his mouth?”
    â€œSure did. Like y’all used to dance at the club or something,” Jalen said.
    â€œAnd he don’t know me?” My mother grabbed her bag and went to the door. “Look, I will be back, okay.”
    â€œMom, where are you going?”
    â€œWhere do you think I’m going? I raised you all by myself for eighteen years, and ain’t nobody going to say a word about anything that’s concerning what you want to do with your life, or what I think about it.”
    I didn’t get to say another word because, after she told Jalen to get his ass from in front of the door, she was gone.
    Tori turned the television, equipped with bootleg cable, to MTV then sat down on the couch next to me. Jalen sat back on the floor in front of the TV.
    â€œSo, what’s up now, L ?” Jalen asked.
    â€œI ain’t trippin’, believe that.”
    â€œDon’t worry about all that drama, L . You already made up your mind. You just have to do you.” Tori started rubbing my hand.
    I got up from the couch. “I’m not worrying about it. I’m trying to celebrate.” I went back to the hall closet and came out with one of my shoeboxes and sat back down next to Tori. “We’re goin’ to have a party.” I opened the box and showed them all the money inside.
    Jalen jumped up. “See, that’s what I’m talking about!”
    â€œDang, baby! Where you get all that from?”
    â€œFrom him. He started sending me money like two years ago like water, but I never wanted it. I just started putting it in here.”
    â€œIt has to be at least six gees, man.” Jalen put his hand in the box, pulled some out, and made it rain.
    â€œMaybe. I never counted it.” I pulled some money out and gave to Tori. “Here, go get some gear for this party, okay. Get your nails and hair done if you want. And, Jalen, buy you some sneakers, man, and then set this party up.” I took another handful of money and put it on the table. “That’s for Reecy. So, y’all ready to party or what?”

Chapter Eight
    Ride with Me
    Jalen was ghost once he got a pocket full of money. He walked out the door claiming he was going to get the tightest shoes on the racks and put together a party like The Vil had never seen. Tori was just happy he was gone because she had been waiting to talk to me alone all day.
    â€œSo what you think your mother doing?” She smiled.
    â€œOh, you know what she’s doing. She’s over there ripping up the place.”
    â€œSo you really don’t like your father, L ?”
    â€œC’mon, girl, I barely know him, and what I do know about him, I don’t like.”
    â€œAt least you know he’s alive. I don’t even know the name of my father.”
    â€œYou ever asked about him?”
    â€œA few times, but I never get an answer.”
    â€œWhat you mean by that?”
    â€œWhen I ask about him, my mother never gives me an answer. I have caught her in so many lies about who he is and what he does, I just got frustrated and stopped asking. She makes me think that she doesn’t even know who he is . . . old ho.” Tori laughed a bit.
    â€œSo all you know is that he’s black?”
    â€œThat’s it.”
    â€œWell, he must have tore your mother up when he made you.”
    â€œBoy,