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he had cried like a baby while begging Bleu not to tell anyone. He had told her that if she did CPS would take her, and the last thing she wanted was to be separated from Noah. So she remained quiet and kept the ugly secret. Larry had never touched her again and they hadn’t spoken of it, but she had never forgotten. She hated him, but with her mother strung out and in the streets more than ever, he was all that Bleu had. In some sick way she had come to depend on him.
    â€œI know, B. I’m just telling you that he was here and he was worried. A couple of your classmates came through too,” Noah said. “My mom has been up here every day to bring me food and check on you. She knew I wasn’t leaving until you opened your eyes. I couldn’t miss that. I knew you would want to see more than doctors and nurses when you finally came to.”
    â€œI got shot and my mama didn’t even wait around to see if I was going to wake up. She couldn’t stop smoking long enough to make sure I was still alive.” Bleu laughed to stop herself from crying as she shook her head. She didn’t know why her life had to be so hard. She had been cursed with the most rotten set of parents and a sick son of a bitch for a stepfather. They were half the reason why she was determined to get the hell out of Flint. It was a city that would suck the soul right out of you, and she refused to be trapped there.
    â€œI’m sure she’s worried, B,” Noah said. “She’s down bad, but her heart is here with you. That has to count for something, right?”
    Bleu turned her head away and didn’t respond, because they both knew that the actions of her mama didn’t count for shit. Bleu wanted to be angry, but the feeling that resounded loudly within her was disappointment. It ached so badly that the sorrow drowned her. Instead of waking up seeing relief in the eyes of her own mother, Bleu awoke feeling abandoned. It was something that she should have been used to by now. She had learned long ago that expecting the least out of Sienna was a way to save herself from disappointment. Her heart hurt, but she said nothing, tucking her feelings away so that they didn’t make her weak.
    *   *   *
    â€œI know it ain’t UCLA, but you can stay here as long as you need to, a’ight, B?” Noah said as he carried her box of belongings into the one-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was his, and anything that he had she was welcome to.
    â€œThank you. I swear I won’t be here long. As soon as I’m able to I’m going to head west. I just need a place to rest my head for a while,” she said as she limped into the apartment. It had taken everything in her to get up the stairs, but she silently welcomed the pain. It reminded her that she was alive. “They deferred my scholarship until second semester, so I have until January to get myself together. I don’t have any money, Noah. I don’t want to be a burden,” she whispered.
    He set down her things and turned to look at her. “You’re good, B. You don’t need nothing. If you had money I wouldn’t take it. I got you. On everything you’re good. I’ve got a little bit of something moving on the block. Money isn’t an issue,” he said.
    â€œYou what?” she asked, heartbreak lacing her tone as she stared at him in shock. “Noah, what are you doing? I thought we talked about college, about getting away from the bullshit.”
    â€œEverybody don’t got a way out, Bleu,” he responded desolately. “I’m not like you. I’m not good at the book thing. I graduated four years ago, B. That school shit is over for me. I’ll let you do the college thing while I take over these streets.”
    â€œBut we had plans; we talked about college for hours … I thought you were just waiting for me to finish high school—”
    He