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in.
    â€œNothing. Just seeing what you were up to.” I had a million questions swirling through my head. What was wrong with Aunt Bev? Why didn’t she want him to ask my dad for help? I wanted to know what kind of job he had. But from the look on his face I knew he wouldn’t tell me the truth anyway. So, I just tried to steer the conversation in a general area.
    â€œSo, how are you liking it here?”
    â€œIt’s cool. This”—Travis motioned around his oversized bedroom—“takes some getting used to. Shoot, our whole apartment could fit right in this room.”
    Like me, Travis was an only child. He did have an older brother who died when we were seven. Terrance had been a part of a gang and had died in some kind of retaliation shooting. I’m sure that’s why Aunt Bev wanted Travis to leave New York. I didn’t understand why she just didn’t move. No way would I live in some place where I was scared to go to sleep at night.
    I plopped down across his bed. “So, what was it like growing up in the ghetto? Did you live in one of those tall, crime-ridden, rundown buildings?”
    Travis spun around in his chair and laughed. “You’ve been watching too many episodes of Good Times .”
    I frowned. “Ugh, I don’t watch that show.”
    â€œWell, it was hard living.” Travis smiled like he was recalling some good memories. “But it was home. Me and my moms and my friends, we may not have had much, but we had each other. I mean, I know that sounds like some corny greeting-card stuff, but it’s the truth.”
    â€œSo, you’re in a gang?”
    â€œNah. After what happened to Terrance, I would’ve given my mom a heart attack if I’d gotten caught up in a gang. We had basketball, so the gangs left us alone.”
    â€œWhat happened with you and basketball?”
    He shrugged sadly. “Got kicked off the team.”
    â€œWhere’s your dad?” I remembered my mom and dad talking about how he’d just up and left when Travis was a little boy.
    Travis shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
    An empty silence hung in the room until I said, “So what kind of trouble have you been getting into?” I asked.
    â€œLook, girl, you interviewing me for your TV show? If so, you need to be paying me.” He held his hand out and rubbed his fingers together. I ignored him and kept talking.
    â€œWhat about girls? You got a girlfriend back at home?”
    That made him smile. “You know I got some shorties I’ve been hanging with, but Brooklyn is a long way and I knew y’all had all those mamacitas down here, so I had to let all the New York girlfriends go.”
    â€œUmph. Girlfriends, plural, huh? Yeah, I bet you were breakin’ hearts left and right.”
    â€œNah, it ain’t even like that. I was trying to start fresh. Stay out of trouble, ya know?”
    â€œWhat do you mean, was?”
    He had this look like I’d caught him or something, but then he quickly recovered. “I’m just sayin’. I’m just trying to make my moms proud.”
    Just then, the doorbell rang. I pulled out my phone and punched the app that accessed our security monitor. I pushed the camera button and saw who was at the gate.
    â€œWhat is Sheridan doing here?” I mumbled as I punched the key to open the gate. I jumped up from the bed and went down to meet her at the door.
    â€œWhat’s up?” I said, opening the door just as she came up the walkway.
    â€œNothing,” she said, smiling. “Just thought I’d drop by and see what you were up to.”
    I frowned. Sheridan didn’t usually just drop by. Then, when I looked at the way she was goggling at Travis, who had appeared in the doorway behind me, I said, “Unh-unh. I told y’all. Not happening.”
    Sheridan laughed as she pushed me out of the way and walked inside. “Girl, please.