9780063056534

“Oh.” That’s all King say at first. Then, “You gotta feed him within like
a minute of him waking up or he’ll act a fool.”
“What?”
“I used to go over and help Iesha with him.”
“Oh.”
We quiet for a moment.
King look over at me and Li’l Man. “Yeah,” he says. “He do look like
you.”
King can say it’s all good if he want, but there’s this look in his eyes
that got me thinking otherwise. “Dawg, I’m sorry.”
He focus on the TV again. “Told you, it’s all good. At least with you he
got a family, you know?”
“King, man—”
“You said you wanted to holla at me ’bout something else?”
I hate this situation, for real. I clear my throat. “Yeah, umm . . . I can’t
sling with you no more.”
He do a double take. “What? Why?”
“Dre figured out what we up to.”
King hop up. “What the hell? You told him?”
“NNah! I wouldn’t do that. Dre figured it out on his own and convinced
you involved. He want me to quit.”
“Let me guess, he only want you selling weed for him and Shawn for
pennies.”
“NNah, man. He want me to quit drug dealing period. Said if I don’t, he’ll
rat you out to Shawn.”
“So? I can’t believe you letting him punk you.”
“I was tryna look out for you!”
“I don’t need nobody to look out for me! All I need is this money!
Don’t you?”
Our arguing make Li’l Man fuss. I rock him a bit. “Of course, but I
don’t wanna get in trouble. Dre threatened to tell my parents, King.”
“So you gon’ leave me hanging?”
“Man, you know it ain’t like that. I’m saying you oughta consider
dropping your side—”
“I ain’t dropping shit!” King says. “Mav, we could find a way to do this
if we work together. You really gon’ let Dre and them get in the way of your
money?”