Down by Law

by Ni-Ni Simone

  They retreated and I wondered if they was about to handcuff me. Instead, the lead officer gripped me by the forearm and dragged me into the living room. Another cop dragged Schooly out behind me.

  The cop who gripped me up curled his upper lip in disgust and spat, “Little girl, where is the derelict and the pimp at?” And he said that like derelicts and pimps was a problem for him.

  I didn’t answer, ’cause I didn’t have to. I swear I could practically hear Schooly’s thoughts, and when I heard him pull in a gulp of air, I whipped my head toward him and said, tight-lipped, “You bet not say nothin’.”

  “And why not? What shouldn’t he say?!” The cop pushed his chest into my face, the metal buttons in the center of his uniform shirt kissed my nose.

  I took a step back and bumped into the wall behind me.

  Breathe. Breathe. You got this.

  I looked up at the cop and slammed my hands up on my hips. “Whatchu want wit’ my daddy and my brother?”

  “Where are they? Are they out there in the street turning little girls into prostitutes?”

  He trippin’. And he got me and my family allllllll the way twisted. Ain’t no way I’ma let this pig talk about the Carters like that. Cop. Or no cop. I looked up and into this fool’s peach-colored face and said, “No. They out turnin’ yo’ blue-eyed mama into one.”

  Now how you like that!

  I could tell I’d caught him off guard by the way he lifted his left hand, reared it back, and froze midway in the slap he’d obviously intended to lay across my face.

  I flinched. Just a little. But then I did my best to regain my stance and boldly looked back into his face. “What you buggin’ for?! They ain’t here. Ain’t nobody here but us! So you and yo’ squad can leave! You don’t have no right bustin’ up in here. You don’t have no warrant!”

  “So then why am I here?” He paused. Sneered. Looked me over. “Huh? Answer me.”

  I didn’t.

  He continued, “You know that your father and your brother is the reason I’m here, don’t you? You know that we have warrants for their arrests, don’t you?”

  “Warrants? Psst. Please.” I shook my head in disgust. Pig stayed makin’ things up.

  The head pig continued, “You know that they been committing a string of strong-armed robberies don’t you? Including the one they did last night, where they shot the gas attendant.”

  Last night? Now I know they lying. ’Cause me and Face was out on a lick and Daddy was probably laid up and drunk at the clean-up woman’s house.

  The cop continued, “Now where are the scumbags at?”

  I shrugged and did my best to hold a blank stare. “I don’t know what you talkin’ ’bout.”

  “Oh, you know what I’m talking about.”

  “All I know is that don’t nuffin’ you just said gotta do wit’ me or my brother, Schooly. So whatchu messin’ wit us for?! And you know you foul for even being in here right now!”

  “What the hell is goin’ on up in here!” Queenie spat as she charged into the apartment. She briskly walked over to me and snatched me from the cop’s face. I was now standing at her side. “Get over here, Schooly!” Schooly did as he was told and we were now all standing together. Queenie peered at the cops. “Why are you in my house?!”

  “They said they lookin’ for Daddy and Face!” I spat out.

  “And why is that?” Queenie looked at the cop who was tryna chump me.

  I continued, “Talkin’ ’bout Daddy and Face did some strong-armed robberies.” I twisted my lips. “Lies. Talkin’ ’bout they shot some gas attendant last night. More lies. Straight bull. And to think they s’pose to protect and serve. Puhlease. And, Queenie, you already know Daddy was over there at Ms. Brenda’s house last night with them two baldheaded lil babies he got, probably drunk. And me and Face was together. So they tellin’ a bold-face lie. I swear to God, these blue fools stay trippin!”

  “Where is yo’ warrant?” Queenie spat.

  The lead cop swallowed and then said, “Ma’am, we just need to speak to them. Ask them a few questions.”

  “So you don’t have no warrant!” Queenie shoved a hand up on her hip. “But my kids tryna get ready for school and you in here scaring ’em ’cause you wanna ask some questions. Get out!”

  “Ma’am,” the pig said. “We have a reason to believe that your son and husband may have some information about a string of gas station robberies and a shooting last night. They are persons of interest and we need to ask them some questions. Now where are they?”

  “I don’t know where they are!”

  “Queenie.” Schooly leaned into Queenie’s ear, his voice trembling. “Face in the other room though.”

  Without batting an eye, Queenie said to the cop, “Unless you got a warrant for they arrest, neither my husband nor my son will be talking to you or anybody else. Now get out!”

  I swear I wanted to lay Schooly flat out with an uppercut. The cops ignored Queenie and walked to the back of the apartment, like they knew they way around here. They boldly flung Face’s bedroom door open. All kinds of wrong.

  “You cannot be coming up in here like this!” Queenie screamed. “You don’t have no warrant and no right to be in here!” She blocked the doorway.

  “Ma’am, if you don’t move,” the lead officer said, “I’m going to arrest you for interfering with an investigation.”

  Queenie still didn’t move, but the cops pushed her slightly to the side and stepped into the room.

  Face wasn’t in the bed; he was hiding under it. “Come out,” the lead pig said, “or we gon’ come for you.”

  After a few seconds, Face slid from under the bed. The cops slapped cuffs on him and said, “We need you to come with us for questioning.”

  “Then what you cuffin’ him for?!” I screamed, but the cops didn’t answer me.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening and it was taking everything in me, or out of me, not to body-slam Schooly. Actually, I couldn’t believe that Queenie hadn’t beat me to it.

  The lead cop smiled at Schooly on his way out and said, “Thank you, young man. You were a great help to us this morning.”

  Schooly grinned. “You’re welcome. You know, I wanna be a cop when I grow up.”

  The cop winked, and as his counterparts walked Face out, he said, “Good luck with that.” He paused and looked down at Schooly’s arm. “Nice watch you got on, young man.”

  “Thank you, my sister gave it to me—”

  “Shut. Up,” Queenie said as she slammed the door behind the cops. And just when I thought she’d lost her touch and was a straight sucker, she backhanded Schooly so hard that his neck jerked back and I could swear that his head spun around and landed in yesterday.

  9

  Showstoppa

  It seemed like the whole block was outside and waiting for me, just to be nosey and find out what happened with Face. Me and Queenie had already told Schooly that he better walk straight to that short yellow bus and keep his mouth shut. ’Cause what goes on in our house, stays in our house.

  The moment I walked out of my building, I saw Yvette, Cali, and Munch sitting in the courtyard, on top of the park bench. “Isis. Wait up!” I heard Yvette say from behind me as I passed them.

  “What’s going on?” Cali asked, anxiously.

  “Yeah, why the cops lock Face up this morning?” Munch asked, like she just had to know.

  I sucked my teeth and I thought about flippin’ all the way out. But I didn’t. I waited for them to catch up to me, then I looked into their eager eyes and tripped. “Why y’all tricks all up in the Carter business? Did I butt into your family affairs, Munch, when the cops raided your apartment and locked your mama and grandmama up? Am I all in your situation, Yvette? And, Cali, you don’t even know me like that.” I looked her up and down. “So you need to step allllllll the way off.”

  The Get Fresh Clique looked at me and frowned. Then a few seconds later they fell out laughing.

  Cali
said, “Girl, please, if you don’t stop trippin, homie.”

  “For real,” Munch added.

  “And we cousins, so you can tell me any and everything,” Yvette insisted.

  I wanted to take out my anger on them, but I could never stay mad at my girls for long. “It ain’t no big deal really.” I shrugged. “They holding him for questioning, and as long as he don’t have no other warrants, he’ll be home in two days. You know five-oh stay buggin’.”

  “Word.” Cali shook her head.

  “What they questioning him for?” Munch asked.

  I sucked my teeth. “They talking about it’s been a string of strong-arm robberies at some gas stations. And that a gas attendant was shot last night.”

  Yvette frowned and rolled her eyes. “They need to stop. That don’t have nothing to do wit’ Face. He ain’t no thief like that. He only bring it to those in the game. That’s it. He don’t mess wit’ civilians.”

  “Thank you!” My eyes bugged and I rocked my neck. “Exactly.”

  Munch carried on, “And anyway er’body know that it ain’t one person doing those robberies. It’s a buncha crackheads running up and down the block. And whoever got shot must’ve been playing hero, so they got popped. They should’ve just gave up the money and—”

  “Hold up. Wait a minute.” Cali laughed and pointed. “Who is that?”

  “Where?” We all turned around and followed her short peach finger. She carried on, “It’s a bird! It’s a plane. It’s Mr. T—”

  “Oh, heck no! That’s Schooly!” I blinked, not once but three times. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  Dear God, ain’t no way You made Schooly this freakin’ green. I think You sent him to the wrong family.

  This fool had on every stitch of gold that me and Face had jacked off last night. Five rope chains. Rings on every finger. And that ruby-clustered gold watch that the cop was sweatin’ this morning.

  He had to be crazy.

  “Schooly.” I ran down the block and rushed up to him. I stood directly in the path of his friends, who caught the bus with him. And no, I didn’t say excuse me. Instead, I popped my lips and said, “Montez Carter, why you got that on? Take that mess right back in the house! Now!” I pointed to Da Bricks, and said with a little more edge than I should’ve. And yeah, I knew I’d embarrassed him, but so what? He didn’t need to be walking around wit’ the evidence of hot lick. “That’s just stupid!”

  “Daaaaaaang, you gon’ let some girl play you like that?” came from behind my back.

  I whipped around and it was some goofy little punk, with a helmet and drooling, all up in my business. “First of all, why you all up in here wit’ it?” I sliced my hand across my neck. “’Cause I’m not talking to you, I’m talking to my brother. Now step off.” I turned back toward Schooly and the veins in his neck bulged. I started to yank the chains off of him. I settled for yankin’ his good arm, and pullin’ him to the side. Schooly opened his mouth to speak and a too-big diamond grill fell out. I kicked it into the street.

  Before he could say anything I spat, “I’ma cop you dead in the face if you don’t take the rest of that back in the house!”

  “And you know Queenie will kick yo’ behind if you do! You gave this to me and now you wanna tell me when I can and can’t wear it. I’m older than you. You do what I tell you to do.”

  “You might be older than me, but you acting like a crackhead baby gone wild. If them fools or one of they peoplez see you with they jewelry on, Queenie and Daddy gon’ be dropping you in the ground next week! Now take it off!”

  “Excuse me, young lady,” Schooly’s bus driver said, “but he needs to board the bus.”

  I ignored her. “Take that off, Schooly!”

  Schooly looked at me, grabbed his crotch with his good hand, and said, “Eat it. Now step off before you get handled.” Then he brushed me to the side and walked onto his bus. A few moments later they took off and disappeared into the distance.

  “Yooooooo.” Yvette walked up behind me, sounding just like a surprised Nana. “Oh my God. I can’t believe it.”

  “You holding out on us,” Munch insisted. “Why you ain’t tell us that Schooly is thugged out now?”

  “Straight gangster,” Cali agreed.

  “We in the last days,” Yvette said as we walked down the street to school. “’Cause Schooly need Jesus.”

  10

  Don’t stop the rock

  I was like a ticking time bomb. Waiting for the moment when I was ’bout to lose it. But I did my best to keep it together. I knew if I flipped and got suspended again, Queenie was gon’ uphold her promise to bring her belt to school and beat me in front of er’body.

  And word is bond, given the way that I felt—boiling hot, chest huffed up, eyes on fire—if Queenie put her hands on me today I was gon’ hit her back.

  So, instead of taking that chance, I tried to keep quiet in class and the most I said was, “Present,” when the teachers took attendance.

  At lunch, I didn’t say more than two words to my crew. The nerves in my stomach danced too much. Plus I was beggin’ God to not let the cops beat Face up, set him up, or dig up some bogus charges just to keep him down.

  And then Schooly . . .

  My fist involuntarily clinched.

  Truthfully, I just wanted to rake his behind across the concrete. I hated I even gave him that jewelry. God-lee. He worked my nerves, but he was like my big and little brother, all in one. And the last thing I wanted was for something to happen to him.

  He was hardheaded though.

  Didn’t listen.

  And now I had to be on pins and needles looking out for him.

  Hopefully, Daddy’ll come home tonight and maybe he’ll talk some sense into him. And if that don’t work, maybe Queenie’ll beat the brakes off of him until he has no choice but to understand that this is not a game.

  And Jesus pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase let Face be home when I get there.

  Amen.

  “Excuse me, Miss Carter, but are you going to solve the problem? Or are you not here with us today?”

  I blinked twice as my teacher Ms. Jamison’s voice brought me out of my thoughts.

  My eyes scanned the classroom.

  Algebra.

  Last period.

  Ms. Jamison continued, “Do you hear me speaking to you?”

  Blank. Stare.

  Don’t say nothin’. Not one word. Just chill.

  I cocked my neck to the side and sucked my bottom lip into my mouth. I was tryna to nix off the oohs and slips of giggles coming from my classmates.

  The teacher folded her arms across her chest. Seems she couldn’t leave well enough alone. “Given that you elected to come to school, one would think you’d show up to pay attention.”

  Don’t say nothin’. Not one word.

  “Or are you not answering the question because you don’t know the answer?”

  The whole class laughed. And now I had to cuss her out.

  I propped both elbows on my desk and leaned forward. But before I could cut her up and serve her, I looked at the problem on the board, solved it in my head, and said, “N equals six times five and X equals nine squared. And your mouth is about to equal you gettin’ cussed out.”

  “Ooh!” the girl next to me blurted out and then slapped a hand over her mouth.

  I carried on, “See, I was tryin’ not to say nothin’ to you, but you don’t know how to shut up and I don’t know who you think you talkin’ to.”

  “Out of my classroom!”

  “Lady, spare me. I didn’t even do anything to you. You the one all in my grill. How about this: teach your class and step off ’cause I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Not today I ain’t.”

  “If you do not leave, I will be calling security!”

  “Call ’em.”

  “And I will be calling your mother.”

  “Do it. So she can cuss you out, again.”

  The class was all the way live now, and er’body, with the ex
ception of a few kids in the front and the dude sitting next to me, laughed loudly and egged me on.

  I could feel angry tears building in the back of my throat. Dang! I swear, I hated this bird. She worked er’one of my nerves. Every day she went outta her way to say something nasty or call on me for nothing.

  Whatever. I couldn’t keep sweatin’ that, ’cause if I did, this day would be endin’ with me hoppin’ outta my chair and draggin’ this blond-haired ho by her black roots.

  Before I could see if this heifer was gon’ push me to take it there, the bell rang and everyone jumped out of their seats. Ms. Jamison yelled something about being suspended, as me and er’body else rushed out of the classroom.

  On my way down the hallway, most of my classmates gave me props, but I didn’t care. School was over and I just wanted to be up and outta here.

  Yvette waited for me at my locker. I tossed my backpack inside of it and we jetted out the door.

  “You a’ight?” Yvette asked as we met up with the rest of our crew. They was outside and leaning against a stop sign.

  “I’m good. Just hate that the cops took Face.”

  “Me too.”

  “I hope he’s home when I get there.”

  “He will be,” she said with no sincerity, like she was just talking to be talking.

  “You good, homie?” Cali asked as we walked up the block toward Da Bricks. “You was real quiet at lunch.”

  “I’m straight . . .” I said, as my voice drifted and I found myself stopping dead in my tracks and stuck in my spot. Munch ran into my back and stepped on the heels of my sneakers, as I watched a silver Audi 5000, the same exact car that me and Face had licked off, bust a U-turn in the street and creep along the sidewalk. I didn’t recognize the driver or the passenger.

  The passenger hung out the window, and yelled, “’Ey, yo.”

  I looked over and I knew freakin’ well this one-blue-eyed and one-brown-eyed creep wasn’t talkin’ to me.

  Munch curled her top lip. “Eww. Oh no, you didn’t.” She shoved both hands up on her hips. “And who is you?”

  “And what is you doin’?” Yvette sucked her teeth. “We don’t need no samples and we got our own smoke. Now move along.”