Educational Experience

Chapter Twenty Two

This was a tough one! I needed to tie up some loose ends and amp up the "stakes" a bit, but it meant going to the dark side, too. It will probably change a LOT in the final draft--or it might not even make the cut. But this is the "kitchen sink" draft, so I follow Colt wherever he seems to want to go, regardless. Scary place to go, though, this chapter...

22.

I can’t explain how I felt after that conversation with Wyatt that day. It was like being high on something. Only it didn’t dull my senses, it fired me up like a double shot espresso—big medicine, this little woman.

I mean, remember when you were little and you found that little gift that the “Tooth Fairy” had brought you? Or one of those little tiny red amethyst stones in the sand, or a June bug that looked like it was made out of stained glass or whatever some little kid would get all excited about? You wanted to run up to everybody you met and say, “Look what I found!”

It was like that. Only amped up to infinity.

So I’m buzzing like a mofo when the “Bat phone” goes off. That’s the little red “dumb phone” I keep on me at all times, even if I have to shove it down into my shoe or something.

Cracks people up when I whip it out because it’s one of those little “grandma” flip phones that only does calls and texts. Only Big Man, the girls and Bonnie know that number and the ringtones we change every few weeks. And if it rings, it means there’s either something really good or really bad going down, so I grab it fast and shush whoever I’m with.

I didn’t have to shush Wyatt, because she was just chillin’ there next to me. She got used to me and my life so much faster than anyone I’d ever known. Maybe because she’d had to adjust to all kinds of things all her life—lots of different cultures and whatnot.

She just looked over to read me. Those eyes didn’t miss a trick.

So I said, “Dis-moi,” like I always do. Sounds like “Dee-mwa.” And it means, “Tell me!” in French.

And Aisha jumped right in.

“Papi, you better get over to Bonnie’s place’n’ get that girl to chill out,”

“Who, Maddie?”

“Yeah! They over there beatin’ the shit outta each other, her’n’ that Russian fool. Bonnie say this one neighbor done calt the police and you know she can’t be havin’ no police at her house right now. CPS be there talkin’ about takin’ those babies they don’t quit.”

I pulled back on the road and adjusted my route right quick.

“What the hell happened?” I asked her.

“I don’t know. We almos’ there, but she don’t listen to nobody but you when she high. You in the middle o’ somethin’ you cain’t get out of?”

“I’m on my way there,” I told her. “You guys see if you can get her away from the house if you get there before me.”

“Oh, you know I’ll slap a bitch,” Aisha said. “Lemme get off this phone while I’m drivin’. Mad as I am, I’ma run into somebody.”

We clicked off and I sped up some. I didn’t want to get stopped by the cops myself, so I had to stay calm and observe the limit, even though my heart was thumping even more now.

See, we were sure we were going to get a surprise CPS visit during the holidays. They come by at odd hours, like they’re trying to catch you slurping Jell-O shots or passing the bong or something.