Page 13 of Genesis

“Don’t you think you should say thank you?” Mrs. Walker asks her.

I was going for she’s sorry, too, but okay.

It’s not very noticeable, but I catch it when Bexley’s jaw tightens. Her fist balls for only a moment. She’s angry.

She turns to me. “Thanks,” she says as politely as she can muster. But I taste the bitterness of it on my tongue and I have a strong urge to laugh, but I don’t.

She’s different than the girls at school. Tougher, like life’s already shown her its bad side, too.

I like that about her.

“Yeah,” I reply. “No problem.”

“All right then,” Paul says. “Nice meeting you. Enjoy the cake.”

“Thanks again,” Mrs. Walker says as we four descend the steps.

“Good going,” Paul says to me.

“What?” I ask. “The girl’s an asshole.”

“And you’re not?” he throws back.

I shrug, trying to hide the smile on my face.

“Come on, Johnny. Let’s go.”

“Better be home before dark,” Paul says as he and Samuel climb the stoop to our house. Samuel looks between Johnny and me, disappointment on his face.

“We’ll be back later, man,” I tell him. He nods and Johnny and I head across the street.

Once out of my brothers’ vision, I slip out a pack of cigarettes and hand him one.

“You all right?” I ask him.

He nods. “Fine.”

Johnny doesn’t talk much, but it’s what makes what he says important when he does.

He pulls out his Zippo lighter and lights the smoke before handing it over to me. I run my thumb across the front like he did when he took it from his father.

“Think the girl will keep her mouth shut?” he asks.

I nod. “She has so far.” I don’t tell Johnny about her and me the other night. For some reason, I just feel like it’s no one’s business.

He looks back in front of him.

“Think Moretti can help me with this foster home shit?” he asks as we cross the road, hitting the sidewalk.

“He told me if I ever needed anything to give him a call,” I reply with a smile as I light my own cigarette. I hand him back his lighter, catching his own smile. I knew the point of this was to help Johnny with his new situation, but to me this was going to mean more.

Taking help from Moretti meant we owed him something in return. I wasn’t stupid in that matter, and truthfully, I didn’t care.

I’ve wanted Moretti’s way of living ever since he told me he offed the people who killed my parents.

And this was my way in.

Chapter Eight

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