Page 43 of The Only Shot that Mattered

She moved quickly toward the front door and knocked. She only had to wait for a couple of seconds before it flung open and little arms circled around her waist, squeezing her tightly.

“Titi! Let’s go, come on!” Alanzo said, grabbing her hand and tugging.

“Whoa, hold on, big man. Can I talk to your gigi first?” Kenna asked.

Alanzo sighed dramatically. “I guess.”

Annalise appeared in the doorway with her face screwed up. “Boy, go get in the car.”

Alanzo bounded off toward the car and climbed into the back seat while Annalise and Kenna watched. When he was safely inside, Kenna looked at Annalise with a smile that slowly faded when she noticed the knowing look on the older lady’s face.

Kenna shifted under her gaze. “What?”

“Chile, don’t what me. I haven’t seen you in about a week. What done changed that quickly that you’re spending time with Damien’s daughter?” Annalise craned her neck to look back at the car. “And without him, no less.”

Kenna shrugged. She’d grown to love Annalise like an honorary grandmother, and she’d become accustomed to telling her pretty much everything too. It was hard not to since not much got past her.

“She wanted to go see a movie, so I offered to take her.” Annalise hummed her response. “I should get going though. Themovie starts in like ten minutes, and Skylar’s GPS says it’s fifteen away.”

“Go ’head. Don’t have him out too late. He has school tomorrow.”

“I won’t,” Kenna called over her shoulder as she walked toward the car. As soon as she opened the door, she heard the kids talking animatedly among themselves. As she got in and buckled up, she asked, “What are you two so excited about?”

Skylar fell silent and resumed her post of looking out the window while Alanzo filled Kenna in. “I loveThe Wizard of Oz. I can’t wait to see this movie. Do you think the flying monkeys are in this movie?”

“I bet they are,” Kenna responded as she smiled at him through the rearview mirror.

Alanzo talked up a storm as she drove. He was excited about seeing the movie but also droned on and on about the basketball team he was now on, thanks to Damien. Kenna did her best to entertain him, but a growing knot in her stomach stopped her from being all the way tuned into the conversation. It was only intensified the more Skylar navigated them toward their destination. When they got into the car, Skylar insisted on giving Kenna the instructions. At the time, Kenna hadn’t thought much of it, but by the time they pulled into the theater, she felt like she had been duped.

“Thisis the theater you bought tickets for?” Kenna glanced at Skylar wearily.

“Yup. Come on, let’s go. We’re already late, and I want popcorn.”

Warning bells sounded off in Kenna, and she felt anxiety pushing its way to the surface. Skylar had already gotten out of the car, and Kenna noticed Alanzo reaching for his door to do the same.

“Wait for me to come get you, Zo.” Kenna was able to push her mounting dread down just enough to make that demand.

She got out of the car and looked around. This movie theater was one she used to come to as a kid. She and Rashad would beg their parents for a ride to see dollar movies on Wednesdays. The issue was, this theater wasn’t one most people went to anymore. Now, it felt more like a trap house. Fiends littered the entryway of the theater and dope boys hustled on each corner of the parking lot.

When she opened the door for Alanzo, she pulled him tightly into her side and hurried to catch up to Skylar.

“Titi, what kind of movie theater is this?”

Ignoring him, Kenna called after Skylar, who was now entering the movie theater. “Skylar, hold on.”

Skylar halted for a moment for them to catch up, her attitude on ten. She was just inside the theater glaring at Kenna. “Come on.”

“Skylar, wait,” Kenna said, grabbing her by the shoulder. “Why did you want to come to this theater? There’s a better one closer to your home and?—”

Kenna saw the moment Skylar’s face lit up. She wasn’t looking at Kenna. She looked just over her shoulder. When Kenna turned to look, she saw a boy just outside the entrance of the theater waving at Skylar. He looked rough around the edges and walked with a false limp as if he was a pimp. Kenna smelled bad news, and it suddenly clicked why Skylar had them in the rundown part of the city.

“Hey, Big Len,” Skylar squealed like a schoolgirl in love.

Big Len? Really?Kenna thought as she watched the two embrace.

Two other boys materialized by his side. Kenna had been so focused on the tall lanky boy Skylar hung on like a stage five clinger that she didn’t notice the shorter boys he was with.

“Hey, baby. You made it.” Big Len grinned down at Skylar who had real life heart eyes for him.

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