Heat.

| Chapter 5. |

"I am not going to tell you again, Lyric's a hoe! Rumor is that she's only good for head and-" Shianne complains in Aaron's ear as he waits for the academy bus to pull up.

He missed the school bus waiting for Shianne after school because he didn't want her to walk home alone. She claimed that she was fine and that she lived in Brooklyn her whole life but he still wasn't comfortable with it. She was a pretty young girl and anything could happen to her if she was left alone.

"Shi, I get it. I get it. She's a hoe. Let it go, please." Aaron tells her as she scrunches up her face at him.

For the last 20 minutes, she kept telling him how nasty Lyric Williams was. If Aaron didn't know any better, he would think his best friend was jealous of the way Aaron even seemed to be interested  in Lyric in the first place.

"I am just-" She started, only to be cut off by him finishing the sentence.

"Looking out for me. I know, I know. I'll see you later, bella ragazza." Aaron pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead as she wrapped her arms around his much taller frame.

"Stop talking to me in Italian, when you know that I don't know what the hell you're talking about." She spits out, letting him go and hop onto the bus that pulled up.

"That's the point, baby. I'll see you tomorrow." He responds, reaching into his pocket and paying the $2.50 for the bus across town. He took a seat in the back as the bus begins driving away, taking him to the other side of Brooklyn. He was the only passenger, which actually relaxed him. He didn't feel comfortable when he was around others here- everyone was always staring at the white boy, even though, they may not say nothing. He looked out the window, thinking about his whole situation.

He still wasn't quite sure how long he was supposed to be here for. But he knew he needed to come into something soon. More specifically, money. Without his parents, he had nothing and he was tired of wearing the clothes given to him by Miss LuLu or not wearing his favorite Versace cologne. He needed change, but wasn't sure how to get there. 

His bus finally pulled to his stop and he hopped off, making his way to Miss LuLu's house down the street. But halfway there, he suddenly got the feeling that someone was following him, as he gripped the straps to his bag tighter and picked up his pace.

"Don't let me get shot or robbed in these streets, please." He thought to himself as he continued his walk.

"Hey! Wait a minute." Aaron heard a voice shout from behind him. He turned around, ready to make his peace when he made eye contact with Darien, Maurice and a couple of other boys lagging behind them.

"Have you come to jump me?" Aaron snarled without a thought, as Maurice deadpanned. He was tough and he wasn't about to let the white boy disrespect him. Again. 

"I don't need my boys to whoop yo ass, cracker. Remember that." Maurice growled, pointing at Aaron's jaw. Exactly where he had punched him two weeks ago.

"Aye, Mo. Chill, we came to him for a reason," Darien warns, pushing Maurice back as he stares at Aaron. "I'm Darien, you Aaron, right?" He says, reaching his arm out for Aaron to shake. Aaron still had his eyes glued to Maurice but finally, stuck his hand out to Darien.

"Yeah, I'm Aaron. What's up?" He responds, turning his attention to Darien since he seemed to be the only one who was going to keep calm.

"Uh, I know we don't really talk and all, but I was hoping to ask you for a favor?" Darien answers, cracking his knuckles as he looked Aaron up and down.

"A favor? What for?" Aaron replied, his eyes darting back and forth from Darien's 5'11 frame and Maurice's 6'0 frame.

"Uh, well, me and Mo noticed you real nice with a computer and shit." Darien tries to explain as Aaron stares at him oddly.