Black Lives Matter

The Nightcrawlers

Zay's POV
"Why are you bringing me here?" Farkle asked when we got to the gym. "You told me not to change my routine, right? This is what I normally do." I told him and we headed inside. Surprisingly Farkle actually brought work out clothes and soon enough we were lifting. "Hey Zay!" Sam greeted "Sup sam!" I responded. "Not much man, just chillin. Who's your friend here?" "Oh this is--" i started but Farkle cut me off, "Donny, Donny Barnes." "Hey Donny." Sam greeted, Farkle nodded in response. "Yo Zay, we gotta talk about your membership man. It's in a lot of debt. I've been giving you free passes and all but we're about to go out of business if I don't like buckle down on y'all." He told me and immediately I panicked. "Yo i got you man." 'Donny' told me, putting his weights down and heading to the locker room, "do y'all take credit cards?" "Yeah sure." Sam said guiding him over to the cash register.

Farkle's POV
"I thought you were Donny Barnes." Sam said when we got to the register, "this belongs to a--woah I could get in a lot of trouble if I charge things to the credit card of someone like Farkle Minkus." "Dude look up. Haven't you seen me in the news?" "Woah man I thought you were Donny Barnes!" He said. "I just don't want people to know who I am and like judge me you know?" I told him. He nodded, "does Zay know?" He whispered. I nodded "yeah Zay knows." "Ok cool man here you go." He said handing me back my credit card. I slid it in the waistband of my athletic shorts and walked back in and out of the locker room before returning to my weightlifting. After a couple hours Zay and I took showers and headed out.

Zay's POV
"Now are we heading to your place?" Farkle asked. I shook my head, "one more stop." He groaned as I lead him to the school. "What is this place?" he asked when we got there. "My place of work." I told him as I opened the door "Hello class, today we have a special guest with us, his name is Donny Barnes." I then repeated myself in Spanish, "Hola clase, hoy tenemos un invitado especial con nosotros, su nombre es Donny Barnes" "hello Mr. Babineaux, hello Mr. Barnes." They all recited in unison. "Very good class! Muy bien! Ustedes están mejorando! You guys are improving!" Farkle clapped and sat down in the rolling chair behind the desk. "Thank YOU so much Mr. Babineaux! I'm getting my test date for citizenship; and it's all thanks to you. Mr. Babineaux, you truly are our savior." "Awe Ms. Angelina, you are too kind. Thank you! Please invite me to your ceremony." I asked her, "tell Darlene I say hi." I called after her. "Darlene?" Farkle asked walking up behind me. "Her daughter." I informed him. "Is she cute?" He asked "she's twenty. But she does have a really cute four year old daughter. One time Karen-or- Ms. Angelina was babysitting her and we all got to meet her and she sat in the classroom and it was the cutest thing ever." Farkle looked at me weird, "what?" I asked. "Nothing," he replied, "I've just never seen this side of you before." "Ok now let's go walk the town." I told him. His eyes practically popped out of his head. "Isn't that dangerous?" He asked "ok so your not ready for that just yet. I guess we can just head back to my place. "Finally." He breathed and I rolled my eyes

Farkle's POV
We walked through a bunch of dark alleys and finally reached something that I guess you could call a house but it seemed a little more like a shack. "This is where you live?" I asked him. He nodded casually and lead me inside. "Hey mom, this is Donny. He's gonna stay with us for a few days. Ok? Here you go get settled. First door on your left." I did as told and headed into Zay's room. While i was unpacking i could hear Zay and his mom talking, "Zay you know we don't make enough to be feedin no fourth person." "I know mama but he's got some home problems." "Then why can't he go stay with your friend who owns that big ass mansion? They got room for another person! Hell they got room for ten more persons! We can barely afford three?" "It's-it's complicated mama.""i don't care about no complicated cuz complicated don't pay no bills." "I know mama but it's just for a few days." "Zay i can't feed all of y'all." "He can have my food." "Zay you need to be ratón honey bunch. And I know you ain't been sleeping." "Mama I eat before I come home." "Zay that's bull shit and you know it." "Mama please let him stay. It's just for a few days." "Ok fine. But he's your responsibility." "Yes ma'am." Once the conversation ended I heard footsteps coming and went back to unpacking.

Song-"Money Road" by Rosanne Cash