Peace in a Storm

32 - Max

Me: I'm outside.

Juan: Okay! Be down in a minute!

I shoved my phone back in my pocket after reading Juan's text. I was standing outside of his building, patiently waiting for him to come out. Wednesday night, he'd texted me asking if we could hang out today. He mentioned having a project that he needed help with. Although I wanted nothing more than to stay in the house this weekend, I really couldn't say no. Juan seemed like a good kid, and I didn't want to abandon him so quickly. The poor kid has been through enough.

I glanced at the small group of Crips standing near the corner of the building. They were all older men with lit cigarettes and snapbacks covering their receding hairlines. I noticed Travis, the man who'd pointed a gun at me some weeks ago, standing among them. He was staring at me, the ghost of a malicious smirk on his face.

After the shit my father pulled a few weeks ago, I really shouldn't be lingering around in their territory. I heard the rumors just like everyone else. I knew they were planning their revenge. But, I wasn't a pussy. I wasn't afraid of Travis or Tommy or Carter's punk ass. If they wanted a fight, then they could definitely have one.

"Hey, Max," Juan said as he finally emerged from the apartment building.

A slender woman with a waterfall of black curls and brown skin followed after him. She offered me a kind smile that made her hazel eyes crinkle at the sides. "Hi, Max. I'm Isabelle; Juan's mother," she greeted.

I extended my hand out to her. "It's nice to meet you."

Shaking my hand, she replied, "You as well. Juan hasn't stopped talking about you since the mentorship summit."

Juan rolled his eyes. "Ma," he groaned. "Stop telling my business."

I slapped my palm on the top of his head and pushed him towards the sidewalk. "Go wait in the car. I'll be right there."

He gave his mother a hug before darting across the pathway to my parked car. His mother and I watched him climb into the passenger seat before resuming our conversation.

"Juan says he opened up to you a lot at the summit," she said.

"He did. Are there any suggestions you have to support him? I'm new to this whole mentor thing, and I really don't want to screw it up."

Her smile grew. "Not really. My only suggestion is to just listen to him. He doesn't open up often, but when he does, it's usually something he needs to get off his chest."

I nodded. "Understood." I bid his mother goodbye before walking over to my car.

I drove us to Benny's restaurant for lunch. Although Benny's food was absolutely delicious, and I thought Juan would like it, I also wanted to see Audrey before her brother picked her up.

Throughout the week, she kept talking about seeing her mother again today. On the surface, she didn't seem phased, but I knew her better than that. The night we spent together after the first confrontation, I felt her quietly sobbing against my chest. Her tears hit my skin like bullets, tearing through my muscles and drilling into my heart. I tried to lift all of the pain from Audrey's shoulders by holding her tight and whispering sweet affirmations in her ear. But, her tears didn't cease. Even when she'd fallen into a deep sleep, tears still rolled down her cheeks, the depths of her unconscious still suffering from the dark clouds swarming over her mind. I didn't doubt those feelings were running rampant around her mind now, and I worried they were going to push her over the edge again. I couldn't let that happen - not when the light had just returned to her beautiful green eyes.

I quickly caught sight of her when we entered the restaurant. She was speaking with some customers at one of the booths, clad in her usual uniform of black jeans, dark blue long sleeved tee-shirt with the logo's restaurant plastered on the front, and a black apron tied around her waist. She'd half of her long curls up into a small pun at the top of her head, leaving the rest hanging over her shoulders. Her eyes glanced in our direction, and I noticed a smile tug at her glossed lips.