on my block

Study "hard" (Monse x Cesar)

Cesar stepped out of the bodega on 14th street with his breakfast, a sad microwavable excuse of a burrito in hand. He swore he could feel the heat of the pavement through the worn soles of his hand-me-down Chucks even though it was only ten in the morning. Sighing, he pointed himself in the direction of home. They needed groceries but when he'd dragged himself from bed this morning Oscar and the car were gone already and he'd seen Jamal and Ruby through the window of the convenience store closest to their houses. School orientation started tomorrow and he still needed to get paper and pens and shit together so he'd kept walking.

"Yo Lil Spooky! What you doin' up so early ese?" He squinted against the sun and saw that HoldUp was across the street from him, leaning with one knee bent against the metal fence that separated a nicely manicured lawn from the sidewalk. A plain backpack rested by his feet.

He crossed to join him, taking in the wide leg pants and gray tank the other man wore. "Just getting something to keep me going." He met HoldUp's outstretched fist with his own. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a job down at the port now?"

HoldUp shrugged. "Naw, I quit."

"Really?" He was stunned. DeeDee had said the job had benefits and everything, that HoldUp would be getting his own place soon. "I thought it was a good deal?"

HoldUp ran one hand over his freshly shaved head. "The steady pay was nice but the actual job sucked. It was only good if you liked being cooped up in some frozen warehouse all day long."

Cesar eyed plain black backpack on the cracked pavement. "So you'd rather risk getting picked up for possession with intent to distribute than be inside?"

HoldUp shook his head. "Naw, that's just weed. And if the cops come round, you know that ain't mine. I'm just catching the bus." He grinned, the tanned corners of his eyes crinkling. "The pay is almost as good and I don't get shit on by my boss for something out of my control like the bus runnin' a few minutes behind."

As if on cue a grimy city bus pulled up to the corner across from them. Two college age guys in khakis and polo shirts got off, their tasseled leather boat shoes and fancy watches looking out of place against the broken concrete at the curb. One immediately zeroed in on HoldUp and crossed the street. "Hey man! Haven't seen you all summer." He smiled and shook hands with HoldUp, leaning in to pound the older man's shoulder. The second guy hung behind, bright blue eyes darting furtively around the neighborhood as if a cop was going to jump out of a trash can or something.

"Josh let me introduce you to my associate, Lil Spooky."

Unprepared, Cesar wiped his greasy hand on his pants before shaking with the preppy kid. "Hi." The kid introduced as Josh shook hands firmly.

"Oh yeah, this is Ryan." The kid jerked a thumb over his shoulder at his friend. "He's my little brother, gonna be taking over my buys since I'm graduating in December.."

"Congrats man! What up Ryan?" HoldUp met the new kid's timid fist with a gentle bump. Cesar bit back a smile at the way the kid eyed HoldUp's tattoos as if they might jump from one man's skin to another's."

"Uh hi." Ryan stepped back out of arm's reach as soon as possible. "So I call you next time?"

Cesar held back a snort. How did a kid get to college and not know how it worked? Cesar explained. "There's a number in the bag. Text when you want to buy again and we'll send the pickup time."

HoldUp nodded his agreement. "Yeah, if you can't get us, come down and buy some papers from Marco in the store there. He knows where to find us."

"How far in advance?" Ryan bit his lip nervously as HoldUp slid the pack to his shoulder. Cesar knew it probably held exactly one gram less than the amount an individual was legally allowed to carry.