Singing Through Siren Sounds

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Yo real talk, Coin might be gone but we still here. We'll look out for you," Pompey states.

I think he means it to be nice. It's not his car burning though. I know why it's happening. I exposed myself. I went on television and I sang a sad song to the world. I sang a song that drew out emotion. I sang a song that, "started a movement", in the words of Taz. The video had gone viral of me singing. I hadn't wanted it to.

But I realized what it led to.

It led to my under-insured car being burnt down in front of me.

"He's right," Taz states, "Anything you need man. We got it. I got it. Coin would have wanted me to look for you."

"I'm good. I just need to go to sleep."

"You staying in this RACIST fucking place?" Taz asks.

I can hear the sound in his voice. He's loud as well. The white kids in my school definitely didn't seem to be so interested in staring when there was a group of us. They seemed quick to leave off the scene. The thing is though I knew that one of them did it. I didn't know who. I didn't know any of them. But I knew that one of them did it and something about all of that just drove me fucking nuts.

And maybe I was crazy. Maybe that's why I turn to Taz and smile.

"No one's driving me away from the shit I came here to do," I tell him.

"Pull your phone out. I'm giving you my number," Pompey states.

"I'm good, man honestly."

He doesn't take no for an answer grabbing my phone and saving his number in there. He had a protective spirit about him. But that's when I notice Taz just staring at the fire. If Pompey had a protective spirit about him then Taz had a different sort of spirit. The way that he was staring at the fire just makes me feel like he has other plans.

Just as he's doing that someone runs up to me. I jerk back in a defensive stance and my hands in a fist. What I'm surprised at though is there is one person who gets in between me and the person running up on me even quicker than I can react is Taz. Taz damn near pushes me out of the way and he has this deep grunting sound in the back of the throat.

I'm kind of amazed actually when he does it. My heartbeat picks up and my hairs stand on edge. I'm looking at Taz seeing how militant and protective he is of me.

"You know this nigga, D?" he asks me.

That's when I see the person who is across from him. Wren. He's dead quiet but that's because he and Taz have crashed into each other's chests like two multiracial greek Gods facing off against one another. The way their chests press into one another and they stare each other down is exactly how I imagine a lot of the people in the Hood part of town felt after seeing Coin, one of their own, shot by a white cop.

It was the perfect clash of the two races.

The other white kids at school notice. A crowd was still around. And for a moment I see concern finally spread across their faces, probably wondering who these black kids were in their school acting buck. And Taz may have been the first to stand but I felt like some gay ass princess in a tower or something when Pompey and Kesean stand just behind Taz forming a wall around me or something.

What's even more impressive though is that during this face-off Wren doesn't even bat an eye. He definitely was one tough white boy. His chest is still puffed and he has this intimidating look on his face.

I should have known he was tough from when we wrestled.

"He's good," I state.

The boys don't back down or move their walls. Somehow though this doesn't intimidate Wren in the least bit, because he steps all the way past them to get to me. His eyes never leave Taz's though. The staredown is real even as Wren is breaking his neck. He doesn't divert his glare until he's right next to me.