welcome to the southside

After school, Carl meets you at the front. "Delacruz!" He says with welcoming arms. You smile and puts his arms down. "Gallagher." "Awe come one we're friends now, we can hug..right?" He questions. "Can you just...take me where you wanted to?" Carl nods. He looks left and right before crossing the street. "You coming?" He says as he runs across. You look left to right. You cross the street. "So where you from? You don't look like the typical South Side hood rat." Carl asks while you walk with him. "Downtown." You say. "Ahhh, that explains the Michael Kors backpack.. the name." Carl points at you. "So just because my name is an expensive brand, and I carry a nice backpack, you'd assume i'm from Downtown." You laugh. "Yup." Carl says with a grin. "What are you doing all the way at Southside anyways? Shouldn't you be at that bitchy ass private school?" You shake your head no. "I'm not like them." Carl looks at you funny. "You're definitely like them. You're just another boujee uptight bitch." He playfully pushes you. "And you're just another white boy." You smirk. "You know, actually I think i'm part black." You turn your head and look at Carl. Part black? "Apart from the cornrows, you look like every other white boy i've met. I'd doubt it." You say confidently. "Take them out, I guarantee you'd be another Justin Bieber." Carl shrugs. "My brother is black." "Is he adopted? Are you adopted?" You ask. "I'm serious." Carl shakes his head. "No i'm serious! I'll take you to meet him some day. His name is Liam. I think it would be good for you to meet him. He's the only black kid in our family and no one really knows how to help him be.. I don't know, black I guess? I mean we have this one neighbor Veronica, but she has two girls of her own and-" You interrupt Carl. "Carl, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me. Just think of it as a favor. You owe me." Carl stops. "What?" "Shh." You stop talking. Carl waves his hand for you to follow him. You follow. He takes you into an alley. It's the back of a bar. "The Alibi." He tries to open the door. It's locked. He bangs on it super loud. "Carl what the hell are you doing?" You whisper. He continues to bang. Someone comes to the door. "We don't have an- Carl?" A beautiful black woman appears. Carl smiles, "Hey, V." She looks at you. "Who's the lady friend, Carl?" "Oh thats just Dela- I mean Dior." He corrects himself. "Hi Dior" You smile. "Hi." "When did you get home? Does she know." " This morning, and hell yeah she knows, I didn't just pick her up off the street, V." He says. "Can we get something to drink?" "You just got out of jail for coke possession, and now you want to drink underage? Hell no." She smiles as she wipes the counter. "Dior, can I get you anything?" You shake your head no and smile. "Thank you though." Carl snickers. "C'mon DeLaCruz, we got business to handle." A man walks in. "And what may that be?" He kisses V. That must be her boyfriend or husband. "Not your business Kev" Carl yells as he walks out of the door. You smile at V and Kev and wave goodbye. "Who are they?" You ask Carl. "That was Veronica and Kevin, or V and Kev, our neighbors kind of.. you know the lady I was telling you about earlier." You nod. "Shes pretty." "Yeah if she wasn't 36 and already feeding 3, i'd consider tapping that." Carl laughs. "Carl! You cant go around saying those things." You whine. "Why not?" He asks. "Not everyone can take your humor." You reply. He nods and apologizes.

Carl is a funny boy. He's not that much taller than you. Which makes it even funnier because he's like a little boss man.

You and Carl continue walking when you hear a voice from behind. "Ayo shawty with the fatty." "I know he ain't talking about me." You say to Carl. "Just keep walking." He mumbles. "I know you can hear me girl! I said turn around!" The guy says. Carl rolls his eyes and turns around. You follow him. "Why you got this cracker escorting you around love bug?" Carl takes a deep breath in. "Ayo Cracker? And shes not your "love bug"." The guy moves his face closer to Carl. "Yeah. Cracker." "How high can you count?" Carl asks. "Why do that matter? You following shorty around it's clear she not into you if she turned around for me." Your face scrunches. "Cause thats how many bullets i'm gonna put in you." Carl says as he reaches for his backpack. "Woah woah chill Bonnie and Clyde! I was just playing, you can have Ms. Thang." Your eyes get big and you back away. Carl points the gun and shoos the man away. He turns around and sees you standing a couple feet back. He puts the gun back in his back and zips it back up. "What?" He laughs. "It's not loaded." You sigh. "Where'd you get that?" "I know a guy." Carl smirks.

Okay, Mr. Cool Guy. He pretended he was going to shoot a guy, for my safety.

"Gallagher its getting late, I gotta go pick up my brother from his daycare." You say. "Let me walk you, I don't want that happening to you again." Carl offers. You allow him to walk you to pick up your brother. He walks you to the bus stop and waves goodbye.