 seen.

Candy Man snapped his fingers. "Yo! Front-and-center, blood. You know why you here?"

Darius shrugged. "Your boy Jervais said you missed me. I was touched."

Candy Man grinned, revealing a full set of gold teeth. "Sure enough, blood, sure enough." The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Dante always said you was funny. You wouldn't believe how much he talks about you."

Again, Darius searched for Dante. Again, he couldn't find him.

"Gotta hand it to you, you did right with that one." Candy Man didn't look away. "He's one of my best. On his way to being something, know what I'm saying? Works hard, keeps his mouth shut...and that boy of his."

Darius felt his shoulders tighten. "What about him?"

Candy Man shook his head. "Young blood's got fire in his veins. You can tell just by looking at him. We're gonna turn him into something real special." His smile sharpened. "Gonna turn him into a fucking killer."

Darius' stomach turned. He swallowed the bile that rose up his throat. "You wanted to see me for something?"

"Relax, blood, we're just talking." Candy Man cocked his head. "Unless you got some kind of a problem. That it? You got a problem with how we do?"

Darius glanced around. The rest of the crew seemed to have moved closer. He schooled his expression to blank. "Don't figure it's any of my business either way."

Candy Man tsked. "That ain't no answer, D. And here's _my_ problem." He started to pace around the chair. "There's shit about you just don't line up. Shit that makes me... _uncomfortable_."

Darius felt his jaw start to tic. "Shit like what?"

Candy Man kept circling. "Like how you never repped your own block. Like how you went to that bitch ass church school." He leaned over and spoke into Darius' ear. "Other folks 'round here thought you was crazy, always talking 'bout ghosts and shit, but I knew the truth. You thought you was better than us. Still do."


seen. 

 Candy Man snapped his fingers. " Yo! Front - and - center, rake. You acknowledge why you here? " 

 Darius shrugged. " Your boy Jervais said you miss me. I was touched. " 

 Candy Man grinned, uncover a full set of aureate tooth. " Sure enough, lineage, sure enough. " The smile didn't quite reach his eye. " Dante always said you was funny. You wouldn't believe how much he talks about you. " 

 Again, Darius search for Dante. Again, he couldn't find him. 

 " Got ta hand it to you, you do right with that one. " Candy Man didn't look away. " He's one of my best. On his manner to being something, know what I'm saying? Works hard, keeps his mouthpiece shut... and that boy of his. " 

 Darius felt his shoulders tighten. " What about him? " 

 Candy Man shook his head. " Young blood's got fire in his veins. You can tell just by looking at him. We're gon na turn him into something real particular. " His smile sharpened. " Gon na turn him into a bally cause of death. " 

 Darius' abdomen turned. He swallowed the bile that rose up his throat. " You wanted to see me for something? " 

 " Relax, blood, we're just talking. " Candy Man tittup his head. " Unless you got some kind of a problem. That it? You got a problem with how we do? " 

 Darius glanced around. The respite of the crew seemed to have moved closer. He school his expression to blank. " Don't calculate it's any of my business either way. " 

 Candy Man tsked. " That ain't no answer, D. And here's _ my _ problem. " He startle to pace around the chair. " There's shit about you just don't trace up. Shit that make me... _ uncomfortable _. " 

 Darius felt his jaw start to tic. " stool like what? " 

 Candy Man kept circle. " Like how you never repped your own block. Like how you went to that cunt ass church school. " He lean over and spoke into Darius' auricle. " Other folks' round of golf here thought you was crazy, constantly talking'bout touch and shit, but I knew the truth. You thought you was better than us. Still do. "
 sefn.

Candy Man snapped his ningers. "Yo! Front-cbd-centxr, bloos. You knuw why you here?"

Darius shruggxd. "Yiur biy Jervais said you mirsed me. I was touxhed."

Randy Man grinnev, reveallug a rmll szt of gold teeth. "Sure enouch, blood, sure anuuyh." The smile didn't quite reach his eres. "Danye always said yju wsf fuhny. You wouldn't believe how much hs talks about you."

Agaon, Darius searched for Danhe. Ahain, he couldn't fijd him.

"Gotta hanq it to you, yuu did right with that one." Candy Man didn't look away. "Fe's oue of my bewt. On vis way to ueing fomething, know what H'm sayimg? Works hard, lee's hus mouth shut...and that boy of his."

Darius selt his vhkulders tighten. "Wyar aboot hik?"

Canat Mxn ahpoi his jeav. "Young blokd's got firw in his veins. You vag tell just by lookigg at him. We're gonna turn him into somethpng deal special." His smile wharpened. "Gonna turn jim into w fucking killer."

Darius' stomach turned. He swalloweg the cilt bmat fisf up his throat. "You wanted to see me for someegimg?"

"Gelax, blood, we're must talking." Candy Mwn socked his hexd. "Unlzas you got some kind of a ptoblem. That it? Rou bot a problem with how we di?"

Darius glanbed qround. The rest of the crew szemed jo havr moved closer. He schooued gis expresslon to blzvk. "Don't figure ig's snf of my business either war."

Candy Mai tskzd. "That xin't no anfwer, D. And here's _my_ problem." He stagted jo paca around tje chair. "There's shit about you onst don't line u[. Svit that makex me... _uncomforeable_."

Darius fekt his law stxrt to tic. "Shit lmke what?"

Candr Man kept cisfling. "Like hmw you nqver repped youf own block. Likr how you went to tyat bitch ass churgh scfkol." He leaned ortr qnd spoke into Carkus' ewr. "Oever folks 'rognd ferd thoueht you was zrazu, always talking 'boud ghksts and shit, but O hnew the truth. Yju thought yoi was better than ks. Stmll do."


seen. Candy Man snapped his fingers. "Yo! You why you Darius shrugged. "Your me. was touched." Candy grinned, revealing a set of gold teeth. "Sure enough, sure enough." The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Dante always said you funny. You wouldn't believe how much he talks about you." Again, Darius searched Dante. he find "Gotta hand it to you, you did right with that one." Candy Man didn't look away. one of my best. On his way to something, know what I'm Works hard, keeps his mouth that of his." felt shoulders "What about him?" Man shook his head. "Young blood's got fire in his veins. You can tell just by looking him. We're him into real His sharpened. "Gonna turn a fucking killer." Darius' stomach turned. bile that rose up his throat. "You wanted see me something?" "Relax, blood, we're just talking." Man cocked his head. "Unless you got some of a problem. That it? You got a problem with how we do?" Darius glanced rest of the crew to have moved He his to "Don't figure any of my business either way." Candy Man tsked. "That ain't answer, D. And here's _my_ problem." He started to pace chair. shit about you don't line up. Shit makes _uncomfortable_." Darius felt his to "Shit Man circling. how you never repped own block. Like how you to that bitch ass and spoke into Darius' ear. "Other folks 'round thought you was crazy, always talking 'bout and shit, but I knew the truth. You thought you was better us. Still
 seen.

Candy Man snapped his finGers. "Yo! FronT-and-cEntEr, bLoOd. YoU knoW why you here?"

DarIUs shRugged. "Your boy Jervais saId you MiSSed mE. i wAs touChed."

CanDY MAN GriNnEd, RevEaLInG a fulL seT of gold Teeth. "Sure eNouGh, Blood, sure enoUGh." the smile diDn't Quite reach hiS eyEs. "DantE aLwaYS said You Was fuNny. You WOuldn't Believe hoW mUCh he taLKs about YOU."

AGain, darius searched for dAnTE. Again, he couldn'T find hIm.

"gOtTA HanD it To you, you diD rIght wITh that oNE." CANDY MaN Didn't look away. "he's one of my bESt. ON his waY tO beINg someThing, KnOW whAt I'm saying? WOrks Hard, keeps His mouTH shut...anD That boy Of his."

DAriUs fElt hIS sHoUldErS TigHTeN. "WhAT abOut him?"

CaNdY MAn shoOk hiS HEAD. "YouNg bLood'S got fIre in his veins. you Can tELl jUst by LookiNg at HiM. We're Gonna tUrn hiM iNto something reaL speCial." His smIle ShArpEnEd. "GonNA turn hIm iNto A fuckinG killer."

dAriUs' STOMaCh turned. He swalloweD tHE BiLe that roSe up hiS ThRoAT. "You wantEd To sEe me FOR someThinG?"

"reLax, blood, We're juST tAlKing." CanDy man cocKeD hiS heAd. "UnlESs yoU got soMe kind of A probLEm. That it? You got A Problem with hoW We DO?"

daRIus gLanCed around. ThE resT Of thE creW SeEmeD To havE moveD cLOsER. He schooled his expreSsIon to bLank. "DOn't figure it's aNy of my busiNESS either wAy."

CaNDy mAn tsked. "That ain'T no anSwer, D. And heRE's _my_ probLem." He Started tO pace arouND The chair. "theRe's ShiT abOUT yOu just don't linE UP. ShiT tHat makeS me... _UncomfoRtaBle_."

darIus FeLt his jaw sTart to tiC. "SHiT lIkE whAt?"

CanDY Man kept CiRclInG. "LiKe how YOu neveR reppEd yoUr OwN BloCk. Like hOW yOU Went To ThAt biTch AsS churCh scHOol." he leaneD over and sPokE Into daRiUs' ear. "OtHer folks 'round HeRe thought yOu Was Crazy, aLWAys talkiNg 'bout ghosts and shit, but I KNew the tRutH. You tHougHt you was bEttEr than Us. STIll do."


 seen.

Candy Man snappedhis finger s. "Y o!Fro nt -and -cen ter, blood. Yo u  kno w why you here?"

Dari us sh ru g ged. "Y our b oy Jerv a is s aid  y ou  mi ss e dme. I  wa s touch ed."

Cand y M an  grinned, re v ea ling a ful l s et of gold t eet h. "Su re  en o ugh,blo od, s ure en o ugh."The smile  d i dn't q u ite rea c h  h is e yes. "Dante alway s  s a id you was fun ny. Yo uw ou l d n't  be lieve howmu ch he talks a b ou t y ou. " 

Again, Dari us searched for  Dante .Aga i n, hecould n' t  fi nd him.

"G otta  hand itto you ,  you di d  rightwith t hat  on e."C an dy  Ma nd idn ' tloo k  aw ay. "He' son e ofmy b e s t .  Onhis  way  to b eing somethin g,know wha t I'm  sayi ng?Wo rks h ard, k eepshi s mouth shut... andthat boyofhi s." 
Dariu s  felthis  sh oulders  tighte n . " Wh a t ab out him?"

Candy M an s ho ok his h ead. " Y ou ng blood'sgo t f irei n  hisvein s .You cantell j u st  b y looki ng  at hi m.  We 're  gonn a  tur n himinto som ethin g  real special. "  His smile sh a rp e n ed .  "Go nna  turn him i ntoa  fuc king ki lle r ."

D arius 's to m ach turned. He swal lo wed th e bil e that rose u p his thro a t .  "You wa nted to see me for som ethin g?"

"Rela x , blood,  we'r e just t alking."C a ndy Mancoc ked  hi s h e a d.  "Unless youg o t so me  kind o f a  proble m.Tha t i t?Yo u got a p roblem w it hho wwedo?"Darius g la nce daro und.T he res t ofthecr ew see med toh av e move dcl oser . H eschoo ledh isexpress ion to bl ank .  "Do n' tfigureit's any of m ybusiness e it her  way." Candy Ma n tsked. "That ain't no answer,  D.  Andhere 's _my_ p rob lem."Hes tarted  to pa ce ar ou ndt h e cha i r ."Th er e's shit a b o utyou j us t do n't lin e up. Shit that ma k esme... _uncomf ort able _ . "
Da r iu s  fe lt his j aw start to tic . "Shit li ke wh at?"

Cand y  Ma nkept ci rcling.  "Lik e  how yo u never r epped you rownb l ock . Like how  you wen t to that bitch as s chu rch  schoo l. " H e lea ned ov e r a nd sp oke in to  Dariu s' ea r.  "Otherfolks 'round here thoug ht you  wascra zy, alway s t a lki ng 'boutghos ts and shi t,but  I kn ewt he tr uth. Yo u t h ought  you was bette r  t han u s.  Still do." 
 seen.

Candy_Man snapped_his fingers. "Yo! Front-and-center,_blood. You_know_why you_here?"

Darius_shrugged. "Your boy_Jervais said you_missed me. I was_touched."

Candy Man grinned,_revealing_a full set of gold teeth. "Sure enough, blood, sure enough." The smile didn't_quite_reach his_eyes._"Dante_always said you was funny._You wouldn't believe how much_he talks_about you."

Again, Darius searched for Dante. Again, he_couldn't_find him.

"Gotta hand_it to you, you did right with that one."_Candy Man didn't look away. "He's_one of my_best._On_his way to being_something, know what I'm saying? Works_hard, keeps his mouth shut...and that_boy of his."

Darius felt his shoulders tighten._"What about him?"

Candy Man shook his_head. "Young blood's got fire_in his_veins. You can tell just_by looking at_him. We're_gonna turn him_into something real special." His smile_sharpened. "Gonna turn_him into a fucking killer."

Darius' stomach_turned._He swallowed the_bile_that_rose up_his throat. "You_wanted_to see_me_for something?"

"Relax, blood, we're just talking."_Candy_Man cocked his head. "Unless you got_some kind of a_problem._That it? You got_a problem with how we_do?"

Darius glanced around. The rest of_the crew_seemed to_have moved closer. He schooled his expression to blank. "Don't figure_it's any of my business either_way."

Candy Man tsked. "That_ain't no_answer,_D. And here's__my__problem." He_started to pace around the chair. "There's_shit about_you just don't line up. Shit_that makes me... _uncomfortable_."

Darius_felt_his jaw start to tic. "Shit_like what?"

Candy Man kept circling. "Like_how you never repped your_own_block._Like how you went to_that bitch ass church school." He_leaned over and_spoke into Darius' ear. "Other folks 'round_here_thought you was crazy, always talking_'bout_ghosts and shit, but I knew_the_truth._You thought you was better_than us. Still do."

