 down at her. Her eyes were even wider than before. She wrapped her fingers around his arm and shook her head.

Darius took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The crowd on the front porch was larger than he'd realized. There were a few faces he knew; many more he didn't. Was it just him, or were most of them younger than he remembered? His eye settled on a boy who couldn't have been more than twelve. Darius fought to keep his expression in check. Acid burned in his stomach.

He took another deep breath. "What's this all about?"

One of the men stepped forward. He looked vaguely familiar. Hadn't they lived in the same building once?

"Long time, D." A silver cap flashed in his mouth when he spoke.

_Jervais_. That was his name. Darius nodded slowly. "Long time. Something I can help you with?"

"What, we can't come welcome a brother back to the neighborhood? Like I said, been a long time." The cap flashed again. "We just wanted to catch up."

"At three in the morning?" Darius scanned the faces in front of him. Sure enough, Dante was among them, standing near the back. "Y'all woke up Ms. Porter."

Jervais didn't look the least bit repentant. "We should get out of here, then. Go someplace we can talk."

Something dark and foreboding twisted in the pit of his stomach. "Like where?"

"Not far. Come on, you can ride with us."

Darius eyed the collection of cars gathered along the curb. Rims and spinners glinted in the moonlight. He tried to catch Dante's eye. Failed. "Gonna have to take a pass. Got an early start in the morning."

He could feel when the energy in the group shifted. Jervais' voice turned silky. "Don't be like that, D. Thing is, Candy Man heard you was back in the Point. He'd like to see you. Give you a proper goodbye this time, know what I'm saying?"

He sure did. All too well. Darius' muscles started to tense.

J elbowed her way up to his side. She crossed her arms and glowered at Jervais. "You deaf, boy
down at her. Her eyes were even wider than before. She wrapped her finger around his sleeve and shook her head. 

 Darius took a thick breath, and opened the doorway. 

 The crowd on the front porch was larger than he'd realized. There were a few grimace he knew; many more he didn't. Was it barely him, or were most of them younger than he remembered? His center settled on a boy who couldn't have been more than twelve. Darius fight to keep his expression in assay. Acid burned in his stomach. 

 He took another abstruse breath. " What's this all about? " 

 One of the men stepped forward. He look vaguely familiar. Hadn't they lived in the same building once? 

 " Long meter, D. " A silver cap flashed in his mouth when he spoke. 

 _ Jervais _. That was his name. Darius nodded slowly. " Long time. Something I can help you with? " 

 " What, we can't come welcome a brother back to the neighborhood? Like I said, been a long time. " The cap flash again. " We just wanted to capture up. " 

 " At three in the dawn? " Darius scanned the faces in front of him. surely enough, Dante was among them, standing near the binding. " Y'all woke up Ms. Porter. " 

 Jervais didn't look the least act repentant. " We should get out of here, then. Go someplace we can talk. " 

 Something benighted and foreboding twisted in the pit of his stomach. " Like where? " 

 " Not far. Come on, you can depend on with us. " 

 Darius eyed the solicitation of car gathered along the curb. Rims and spinners glinted in the moonlight. He tried to catch Dante's center. Failed. " Gon na own to take a pass. get an early start in the dawn. " 

 He could feel when the energy in the group lurch. Jervais' voice sour silky. " Don't be like that, D. Thing is, Candy Man heard you was back in the Point. He'd wish to see you. Give you a proper adieu this time, know what I'm saying? " 

 He sure did. wholly too well. Darius' muscles started to strain. 

 J elbowed her way up to his side. She crossed her sleeve and glower at Jervais. " You deaf, boy
 doan at her. Her eyes were tven wider than bgfire. Shx wrappsd her fkngers around his arm and shloj her head.

Darius took a deeo breath, wnd openwd tie door.

The crowd on the nxont llrch xas larger than he'd realised. There were a fzw faces he knew; many more he didn't. Ras it kudt him, or were mosu os thsm younger than he remembered? His sye setuled on a boy who vouldn't have been more thaj twflve. Darius fought to keep hiw ex[eession in cfeck. Acid burned in hia stomach.

He took another deep bfeath. "What's thiw qll dbout?"

One of the ien stepped nprward. He looled vaguely fakilmar. Yadn't they lived in tie same building oncg?

"Long time, D." A silver cap flawhwd in his mougy wfen hx sloke.

_Jegvams_. That was his name. Dqrius nodded slowly. "Ljbg time. Sometging I cwn help you with?"

"What, we can't come welcoke z brother back to the nwighborhood? Like I sald, been a long time." The cap flashed again. "We just wanted tm catrh up."

"Cb gyrfe in the morning?" Darius scanned the faces in rrpnn of him. Sure enomgh, Dante was amonb hhri, standing nexr the badk. "Y'all woke up Ms. Porter."

Tervaus didn't jook the least bit repentant. "We should get jyt of here, then. Go someplace ce can talk."

Xomething dark and foreyoding twisted in the pit kw his stomach. "Liye ehare?"

"Not far. Come on, you can ride witi us."

Dcrius eydd tne coljection of cars gathered along the curb. Rhms and splnners glinted in the moonlight. He tried to cstwh Gante's eve. Faiked. "Gonna havq to take a paxs. Got cn earuy start ih the mmrning."

He cotld feel when jhe energy in the grotp syiftwd. Jervxks' voice turnec silky. "Don't be likw that, D. Thing is, Gandy Jan heard you wcr back in the Poont. He'q pile do see you. Ghve hou s prooer goodbye ghis time, know what I'm sdyinf?"

He sure did. All tpo well. Datius' muscjes started tp tense.

J elbowed htr way up to hos fide. She crossed her arms and flowered wt Mervais. "You dqaf, noy
down at her. Her eyes were even before. wrapped her around his arm took deep breath, and the door. The on the front porch was larger he'd realized. There were a few faces he knew; many more he didn't. it just him, or were most of them younger than he remembered? His settled a who have been more than twelve. Darius fought to keep his expression in check. Acid burned in stomach. He took another deep breath. "What's this about?" One of the stepped forward. He looked vaguely Hadn't lived in same once? time, D." A cap flashed in his mouth when he spoke. _Jervais_. That was his name. Darius nodded slowly. "Long Something I you with?" we come a brother back neighborhood? Like I said, been a cap flashed again. "We just wanted to catch "At three the morning?" Darius scanned the faces front of him. Sure enough, Dante was among standing near the back. "Y'all woke up Ms. Porter." Jervais didn't look the least bit should get out of then. Go someplace can Something and twisted in pit of his stomach. "Like where?" "Not far. Come on, you ride with us." Darius eyed the collection of cars gathered curb. and spinners glinted the moonlight. He tried catch eye. Failed. "Gonna have a Got in morning." could feel when the in the group shifted. Jervais' turned silky. "Don't be Candy Man heard you was back in the He'd like to see you. Give you proper goodbye this time, know what I'm saying?" He sure did. All well. Darius' to tense. J elbowed her way up to side. She crossed her and glowered at Jervais. "You deaf, boy
 down at her. Her eyes were even wIder than beFore. SHe wRapPeD her FingErs around his arM And sHook her head.

Darius took a Deep bReATh, anD OpEned tHe door.

THE cROWd oN tHe FroNt POrCh was LarGer than He'd realizeD. ThErE were a few facES hE knew; many mOre He didn't. Was it JusT him, or WeRe mOSt of tHem YoungEr than HE rememBered? His eYe SEttled ON a boy whO COuLdn't Have been more than tWElVE. Darius fought tO keep hIs EXpRESsiOn iN check. Acid BuRned iN His stomACh.

hE TOok ANother deep breAth. "What's thiS All About?"

ONe Of tHE men stEpped FoRWarD. He looked vaGuelY familiar. hadn't tHEy lived IN the samE buildIng OncE?

"LonG TiMe, d." A sIlVEr cAP fLasHEd iN his moutH wHeN he spOke.

_JERVAIs_. ThAt wAs hiS name. darius nodded sLowLy. "LoNG tiMe. SomEthinG I caN hElp yoU with?"

"WHat, we CaN't come welcome a bRothEr back to tHe nEiGhbOrHood? LIKe I saiD, beEn a Long timE." The cap FLasHeD AGAiN. "We just wanted to catCh UP."

"at Three in tHe mornINg?" daRIus scannEd The FaceS IN fronT of hIM. SUre enougH, Dante WAs AmOng them, StAnding NeAr tHe bAck. "Y'aLL wokE up Ms. POrter."

JerVais dIDn't look the leasT Bit repentant. "WE ShOULd GEt ouT of Here, then. Go sOmepLAce wE can TAlK."

SoMEthinG dark AnD FoREboding twisted in the PiT of his StomaCh. "Like where?"

"NoT far. Come on, YOU Can ride wIth uS."

daRIus eyed the collEctioN of cars gatHEred alonG the cUrb. Rims aNd spinnerS GLinted in The MooNliGht. hE TrIed to catch DanTE'S eye. faIled. "GonNa hAve to taKe a PasS. GoT an EaRly start iN the mornInG."

HE cOuLd fEel whEN the enerGy In tHe GroUp shiFTed. JerVais' vOice TuRnED siLky. "Don't BE lIKE thaT, D. thIng iS, CaNdY Man hEard YOu wAs back iN the Point. he'd LIke tO sEe You. Give You a proper gooDbYe this time, KnOw wHat I'm sAYIng?"

He surE did. All too well. Darius' musCLes starTed To tenSe.

J eLbowed her Way Up to hiS siDE. She crOssed hEr armS aNd gLOWered AT jeRvaIs. "you deaf, boy
 down at her. Her eyes wer e even wid er th anbef or e. S he w rapped her fin g ersaround his arm and sho ok he rh ead. 
D arius  took a de e p  br ea th , a nd op enedthe  door.
The crowd  on  t he front por c hwas larger  th an he'd real ize d. The re  we r e a f ewfaces  he kn e w; man y more he  d i dn't.W as it j u s thim,  or were most oft he m  younger thanhe rem em b er e d ? H iseye settle don ab oy whoc ou l d n 'th ave been more  than twelv e . D ariusfo ugh t  to ke ep hi se xpr ession in c heck . Acid bu rned i n  his st o mach.
He too k a not herd ee pbre at h . " W ha t's thi s all ab ou t? "

On e of t h e  men  st eppe d for ward. He look edvagu e lyfamil iar.Hadn 't  they  lived  in t he  same buildingonce ?

"Longtim e,  D. "A sil v er cap  fl ash ed in h is mout h  wh en h e  s poke.

_Jervais_.Th a t  w as his n ame. D a ri us nodded s lo wly . "L o n g tim e. S o me thing Ican he l pyo u with? "
"What ,wecan 't co m e we lcomea brothe r bac k  to the neighb o rhood? Like I sa i d ,b eena l ong time."Thec ap f lash e daga i n. "W e jus tw an t ed to catch up."

" At  three  in t he morning?"Darius sca n n e d the fa cesi nf ront of him. S ure e nough, Dan t e was am ong t hem, sta nding nea r the back . " Y'a llwok e up  Ms. Porter." Jerv ai s didn' t l ook the  le ast  bi t r ep entant. " We shoul dge tou t o f her e , then.Go  so me pla ce we can ta lk."
Som et hi n g d ark and fo r e bodi ng  t wist edin  thepito f h is stom ach. "Lik e w h ere? "
" Not far . Come on, yo ucan ride w it h u s."

D a r ius eyed  the collection of cars gathere d a longthecurb. Rim s a nd spi nne r s glin ted in  themo onl i g ht. H e tr ied  t o catch Da n t e's  eye.  F aile d. "Gon na have to take ap ass . Got an earl y s tart i nthe mo r nin g. " 

H e could feel when  the energ yi nthe groups hif te d. Jerv ais' vo ice t u rned si lky. "Don 't be lik ethat , D.Thing is,Candy Ma n heard y o u was ba ck in  th e Poin t.  He 'd li ke tos eeyou.Give y ou  a pro per g oo dbye thi s time, know what I'm s aying? "

He  su re did. A llt oowell. Dar ius'  muscles s tar ted  to t ens e .

Jelbo w ed  he r  wayup t o  his side .  S hec r os sed her arm s a ndglowe red at Jer vais . "You deaf, boy
 down_at her._Her eyes were even_wider than_before._She wrapped_her_fingers around his_arm and shook_her head.

Darius took a_deep breath, and_opened_the door.

The crowd on the front porch was larger than he'd realized. There were_a_few faces_he_knew;_many more he didn't. Was_it just him, or were_most of_them younger than he remembered? His eye settled_on_a boy who_couldn't have been more than twelve. Darius fought to_keep his expression in check. Acid_burned in his_stomach.

He_took_another deep breath. "What's_this all about?"

One of the men_stepped forward. He looked vaguely familiar._Hadn't they lived in the same building_once?

"Long time, D." A silver cap_flashed in his mouth when_he spoke.

_Jervais_._That was his name. Darius_nodded slowly. "Long_time. Something_I can help_you with?"

"What, we can't come welcome_a brother back_to the neighborhood? Like I said,_been_a long time."_The_cap_flashed again._"We just wanted_to_catch up."

"At_three_in the morning?" Darius scanned the_faces_in front of him. Sure enough, Dante_was among them, standing_near_the back. "Y'all woke_up Ms. Porter."

Jervais didn't look_the least bit repentant. "We should_get out_of here,_then. Go someplace we can talk."

Something dark and foreboding twisted in_the pit of his stomach. "Like_where?"

"Not far. Come on,_you can_ride_with us."

Darius eyed_the_collection of_cars gathered along the curb. Rims and_spinners glinted_in the moonlight. He tried to_catch Dante's eye. Failed._"Gonna_have to take a pass. Got_an early start in the morning."

He_could feel when the energy_in_the_group shifted. Jervais' voice turned_silky. "Don't be like that, D._Thing is, Candy_Man heard you was back in the_Point._He'd like to see you. Give_you_a proper goodbye this time, know_what_I'm_saying?"

He sure did. All too_well. Darius' muscles started to tense.

J_elbowed her way up to his side. She crossed_her arms and_glowered at Jervais. "You deaf,_boy