“Thanks.” It was barely audible, but I’d take it.
“Out of curiosity, what made you decide to come today? Not that you wouldn’t have killed it at ballet.”
They smirked. “I really wanted to use this caulking gun.”
Reign departed the Center almostimmediately after we blocked off the bathroom for the night. I asked why they weren’t staying for the dance, and they laughed like it was the funniest joke they’d ever heard.
Afterward, I told Cori and Marisol about my talk with Reign. I wanted to be transparent in case I’d done something wrong.
“It’s not exactly protocol, but you didn’t do anything trulyegregious,” Cori said, and we shared a fond look at her use of another SAT word.
Marisol practically bounced. “It’s progress. I mean, it sucks that their dad is a dick and still calls them by their dead name, but the fact that Reign confided in you is great. Sometimes, they talk to Rosa, but not about this.”
“Okay, good. And for the record, Reign is a natural at construction and has been genuinely helpful.”
Shouting came from the gym, reaching us all the way in the atrium.
“I’m going to see what’s up,” Marisol said. “It’s been crazy today with all the kids packed into one side.”
That morning, Chuck and I had heaved a massive, accordion-style divider into the center of the gym. One half was still available for basketball, while the other was off-limits because of the dance setup. I’d attached four spotlights to the rafters over the stage Cori rented for the DJ, along with string lights across the center of the space. The DJ had already arrived and was hooking up her PA to the gym’s central system. I still had to hang the giant disco ball and set up tables for food.
Cori eyed me carefully. “That conversation with Reign… I’m guessing it made you think of Eliazar.”
My lips tightened before I said, “Eliazar always felt bad. Not for being gay, but for letting down his parents. There was no way to square that circle.” I pushed a fist against the counter, remembering. “Having his mom and pops reject him broke something inside him. He used drugs and sex to numb out. Having us—his brothers—wasn’t enough.”
Cori covered my fist with her hand, pulling my arm down. “You were enough, Deck. Eliazar just got caught up.” She held my gaze. “And it’s not going to be that way for Reign.”
The unmistakable slapping sound of hits landing on bodies cut through the air.
“I’d better find out what’s happening,” Cori said.
Following her hurried steps to the open half of the gym, we found Chuck and Marisol attempting to break up a fistfight.
Two older boys were throwing punches while the other kids formed a loose circle around them. Wide-eyed volunteers kept the onlookers away from the fighters.
After one boy landed a vicious kidney shot, his opponent’s grunt of pain echoed off the concrete walls.
“Jayden! Tycho!” Chuck yelled. “Knock it off!” Even though Chuck was extremely fit for a man in his late fifties, he struggled to insert himself between the two young men. They attacked one another like rabid dogs, hurling their fists with no skill or finesse. Street brawling, my brother Emilio would call it.
One of the teens turned his face toward me. Jayden. I’d learned his name over the past few weeks because he attracted a lot of attention. The kid was a hothead, regularly breaking the rules and getting sent home. For a moment, we locked gazes, and it was just enough time for the other kid, Tycho, to launch his knuckles into Jayden’s jaw.
Jayden’s head whipped to the left, taking the hard hit, and his body followed the motion as he stumbled backward to stay on his feet. He spat blood onto the gym floor. “That all you got, dickface?” he taunted.
Before Tycho could fly back at him, Chuck took advantage of the break to step between the two, grabbing Jayden from behind and tightening his arms at his sides. “That’s enough! Cool down. Now!”
Marisol attempted to apply the same hold to Tycho, but took a slap to the cheek when he resisted. Her hand flew to her face where he’d struck her.
The sight of Marisol touching her jaw—on the side where the burn scars were—momentarily stunned the room.
Everything in me wanted to beat the crap out of the little shit, but I held myself in check, conscious of the fact I’d just gotten off parole.
Tycho was instantly contrite. “Oh shit, Miss Mari. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you. It was an accident, I swear. I would never—”
Marisol held up her hand. “It’s okay, Tycho. It was just a tap. I know you wouldn’t hit me on purpose.” She exhaled. “But I wish you would have shown Jayden the same respect. I’m gettingso tired of telling you boys not to solve things with your fists. You shouldn’t be doing it out on the streets, and you definitely shouldn’t be bringing it into the Center.”
The kids who had been holding their phones lowered them quietly. I’d seen my sister in action since I’d started working through my repair list, and this was another example of her top-notch leadership. I was so proud of the way she kept her cool. And especially the way she commanded everyone’s respect.
Marisol glared at Jayden. “Do I even want to know what the fight was about?”
