Drive-By by Lynne Ewing Read Free Book Online

finished and went back to Sonny.
    He checked into the men’s rest room, then knocked on the women’s door and, when no one answered, ushered me inside.
    “Good job, son,” he said when I finished. “You’ve got a job.”
    He held out his hand for me to shake.
    “Call me Sonny,” he said. “Everyone does.”
    I shook his hand. He was a nice man. I wondered if he was married. He looked so skinny, I knew he could use Mom’s cooking.
    “What do you want to eat?” he asked.
    “Could I wait until lunch and come back with my sister? She’ll be really impressed if I can treat her to some French fries.”
    He chuckled, but his laugh felt good.
    “You bet,” he said.
    Gus didn’t show up at school.
    I sat in my classroom all morning, really nervous.I wondered what had happened, but I knew not to ask anyone because that would be too suspicious. I had to wait and let the news come to me.
    Mrs. Bilky busted me for losing my science book and my English book. She asked Lisa to share her books with me and said we should do our science and English together until I found my books.
    At lunchtime, I picked up Mina from kindergarten and we walked home.
    Yellow police tape was flapping all around the front yard of our old house. They had cut down the pink hibiscus bush in the side yard.
    Mina and I went inside Mrs. Washington’s house.
    Mom and Mrs. Washington stood at the window, looking outside. Mom wore her white uniform. Someone had gone to the hotel where she worked and brought her home.
    “They caught Jimmy’s killers,” Mom said. “At least they think they have. Detective Howard said they have a gun that they think will match the bullets found in Jimmy.” Mom’s words choked then.
    I just nodded.
    “Why did you leave this morning without breakfast or Mina?” Mom asked. She fisted her hands on her hips. That meant she was serious.
    I looked out the window.
    “I had to finish some work for Jimmy. It’s what he would have wanted me to do.”
    She took in air in a huge gasp and hugged me so tight, I couldn’t breathe.
    “Mom,” I said.
    “No more,” she said. “No more.”
    She let me go then.
    “I’m going to take Mina down to Big Molly’s Diner for French fries,” I said.
    “How did you get money?” She looked scared.
    “Don’t worry, Mom,” I said. “I scrubbed out the bathrooms. You can call Sonny and check. You don’t have to worry about me. Sonny gave me a job scrubbing out the bathrooms so Mina and I can have French fries every day.”
    “For me?” Mina said. She was so happy, she did look like a princess then.
    Big Molly’s Diner was really busy. Mina and I sat at the counter. Mina spread a paper napkin over her lap and tucked another one into her collar.
    I liked playing big brother to Mina the way Jimmy used to do.
    Behind us a woman was passing out paperparty hats, crowns and pirate hats and pointed caps. She had one gold crown left over.
    I saw Mina stare at it, then turn around and dunk her French fry in gravy and slip it in her mouth.
    “I’m going to the bathroom,” I said, but then I went over and asked the woman if I could buy the crown for my baby sister.
    I didn’t have any money. I was hoping the woman would give me the party hat. I mean, what kind of person would sell a kid a paper party hat that would end up in the trash anyway?
    “I have extra,” the woman said. “You can have it.”
    “Thank you,” I said.
    I handed the gold-paper crown to Mina.
    Mina nearly swallowed her French fry whole.
    She wiped her fingers on her napkin and put the crown on her head.
    I sat there feeling my toes stretch to the end of Jimmy’s shoes.
    I wanted Mina’s life to be perfect. I never wanted her to grow up needing a gang. Maybe she can become a princess, or at least play a princess in the movies, if she keeps her mind on her goal.
    How could Jimmy ever join a gang? Maybe hehad too much responsibility helping Mom, but in the end I knew that in his heart he wasn’t a gangbanger.