Free Tyrell by Coe Booth Page A

gate and padlock it. Then we walk down the street. “I hope Mr. Jenkins don’t show up now and find the place closed,” she say.
    â€œHe got a cell phone?”
    â€œHe has one for work, but he’s not allowed to give out the phone number. He said they fired a guy for taking personal calls on it.”
    I wanna tell Ms. Jenkins that her ex-husband is full of shit, but maybe she ain’t gonna wanna hear it from me. “You and Mr. Jenkins gonna get back together?” I ask her.
    â€œYou sound like Novisha now,” she say. “I don’t know what we gonna do, but I’m a Catholic, so as far as I’m concerned, he will always be my husband. I don’t care what those divorce papers say.”
    Getting to her building with all them bags take longer than I thought it was gonna take, and I’m getting worried that I ain’t gonna be able to get back to Bennett. The snow is deep, and it’s hard just walking. And it’s so cold I can’t even feel my hands or feet no more.
    When we get to the apartment, Novisha in the living room onthe computer. She kinda look happy to see me, but at the same time she look like she upset ‘bout something. She give me a hug, but she don’t seem all that into it. I wanna get a real hug from her, but I don’t want her smelling no weed on me, so I just let it go.
    â€œYou staying for dinner, right, Ty?” Ms. Jenkins ask.
    â€œYou don’t mind feeding me three days in a row?”
    â€œBoy, you know I would feed you everyday if I could. Especially with all you and your family going through right now.”
    â€œYou been doing a lot to help us, Ms. Jenkins, always giving us food and being so nice.”
    â€œDoes that mean you staying?” She smile and put her hands on her hips like she want a answer already.
    I laugh a little bit. “Yeah, I’m staying. Thanks, Ms. Jenkins.”
    â€œNow, boy, go relax while I burn up some of these pots and pans!”
    Me and Novisha go in the living room and watch TV. We sitting close, but not that close ‘cause her moms don’t like to see her little girl up under no guy. Before I can even think ‘bout it, she whisper to me, “I thought you weren’t gonna get high anymore.”
    â€œI’m not,” I tell her.
    She stare at me like she don’t believe me or something. She getting that same stare her moms got. “I know what I smell.”
    â€œNah, I was just over at Cal apartment, and you know them niggas is always getting high. I just walked through the door and, next thing I know, my eyes is burning, and I got that weed smell on me.”
    She look me in the face hard, like she trying to make sure I ain’t lying.
    â€œSeriously,” I say. “I ain’t lying.” Her moms ain’t looking, so Iput my arm ‘round her and pull her a little closer to me. But when
    I try to kiss her real quick, she turn away and tell me to stop.
    â€œI ain’t high,” I say again.
    â€œIt’s not that.”
    â€œThen what’s the matter?”
    â€œNothing,” she say, but she don’t look at me when she say it. She look down like she hiding something.
    â€œNovisha, we was just here two days ago, and you told me the same thing, that nothing was wrong. Then you tell me some guy is stalking you, and now—”
    â€œ Shh. ” She get this serious look on her face now. “I don’t want my mother to know about that.”
    â€œThen just tell me what’s wrong.”
    She look over at her mother again, then she talk real quiet. “That guy, he called here a couple of times today. Like five times.”
    Damn. I’ma hafta do something ‘bout this.
    â€œI don’t know how he got my number, but—”
    â€œWhat he say?”
    She take a deep breath. “Well, first he just talked about school stuff, that he wants to help me with the volunteer project I started. I