Free Down by Law by Ni-Ni Simone

laying low. But it’s cool now. . . .”
    I knew he was talking, but I was no longer listening. I was too busy taking in his beautiful skin, light beard, white tee, MCM jacket, chocolate-colored Levi’s, and crisp white Reeboks.
    I imagined him reaching for my hand and asking me to dance. After all, Queenie just had Schooly drop the needle on Meli’sa Morgan’s “Do Me Baby.” And God knows I was dying to be done.
    Do me, K-Rock. Do. Me. Please.
    â€œYou wanna dance, baby?” shook me from my daydream.
    I blinked and focused in on K-Rock. There was a tall, super skinny, and caramel-colored chick standing next to him. He placed his arm around her waist and said, “Hold up, baby I want you to meet my lil sis, Icy. Icy, this is Shakira. My girlfriend.”
    Girlfriend? Really?
    Word?
    I felt like the dumbest chick on Earth. All I wanted to do at this moment was catch a rocket and get outta here.
    So this is what he’s really been doing—chillin’ with this bird.
    I glanced over at Cali and, judging by her curled top lip, she was just as pissed and surprised as I was.
    I put on the stankest face that I could muster up and said, “My name is I. Sis . Isis . Not Icy. Do not call me that.” I shot K-Rock a cruddy look. “I told you that before. And he is not my big brother.”
    K-Rock gave me a crooked grin, shook his head, and said, “You buggin’.” He flicked my chin. “Cute. But bugged.”
    Shakira didn’t open her mouth and it was a good thing she didn’t because that would’ve been the excuse I needed to bust her in it. She gave me a phony smile though.
    I left them standing there and walked over to Face, as Cali walked over and kicked it with our crew.
    Face sipped a glass of fruit punch and his eyes scanned the room.
    I stood next to him and leaned against the wall. His eyes never stopped scanning the crowd as he said, “I missed you, lil sis.”
    â€œI missed you too. Did you get the letters I sent you?”
    â€œYeah. I got all of ’em. Now I want you tell me again what them dudes said when they rolled up on you. I want K-Rock to hear it.” He looked over at K-Rock and motioned for him to come over to us. He did, minus the chick. I still rolled my eyes though. Anything to keep from blushing. Face looked taken aback as he looked from me to K-Rock and back again. “Tell me again,” Face continued.
    I folded my arms across my chest. “Yo, I was with my crew, walking home from school and that same Audi that we ran through pulled up. It wasn’t the same dudes though.”
    â€œHow they look?” Face asked.
    â€œI couldn’t see the driver that good, but the passenger, who was doing all the talking, was light skin with two different-color eyes. One brown and one blue.”
    â€œThat’s Snoop.” K-Rock nodded. “A’ight.” He nodded again. “So repeat what they said.”
    I continued, “They was like, ‘You Isis?’”
    â€œAnd what you say?” Face pressed.
    â€œI said, ‘Why? Who wanna know?’ ”
    â€œAnd then what?” K-Rock asked.
    â€œThey said, ‘Tell yo’ brother we coming back. Tick. Tick.’”
    K-Rock arched his brow. “Oh, word?”
    â€œWord,” I confirmed.
    â€œA’ight.” Face resumed sipping his drink. “Straight. We got it from here.”
    He and K-Rock exchanged dap, and then K-Rock returned to his bird.
    â€œFace,” I said. “Maybe you should lay low for a while? You just got home. I’m not saying be no punk. I’m just saying maybe you should chill for a minute. You see things is different. Daddy ain’t here no more and them Down South boys runnin’ the block.”
    â€œPops ain’t never really been here. And them boys runnin’ the block, for now. Only for now. But you don’t need to worry about that.”
    â€œI’m