8
By the time Javier arrived with Marcie and Nicole, I had managed to calm down enough that I didn’t think I would actually stab Mayor Tucker, but I was giving him the meanest stare I could fashion.
“Girl, you better quit giving that man the stink eye. He is the mayor,” Nicole said. “You don’t need him giving you any trouble.”
I pulled my eyes away and looked at my friends. They each seemed their own kind of worried, and I felt bad for, yet again, making them take care of me. “I’m fine.” I let out a big puff of air. “Really. Did you see that article I was reading?”
“Shamila showed us,” Javier said as he took my hand. “It made me angry too.”
Nicole and Marcie nodded. “Us too.”
“I just don’t understand. . . .” But I couldn’t put words to all the things that were impossibly nonsensical
