Chapter 42

3:15 p.m. Tuesday

Elizabeth Pena found herself in the backseat of a car that smelled like stale weed and testosterone. The girl beside was the same height as Elizabeth, 5-feet-5, but she was at least 35 pounds lighter. The men in the front were large – bigger even than Andy and Paul.

The car was a two-door and Elizabeth knew there was nothing she could do if Tomas and his unnamed companion decided to attack her. She had felt almost violated when Tomas had run his gaze down her torso to the gap between her thighs that her tight jeans created. She was no expert on inner-city life but she knew that her flippant comment about Tomas simply appreciating the view could be taken as a flirtatious remark.

She also knew that such a comment or an innocent glance might be all it took for Tomas or his friend to get the wrong impression. So Elizabeth pressed herself against the back cushion and spoke rapidly when Tomas asked her had happened at school that day.

"It was a mess," Elizabeth said. "Andy told me yesterday about what Lupe was going through. I thought I could help. My family knows the school board president so I called her. When she came to our school today, Andy and I explained what we'd seen. Now I've made more problems for Lupe than she had before."

"No," Lupe said simply. But Tomas was shaking his head.

"So, everyone knows Lupe told on those kids?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"Probably," Elizabeth answered meekly.

"That's a problem," Tomas said unnecessarily. "It might be too big a problem for Rico to fix. Some things can't be overlooked, you know. Some people in the neighborhood are going to call on Rico to make her pay."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "I've been thinking ... maybe Lupe should come and stay with me until she can go to C-B. I can talk to my parents tonight if you think she'll be safe this evening. If you think the danger is immediate, she can just come home with me now and I'll explain it to them when they get home."

"Lupe?" Tomas asked. He wasn't used to making decisions and he was ill-prepared to make this one.

Lupe had turned in her seat to stare at Elizabeth. Since Lupe was old enough to think for herself, her sole goal had been to leave the horrible world in which she had grown up. She had thought that goal had disappeared earlier in the afternoon. Sure, she might still have been accepted to the prep school that sounded so amazing but she doubted that she would be whole when she arrived.

"Do you trust this girl? Tomas asked when Lupe was silent.

"Andy trusts her and I trust him," she answered.

"Fucking Andy," Tomas grumbled, looking away from the rearview mirror in disgust. "Don't forget it was fucking Andy that got you into this shit!"

"You're full of shit, Tomas," Lupe said. "Andy didn't get me into anything. It's that awful place we live that got me into this shit. If your loud-mouthed cousin had stayed the fuck out of my business, no one would have paid a bit of attention to me. But she was ragging one fucking day and I shut her down. So she goes and tells the world that I'm cherry. That's when this shit started. If you want to kick the fuck out of the person who got me into this, look in your own fucking house and leave Andy alone."

Tomas stared silently in the mirror. He hadn't known his cousin had said anything about Lupe. The girl was only in sixth grade – but he knew she was uncontrollable when she got pissed off. Rico expected the older members of the group to keep the younger ones under control. It was an agreement in place to keep the peace with all the local gangs. If his cousin had shot her mouth off, Tomas might be called up to pay for it.

"Will you be safe tonight at home?" Tomas asked as they neared the school.

"I should be safe for a few days," Lupe answered, looking out the window at the passing buildings. "None of the pricks that have been giving me shit were there. I didn't see any of the black girls that usually ride the bus either. This might never be known."

"It'll be known," Elizabeth said firmly. "All the teachers know. They're going to be in a world of crap tomorrow morning and they'll know why. They might not say anything directly to a student but word will get around. They've proven they're cowards. It's how cowards operate – innuendo and gossip."

"She's right," Tomas agreed with a nod. "It might take until the weekend, but word will get out. Even if the fuckers were there today, I think you'll be cool for a few days. That will give Elizabeth time to work things out – and you time to talk to Rico and your mom. But it won't protect you at school."

"She's not going back there," Elizabeth said as they pulled into the parking lot of the high school. "She's going to do the rest of her year at the administration building. At least we managed to get that in place. We sure as shit fucked everything else up though."

Tomas shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe," he said. "Or maybe this is the best way for everybody. Lupe ... she's never fit in with the other girls her age. My cousin, the little bitch, is jealous because..."

"Because I'm never going into the life," Lupe stated. "It still doesn't give her the right to say shit about me."

"No," Tomas said. "And I'll deal with it if you let me."

"She said the shit before Christmas and I've kept it quiet," Lupe said. "I'm not about to stomp on her now that I'm almost gone."

Tomas nodded again as the pieces finally clicked for him. Telling Rico that another gang was giving her problems wouldn't have been an issue. Rico would have dealt with them as soon as he found out – as he did when Andy delivered the news. But Rico would want an explanation about the problem – and that would get a homegirl into the shit.

"If your parents are cool with it, I think Rico can be talked around if it's what Lupe wants," he said.

"I should tell you, I have a brother who is 17 and he's probably as big a jerk as the guys Lupe has been dealing with for the past few months," Elizabeth said. "I'll make sure he leaves her alone. He's scared to death of Andy and Paul – that's my boyfriend. If you and Rico want to have a talk with him, I won't be upset."

"If it comes to that," Tomas said simply. "For now, if it works for Lupe, I believe Rico will agree. Thank you, Elizabeth. I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable."

"Do I want to know what that was about?" Paul asked when Elizabeth climbed into his car.

"I really screwed up today," Elizabeth said.

"How did you screw up enough to land in a car with a pair of bangers?" Paul asked, the irritation clear in his voice.

"They gave me a ride back here from the middle school," Elizabeth answered. "They weren't there to beat me up."

"It wasn't beating you up that I worried about," Paul admitted. "Why were you at the middle school?"

"The other girl in the car is the one I told you about last night," Elizabeth told him. "The one Andy is helping out."

"Uh-huh," Paul said noncommittally. "And now Andy has gotten you involved in his mess?"

"I involved myself," Elizabeth replied angrily. "Andy told me what was going on and I stuck my big nose in the middle of it. You know, he's right. I don't know a damned thing about his life. I called Anita Lopez and she came strolling in like she had the world by the balls. I fell right in step beside her. The thing is, she's full of shit. She's just like every other teacher I've met. She has all these grand ideas about how life should go but when it's time for the shovel to meet the road, she's clueless."

"What did you do?" Paul asked.

"I convinced Andy to tell her what happened at the school," Elizabeth answered. "Worse still, I convinced Lupe to tell her, too."

"And she can't do anything," Paul said. It was a statement and not a question.

"Not a fucking thing!" Elizabeth said. "Now Lupe is in danger."

"Well, no shit!" Paul shot back. "Look, I know you meant well but there are certain sins in neighborhoods like theirs that are unforgivable. Snitching on someone to the authorities is probably the biggest. That girl is some serious shit – and so is Andy."

"I know," Elizabeth said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Andy is going to be fine. I'm not worried about him."

"You need to worry about him," Paul cut in. "He's wearing the same shoes as that girl. I know you said that he's got some gang leader looking out for him but this might be too big for even him to let go. Damn it, Elizabeth. What were you thinking?"

"I thought I had all the answers!" she raged. "OK? I thought I could do like I always do: Go to a parent or a teacher or a cop and things would change for the better. Andy's mother moved today. He's out of the neighborhood and I don't think he'll be back. Look, Paul, I already feel like shit. I don't need you rubbing my nose in it."

"What are you going to feel like when you see on the news that the girl's body was found in the bay?" Paul wondered.

"And just how are you an expert all the sudden?" Elizabeth yelled. "You would go two miles out of our way just so we didn't have to drive near the projects!"

"I took a sociology class this semester," Paul said in an even voice. "It was the politics of the inner city. The teacher wasn't some academic. He had been in a gang when he was teenager in Chicago. He got his college degree while in prison and he was still on parole when he finished his Ph.D. It was really interesting. You should take it if you get the chance."

"I'm learning all I want to know about that place," Elizabeth said.

"What are we going to do now?" Paul asked. "I'm telling you: The girl isn't safe."

"I've offered to let her live with me for the rest of the school year," Elizabeth admitted. She was positive that would mean her already limited time alone with her boyfriend would diminish further but she couldn't think of any other solution.

She was surprised when Paul nodded slightly.

"That could work," he said. "You live far enough away that she should be safe but it won't help her at school. I could ask my parents if she could stay with us. We're close enough to the boundary that I'm sure Anita would sign off on letting her finish the year at Truman's middle school."

Elizabeth turned in her seat to peer at her boyfriend.

"She's going to do independent study at the board office for the rest of the year," she explained. "But ... thanks. I was worried that you would, I don't know, think I was trying to put roadblocks in the way of us ever being alone."

Paul chuckled.

"Come August, you're going to see so much of me that you'll be sick of me," he said, reaching over to take Elizabeth's hand. "Besides, we're talking about a human life. I can't come up with a better plan. But what about Chuck?"

Chuck was Elizabeth's younger brother – and the bane of her existence. He started on the basketball team as a junior and thought he was God's gift to the female species.

"I'm going to have you and Andy explain the facts to him," Elizabeth said. "I've also invited the gang leader and the guy Andy calls the enforcer to pay us a visit. I think we can convince Chuck it is not in his interests to pay too much attention to her. Besides, it's only for a month. Mom and Dad are shipping his ass to camps for the rest of the year. He got into so much trouble last year that they don't want to take any chances this summer. He's started to get some recruiting letters from small schools."