"Now Michael-James you real-"
"My. Name. Is. Jimmy." I interrupted him. "Y'know it's not like I've never told you that before you've been my P.O. for the past 3 years you ought to pay attention more in your job"
"Listen kid, I know you're not happy about being placed here, I know you got to run free in that zoo they decided to call a boy's home but this'll be good for you. Ms. Mercer's a good lady so don't give her shit… plus you've got a surprise coming…. you'll be happy you ended up here."
'You've got a surprise coming…' those words echoed in my head. The last surprise that I received my mother –and I use that term lightly' told the court she wouldn't be able to handle me after I was released from Juvie and as a byproduct I became a ward of the state. Woo-hoo.
"You could at least pretend to be happy it's not like you're back at Juvenile Hall which I should remind you is where you're going to end up if this place doesn't work out the home's full and we ran out of options for you."
Regardless of what Jed Banner believed I was happynotbecauseI was going to foster home but the fact that I was getting out of that particular boys home. I could handleknowing that the people who were in charge couldn't care less about the kids –all they cared about was getting their damn checks from the state- hell, I was used to it, my own mother never showed me any kind of motherly affection… unless she was going through one of her episodes. What bothered me was that every time someone spent even a little time there… a little part of them died. I had lived there for the past year and a half…. Sometimes it felt like I had nothing left but a shell.
The door opened and a tall. Well-built black man interrupted my thoughts. "MA! The new kids here!"
An older woman about 55-ish with graying blond hair ushered me and Banner inside. "Now, you must be Jimmy, have a seat and as soon as I find the others I'll be with you, make yourself at home."
"Wow, what's that say about you if some old broad I never met knows what to call me and you don't?" I muttered to Banner as I stepped by him to stand by the couch.
"Shut up and sit down, Smith…. And get that smirk off of your face you want this to work you remember?"
"I thought you told me that she hasn't given up on anybody yet Banner… you mean I could be the first?" I plastered a look of mock-hope onto my face and plopped onto the armchair across from the couch figuring that if I sat alone the old lady wouldn't try to hug me or something.
5 minutes later Ms. Mercer came back into the living room with the guy that had answered her door and another skinnier black guy, both of them looked twenty-something but it's hard to tell age in Detroit the streets aged you. I looked a few years older than sixteen myself.
"Now Jimmy, you've met Angel already this is his older brother Jeremiah- Jerry. And this is…"
She paused obviously looking for someone who wasn't in the room. "Robert! Get in here and say hello!" There was muttering through the kitchen door before it was shoved open hard enough to cause the person to flinch as it hit him while he stood frozen in the doorway.
"Mikey?" it was soft almost like he couldn't believe it. Why should he? The asshole.
"I jumped up and headed for the door. Yelling: "Fuck this. Fuck him. Fuck you all and your goddamn surprise. I'll take my chances with two years in Juvie if I have to!" before letting it slam behind me and heading down the street at a jog.
Nobody's POV
Everyone turned to look at Bobby Mercer with the same question through their heads. Of course Angel was the one who voiced it.
"Yo, Bobby what's goin' on man? You've known that kid for 30 seconds and you already managed to piss him off? You got some skills, bro"
TO BE CONTINUED……….
Ahh cliff hangers R&R please