MPOV

'She doesn't even go to school here,' Sara talkin to her normal brood of wannabe starlets- aka the evilest girls of our school.

I got the solo!! Yes! I rock. I've been practicing so hardcore for this part, it's a solo singning part in our school musical; and while I have a high range for a Soprano II it was still a reach for me to hit some of those notes as solid as I did. But I musta nailed it! And it's Friday, I'll have some good nes to share with Glandyator during our weekly phone date.

Crap... that's what the chick meant when she was talking about me.. I beat her out for the part; me Madaam Melody Marvellous the Homeschooled of Iowa. I was homeschooled up til last year, when I started full time "PSEO" at Iowa State, and before that I tested out of 10 credits worth of language classes there; but I come to Daleview High for band and choir so I can be with kids my own age and have some sort of structured fun in my life. Most people don't even notice me most days. Well, actually that's not true since I did that stupid newspaper interview.

I made the front page, ya know, the VERY front, the section right in the middle, with my chubby mug plastered dead center. At least I could blame the 'distortion' on the fact that my face was right on the fold. Apparently testing out of credits at my age was an Iowa miracle, and the fact that I was fluent in 8 languages was worth overshadowing our governor's trip to NYC.

But seriously, that pic made me look not so cute, and at the worst time. I'm still trying to trap Anthony Scorsoni into asking me to prom. I know I'm a college student, but dang it I've never been to prom! Plus he's GORGEOUS and actually pretty smart! He took one PSEO class with me, it was just math but hey, it showed he cared about education. But seriously BLEH on that pic. I've been cutting meals down and working out more to get a nice fit in my gown. Nothing crazy or anything just a little "shaping up." Cherish noticed I ate less at dinner and ran harder today and she flipped out.

Anorexia?! I ate less I didn't stop altogether: jeez. I'm too smart for that.

Barny called me last night. Kinda out of the blue, and a Thursday night kinda past his usual time, had me nervous for him right away. He said he was just lonely and the only one at his place. I asked him about Nena, and how Jose and my favorite young man (Glandy) was. And I got him to tell me what attracted him to his gf of almost a year, just to try to figure a way to snare my current desire. He told me a bunch of things, but I'm not sure they're compatible, something about his voice sounded nervous, but it did the whole time so maybe I'm reading into it. I'm still worried about that boy.

Cherish's POV

Ah, I love my house! I finally am "on my own" all moved out. I'm not entirely on my own, I live with my best friend since forever, Marvel, (Barnabas named her that, I think for her athletics or something. Come to think of it, he and Glandyator named me Cherish too.. They all had crushes on me when we were little.) and my older sis Maria. Mel might move in next year or the year after when she's done with highschool altogether, but I'm still worried she's too young. She's got me worried about her, almost eating just plain lettuce at dinner, and after a hard run today. I understand wanting to look good for prom, but the girl's like a size five now! She's LITTLE, too little to do that to herself, and too little to hang out with us big girls all the time. I'm worried about the people she hangs out with, they seem like partyers. O well, I'm maybe just too conservative, but I worry about her.

And Barny.. sigh, it seems like we never like each other at the same time! I like him again, but I guess it was me that said we shouldn't do anything while we're so far away and both so young. He wanted to try, I said no, and now he has Nena. And has for about a year; plus he kissed her. He's gonna be hooked for awhile longer. O well, he's a great friend! I love talking to him like we did last night. I'm just worried I won't be around when he changes his mind again.

BPOV

I called the girls last night for the first time in a little while. Why? Cuz I was freaked the heck out. My heart rate was going four times the bpm's it should have after a marathon. I was on edge. Why was I so edgy? Cuz I did the stupidest thing I've yet done in my life. No big deal. Well, actually it was almost the end of my life, and it wasn't entirely my fault. Tek kinda started it. Jose's drug contact was a little spacey, but he found us some great cars and he's kinda funny to talk to. He freestyles a lot, and he's hilarious when he's doing it, but I never thought he was a complete fool til last night. He got a Viper to use for the next month. I don't know how, from who, or why; but why the heck do I care!? He's letting me drive it for a few races. So naturally, we had to test it out right? We went up to the hill behind my town and before Mueller City. It's flat for about six miles, and there's only farmers up there, all spread out; and if ya go late enough, or even at like 6 pm, there's nobody up there. So I opened her up: Ninyo riding shotty and Tek in the backseat, basically sitting on top of the Nos tanks. Somehow he figured out a way to buckle in, had to give him a point for not forgetting that. I got the Viper up to fifth gear, we were CRUISIN, 180-184 easy, smooth. That's when Tek decided to release the spray, he pushed the button. No warning to me, the driver; no warning, in fifth gear out of SIX gears. Six, not five. I had to shift during an explosion; the whole car shot into hyperspace. The digital spedometer read 209 before I finally managed to pull over and park. We must have sat 12-15 minutes before any of us had the nerve to move, breathe, speak. My adrenaline was way too high.

"you ok bro?" Jose checkin on me, my knuckles were still white.

"yeah, I'm good," that's when Ninyo did what I hoped he'd do. Blurry flash of giant Mexican bicep and then a giant's fist found Tek's gut.

"NEVER push that button, EVER." Tek got the message loud and clear. I

I drove back down the hill at like 30 mph, and that still felt fast, I was looking out for everything. I wasn't sure I trusted myself with this atom bomb strapped to me for the race this weekend.

So I called Mel, then Cherish, then Glandy. All just to calm my nerves and hear a soothing voice and just get this off my mind. Mom and Dad were still on their trip to Jamaica til sometime next week, so I could call them and chat tonight and not have to worry about Mom teasing that I was talking to girls.

I missed those girls, and I caught myself wondering why I didn't call Nena first. 'Well, you'll see her tomorrow and get a real hug,' I let myself rationalize, but still it was nice to talk to the girls. Plus my girl's been a bear about all this prom junk.

We're just juniors, we have another year to worry about this last year prom crap, but she's going crazy. We should have a before dinner and do something fun after toghether with our other friends. "Other friends" means the other couples we know: Dave (my first friend at this school and favorite quarterback) and his girl Sam, and Jr. and his girlfriend, and maybe Josh and his girl, and Chase just cuz we love him. she got mad at me around Winterfest cuz I just hung out with a bunch of guys before the dance, so I let her plan this one. We were gonna have dinner at her friend Desiree's house; she's kind of the crazy blonde friend. She's booksmart, and a bit of a southern bell style princess: aka she was an airhead. And then after the dance we were gonna go back to Nena's house with Dave and Sam and just watch movies and hang out; and I'd prolly crash on her floor or the couch cuddling with her. Both our parent's were somewhat ok with that; it'd be late so Mom doesn't like me driving, plus they're living room is in plain view so we can't do anything against their wishes. We wouldn't anyway, it was just cool that they let me stay in the first place. Dave and Sam would be there too, which was always fun. If I was forced into a double date they were the couple to do it with. Always hilarious and an adventure with those two. Oh, and my tie had to match her dress, not too bad it was just blue. She wasn't a total Promzilla, but a little frustrating for sure.

After the calls it was still only about 8:15, and the guys weren't coming over for Axis and Allies til 8:30, so I started the pizza and started setting up the game pieces while I waited. Tonight was Josh, his brother Justin (I call him "Bic" cuz he lights stuff on fire all the time) and Chase and his brother Josh aka "world's best freshman." They were great at this game, and tonight was no exception, the game went til about 3 am this time. That was fine, no parents meant no one to yell at us when we got loud and the bass was too loud during "Desperado" (one of the best Antonio Banderas movies ever- yeah, I have a man crush- deal with it). It was me and the little brothers against my two best friends from school. Bics hadn't played the game before, so we gave him Russia in traditional rookie style, Freshman Josh had the U.S. and I took United Kingdom. Chase had Germany, and big Josh Japan. That's what sunk us. We gave the most powerful country to our biggest challenge- Chase, and Josh was no slouch in sea battles, so he took U.S.'s sea zone easily. Chase wiped out Russia entirely before I managed to get onto the land in German territory, and the Josh's were stuck fighting on Western U.S. so I got no help there. We lost, but it was a fun night.

Saturday-

I went to go visit Gram after I woke up and cleaned up the house and kicked the guys out- it was about 3 pm. We slept til after noon sometime, ate another pizza and watched Wild Boyz or something to make fun of while our eyes adjusted to the sun.

Gram was happy when I yelled into the house, I just wanted to see her before I picked up Nena for our date that night, and a couple hours of cards and talking with my mom's mom wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon. Plus, I got a tip that she'd just baked me an apple pie- just a perk, but hey, it's apple pie! She almost always kicked my butt hard at Rummy, 500, Skip Bo, didn't really matter my Grandma was a shark. I stayed with her a couple games but she ran me over most of the three hours I was there. At least the pie tasted better than my utter defeat.

"Is that enough? Have more, ya don't wanna pig out in front of that girl of yours." Subtle Gram, very smooth. "Get some icecream out, do you want icecream?" I knew if I said no she'd ask again, so I said no. "You sure?" Ha, that meant she wanted some, but didn't wanna have her cold savory dessert on her own. I 'caved in' and we just laughed and talked about school and prom and how much fun I had with the guys last night. I didn't tell her absolutely everything, but Gramma got me. She was one of the only ones in our family who understood me and stood up for me. She even remembered to ask me if I got the solo I was looking for. I didn't exactly get it, my choir teacher turned it into a trio, but I was part of that. He was easily the coolest teacher at our school, and I was looking forward to being his T.A. next year.

"Ok, well ya better get goin' Chris, don't wanna keep that girl waiting" jokingly Gram pointed her arthritic finger at me like she was mad. Then, remembering the joke I told her about my cousin, she straightened out the finger so she could point right at me. I could still hear what he said,

"Chris, I learned something important today."

"O yeah? What's that?"

"If Grandma's mad at you, stand right in front of her so she can't blame you!"

The "gramma finger" was notorious, she'd always point when she was making a point or upset, and because she couldn't point straight at you due to her aged and arthritic hands, my lil' cuz thought that meant he was exempt from the blame.

"Alright Gram, love ya" a quick kiss then I was out the door.

That night I talked to Glandy online for an hour before I called him. He was starting to feel sick again, like he did last time he went to Mayo Clinic for a week and 5 days. That was the worst I'd ever seen him. Even his mom was ghastly white when she saw him, and she's rarely been surprised by his ailment. I worry about him. I'm the first to say that he's one tough brother, but I think secretly I'm one of the most scared that he won't make it to his graduation day. I don't want my best friend to die, my younger, wiser Levite. Glandyator, he's a fighter, but I worry how much longer this battle can go.

GPOV

Prom is coming. Woo-hoo. Melody was sweet; she told me she'd go with me "in a heartbeat" if she had a way to get to Gorin from Iowa. That was sweet, but I'm not sure I'll have a normal prom night ever. I'm feeling sick anyway, prom's a week away, and if I get down with something I might not be able to go anyway. I'm only a sophomore, but still I know that it's weird for most girls to be seen on anything that can be considered a date with someone like me: someone who was gonna die any day, or someone with a disability everyone knows about. Let alone a pretty girl like Ashley Wohtke, the cutest girl in our school, and she's hardcore about her faith too. I see her at least twice a week at church, and even though she hangs out with the "popular" kids, they all know she hates swearing and they listen to her about it. I respect that, she's strong. But I'd just be a pity dance if anything. O well, Maria told me she'd save me at least two dances (three if I swallow my pride and breakdance once in that silly circle). I dunno, maybe I'll go to that afterprom thing with Jose, but he won't be at the real prom so I'll just hang out with Maria and Barny.

I'm worried about that big bruiser Jose, he's a big tough guy but having a baby before you graduate highschool's gotta be weighing him down. Tina's due in just over a month, and I know money's tight around his place. He's working too hard for a kid, and his poor Nana's even working to get their place ready for when the little boy comes.

JPOV

Tek's on my last nerve. His mouth is writing check his body can't cash. He thinks just cuz he's on good terms with my actual brother Italo, our gang's big boss, that he can run my part of Gorin, and my garage, like he's the damn king of the whole world. I started working at this garage when I was 13, helping Italo with cleaning the shop, doing small stuff like oil changes and pumping up tires for people when their low; but within a year or two I was helping with the hard stuff on engine blocks, mufflers, rocker arms, camshafts, I was putting in work. Italo left his legitimate business in my hands so I could make a good amount of cash on the side in case I get busted. It was coming in handy lately: I was giving some of the guys less hours so I could soak up more of the cash. I had a baby boy on the way; and between stocking up on toys, a crip, diapers, meds, formula, and continually paying off Tina to not do any drugs and as a "thank you" for letting me get full custody and not having an abortion, I was broke. I was less than broke, I was strapped for cash. Even the huge runs and wins Barny's been bringing me at the track and our street races barely seem to help. I was up 800 til the last race, I lost three hundo when Barny lost to some black kid running a V-8 in a Honda. Never saw it coming when he took the last length with spray. Still, you'd think up five hundred would be a good night. It was, but still not enough. I wanted my son to have it all.

Nana thinks I should name him Michael, after the fighting angel for "Dios." She was a true Mexican Catholic, but I actually liked that idea 100%. That's a strong name, kinda B.A. And if he's my kid, he's definitely gonna be B.A. Mikey. He's coming soon. And I need to save up.

That's why Tek reminding me I'm broke, and his comment on how it was sad "for the hottest gangsta on the block to not have a date to some bull school dance" was not something I could take. I stood up, we both puffed up like some sort of jungle apes, like somehow looking a bit bigger would convince the other to back down.

"Tek, shut your damn mouth. You know I can't do that to Tina. She might be just some chick to you, and yeah she and I broke up but I'm not some prick going out to show the school that I can go out when my ex is having my kid and staying home. Plus that stupid ticket's like 50 bucks, why waste my money?"

"Whatever man, I'm just playin."

"Quit playing then. I'm trying to work, someone's gotta make up for your mistakes." I was starting to flip it; he screwed up a big shipment of weed and lost the whole stash when the drug dogs found it at school. Luckily they found it in the athletic locker room in our vent instead of his locker. We put it in that vent after we got paid, and that way no cop ever saw us actually give the big drug shipments hand in hand at school, and lucky it wasn't cocaine or the cops would have looked harder at the fingerprints around the vent. But either way that was stupid, he should have just skipped class when he saw the dogs came and moved the whole pack off campus til the heat left. His stupidity cost us more than a refund to that kid. Jerry bought from us all the time, the crazy rich white kid bought it all, and for top dollar. If we screwed something up I wanted to make sure he wasn't gonna switch to the Crips' dealers, so I gave him a whole refund, and a discount on his next high, came to being out about 700 bucks overall.

"Dawg, that was NOT my fault! There were cops and I was already in once for possesion with intent this year, I can't risk that. They can put us in big boy jail now."

I knew his reasons, I just wanted to get on his nerves before I went back to work. He was already on my nerves, and that's why when he pulled that stupid stunt in the Viper we got from Italo's supplier got me violent against him. He needed to know I'm not gonna take his stupid crap. He set Nos off when we weren't even in top gear, and he wasn't even driving. We coulda blown up dammit! I swear that kid's dumber than most of our crackheads. Good thing Barny's got his shit in order, and knew by some miracle how to keep the car on the road. We were just getting in a test drive, getting Barnes-an'-Noble ready to drive the thing for real at the track. Tek, thinks he knows best, and can't even tie his own damn shoes.

This prom thing went to Maria's head. Yeah, she was gonna dance with Glandy a couple dances, and Barny too, if she could wrench him away from his chick, but I saw her dress, and the fact she was still hanging around that Jeff cracker. I know she'll be smart, but I know that Jeff won't be. He's the kinda guy who doesn't seem to wanna wait more than a date to get in a girl's pants, and he never stays around any of the girls he's dated for very long. Got me worried about my baby sister.

Maria'sPOV

I can feel my big brother's icey breath on my neck so close that the big spic's gonna gimme frostbite around my hoops. Dang. I tried to calm him down; yeah I was talking to Jeff, yeah I'll prolly dance with him; but Jose should know better. I never let any boys take me out, and I like good boys like his friend Barny, and even Glandy's pretty cute. I'd prolly go out with him if he didn't have the HIV. Not that I'd ever give it up to a boy until we were like... engaged, but still, it'd be messed up dating a guy you're worried about dying. He is nice though. I am definitely gonna throw him a couple slow dances. Plus he can tango, few men can do that. Maybe I can convince him at prom.

I'm worried he's not happy enough with who he is. He smiles so big when he's praying, I'm glad he at least has God to comfort him.

And that Barny guy's really fun to flirt with, and he's definitely a good guy. Jose doesn't like me hanging around guys from that part of his life, but really he's more just a nice white boy I know from church. He's got a girl though, and I don't think he's the guy for me, but still he coulda been a fun date.

But I do not need Jose on me right now; I'm trying to stay off his radar lately. He's got enough goin' down between his kid coming and losing money on baby stuff and at the garage. I heard him and Tek fighting. I know Ninyo could kick his ass pretty easy, but Tek's the kinda guy to pull a knife like it's nothing. Jose's been cut before, but Tek's too proud to think he's second best in the crew. I'm worried he's gonna try a power move that's gonna really hurt Jose, or something else I don't even wanna think. I gotta make sure Italo's got our family first.

Tek's POV

Who's that punk think he is? Telling me I need to listen to him?! He's not the big boss on these streets. I got that. I run that. Not him. He's got the muscles and he runs the garage, but that kid's delirious if he thinks i'm gonna let him walk over me on drugs and let him budge into my spot in the Blood. I'm Blood in Blood out, forget him if he thinks cuz his brother's Italo that he gets some kinda family dynasty legacy bull and gets to take over.

That thing with the drug K9's wasn't my fault; he should be smarter than to say I fouled up there. I didn't know they were coming, and Jerry already put up the dough. We shouldn't have paid him back all that, Jerry should know that wasn't our deal. Fine, pay him back for the shipment, but give him a DISCOUNT!? Nah, that stupid white ass punk can suck it up and wait til we get more weed. He's been buying from me for a couple years, and that stupid wetback's worried that Jerry's gonna switch crews over one drug dog in our school? Nah, he's too scared to switch; Jerry's a dumb crackhead, but he knows what'd happen if he did me wrong. I'm the badass nigga his parents church group has nightmares about. And I'm not worried bout shit except my wallet.

And fine, I screwed up in the Viper, but I got us the goddamn ride. If it gets messed up that's on me, fine. But it's not like we can't fix it anyway, we own a fucking garage. And we were fine, we were on a straight road, not like we could have really rolled that beast.

Maybe Italo will have Jose first. That's got me a little nervous gotta admit. I been running with that cat for like four years, but blood's thicker than water right? Well maybe my Blood cred will be thick enough for him. Between my shipments and crew we more than doubled our up takes on our product. Listen to me, I sound like some old white suit. Still, Jose's good at what he's doing, not as good as me, but maybe E-lo (Italo) won't see it that way. Got me a bit nervous.