CHAPTER 6

I'M WHAT'S LEFT, I'M WHAT'S RIGHT

Tuesday afternoon, right before dismissal, I got a text from Eve to come to her locker. When I got there, I found her leaning up against her locker, grinning from ear to ear. Crowds of students moved here and there through the halls, most heading home, some delaying to speak with friends. "What's up?", I asked.

She tapped the locker next to her. "Lean back against the locker, like me."

I did so. "Okay, um… why?"

"So that none of them," she nodded towards the crowds, "will be able to look over your shoulder to see these."

She passed me her phone. On it was a picture of Roxy, Missy, and Becca in the locker room wearing nothing but bath towels. They had green streaks in their hair and shocked expressions. I swiped through several pictures, watching them get increasingly more agitated. That last pic showed them rushing at the camera in a rage.

"What the hell happened?", I asked.

Eve broke down in giggles. "What happened is that they finally lived to regret all the shit they've given me."

I raised an eyebrow. "You did this?"

Eve nodded with a wicked look on her face.

"How?"

"Roxy's locker..." she pointed down the hall. "-is right over there. When her shower kit needs restocking, she keeps the new stuff in there before gym- probably so it doesn't leak all over her schoolbooks or something. I've seen what shampoo she uses, so last night I got the same brand and some hair dye from the drugstore, and pulled the old switcheroo! I didn't know she would share the bottle with her jerk friends, though. That was a bonus!"

"Wow," I said. "Congrats on getting even!"

Eve smiled as I handed her phone back.

"How'd you get inside her locker, though?", I asked.

She put a finger to her lips. "Trade secret. So what do you think? You like it?"

I smiled. "Well, I can't say she doesn't deserve it for being such an ass to you. She must have been furious, though."

"Totally!", Eve said triumphantly. "She chased me right out of the locker room, but I got away because she couldn't leave wearing just a towel!"

"I wish she would have tried! Can you imagine, Roxy in nothing but a towel, running full tilt down the hallway, going bouncy, bouncy, bouncy..."

Eve laughed like a maniac, and I joined in, heedless of the looks we were getting from our fellow students. After a few moments, my laughing stopped as I suddenly realized something.

"Wait...", I said. "You said Roxy's locker was right over there?"

Eve nodded.

"Shit," I said. "We'd better get moving, she'll be stopping by before going home, and if she sees you, she'll..."

As if on cue, I saw a bouncing blur of bright pink spheres and blond-and-green waves moving fast through my peripheral vision. Before I could even warn Eve, Roxy yanked her away from me. "What the…?", Eve exclaimed.

"Give me that, you little cunt-stain!", Roxy bellowed in a fury. She grappled Eve and tried to wrest the phone out of her hand.

"Fuck you!" Eve retorted, struggling to free herself from the human Barbie's kung-fu grip.

From behind, I grabbed Roxy by the shoulders and tried to pull her off Eve. "Whoa, whoa, settle dow..."

Roxy whipped one arm around and backhanded me. The blow was strong enough to knock me back and sting my cheek. I staggered on my feet. Roxy was surprisingly strong when enraged. "Stay out of this, emo boy!", she roared like a lioness.

Eve managed to free the hand holding her phone. "Aaron, go long!" She tossed the phone to me. Her aim was horrible. I had to dive to catch it, but catch it I did. Eve managed to worm out of Roxy's grip and shove her into the lockers. Eve then turned and bolted down the hallway.

Steadying herself against the lockers, Roxy pointed a finger and a fiery look at me. "Get him!" she shouted.

Almost too late, I noticed Roxy's friends were here too. Becca charged me. I nimbly dodged her attempted tackle, weaved around Missy- who was standing around helplessly- and took off after Eve. The girls gave chase, but Roxy was running in heels, which slowed them. Moreso when one of those heels snapped and Roxy faceplanted onto the floor. I caught up to Eve at the corner of the hall. She watched, cackling, as Roxy's friends helped her to her feet. "Good thing those cushions broke your fall, bitch!" Eve taunted.

"Not a bitch," I corrected. "And don't stop!" I grabbed Eve by the hand and dragged her along behind me. A quick look back before rounding the corner and I saw Roxy kicking off her heels to continue pursuit.

We ran through the crowded hallway, Eve and I, at full speed. Nimbly we dodged around and past students we didn't know as the air rushed past our ears. Instinct and agility- boosted by adrenaline- meant we avoided knocking anyone over. Despite the circumstances, there was something joyous and liberating about running hand and hand with Eve through the school halls, ducking and weaving all the way. Eve laughed giddily, as we drove on at exhilarating speed.

At the T-junction at the hall's end we turned left, and skidded to an abrupt stop. Ahead of us, we noted a familiar blood-burgundy sweater vest and brown ponytail. Before being noticed, we turned 180 degrees and started walking fast- not running- away from Annie. Roxy had not given up the chase, but (Fucking) Annie catching us was potentially worse. I stowed Eve's phone in my inner jacket pocket- if Annie caught us and saw what was on it, we would be in very big trouble.

Roxy was not so cautious and tore around the corner, colliding with someone and sending him and his books flying clear across the hall. "Hey!", Annie's voice rang out. Hoping that she was focused on Roxy, we took off again. We kept well ahead of Roxy- her friends had either given up or decided not to risk Annie's wrath- but we couldn't do this forever. At the next corner we took a right into a less-trafficked area of the school. The hallway was empty. Looking around for a hiding place, I spotted Coach Bridgette's office. I tried the knob and got lucky.

"In here!", I said, dragging Eve into the office before shutting the door.

The room was cramped, windowless, and closet-sized, with a big desk in the center and shelves of athletic memorabilia behind. A clear glass pane in the door allowed someone outside to see almost the entire room. But there was a blind spot where you could hide. "Here, here!" I dragged Eve to the corner and pushed her back against the wall, squeezing in very close in front of her. "Whoa!", Eve said. "Uh, Aaron, personal space..."

I shushed her. "Keep quiet! I need to stay close so that she can't see us."

Eve clammed up. We caught our breath. Our hearts were beating fast from the run. I looked at Eve and she was almost sweating. My hands were on her shoulders. I could feel her breath on her mouth. My eyes met hers and they were sparkling. Her mouth hung open, and her chest rose and fell in small heaves. Breath passed back and forth between us.

I very much wanted to kiss her right then. She looked like she'd very much like to be kissed. But before I had the chance to find out, she turned away from me, flushed. I turned my eyes to the wall above her and abandoned the idea.

From outside we heard the steps of bare feet, rounding the corner and coming to a stop. I imagined Roxy looking around, wondering where we had gone. A second later, there was the sound of someone being tackled to the ground. Roxy groaned in pain. "J.V. track," we heard Annie's voice say. "Would be varsity now if I hadn't become hall monitor instead. Running in the halls is a serious infraction, miss!"

"So is what that little bitch..." Roxy protested.

"… as is profanity," Annie added smugly. "And I see nobody else in this hallway. Just someone who wants to recklessly endanger both herself and her fellow students. Not to mention, that hair is a bold violation of the new school dress..."

"Oh, fuck you, shrimp!" Roxy growled. "Let me tell you…"

Whatever Roxy had to say about us, it was too late. Insulting Annie's height immediately made her the highest-priority offender there was. "Do NOT address me like that!", Annie yelled. "You have just earned yourself DE-TEN-TION! You will come with me, NOW!"

"Fuck you!", Roxy spat.

"Would you like me to call our official security personal, young lady?"

"No, fuck you! You enforce the rules you want to, when you want to, all depending on..."

"ENOUGH!" Annie said it loudly and forcefully enough that Roxy actually shut up. "Detention, NOW! You can follow me, or you can be escorted by Mister Jackson."

Mister Jackson was one of the school security staff. Big, broad, bald, and able to keep troublemakers in line simply by crossing his arms and glowering. I don't think he was a fan of being Annie's muscle, but it was a living.

Apparently, the prospect intimidated Roxy enough that she opted for the high road. "Fine, but once we get there I'm going to have something to say about that little thug Eve."

"I'm sure it will be very illuminating," Annie said. "Detention! Move!"

We heard the sounds of clomping footsteps outside.

"And no goose-stepping!", Annie said. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

After a few seconds, the footsteps faded down the hallway and we relaxed. "They gone?", Eve asked.

"Sounds like it", I replied. I peaked out the window. Nobody there. "Looks like it too. Come on," I said. "Let's get out of here before something else happens."

A minute or so later, we were on the sidewalk, heading home. We would ultimately take different paths, but for a few blocks we could walk together.

"How did you know that door would be open?", Eve asked.

"Didn't," I replied. "Not for sure, anyway. But Coach Bridgette often forgets to lock it, so I rolled the dice. Friend of mine from the Frisbee club had to hide from a beatdown in there once."

"Frisbee Club?", Eve asked.

"Bunch of guys I knew who liked to play Frisbee in the schoolyard during lunch. We did our fair share of troublemaking. That particular incident involves a dead chipmunk and a cheerleader's backpack. And her six-foot-five boyfriend. Long story." Now that the adrenaline wore off, my cheek had started to sting from Roxy's slap. "How's my face look?" I asked.

Eve took a close look. "Kinda red. Not bleeding or anything, but you might want to put some ice on it when you get home. Does it hurt?"

I shook my head. "I'll be fine."

Eve grimaced. "I'm sorry, Aaron. If I had thought to meet you outside school instead..."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Forget it, no big deal."

Eve dropped her gaze to the sidewalk. "Yeah, well… anyway, thanks for your help, Aaron. You really are the best."

"If you want to thank me, delete those pics." I took her phone from my pocket and handed it back to her. "Taking pictures in the locker room is a big, big deal."

"Step ahead of you. I'll do it as soon as I get home. And thanks for helping me get back at Roxy in the first place."

I blinked. "Uh… what help? I didn't do anything."

Eve smiled. "You gave me the idea. Yesterday, all that talk about how we should get back at the school, how I can be as badass as I want to. It got me thinking. And the result is something I'm calling 'Project Last Laugh.'"

I gave her an uncertain look. "Ominous," I said.

Eve went on. "Yesterday, I spent the afternoon making a list of people who have made my life a living hell over the past year, and that hair dye today was the first step of my master plan. We don't have much high school left, and in the time we do have, I'm going to get my revenge. By graduation, I'm going to make them all pay!" She grinned evilly.

"Uhh…," I said. "Maybe dial it back a few notches, Eve. Revenge list, making them pay, you're starting..." I looked over my shoulder to see if anybody was around to hear. "You're starting to sound like a school shooter or something," I said in a low tone of voice.

Eve frowned and waved the notion off. "It's nothing like that, Aaron. I just need to prove to that I can stand up for myself."

"Well, standing up for yourself is one thing, but have you ever thought of what might happen if somebody decides to get even with your getting even? Or several people? You could wind up getting in more trouble than..."

Eve groaned. "Don't be a buzzkill, Aaron."

"I'm not trying to buzzkill, I just think you should calm down a bit and..."

Eve whirled to face me and interrupted. "Do you want even with Tyrone?"

The question threw me. "What?"

"Tyrone and his lackeys are second on the list. I've got a plan, but I need help. Do you want to get even with him?"

I thought: harassing Eve, humiliating me in a rap battle, hosing us both down with cheap beer. I really shouldn't. It was a really bad idea. But…

"Yeah, I want to get even with Tyrone," I admitted.

Eve smiled brightly. "Awesome! So, here's what I need from you..."

I showed up at the fountain in the park Wednesday at sunset, as promised. It was much the same as last time. Sky darkening quickly. Eve sitting against the fountain, sketching. Tyrone and company around the other end, blasting the bass. The fountain waters crashing quietly on between them. Eve smiled and waved when she saw me, then stowed her drawing supplies in her backpack as I approached. I sat down next to her to conspire.

"Good to see you didn't chicken out," Eve teased.

I nervously checked over my shoulder. "Give me a few seconds and I might. The more I think about this idea, the less I like it."

"What are you afraid of?," Eve chastised. "We're not doing anything illegal."

"That doesn't mean things can't go wrong! Worst case scenario, Tyrone catches us and we have to hope we can run fast enough to escape a beatdown."

"Don't worry, If it comes to that, I know I can count on you to sacrifice yourself so I can get away," she said with a grin.

I didn't grin back. "Very reassuring. Let's just do this, alright? The sooner it gets done, the sooner we can go home and cross those three off of your revenge list. Where'd they leave their bags?"

Eve pointed one way around the fountain. "That way. You clear on the plan?"

I pointed in the opposite direction. "I go around that way, draw their attention, keep them occupied. You sneak around the other way, drop the payload in their bags, then make for the trees before they notice you. We meet up at the first bench on the north path after the deed is done. You got this mysterious 'payload', I assume?"

Eve opened up the front pocket of her backpack, revealing a cardboard box filled with glass vials. "Stink bombs!", she said, grinning ear to ear. "Got them from the dollar store in the poor neighborhood yesterday."

"Seriously?", I said. "What is this, 1950?"

"Hey, no school like the old school! I got pranked by these once in junior high. The smell is worse than skunk, and what's more, it clings. To clothes, fabric, skin, pretty much everything. Drop these in their bags, they'll need hazmat suits for the next two days! What about you? You got your distraction ready?"

"Gave myself a crash course last night, thought up and memorized some lines. Doubt I'll win, but I can keep them occupied for long enough. Assuming you don't get caught."

She tapped her hood's ear. "These aren't just for show, I move like a cat when I want to. So, we ready?"

I took a deep breath to steady myself. "As I'll ever be." Not like that was saying much. Still, if I wasn't here, Eve would probably try to do it alone, which had a much bigger chance of blowing up in her face. That alone made it worthy endeavor. If maybe not a terribly smart one. "Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," Eve said.

I hesitated. "Can I get a kiss if I make it back alive?"

Eve laughed and shoved me forward. "Go, you cowardly lion, you!"

Having both read the book and seen the movie, I knew calling someone a cowardly lion isn't exactly an insult. I wondered if Eve saw it that way, but no time for that: Project Last Laugh was a go.

I made my leisurely around the fountain, using my best swagger and pulling my hood up to add to the intimidation factor. Chico saw me approach and nudged Tyrone. He and Chad followed Chico's gaze and saw me. I kept my eyes on them while walking, and they kept their eyes on me, and away from their bags. I walked to a position where they were directly between me and the bags, so that looking at me meant looking directly away from their bags. I gave them my best challenging glare.

It was Tyrone who spoke first. "What up, homes?", he said grimly. He obviously suspected trouble, but had no idea what kind.

"I'm here for a rematch," I said.

Tyrone sat up straight and considered me. "Rematch?"

"I want another rap battle. Same stakes as before- win and you have to leave Eve alone, lose and you can do whatever you want."

Tyrone laughed. "Easy when you wagering nothing, ain't it, white boy? Your girl don't come 'round here no more."

"Actually," Chad said, "she's right over there, man..."

Tyrone waved a hand to shut Chad up.

"Maybe she wants to start again," I said. "Maybe she wants to clear you out first."

Tyrone shook his head. "Mmmm, don't think so, kid. If she put you up to this, why she ain't standing by your side now? More like you knew she'd be coming tonight and decided to come around to pick a fight and impress her?"

I gave him a condescending smirk. "You trying to chicken out, Tyrone?"

All three of them laughed. "Man, you must be a sucker for pain," Chad said. "We already schooled you once, how's it gonna be any different this time?"

"I wasn't ready last time. Now I am," I boasted.

Chad scoffed and turned away laughing, "Do you two hear this crazy little shit?"

"Nah, nah, hold on a minute," Tyrone cut in with a grin. "I think I wanna see this. White boy thinks he's got his hands on some skills somewhere, let's see him prove it. Might be worth a laugh."

Chad clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Man, I don't need to waste my time and talent on this little pussy! He wants to feel big, he can go find a girl who'll spread 'em for five."

"Like who, your sister?", I said.

Chad glared at me. "Bitch, I ain't got no sister!"

"How do you know? From what I hear, you might have seven, your Mom's such a whore," I smiled.

Chico and Tyrone both laughed, but Chad most definitely did not.

"Oh, shit!" Tyrone said. "Chad got burned! Maybe white boy has picked up a thing or two."

Chad's fists clenched. "Yeah, he'll pick up a fat lip, too, if he keeps it up."

"Settle down Chad," Tyrone said. "you think he needs a lesson, you teach it on the mic. White boy wants a rematch, I say we give it to him." As before, Tyrone went over to the bags and fished out two portable mics. "Same rules as before; three rounds, we go first, best of three wins. You game, white boy?"

"I'm game."

"Coo'," Tyrone lobbed one mic to me, and the other to Chico. "Chico, you up first."

"Like hell!", Chad said. "Gimme the mic, Chcio, you had your turn last time, I want a piece of this little shit."

After a moment's consideration, Chico handed it over. "Yeah, alright, I'll wait my turn. Just be sure to leave some for me."

"Heh. No guarantees, man, I'm gonna thrash this little pussy like a woman's."

Tyrone threw a disapproving look- which Chad missed- before starting the music. A hard beat started up and Chad laid down his verse:

"You step to me, boy? Huh, you wanna go?

Well bend over, 'cuz I'll spank you like a ho!

You think yo tough, well I bench two-eight-oh,

Just a touch, you'll be on the ground, yellin' 'Sir, no!'

You'll beg for mercy 'fore we start the fight,

But send Little Blue around, and I can do her right.

The whole town knows you think she's hella tight,

Let me loosen her up- we'll go for three whole nights."

Chad threw down the mic and stepped to me, arms wide like he wanted to fight for real. Honestly, I might have liked to fight too. I could care less what he said about me, but Chad was no fool- he knew disrespecting Eve would push my buttons. But I kept cool, reminding myself that it didn't matter what was said- I was just the diversion. Eve's revenge- and my own- relied on me staying in the game.

In any case, the chance of escalation faded quickly after Tyrone spoke up. "Wooooo-eee! That's some nuclear-strength burn there, Chad." He passed Chad a joint.

"That's how I roll, especially with losers like this," Chad said sneeringly. He took a hit and then passed the joint back to Tyrone.

While they were occupied, I risked a quick look at their bags. Eve had snuck up and was rummaging through them, finding places to plant the stink bombs. From where she was, they couldn't see her unless they turned to look at the bags directly. I had to keep their attention.

"Hey! My turn," I called.

Tyrone laughed. "Well, someone's raring. Okay, white boy, let's see if you've improved like you say."

He put on a beat and I raised the mic to my lips. I didn't have to win, but I did have to do well enough to keep eyes on me. Luckily I had a few good lines prepared, and Chad had been predictable. I got the tempo and laid my first verse:

"Chad, Chad, boy so fake. Ditch the joint, you're already baked!

Talkin' I'm weak, talking your muscles,

When everybody know that you all hustle.

Don't know one boy that'll say you beat him,

Don't know one girl who'll say she'd eat 'em

Gel hair, wife-beater, tribal tat.

School laughs at me? Nah, behind your back.

Chad, Chad, not so dope. Take a hint, your game's all trope."

Chad's sneer had deepened at my insults. Tyrone, on the other hand, looked impressed. "Huh," he said, "I do believe that was halfway decent. What you think, Chico?"

Chico made an uncertain gesture. "Eh, not as bad as last time, but still not at a real G's level."

"Yeah, it's close, but I'm gonna give round one to Chad," Tyrone said.

"Close, my ass!", Chad said. "This little shit got nothing..."

Tyrone laughed and took Chad by the shoulders. "Easy, Chad, easy, you won. No need to start swinging when you've already killed it. Let's go on to round two. Chico, you're up."

Chico nodded and picked up the mic from where Chad had thrown it down. He took a second to brush it off. Tyrone went to the stereo and cued up the next track. "Give him your best, man, no holding back this time."

After taking a minute to get the tempo, Chico took his shot:

"Here we go again, whitey back for more,

Thinkin' he's the man for callin' Chad's mom a whore.

Just who you think you are, comin' round our park,

with yo' emo-ass clothes, stolen lines, and farts,

You made us die laughing, we was pissin' and cryin',

We were almost in tears, on the mic you was dyin'.

Go home lil' wussy, ain't no place for you,

Bet you'd find bigger balls on Little Blue."

Chico rolled to a stop and made a pose. Tyrone and Chad both nodded. "Not bad, Chico," Tyrone said. "You getting up there."

"All thanks to your tutelage, master," Chico said, saluting Tyrone with a fist-in-palm gesture.

Tyrone snickered and turned to me. "Okay, kid. you're up next."

Again Tyrone put on a beat, and again I took my shot:

"Think you're big now, Chico? Think you're legit?

Because all that I'm hearin', is the same old shit.

Dissing on my skin, tossin' tired old lines-

I've heard it all before, those two? A dozen times!

Another thing, man, about my style:

At least I've got some, you shop the kiddie aisle!

Pink gator shirt, it just ain't your color,

Who fills your wardrobe? Oh, right. Your mother!"

I put down the mic. Tyrone nodded. "Not bad, not bad."

Chad was less impressed. "Eh, average. Maybe."

"No, no," Tyrone insisted. "His flow needs work, but white boy was on point. In fact, I think I'm gonna give him that round."

"Whaaaaat?!", Chico said.

Tyrone shrugged. "Sorry, Chico, but he spit truth. Your rhymes are stale. I hear that cryin'/lyin' pair every time you're on the mic."

"Yeah, and the shirt's gay as fuck," Chad added.

Chico sneered. "Man, fuck you both! You know I wasted him! Ty just wants a loss so he can ride to the rescue!"

Tyrone grinned and took a lazy drag on his joint. "Do I, now? Could be."

Behind them Eve had completed her mission and was making for the trees with her backpack. I just had to hold them off a bit longer. I pointed my mic at Tyrone. "Let's go then, Tyrone."

Tyrone laughed, tucking the joint behind his ear. "Cocky little shit all of a sudden. Alright, alright, you faced the students, now lets see how you do against the master."

Tyrone took the mic, fiddled with the stereo a bit, and then took up what I could only describe as a combat stance. He stood still, eyes closed, legs together, arms at his sides, centering himself. It took a moment for the music to start, but when it did, it hit like a train, setting a fast and frantic tempo. My immediate thought was that this was way too fast to rap over, but Tyrone was no amateur; he whipped the mic right up to his mouth, caught the beat from the first note and started going at 120 miles per hour:

"Hit the deck sucka, you about to be attacked.

My name is Emcee Gatt, 'cuz I go rat-a-ta-tat-a-ta-tat.

My rhymes they fly like lightning, my whisper is a shout,

You can't compare when my voice it blares, so let me spell it out:

First of all, you a cocky shit, and you cannot spit with no grit, you nitwit.

Hear me spit, like a rabid bitch, dropping rhymes legit, poly-syl-la-ball-ic.

Second thing, when you go tough-up, you can't back it up, so you act all puffed-up and get fucked up, and run for cover, right back to your mother, 'cuz you got no brothers, 'Cuz they all said fuck ya',

Why? Because:

Three, you're always walking around, looking down at the town,

like yo' shit don't stink, like there ain't nobody good enough for you,

'cept maybe Little Blue, I don't know what she see in you.

I could go for days and days, and you'd be amazed, at how much I can lay down,

But I think I'll just leave it at that. Go home, be proud, to get owned

by the great Emcee Gatt!"

And he threw down the mic triumphantly.

Wow.

Tyrone did not mess around. I was shocked he could say so much so fast without getting tongue-tied. And his rhymes were intricate, too. There was no way in heaven or hell that I could top that. It was professional quality. His crew clearly agreed, as they greeted Tyrone's finale by cheering like loons.

"See, white boy?", Chico said. "That's why he's the head of this crew!"

"The great Emcee Gatt, king of the mic!", Chad added.

They looked like they would very much like to have a royal cape or something to hang around Tyrone's shoulders. Tyrone grinned. "So there you have it, kid. Think you can match that?"

It took me a moment to answer. I may have been standing slack-jawed like an idiot.

"No," I said honestly. "But I can go down swinging, if that's what it comes to."

Tyrone laughed and clapped his hands. "Reaching for Valhalla, that it? Alright, show me your best."

Once more the music started up. I needed a second to get my footing and then laid this down:

"Can I match that? The answer is 'nope'.

But don't get it twisted, I never had a hope.

It's like Chico said, this game, it ain't fair.

With only one judge, and he's standing right there!

Who thinks you'd ever hand your crown to me?

When every rapper ever thinks he's G-O-A-T, personally.

The fix is in, but I don't give a shit.

You want this stinking park then you can have it!"

I lobbed the mic over to Tyrone, who caught it in mid-air. He smiled bemusedly. "That sounded less like a last stand and more like an admission of defeat to me."

"Bit of sour grapes, too," Chico added.

Tyrone nodded. "Well, I'll give you this, white boy, you gave it a good fight. Still and all..." he shrugged. "A loss is a loss. This park remains our turf, and we do what we want. Now if you don't like it, I suggest you head home, it's past your bedtime anyway."

I thought if I should have a response to that. But in the end, like the last time, I just walked away.

Only this time, as soon as my back was to them, I smiled broadly to myself. I had noticed Eve slipping away behind them as Tyrone had been rapping. They had lost as soon as they let me hold their attention. I headed off in the opposite direction. Once I hit the street, I would loop around the park, cut through the trees, and meet up with her at the rendezvous. If Eve's mission had gone as well as mine, our revenge would be assured.

Behind me, the music started up again and Tyrone and company returned to their bantering. Chico paused to yell across the plaza to me. "And don't come around here sucking on the mic again!"

"Yeah," Chad added. "And tell your girl that if she wants to come around, she'll have to suck on all our mics!"

I froze in my tracks.

I felt my smile melt into a frown, my fist clench into a hard ball, my teeth grind against each other. I looked back, slowly, to see Chad just turning away, laughing to himself. Laughing like he didn't care. Laughing like he really would like to make Eve and I both feel like trash.

Boiling inside, I turned and marched purposefully back to the fountain. I couldn't hear them over the music, but Tyrone was arguing with Chad about something. In fact, Tyrone shoved Chad, and not gently or playfully either. Chico stood to the side, looking nervous. I didn't care what they might be arguing about, but it meant they didn't notice me walking up. Not until I jabbed the stop button on their stereo and the music cut out.

They turned to me. Their faces were confused. Mine was steel and fire.

Then I layed down an epic diss track a capella.

I don't even remember what I said; It was all completely off the cuff. I was in the zone, speaking almost in tongues, driven by a righteous fury that burned with the fire of a thousand suns. What I do remember is the looks on their faces; first alarm, then amazement, then something like awe or terror. It wasn't just Chad, either, I unloaded on all three of them with both barrels, calling them sad, pathetic, fake, and lame. It was raw, almost primal in its' intensity.

It must have taken a minute or two, all told. When it was done, I stood there menacingly, and they just stared at me, stunned.

Then Tyrone broke into a broad grin, laughing and clapping. "See, now that's what I'm talking about! That's LEGIT! Wooo-eee!"

"Man," said Chad, bewildered. "Where did that come from?"

Tyrone turned on him, disappointed. "Where you think it came from, dumbass? You disrespected his girl! And he reacts how any man would: he steps up! What you heard just now was pure emotion, heart over head! You can't get any more legit, not in your wildest dreams. Shit, man!"

Tyrone laughed again. He turned away from Chad, and faced me. Looked me right in the eye, in fact. "You know, kid, I don't think I actually got your name..."

"It's Aaron," I said.

"Well, Aaron," Tyrone said, "you still can't match my skills, but I mean it when I say that was legit. So I'm reversing my decision, and declaring you the winner. From now on, the other side of the fountain belongs to you and Eve. We'll stay on this side and try to be good neighbors. I'm sure I can rely on my crew to live up to that agreement, right?"

He looked over his shoulder at Chico and Chad, who both nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Alright," Tyrone said, "so we all cool, then?"

I nodded in agreement. "Cool."

"Nice," Tyrone said, taking a drag off his joint. "You know, Aaron, in my experience, heart over head usually comes from head over heels. I take back what I said about you and Eve; if that's what you'll do to protect her, she's a lucky woman to have you." He turned to the fountain and shouted over the water. "Hey Blue! Hold on to this guy, he's a real keeper!"

There was no answer.

"Blue, you there?", he asked again. No answer, and he tsked. "Probably got her headphones on again. Yo, Little Blue Riding Hood!" He motioned to his crew, who followed him around the fountain. He probably expected me to follow as well, but instead, I snuck off while their backs were turned, in the direction Eve had left. My movements were fast, but silent. Tyrone and company were still walking around the fountain when I slipped behind the trees, out of their sight. When they realized Eve had gone they would look for me to find that I had also vanished, seemingly into thin air.

Like I was the goddamn Batman.