"Shut the fuck up man!" A.J. screamed from the front seat. Howie was getting on his nerves in a major way. They were just trying to have some fun and he was ruining it all. I guess you could say that I felt exactly how Howie felt. I didn't want to be in that car either. A.J., Brian and Kevin were wasted and looking for a goodtime. And for me being an idiot, I went along on a joyride with the guys. We really didn't need to steal this car we had our own but we had to prove a point to that dickhead Helstrom. So after getting a little liquor in our system, we got up off the couch and did the damn thing. And that's why I'm sitting here with my mother, a judge and parole officer.
"Well Mrs. Carter-Lewis, since Nick here does not have a record we have another option for his punishment."
"Whatever it is I'm all for it."
"The McGraw recreational center is in dire need of extra help. Perhaps young Mr. Carter here can be of some service over the next few months." What? This was summer, when everyone got a break!! Now I was going to have to spend my summer months at some stupid recreational center. Well it was better than jail time I suppose, but wasn't there some fee I could just pay?
"That is terrific" Jane chirped. Sure it was terrific, she wasn't the one who was going to have to be there doing the work.
"Very well, I'll just call Daniel Cunningham, he's over that particular rec center. The inner cities always need more help you know."
"Wait a minute, inner city?" I asked.
"Yes, the McGraw recreational center is in Detroit." Great not only was my summer gonna be taken up, it was going to be taken up in some ghetto. Now don't get me wrong I have nothing wrong with black people, I know you're thinking that. I have some black friends but I barely spent any time away from my home in Bev Hills. Everyone knew Detroit had nothing going for itself. Someone was killed there everyday almost, it seemed like that from the news anyways and now they were going to just throw me in this situation?! Damn it. My mother could see the uneasiness written all over my face. Of course she paid that no mind. She was still pretty pissed at the fact that I was the only one found in someone's stole car, while drunk above all things. "We'll call you with all the details pertaining to Justin's work."
"Alright, thank you Judge Harper."
"Stay out of trouble young man" he warned. Yeah definitely after all of this. My mother and I left out of the judges chambers silent.
"I can't believe they're sending me to the 'hood."
"I'm not too crazy about that either but you have to learn your lesson and this is the only way. That'll show you to drink underage and steal someone's car."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." That's all we said on that one because I knew we'd never see eye to eye on that one. So who else to complain to? My buddy A.J. Yeah he got me in the situation but I'm sure they didn't think all of this would happen and I wasn't going to turn my back on him.
"So what's the punishment?"
"Gotta work at some damn rec center in above all places, Detroit."
"Jeez man, better lock your car doors" he laughed.
"Yeah funny huh."
"Well it might not be that bad." Tah that's what I was thinking too until that Monday. When I mean I was working in the 'hood, I was working in the 'hood. Now it wasn't as bad as some of the parts of Detroit I had seen but this was still pretty bad compared to my neighborhood. When I pulled up to the building it was pretty big, surprisingly big for a simple recreational center. I walked into the empty building and eyed up the empty basketball court. My mouth literally watered, there it sat glistening before me. Oh yeah, if I could play on that this wouldn't be such a bad job after all then. After meeting up with Mr. Cunningham he sent me in search of a few of the leaders of the rec, two girls Kristina and Krystal. Two chicks huh? All I would have to do is give them the old Carter charm and I'd probably never be here. I could hear music playing in the back so I followed it looking for the two girls.
"Are you Krystal?"
"The one and only" she said turning around. She was around 5'6, thick with chocolate brown skin and a long black ponytail that was obviously a weave. "Let me guess you da white boy they sending here to help out."
"Um, yeah."
"Wow on time, that's a first for ya'll" she commented. Apparently I must've not been the first white guy here serving "punishment".
"So what do I have to do around here?"
"Well we need some light fixtures tightened, this whole kitchen needs to be cleaned out, anything in this fridge that's expired need to be tossed no matter what it is we're not trying to kill people around here. This whole floor needs to be swept and mopped, the sink needs to be cleaned and you have to help the cook fix lunch and clean up after him. Veronica should be here to tell you what all need to be done after that because today is me and Kris' early day." Ok that was a lot to grasp, after all of that there would still be more to do?
"So I'm not going to be playing basketball?"
"Tah you wish."
"You done with the torturing?" another girl asked walking in. I froze, she was worth looking at twice. She was shorter than the girl Krystal, way shorted, with long brown hair and butter pecan skin that even in the dim kitchen glowed.
"For right now."
"So this is the newbie?"
"Yup."
"And you are?" I asked.
"Kristina your other boss" she smiled, "we are gonna have ourselves a lot of fun."
"We sure will" I smiled raising one of my eyebrows. I like a girl that get straight to the point. Suddenly I felt something slam into my chest. I looked over and it was a broom.
"Have fun." Ha ha, hilarious. "You wanna coke?" she asked Krystal.
"Yeah." Kristina walked over to the fridge and got a whole six pack of pops out. She set one out for herself and opened the kitchen door.
"WHO WANTS A COKE?!" She called out to the gym that now had a few kids in there playing. A few took some but not all of them.
"I want one" I coughed up. She didn't say anything, just tossed them back into the fridge and danced over to the counter where Krystal was sitting. Who would listen to music this early in the morning anyways?
"Cash rules everything me, Cream get the money dollar dollar bills ya'll" she rapped along to the song playing on the radio. I have to admit that I did like that little dance but what was up with their little attitudes? "So are you coming with me to Somerset or not?"
"Girl for what? Just to go to the mall to dress up so his cousins" motioning over to me, "can ignore asking us if we want something."
"Well one because I need my best friend to go with me and two because I know you ain't doing nothing else."
"Where'd you get some money, you know they ain't paying us jack shit here."
"Robel hooked it up with some money for school that I don't need since I dropped that class so why let it sit around and collect dust right?" A comedian eh? Somerset was a really expensive exclusive mall that mainly those in the 'burbs shopped in. I rarely saw a lot of black people out there, I guess they were going to be two of the few black people that shopped out there then that day.
"Yeah, yeah when you going?"
"Tomorrow."
"Fine I'll be there."
"See I knew I could depend on you!"
"Alright, don't get your panties in a bunch." Now that was a thought.
"Alright ya'll well I'm about to Roll out."
"Where are you going?" I asked. It seemed as if they had totally forgot I was even there.
"Home."
"Home, its only like 1."
"Sweetie I've been here since 6:30, I'm done for the day, you on the other hand are not so lucky so like I said have fun" she gave me this smile that was faker than the hair her best friend had on the back of her head. "Krystal don't kill him k?" And with that she was gone.
"What are you staring at, get back to work loser." Ugh, this was going to be fun.