URBAN: Chosen By A Kingpin by Shantel Johnson

wanted to talk to my Pops or something. They were so annoying. We just wanted to move all our stuff in. Was your Ma there?” he asked.
    I gave the cashier the money Momma had given me. “No, she was too busy cooking dinner for us. She didn’t have no time to go stare all wide eyed at yo’ daddy. What’s you’re name tho’?”
    “Markus. What about you?”
    “I’m Tamina. You wanna get an icee with me?”
    Markus smiled at me, giving me the cutest pretty boy smile I ever saw. His teeth were better than most of the boys around here. “Yeah, let’s go. I’ll race you there!”
    “Nah-uh! It’s too hot for that!! I ain’t messing up my hair running after you!” I giggled, and ran after him after he raced out the store. I didn’t want to chase after him, he should’ve been the one chasing after me but I would soon find out that I would do a lot of things I didn’t want to for this boy.
    ***
    We grew up together, Markus and I. From the time we finished elementary school all the way up until the first years of high school. Everyone would tease us and ask us if we were dating. I never knew what to say. We never said anything about dating, we just hung out a lot. We would walk home from school together, play basketball together, sometimes if Momma was feeling generous she would let Markus over for dinner—but only Markus.
    Momma wasn’t really a fan of Markus’ daddy. Said that he was too much of a gangbanger. She would go on a rant forever about how my daddy was the same way and she had already learned her lesson.
    “That boy is gon’ end up just like him. Probably in jail before he even finish high school. That’s how all these lil’ hood rats end up. Damn shame.” She would say.
    I would try and tell her that Markus was different. In the few years that we had known each other he had stayed away from most of the dealing and stuff. His daddy’s crew would follow him around from time to time as a precaution but he wasn’t wrapped up in it, at least that’s what he told me. I chose to believe him because of course I was in love with him. I would do anything for Markus and I would defend him ‘till the day I died. I wanted to be his ride or die chick but I knew Momma wouldn’t let me.
    “He’s not like that, Momma. He’s fine. We always play basketball and stuff. He’s not like his daddy. He don’t got a crew, he don’t sell, he just go to school with me and come home.” I protested.
    “Girl, please. Don’t try to tell me I’m wrong. I’m right and I know it. Now get your little behind in the shower and go to bed. You got school tomorrow.”
    Night time was the worse. I could never wait until school the next morning. I didn’t like school because I was learning and shit, I liked school because I could see Markus. I would always hang out with him and his boys during recess, which is probably why they thought we were dating. Girls didn’t usually hang with the guys unless they were dating. They would get teased for being annoying or some dumb shit like that. I always stepped to his friends anyway so they knew not to mess with me. Markus would always defend me anyway especially if I told him to. He knew if he didn’t that I would get mad at him and he never wanted to be on my bad side.
    That night when I was laying in bed I heard someone out my window. It woke me up instantly and I was ready to scream for Momma to get her gun but I saw that smug smile against the gate and I knew who it was. Quietly, I got out of bed so Momma wouldn’t hear me moving and crept towards my window.
    “What you doin’ here? Momma will kill you if she finds out you at my window this late.” I whispered.
    Markus laughed. “Then you gotta keep that big mouth of yours shut. I just wanted to chill with you. I couldn’t sleep.” He sat back on the fire escape as i sat on my window sill so we could face each other.
    “So you walked across the street and climbed up the fire escape just to bother me, hmm?”
    “You