Two Alive, стр. 86
“That’s crazy!” Antonio exclaimed and his mouth hung open.
“Yeah man, this thing is crazy.” Brandon stood next to the boy grinning hard. “It’s one of them 4k ultra HD joints. It’s like watching everything live. And the sound system makes it feel like you’re in a movie theatre.”
“Damn! This shit is clean right here! What movies y’all got?”
“Shit, pretty much everything. We was watching all the Star Wars movies this week.”
“Too bad we won’t get the chance to see how the new trilogy would’ve ended.” The big man Lincoln hung his head in regret.
“Yeah, the eighth one would’ve came out a year ago, right?” Brandon shook his head. “Too bad people started gettin’ sick and killin’ each other.”
The two men chuckled at the dark joke while Antonio picked up throw pillows from the couch behind them and stuffed two into his backpack. The bag was starting to get full with all his pilfering. When he spun around to look through the rest of the room, he saw the store manager, Lesly, turn a corner and start making her way towards the entertainment system. She stopped when she saw Antonio and the two other men.
“What’s up?” Antonio saluted her with two fingers and ran the same hand through his unkempt high top.
Lesly was flush and turning red, then turned to Lincoln and Brandon, “What are you doing here? Why is he here?” Her high pitch voice was even higher in her alert state. “He shouldn’t be here! Why is he here?”
“I’m so sorry Lesly, it’s my fault.” Brandon was scratching his head, looking bashful. “I was just showing Antonio around. I asked Captain Baker, and Lincoln was gonna take him back when we were done.”
“We were just showing him the TV.” Lincoln added, trying to help clear things up. “Then I was gonna take him right back. We also went to get his hair cut, but that was it ma’am. Honest.”
Lesly crossed her arms and shook her head. “Still. You can’t be too careful. There’s no telling what he might try to do.”
Antonio scoffed at her. “Man, I ain’t tryna do nothin’ but go home and never come back here. Y’all the ones keepin’ me and my brother here.” He wiped his nose with a thumb. “Ain’t nobody tryna live up int here with y’all just cuz you got the big TV and lights. You don’t even know how to survive.”
Lesly was insulted. “We’re surviving just fine thank you. We have everything we need in this store, not just a big TV. We have food, we have shelter, we have a garden!” She pulled at the bottom of her blazer and postured up. “We’re actually thriving here. And on top of that, yes, we do have a big TV and we watch movies on it. So, I think you’re jealous of how we’re surviving.”
Antonio blew air from his nose with a smile, “Yo, I can’t take you serious with a voice like that. You ain’t real right now.”
“Excuse me?” Lesly’s cheeks were bright red.
“Is that your real voice? Like for real? Cuz you sound like a cartoon character or somethin’.”
Lincoln chuckled but when he saw the aghast look on Lesly’s face, he covered his smile and coughed into his hand.
“Excuse me, mister! Just who do you think you are talking to? Have some respect.” Lesly crossed her arms in a huff and turned up her nose to Antonio.
“You right, you right. My bad. You is a young lady and I respect the P.Y.T.s; pretty young thangs.” Antonio was rubbing his hands as he looked Lesly up and down in her pencil skirt and form fitting blazer.
Lesly gasped. “What did you--”
“So, what’s up though Ms. Lesly, can I take you out sometime and get to know you?”
“Excuse me!”
“Lesly, I’m so sorry,” Brandon took Antonio by the arm and pulled him aside. “What the heck are you doin’ man?” Brandon spoke with a low voice.
“What, is she yo girl Mr. Brandon? Yeah that’s what’s up!” Antonio smiled big and spoke low while trying to dap Brandon.
“Naw, man. That’s one of our community leaders’, and she’s a grown woman dude. You can’t be talkin’ to her like that.”
“I’m grown too! I’m nineteen now!”
Brandon blinked. “Nineteen? Really? Man, that’s crazy. It’s… it’s really only been two years. It feels like we been in this store longer than that.”
“Y’all was in this store. Me and my brother been out there.” Antonio put his hands in his pockets. “Y’all wouldn’t make it out there for two days.”
Brandon lowered his head and was somber. Lincoln cleared his throat and went over to them, “Hey man, really. You gotta be more respectful to your elders. You sure can take care of yourself when it comes to those freaks outside. But in here, you gotta follow the rules.”
Antonio was about to roll his eyes but blinked and sighed. “Yeah, you right man. You right.” The teenager put a hand on a blanket hanging on the couch—ready to snatch it when no one was looking—when heavy boots behind him made him turn to see Major Carver and two armed men approaching.
“What the hell is going on here?” The major coughed with a look of cold fury on his face.
Antonio looked at the major and the two men. They were rough looking guys, but they held their guns like toys and Antonio felt insulted when they tried to stare him down.
“Lesly… Lincoln… why is this boy just roaming around the store?” Carver coughed as he regarded the store manager and the big black man.
“Major Carver, sir, I was just…I talked with the captain and asked him to let me cut Antonio’s hair.” Brandon was trying to explain