[Paper Stars 01.0] Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Author:Lauren Nicolle Taylor [Taylor, Lauren Nicolle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult
ISBN: 9781634221351
Google: tNpCDgAAQBAJ
Amazon: B0194BLDZQ
Barnesnoble: B0194BLDZQ
Goodreads: 25944889
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Published: 2016-02-28T07:00:00+00:00

I skid down the wire and go to the gate. The guard comes up to me, eyes indifferent. “Looks like a spot just opened up. You want in?” he asks, his eyes going to the other men, who have suddenly got more life in them and are hopping toward me like vultures.

I nod vigorously. “Will you let me check on my friend?” I ask.

The guard sighs. “You’ll do better than that. You need to carry him out of here. One for one.”

He unlocks the padlock and lets me inside. I squeeze through the tiny gap and sprint toward Kin, whose chest is rising and falling to my relief.

When I pull up to his knocked-around body, I’m surprised how angry I am with him. My foot is fighting against the urge to kick him in the ribs.

I kneel down and roll him over so I can see his face. “What the hell, Kin? What’s wrong with you? Why would you do that?” I say angrily.

He squints up at me, blood covering one eye. “She’s dead… isn’t she?” he asks with hope in his voice.

“She’s gone,” I answer, my eyes briefly moving over the animal that’s lying against the red container.

He pulls himself up with effort, grimacing when he has to bend his back to get to sitting. “Stupid cat,” he says. If he’s crying, I wouldn’t be able to tell, his whole face is plastered with blood and dirt. I help him to his feet. He only glances Tiger Lily’s way once, but I can tell it’s painful for him. He shudders as we walk-stumble toward the gate.

Kin’s weight is difficult to carry on my own, and he’s hardly helping me. One leg seems to be dragging woodenly behind him. “Are you all right?” I whisper into his ear, talking through my teeth.

“Fine,” he huffs. “Just sore. Shouldn’t have let him win.”

I roll my eyes.

The guard gives us a sympathetic look when we reach him. “Look, boys, I’m sorry that happened but you know, with the way you look, particularly, this one,” he points at Kin, “well, you can understand why they’d want to punch you.”

Kin’s chin juts out as he says, “I’m a Nisei. I was born here. My parents were born here. I’m an American citizen. Same as you.”

The guard turns to me like Kin didn’t even speak or maybe he’s expecting a similar declaration from me. He won’t get one. I’m not a Nisei. I don’t know what I am. I suspect I am nothing.

The guard’s brown eyes are wide, his dark skin is not from too much time in the sun, but he is different to us. “You staying on, kid? I’ll see you get a full day’s pay. You can collect your friend’s wages for the work he did this morning.” This is the guard’s concession. He’s giving us more than most.

I grip the gate with one hand, trying to support Kin’s leaning weight. “Err, I dunno,” I say, looking to Kin for answers.

“Go,” Kin says. “We need the money.

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