Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

Author:Chrystal D. Giles [Giles, Chrystal D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2021-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

At school on Monday, word traveled fast about Officer Stewart forcing Kari into his police car. That’s one of the bad things about having a close community. Everybody knows everybody’s business. Apparently, my neighbor Mrs. York saw Kari in the back seat of the police car as it drove away. After a string of text messages and phone calls, the word was out.

Kari hadn’t talked much about it. Actually, for all I knew he hadn’t said anything at all after leaving our house the next day. I knew how scared he must have been, but he kept it all bottled up inside. The image of him exploding was what made me worry. Kinda like a bottle of soda shaken over and over, then POP!—an explosion.

Everyone rallied around Kari to show support, everyone except Mya. Mya was being even more Mya than she usually was.

“I heard the block party didn’t turn out so great,” she said. The glare in her eyes brimmed with mean.

“Actually, it turned out pretty awesome. You should’ve come,” I said.

“It turned out pretty awesome? Right. When? Before Kari went and got himself arrested?”

“Kari wasn’t arrested, and that police officer was wrong, not Kari,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “I can’t believe you’re letting one stupid joke from a long time ago come between you and Kari. We used to all be best friends.”

“Look, Wes, things change,” Mya said, putting her hands on her hips. “And with all the changes going on around here, I need to tell you something. My dad bringing me all the way to the Grove isn’t working out. He only agreed to let me go to school here because I promised him I would stay out of trouble and keep my grades up, and that was only a two-month trial. That trial didn’t include planning parties or having my friends—or used-to-be-friend—get arrested.”

I knew Mya didn’t like hanging with us like she used to, but I never expected her to act like this.

Mya continued, “So this week is my last week at the Grove. It makes more sense for me to go to the middle school closest to my house.”

Instead of going back and forth with Mya, I walked away. I’d tried to stay out of this mess with her and Kari, but this time I needed to be there for him.

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