Private Property: Fire's Hope

Kira and Shantae had seen so many knock-offs and wannabes at the Try-Outs that day, they had had enough. The stress was far too much.

“Kira…I think I heard my muscles scream at that last girl who tried to do a split, to stop before you blind all the little children in the room…” Shantae said, tiredly.

“Who are you kidding? Did someone forget to fix her legs?” Kira jeered.

The two girls fell into sarcastic laughter.

“C’mon guys, that’s not nice!” said Mindy Fenton from the corner.

“I’m the Captain, I decide what’s nice,” Kira snapped. “Next! Who’s Desiree Qalat?”

“It’s spelled Ka-lat, not Quay-lit…” Desiree corrected her as she entered in a leotard and a plain black hijab.

“So Desiree…break a leg,” said Kira.

Melanie swallowed hard, and watched as her best friend took one for the team. The music started. It was nothing she had ever heard before. It was some sort of…

“Middle Eastern voodoo mantra? We don’t think so, next!” Shantae shouted over the music.

“You didn’t even let me finish.”

“Didn’t have to. The routine’s dead. Stop pitching it…Next!” Kira finished.

Melanie stood up and slammed her hands on Kira and Shantae’s desk.

“Let her compete, or consider me off the Troop!” Melanie threatened.

“Melanie look, this is a cheerleading squad, not some whore house at Osama’s House of Ribs!” Kira protested hotly.

“Excuse me bitch?” Desiree shouted from afar.

“I apologize…all I’m saying is Shantae and I don’t think you’re ready for the real deal…the pyramids, acrobatics, aerials, Grapevines, somersaults, twists, flips, front flips, spread-eagles, long routines…”

“I’ve been doing Gymnastics since I was seven, Kira, I can do the work!”

“We’ll see…have a seat,” Kira said darkly.

Melanie touched Desiree’s shoulder as she sat at the far side of the bleachers, left out from practice.

****

“Well I knew it,” said Desiree.

“Knew what?” said Melanie.

“Someone would hate me because of my faith.”

“Desi, no one hates you…” Melanie sighed.

“Especially not me!” a deep voice broke from behind Desiree. A pair of dark hands covered her eyes, as Jeremy kissed Desiree on the forehead.

“Jeremy…” Desiree squeaked, as they hugged closely.

“Awww…see what good things Ms. Matchmaker can do?” said Melanie.

Desiree looked up into Jeremy’s eyes, with a soft, “I do.”

****

Sean took Nathan’s hand, as the two of them sat on the bench near Prospect Park. It was nearing sunset, but never had these two boys felt this way. Never had they thought that such an emotion could fill them, yet it had. Sean smoothed Nathan’s face with his middle finger and traced it down his chest, where Nathan kissed it.

They leaned in for another kiss. This time, it was deeper than they had ever done. Their tongues darted in and out of each other’s mouths like rabid firecrackers. Nathan took Sean by his waist, under the shade of an oak tree, and the warmth of their bodies together was so soft.

“Sean…I love you,” murmured Nathan.

Sean shook and sniggered, for he hadn’t even been asleep.

“You bad boy, I thought you were asleep!” Nathan cried.

“I wish I was baby boy, but alas, my eyes are wide open…” Sean replied, as the two of them were comforted by the rain-washed beauties of Prospect Park’s ancient trees and undergrowth.

“I told you I loved you.”

“I love you back.”

Sean took Nathan’s neck and kissed him. The heavens were now bathed as if a painter had spilled godly ink all over… They were safe.

Nathan hurriedly unbuttoned Sean’s shirt…and let the smooth cotton fall to the ground. Sean sat on Nathan’s lap, and unhitched his belt, while caressing his shoulders, so gingerly.

The two boys were now in their undergarments, lying in the dark grass, rolling and laughing and kissing, without a care in the world.

Sean’s cellphone rang.

“Don’t’ answer it,” Nathan grinned. “I wanna be with you tonight…”

“I have to…it might be my mom, she gets worried.”

Sean hurried over to his jeans, and flipped open his Razor.

“Hello? Hey mom, I’m just here at the uhh—Library with Nathan…and the girls, yeah…What—no! Okay I’m coming right now!”

He closed the phone and slid against the bench, feeling the hot tears already streaming down his be-kissed face.

“What happened?”

“My brother’s been shot….he’s been shot.”

****

Sean and Nathan headed into CUNY Downstate Medical Center, forty-five minutes afterward, out of breath.

The teal and white walls blinded Sean as he entered. Sean advanced upon a nurse, holding a stack of folders.

“Do you know where they’re holding Kenneth Collins?”

“In the Emergency Room, 409, but you can’t go in there—”

Sean and Nathan were already gone. They rushed into the Elevator. Sean pressed the fourth floor button. Its glow lit up the dim Elevator, like a firefly. He turned to Nathan and gave him a kiss before they both walked quickly down the corridor.

“Four-o-nine…four-o-nine…four-o-nine—here!” Nathan exclaimed.

They walked into a waiting area, where Sean’s mother, Karen and his father, Joseph were sitting, so mute.

Mrs. Collins ran headfirst to her young son, and embraced him…He felt her heartbeat beat simultaneously with his.

“It was so scary Sean…I couldn’t…I couldn’t…” she cried.

They pulled apart, and the lights of windows and ambulances flashed…the sounds of sirens filled the room.

“What’s going on?” Sean asked.

His father couldn’t answer him. He stared like a statue out of the window into the night.

“What the hell is going on?” Sean shouted.

A nurse exited the adjacent operating room, with a worried look on her face.

“Are you the family?”

They all nodded. Sean turned to the woman, waiting for the great news. Kenneth would be okay…he’d be okay…nothing to worry about.

“What’s going on with my son? Will he be okay?” Mrs. Collins demanded.

The nurse bowed her head, and inhaled deeply. “His left ventricle was punctured…there was no way to repair the damage and still get the needed blood to all parts of his body.”

“So what the hell does that mean?” Mrs. Collins raged.

“I’m sorry…your son is gone.”

Sean collapsed against the chair, for support. His chest was heaving. His eyes were smarting. His head throbbed and quivered, as the nurse’s words still cut like a chiseled tool into him…forever engraved into his memories.

He saw Nathan appear in the blurry pool of his eyes, lean down to pull him up, while his mother and father pulled him into a clasp of deep hurt, as they hugged their only child.

****

“And five and six…seven eight go!” shouted Melanie.

“Fergalicious” began to play as the girls did the routine in synch, twirling their batons, showing off their curves, spreading their legs…

Desiree watched from afar.

Kira saw this and held up a hand. “Stop! Desiree…front and center sweetie.”

Desiree rolled her eyes and stomped to the middle of the gymnasium.

“Let me see you do a backflip,” said Kira.

Desiree sucked in her stomach, and did as she was told. When she had landed on the other side, she said, hands on hip, “Can I go now?”

“Not just yet…demonstrate a back handspring and finish it off with a sole circle dismount.”

“Kira, what is your problem?” Melanie asked her.

“Shut up, it’s only a test-run…let’s go Desiree, now!”

Desiree performed both of the moves just as Kira asked and when she had finished, rolled her eyes.

“Hmm…needs a lot of work,” said Kira. “Jot that down Shantae…Okay Desiree, back to your bleacher. Girls, let’s get started on that Pyramid! Move it!”

Desiree drew near to Melanie, hot in the face.

“Tell her I quit.”

“What? Why?”

“Did you see what the hell she just made me do? Made me look like an ass of myself, while making me do something that I don’t normally make an ass out of myself doing!” Desiree growled through clenched teeth.

“Calm down Desi…soon Kira will be gone, and someone else will take over the Tigresses.”

“I hope so, otherwise, she can forget—” Desiree began.

Kira walked up to them, book in hand. “Desiree. Try-Outs are over, you’re one of us…don’t be late tomorrow.”

****

“Sean, I brought us some miso soup with guacamole crisps…what’s wrong?” said Chelsea, as she entered the courtyard.

Sean buried his face in his hands, and wiped his nose.

“He didn’t even say goodbye…”

“Who—I don’t…”

“My brother, Kenneth…he died yesterday Chelsea…he was d-dealing drugs, and, I guess he tried to…get out of it…but they shot him.”

“Oh my God…Who’s they?”

“Who do you think?” Sean raged, standing up. “The goddamn police!”

“Sean…”

“I don’t—I don’t care anymore. He didn’t say goodbye…he’s cut out of my life.”

Sean turned to the east, and gazed out at the trees, thinking of only killing the pigs that killed his brother.

Chelsea put down her bag, and silently came up behind him.

“I know what it feels like to lose someone you love…like when I lost my Nana. I thought the entire world hated me…then I met you.”

“What?”

“You came up to me, missing your two front teeth and asked if I wanted a piece of your peanut butter and banana sandwich…” Chelsea laughed.

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Yup, and I ate my half…you ate your half, and the night before, my Nana passed away. But you made me feel like someone did care for me…we’re here for you Sean, don’t forget it.”

“I won’t…” Sean croaked. “But…I am dying for an Iced Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, and those little cream-filled muffins are to die for!”

“Race you?”

****

“So you actually did it!” Melanie cried. “This is such big news! We need to celebrate!”

“No! No more celebrations…” said Desiree, as the two girls left the Beanery that afternoon.

“Just kidding…but we have to stick it, otherwise, Kira will get crazy,” Melanie sniffed with a smile.

“FYI She already is.”