Frenemies

Kneeled down, I close my eyes for a second. Take in some air, then exhale. I'm too familiar with this moment but for some reason it feels like my first meet. Palms of my hands are sweaty, feet trembling -wont stay planted onto the ground, and i keep getting these brief but weird thoughts where i second guess myself. Probably because I am about to race new kid from Jefferson. Miles Dennis is his name. He's pretty good from what I hear. The story is he's an Army brat that's been running with his dad all his life. He just transferred here from Texas, and supposedly brought along with him a bunch of medals and track records.

I always sike myself out when i meet a new opponent until it's time for me to push off the pavement. But this time was different. I felt like I was going to be sick. Not sure why I was letting a guy with two first names get to me. He was so arrogant, barely stretched before hitting the starting line. He didn't seem to be as nervous as me and it was killing me. His little sideline cheerleaders weren't making it any better either.

POW! The starter pistol goes off and the first group of runners take off. I'm watching the baton make its way around the track. Our team is in the lead as it gets passed from runner to runner. All I have to do is take it home. It finally reaches me and I'm running like I've never ran before. I see the finish line and as it becomes in arms reach here comes Miles dashing past me, snapping the ribbon just before I can. I couldn't believe it. How did he do it? Last time I saw him I was being handed the baton and his teammate was at least ten meters away. I thought I had this one for sure. Can't wait to hear what Coach Russ has to say.

Walking to the water table trying to control my breathing still, I hear a voice say

"Hey, you're Aaron right?"

It's Miles. not sure how he knows me. Guess the same way I knew about him. Word of mouth.

"Yeah" I say

"That was a hell of a race. Actually the closest I've come to losing in a very long time. I'm Mil-"

Feeling defeated, I cut him off.

"I know who you are. Good win kid."

And before he can say thanks, I walk away. Now I know that I was just showing poor sportsmanship but I had to let him know that I didn't like how he beat me at a home meet. I already knew the boys were going to have jokes for days. Me, Reggie, Kenneth, and Tahj have been friends since elementary and now we were all about to graduate high school together. I am the only one planning to go to college. They don't really get good grades and they definitely get into way more trouble than i get into but they're my brothers. I know they will never cross me just like they know I will never cross them, It's all love.

"Mr. Woods"

I can' t see him but I know that call. It' s Coach Russ. He's the only one who calls me by my last name. I drop my head, close my eyes, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Yes Coach?"

I reply before actually turning around.

"Do you mind telling me what happened?"

"I can' t tell you Coach because i honestly don't know. I am just as surprised as you are. All I can say is it won't happen again. I will be ready next time Coach."

"Damn right you will. Can't expect a scholarship performing like that, now can we?"

Assuming that question was rhetorical, I don't even answer. Just let him walk away. Coach Russ went to high school with my mom and had a huge crush on her. She never really gave him the time of day and now that she's gone I guess you can say the coach feels for me so I never take offense to the things he says. Most of the time I'm just brushing it off because I know he means well.

"Can't expect a scholarship running like that Mr. Woods."

It was Reggie teasing.

"Shut up Reg."

"No but for real tho bro, I just knew you had it."

"Yeah no kidding. So did I."

"It's all good man. All the greats lose at home once in a while."

"Man shut up! Aye, I'm going to the locker room to shower and change. Wait for me by the Deli."

"Bet."

The shower after a meet is where I usually clear my mind and assess my performance. But not today. Today I was trying to think of what Mom would say to me right now. I miss her so much. She'd probably say something like:

"How many times have I told you if you doubt yourself, even for a split second you have the power to make that thought a reality. That boy was good but you're better. I know you won't let him get to you again. I'm proud of you either way it goes."

My mom was a very loving, optimistic, and positive person. She never spoke or thought anything negative because she was worried those very thoughts would be brought into existence. She looked out for everyone as much as she could. Giving was a sport to her. Which is why it puzzles me that someone would want to take her life. It's been two years and the headlines on the news still play back in my head like it happened five minutes ago.

Twenty-six year old Laura Woods was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in The Bronx tonight. A sanitation worker found her lifeless body stripped and mutilated. Family and loved ones describe Laura as kindhearted and fearless. She leaves behind her 15 year old son Aaron. Everyone who knew her says she will be missed.

The next day I was up before the sun to go do my normal morning run. I ran my normal route but as I was running I was stopped in my tracks by something out of the ordinary. It was reflecting light without any light being present.

Yes you read that correctly. Like I said I was up before the sun and it wasn’t a full moon to light up the sky. Not to mention the weirdest thing of all, as I get closer the object I realize the thing is black which now you can understand why it raised my concern I even saw it in the first place. I was meant to find it.

As I approach the light reflecting mystery I automatically can make the assumption before I even pick it up that it’s a notebook. I pick it up and there it is again. A glare of light flashes across the front cover.

I pick it up and immediately start to flip the pages. Some pages have coordinates. Some just names and dates. I close it and make my way home. When I get in Grandma’s already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. I kiss her good morning and go straight to my room.

I quickly lock the door and have a seat by the computer and slam the book on the desk. It’s just something about this thing that gives me a strange feeling. Anytime I touch it there’s a vibe that radiates to my bones that I cannot shake but still at the same time, don’t mind.

I hear a knock that startles me. It’s Grandma letting me know that breakfast is ready.

“Okay” I say.

I take my shower and get dressed for school before heading to the breakfast table. But not before copying one of thre addresses from the mystery book and slipping it into my backpack. After finishing breakfast I kiss Grandma and leave for school.

When I arrive at school I already can’t wait until it is over for the day. I had plans to visit the address I’d written down. School was always a little long to me but today seemed longer. I was looking at the clock all day and during last period when the clock stroke 3:15 and the bell rang i was the first one out the classroom.

After putting the address into my GPS on my phone I follow the directions and end up at an abandoned fire house. Ignoring my better judgement, I enter. Nothing really left here but some old cots for sleeping. Until I enter one of the bathrooms and see footsteps on the dusty floor. And I’m not forensics specialist but these prints looked a bit too fresh for this place to be abandoned.

I analyze the small bathroom. A toilet that looks like the water hasn’t ran in here in quite some time. A sink that looks the same, as well as the tub. So what could the person who left these prints have wanted? As I am checking out the place corner to corner it comes to my attention that just one tile on the wall has little to no dust.

I press it because that’s what they do in these stories right? Anyways, curious Aaron strikes again because there opens a little hidden door with nothing but a single duffel bag sitting inside. It was only right for me to look inside and was glad I did. Right before me is the largest sum of money I’ve ever seen in my life. I close the bag in a hurry and take the bag home.

The entire way home I’m filled with questions like who does this money belong to and what is going on here? When I finally got home I threw the bag in my closet and went straight for the book. Turned to the pages with the addresses and almost instantly start to jot a couple down. I stop.

The person this book and the money belongs to could be anyone and I can only guess what type of person they are. The shadiest hideout for the shadiest amount of money hidden in the shadiest secret hole in the wall. Maybe I should take the money back and leave the book while I’m there.

I get interrupted by someone busting in my room. I quickly but smoothly open the drawer on the desk and knock the book inside right before I closed it. I look back only to see Kenneth, Tahj greeting me with the biggest smile. They’re wondering why I was gone so fast after school. I show them to my closet and explain all of the events that transpired since this morning.

They let me know that it was a weird day for them too. Reggie had an attitude all day because he said he’d lost something. He was in such a rage he had the purple contacts in so everyone knew not to rub him the wrong way. Color contacts were Reggie’s way of letting the world know what version of him you were getting.

The green ones were for the day to day regular guy that we all knew and loved. The silver ones were for when he was feeling a little vulnerable, usually around a female. But the purple ones were the ones to be feared. He was liable to display the most nasty behavior when he had those in.

“That’s crazy” I said. But then I continued, “Do you guys mind just keeping my findings between us until we decide what to do or at least figure out who it belongs to? This would mean Reggie too only because of how irrational he can be, you okay with that?”

“Uhhh yea” said Tahj.

“Sure Aaron” agreed Kenneth.

We take out the book and begin examining it together.

“What are these names and dates?” Asked Kenneth.

“Not sure” I reply.

He sits back in his chair and pulls out his phone. Takes another look at the page and says “Christina Larmer 4/21/20” before typing it into a search engine. Different news articles pop up and when he clicks one his face goes blank.

“What is it?” I ask.

He just hands over the phone. It was an article about a transgender woman who was set on fire. Some people are calling it a hate crime but others say there’s a side to the story no one knows. Like she may have known her murderer as some sources present say they heard loud arguing before seeing the flames. I scroll back to the top and notice the paper is stamped the for the day after the date that’s written beside her name in the book. Which can only mean the owner of this book may be responsible for her death.

I search up another name and date, and another. And they all add up. This has just been given a violent shove into a serious matter. As I keep flipping through the pages I’m reading every name of a lost life and stumble across “Laura Woods 9/18/19” and my entire body went numb. I couldn’t even begin to think what this meant. I didn’t want to believe it. I felt all sorts of feelings at once. First, rage. Then, sorrow. And it all ended with vengeance. I was going to find who this little black book belongs to and make them pay. But first, make their pockets hurt.

For the next couple of days Kenneth, Tahj, and myself hit up all the addresses in the book and took every bag of money we could find. My closet was getting crowded so we rented a self storage and kept the key in my gym locker at school. While at school we finally run into Reggie, who’s been missing in action for about a week now.

He wasn’t trying to stay and talk with us like he normally would.

“Is everything okay Reg?” I asked.

“No not really. But I’ll catch y’all a little later.” He replied.

“No man what’s up? If you got an issue let your brothers know.” I said.

He takes a deep breath and says “I messed up”

“Messed up, how? Tahj asks.

“I’ve been selling for Keano and I got robbed. So now I owe him a bunch of money and he’s talking about separating limbs if the cash doesn’t turn up. Look man I gotta go.”

Stunned and left speechless, we all just stand there while he walks away. Then like a Mac truck I am hit with this memory of Reggie standing in the front of my building handing something off to a passing pedestrian. I didn’t think anything of it but my mom was furious. She told me to go inside and as I watched from the window I saw her make him leave. So this must’ve been what that was all about. He was selling in the front of my house and for obvious reasons it didn’t sit well with mom.

But I quickly get back on track and remember the mission I’ve prepared for us today. “Okay guys, I’ve even thinking about going to the area where my mom got killed and see if anyone saw anything that wasn’t in the paper. Maybe they even know that this punk looks like that took my mom from me.”

They’re a little skeptical but agree anyways. But then one of them suggests that we should use some of the money to pay Reggie’s debts.

“Sure, when we get back” I said “but let’s just worry about the situation at hand.

We pull up to the night club where mom was last seen. Ask the bouncer and other employees if they noticed anything but they couldn’t tell me much. As we exit the club we pass an alley. Someone got their long coat stuck to the bottom of a dumpster. I rush over to help. It’s just a homeless man. Looks this has been his spot for years. He had all of his belongings stacked up so I couldn’t imagine him migrating too often with all of this stuff. And that gives me an idea.

“You been here a while?” I ask him.

“Like today or in general?”

“In general, I mean.”

“Yea, five years this Christmas.”

My eyes light up. I rush to pull out a picture of my mom and ask does he remember ever seeing her here.

“Yes. I still remember her last words. The most unforgettable thing a victim could say to their killer.”

“What did she say? WHAT DID SHE SAY?!”

“Go ahead and pull the trigger and I promise to find a way to let Aaron know who’s responsible.”

“Wait! So she knew the killer? I knew the killer? This doesn’t make any sense. What did this person look like? Did you get a good look at them?”

“Not not really. He seemed to be wearing a ski mask. But after the gunshot I was startled and knocked against the dumpster and when he turned in my direction the streetlights shined on his face and I can tell you that he had purple eyes.”