Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0)(73)

Oh, hell yeah. I still got it.

We order egg rolls and crab rangoon for the table. Keisha tell us what she been up to for the past few months, mainly school and work. Andreanna give us a whole rundown on preschool. She claim some li’l knucklehead boy is her boyfriend.

“I’m gon’ have to roll through and have a talk with him,” I say. “We don’t play that.”

“Goodbye,” Keisha laughs. “You’re as bad as—”

Her voice die. Dre oughta be here with us.

Lisa touch her hand. “How are you really doing?”

Andreanna sway her head as she eat an egg roll. Kids love to dance when the food is good. Keisha run her fingers through her hair. “Day by day, that’s all I can do. I miss him so much it hurts. We should be getting ready for a wedding.”

That’s the worst part of this. Dre had a whole life ahead of him that he won’t get to live.

Lisa push back from the table. “Ugh, I’m sorry. I gotta run to the restroom. Pregnancy bladder is the worst.”

“I remember those days,” says Keisha. “It’s only gonna get worse.”

“Don’t tell me that,” Lisa groans. “I’ll be right back.”

This my chance. I wait until Lisa disappear into the women’s restroom.

“Keisha, you mind if I ask you something?”

She try to get Andreanna to drink the water in her cup. Andreanna want juice. “Sure, what’s up?”

I shift in my seat. “Look, I ain’t tryna upset you, but I wanted to ask you ’bout that night. Is there anything you remember before the gunshots?”

“Mav, I don’t know if I can—”

“I get it. I try not to think on it much myself. But the set tryna find out who did this.” I can lie so easy nowadays.

Keisha stir her straw around her glass. “We were talking about our plans for the next weekend. He was gonna take us to the aquarium. Andreanna had been begging to see the ‘fishies.’ Bus Stop Tony came and joked around with him and—”

“Whoa, hold up. Tony?”

“Yeah. He asked Dre for money for liquor. Dre laughed and told him to leave him alone. A few minutes later, the robber showed up.”

I thought Tony was long gone when Dre got killed. He came back though, so he was most likely in the area when it happened.

I look at Keisha. “You remember anything ’bout the robber?”

“Mav, I told the cops everything I heard. It must not have been enough. They’re not investigating the case anymore.”

Of course they not. Dre just another “ghetto casualty” in their books. “That’s why I wanna—I mean the set wanna take care of this. Anything you remember would help.”

Keisha blink and blink.

Shit, I shouldn’t have asked her any of this. “I’m sorr—”

“It was a raspy voice,” she whispers. “I’ve heard it before, I swear I have. It’s been driving me outta my mind, trying to remember where.”

I stiffen.

Red’s voice is raspy.

The waitress bring the rest of our food to the table. Andreanna clap for her noodles. My stomach churning too much for me to eat.

I got little doubt that Red killed Dre, but I oughta talk to Tony before I make my move.

Lisa come back to the table, and I let her and Keisha do most of the talking for the rest of lunch. I take like a bite of my orange chicken. The waitress box the rest up for me and put it in a doggie bag. Lisa eat all of her food, order another plate to go, and walk out the restaurant with an ice cream cone. She act like she eating for four. I pray to God she ain’t.

We hug Keisha and Andreanna goodbye in the parking lot. I don’t get in Ma’s car until I see that they safely in theirs and going down the street. Dre would’ve done the same thing.

The sun still out, so me and Lisa should get back to the Garden way before dark. Ma don’t want me on the highway at night. She said the cops more likely to stop me.

I go through her checklist—put on my seat belt, crank up the engine, turn on my lights, make sure the stereo ain’t high, and have my wallet in the cupholder so I don’t have to dig for it if I’m pulled over. I’m good to go.

Lisa buckle up and wrap herself in her Hello Kitty blanket just to eat her ice cream. If she so cold, why she eating that? “Soo . . . what’s up with you?” she says.

I slowly back out the parking spot. “What you mean?”

“You were super quiet during lunch. Maverick Malcolm Carter is anything but quiet.”

I poke at her side. “Oh, somebody got jokes.”

“Stoooop,” she whine. “You’re gonna make me pee, and my bladder’s weak as hell thanks to your baby.”

I laugh and turn onto the road. “My bad. I’m a’ight. Just didn’t have a lot to say.”

“You looked like you had a lot on your mind. Wanna talk?”

I don’t know how she can read me so good. “It’s nothing. Did you enjoy your surprise?”

“I did. I can’t believe you pulled it off,” she says.

“I told you, I’ll do anything for you . . .” I drum the steering wheel. I may as well go ahead and ask. “Do this mean I got a chance now?”