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They’ve already done enough for us.
I looked at Vivian. “I’ll give you the rent I’ve owed you—”
“You don’t owe me any rent.” Vivian rolled her eyes.
“I haven’t paid any.”
“Neither have I. Dad does it.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh, be quiet.” I placed my hands on my hips. “I’m paying Benny my year of rent and then I’m giving him a little extra for Troy to stay here.”
“I was thinking we don’t say anything about Troy staying here.” Vivian winked.
“I agree,” Troy chimed in.
Of course you agree. Benny is going to kill us.
“Your father’s name is on the lease,” I said. “He should know who’s in here.”
“Yada, yada, yada.” Vivian twirled her fingers in the air. “You are such a tight butt.”
“I just don’t want to make Benny mad.”
“You can never make him mad. All he talks about is the Golden Jasmine.” Vivian laughed. “I’ll be the one who gets in trouble because it was my idea. Although I don’t remember when the idea came to me.”
“You suggested it after the second joint,” Troy said.
“Have you seen Mom yet?” I asked.
“Nah. You’re the first address I went to. Grandma picked me up and I gave her one of the envelopes your letters came in.”
“Will you be visiting Mom any time soon?”
“I doubt it.” He frowned, signaling for me to drop it. I bit my lip as I slung off my scuffed heels, which were another thing Lucy had ordered me to trash as soon as possible.
“Do you have a plan?” I sat on the floor since there were no more chairs. “You need a plan or you’ll be right back in jail.”
“Don’t start.” Troy sucked his teeth. “I’ve reread all of your letters three times. I’m not like Sherman, Neil, and them. I’m done with jail, man.”
A knock sounded from the front door.
“Troy being out here will be the thing that helps him stay out of prison. I believe in him.” Vivian jumped up and headed to the door. “Troy, tell Jasmine your good news.”
I raised my newly tweezed, plucked, and waxed eyebrows. “News?”
His lips remained in that tight-lipped frown. “It’s nothing big. You know Viv likes to make big things out of nothing.”
“He received his associate degree in general studies.” Vivian opened the door.
“What?” I threw my shoe at him. “You never wrote me that you were taking college courses. Awesome. And why didn’t you tell me you would be up for parole?”
“I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“Well fine. You’re here now and I’m so freaking impressed,” I said. “That’s so awesome. We have to celebrate tonight.”
Vivian rushed back in the living room with three large boxes stacked in her arms. She dropped them on the floor. “These have all of our names on them, even Troy’s.”
“What?” Troy and I said in unison.
