Felix - I'm not a grown-up, I just have common sense

WE'RE BACK AT Maria's house but only for the weekends this time. I bet the girls, except Gei, are in California, swimming, playing, riding four-wheelers, and relaxing on floaties in their bathing suits sipping on fake champagne and wearing sunglasses to block their eyes from the sun.

In a few months, we boys and Gei are supposed to go with them. They come over to South Street to drop the girls off. I think they're used to South Street, by now. They drop the girls off with their kids, sometimes. Think god they don't come from Tennesse. My dad used to live there and it was a traumatizing place filled with criminals and fake people. They are poor like us, but they deserve to be poor because they're usually behind bars. The South Street kids know how to handle things without getting too violent. I'm just glad I am out of that place and I'm here. To me, this place is an upgrade.

"Hey," I say taking whatever's in the fridge out to cook it for dinner.

Maria puts her coat on. "I'm going to the store."

"The girls aren't here this time," I say putting the food back in the fridge.

"Heh, I'm kinda glad. Fewer mouths to feed. I'll be back, so, don't cook dinner until then, okay?" She riffles my hair.

"Alright," I say.

Donnie asks, "Can I come with you?"

"Sure. Why, don't you hate shopping with me?"

"Yeah, but I want to go to the skate park."

"Okay, but after."

He gets his slides on and heads out the door.

"Hey Ade," I call him from the kitchen.

"Yeah?!"

"You wanna go to the store?!"

"No, I'm going to TéMia's!"

"Okay!"

He goes into the kitchen and grabs his coat and shoes and says, "I'm borrowing your car, bye."

"Bye, be careful and use my ID."

"I know, thanks." He closes the door.

I can't believe you have a car, now," Maria says.

"Yeah, is Donnie already in the car?"

"Yeah, I gave him his coat."

"He's an odd kid. I think he's the most like our dad."

"Yeah, he looks like him!"

"Bye be safe."

"Bye, little grown-up."

"I'm not a grown-up, I just have common sense," I say sitting down on the couch in the living room.

Hours pass and Adrian comes into the kitchen, "I call Daisy's room!"

"Okay, but I call it tomorrow!" I call to him as he runs upstairs.

When Daisy isn't here, her room's up for grabs. Whoever calls it first, they get it, and then the next day, it switches.