CHAPTER 4

Halo pretended to be in deep thought before responding. "I am skeptical about the little green-haired girl but let's give her the benefit of the doubt this time"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah let's allow the little birdie to fly"

Daniel and Halo let Rosie go and she immediately took to her heels.

"I told you," Daniel lightly punched Halo's arm, "Let's go get her"

Both of them began to run after their friend, the trio's laughter swimming into the cold air as they ran to Halo's apartment building. Just as they did when they were children, just as they hoped they would continue to do even when they did have children.

The apartment complex building was so high that looked like it could graze the night sky but it also looked so old that sometimes its occupants felt that it would one day collapse while they were asleep. That or it would just spontaneously combust and everybody would burn alive.

Then again, it was one thing to be concerned over your safety and it was another thing to have enough money to move to a better housing environment that was not a threat to your wellbeing. Halo and Dominic fell into the category of people who could not afford safe housing.

The trio walked into the building, the familiar smell of too many people jammed together into a small space hitting their noses. Rosie scratched her nose like the smell was causing an itch. "Who the hell didn't take a shower for two weeks around here?" she asked.

Halo chuckled as they got into the elevator that would take them to the tenth floor where she lived. "Girl, that could have been anybody you know that" The elevator doors closed and they lunged forward as the metal device began to make its ascent.

"Jesus Christ!!" Daniel exclaimed as he struggled to gain his footing after almost being thrown to the elevator floor.

"That's it, this building is after our collective lives," Rosie said as she pushed herself off the wall of the elevator that she had used as a support system.

"When I suddenly have a couple hundred thousand dollars in my bank account you'll never catch me here anymore" Halo replied with a smile on her face, the only one among them who didn't seem fazed by the incident mostly because she was already used to it.

The elevator doors dinged as they came open revealing the fairly lit hallway where one of the numbered doors was where Halo lived. The three of them stepped out of the elevator and began to walk down the hallway. An elderly woman was struggling with her keys.

"Hello, Ms. Eunice" Halo greeted the woman with a wave. The woman looked up and smiled at the youngsters.

"Oh hello, there Halo. How are you tonight?"

"I'm doing okay. Do you need help with your keys or something?"

"No darling, I'm quite fine," she waved back at Rosie and Daniel who had offered her a small wave, "Hello there dears. Are these friends of yours Halo?"

"Yes, Ms. Eunice."

She smiled a broad smile at them. "Oh, they look like nice kids. You three stay safe and away from those large dogs"

"Of course Ms. Eunice," Halo responded as she and her friends began to make their way to her front door, "You take care of yourself now. Goodnight"

Ms. Eunice shouted a goodnight at her in response but Halo said nothing back, she just opened up the door, smiled at the woman, and led her friends inside. As they stepped in, Rosie gave her a funny look. "Large dogs?"

"Ms. Eunice is not very aware of what's real and what's not" Halo responded as she took off her jacket.

"So the old lady is batshit crazy?" Rosie asked and Halo slapped her arm.

"Girl don't be mean. She's not batshit crazy"

"Yet" Rosie added, ignoring her friend's advice to act a little less mean.

Halo was about to say something in the old lady's defense when her brother strolled into the living room wearing a thick coat, his hair messy from not coming in contact with a comb all day. Dominic was tall and handsome despite his ability to care much for his appearance. He always looked like he had something to hide and could not afford to trust anyone. Even now, he looked at his sister and her friends like they had discovered some grand secret of his and wanted to blackmail him with it.

"Where are you going?" Halo asked

"Out" he answered and refused to say anything more than that.

"Hey, Dom. How's it going, bro?" Daniel greeted and Dominic shrugged and exhaled.

"Could be better," he replied and looked at Rosie, "Hey Rosie"

"Don't talk to me Dominic you know I don't fuck with you"

"Rosie!" Halo chided but the girl just rolled her eyes, unaffected by the reaction.

"What? he knows I don't fuck with him"

"Do you always have to be a bitch?" Dominic asked

"Don't call her that!" Halo snapped at her brother but just like Rosie, he didn't seem to care.

"This bitch got a job my gee. Can you relate?" she asked him with folded arms

"Yes, I can. I do have a job" Dominic replied, the annoyance in his voice becoming more evident.

"They fired you yet?"

Dominic was about ready to respond when Daniel interrupted their back and forth. "Well, that's enough fighting for one night," he grabbed hold of Rosie's hand and began to lead her away from the living room and toward Halo's bedroom, "We'll be in your room Lolo. Stay safe Dom"

Dominic and Halo watched as they walked away and turned their attention to each other. "Is she always so lovely?" he asked, sarcasm on his tongue.

"You two need to learn to get along one of these days"

"Maybe after she's dead"

"You got a job now?" she asked half in doubt over the possibility of her brother getting involved in the work scene.

"You sound surprised"

"Can you blame me?"

"What do you want me to say Halo? Yeah, I got a job. Isn't that what you've been bugging me about all these months?"

"What you mad about? I just wanted to know about your new job"

"You want to be sure I'm not selling drugs on the street corner"

She exhaled. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did want to be sure that he wasn't selling drugs off the street corner but she was not going to tell him that.

"Where do you work"