hanging on the wall. Nothing unusual for a kid his age.

“This his room?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Monique said, “he don’t want nobody in there. I check sometimes, but he ain’t ever had nothin’ illegal. No guns or drugs or money or nothin’. He good at keepin’ secrets, I say.”

I looked back, seeing Monique start hacking into her hand, rattling her frail body. I took another step into Mike’s room again. Monique tried protesting through her coughs, but my need for answers compelled me. My addiction to distraction.

I put a hand to one of the posters. It was just hanging on the wall from the top. Lifting the corner I could see that it was over something else.

“Girl, what you doin’ in there?” Monique asked...

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