“How was your first time?”

Cairo smirks at the Ricky's question.

“Oh you know,” Cairo replies, “I was super nervous at first, then everything passed by in a blur, before ending in a mix of ecstasy and disappointment.”

“You guys are fucking gross,” Sam says as she makes a disgusted face.

Cairo and Ricky bursts out laughing.  

"This right here," Cairo thinks to himself, "is why Ricky and I are close." 

Even on the worst days, Ricky had a talent for keeping Cairo's mind off of negative thoughts.  The downwards spiral from a fatalistic mindset was something Cairo was always afraid of falling victim of, and Ricky's sexual metaphor to Cairo's time spent behind bar was the perfect opportunity to forget about the time he spent in there.  Ricky kept him sane.  Cairo wasn't laughing at the joke itself.  No, he was laughing to disremember the experience he underwent while locked up.  They roar in jest as the rest of the class resumes to comprehend the lessons Ms. Martin was teaching.

A quick reprimanding look from their teacher quickly silences Cairo and his friend. It was a typical scenario from the classroom. When Kai returned from his fourth term behind bars, there wasn’t much of a celebration or exclamation until after school hours ended. Ms. Martin was strict on her rules. Class time is for education only.

Lowering his voice to a whisper, Cairo then asks about the whereabouts and conditions among his other friends. The news in the wind so to speak. What the birds through the vine woods were saying.

“Did you see Twinkie in there?” Ricky curiously asks.

“Yeah,” Cairo begins, almost raising his voice in indignation. “Twice actually.”

Ricky begins to smile as Cairo goes on a tangent.

“It’s some bullshit,” he complains, “My ass spends two months in jail for something minor while he gets two weeks for possessing firearms.”

“Stop overreacting,” Ricky says as he struggles to hide his laughter, “They were air soft guns.”

“That’s not the point.”

“I still can’t believe you did that,” Ricky says as he changes the subject, “you took the blame for all of us.”

“Yeah,” Cairo replies smiling, remembering the charges he single handily took for his classmates. "Although I sure regretted it while I was behind bars.”

“What do you mean?”

Cairo shakes his head as he turns the other way. Ricky opens his mouth but closes after he sees the look on his friend’s face. The three years they have been close has taught him Cairo was not one to keep quiet too long. It was better to wait until whatever he had bottled up boiled over. If he pestered him now, Cairo most likely would blow things out of proportions.

“Any news of the East Banker we fucked up?” Cairo asks.

“They ended the ‘program’ after we handled business,” Ricky replies, “I don’t know what those dumbasses were thinking, sending them over here when everyone knows Gardeners and Bankers don’t get along.”

Cairo scoffs. Someone in a governmental seat had a wishful thinking that maybe two natural enemies would make up just by being in the same vicinity. Even Ms. Martin thought it was a ludicrous idea. Conciliations rarely happened, and when they do they almost exclusively happen in movies.

“I was surprised even Fever got down,” Cairo comments, “I was so sure he was going to sit it out.”

“You’re one to talk,” Samantha suddenly interrupts, “you had to hype yourself up. Everybody by fourth period knew shit was about to go down.”

Cairo ruffles Sam’s hair in revenge. Ricky watches indifferently at his best friend and his girlfriend's horseplay before cutting in.

“Speaking of hype,” he starts, “have you heard of our new youngster?”

“Who?” Cairo curiously asks.

“Some kid Mimi brought in around the time you were locked up.”

“Is he legit?” Cairo asks with suspicion. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Mimi. However, experience had taught him the fluid nature of many people that came and went. He had enough of posers that talked big but shirked from the challenge when presented.

“Cairo’s never been one to accept new people,” Samantha teases as she places her arm around him. “Doesn’t feel like family.”

Cairo irritably shakes Samantha off him.

“Not when they are all bark and no bite.”

“I’ve seen him,” Ricky consoles. “He’s a little squishy but he has potential.”

“I hope so," Cairo smugly exclaims,  "I’ve had enough of disappointments. What’s his name?”

“Marcel.”