The Problem with Forever

  “Really? What happened to your cousin? Last time I checked, he’d parted ways with his pulse.”

  “Man,” Jayden said again, dropping his chin.

  Rider folded his arms. “Why are you doing this? Hector said he can get you a job—”

  “At McDonald’s? Making minimum wage just to smell like yesterday’s grease?” Jayden winced as he shook his head. “You know I help our abuelita with that money so she don’t have to work so many damn hours.” He held up the bag of ice. “She can’t keep up. You know that, and the state’s going to stop payin’ for you.”

  “I know that, Jayden.”

  “I don’t want her to have to keep takin’ in kids just to pay the damn electric bill. Not all of them have been like you,” he said.

  Rider closed his eyes. “And I know that, too, but dammit, you’re...going to get yourself killed.”

  The twisting increased as my breath caught. A cold rush of air swept down my spine as I listened to them. This...this was serious. Like way more serious than anything going on in my life.

  “Nah, man. You stressing,” Jayden replied as he started to lower the ice again, but one look from Rider stopped him. “I got this taken care of.”

  Rider snorted. “Looks like it.”

  Jayden looked away, focusing on the fridge.

  A moment passed and then Rider spoke again, voice low. “You’re like a brother to me, Jayden. You and Hector have been there for me. Opened your home to me. I don’t want to see this happening to you.”

  “Nothin’ happening,” he muttered.

  Rider kept going. “Do you think your grandma needs to see you like this? What do you think that’ll do to her? Do you think she wants money you bled for?”

  Things started to click into place as I lis