Anatomy of a Girl Gang (9781551525303) (7 page)

Right.

nevR herd of U.

Well, that's the problem we're hoping you'll help us solve, brown chick $ez. We want a public presence; we want our name thrown up all over the city.

Y?

Because writing our name on the walls tells the world we're here, and they can't ignore us. With all their boundaries and
their sanctions and their rules and laws, with all their money and power, we're still here. And we're not going away. Our name on the wall proves it.

Y don't U ju$t do it ur$elve$. Y do U need me?

Because you're the best, Mac $ed.

i coffed in2 my hand 2 hyde my grin.

MAC

Mercy arranged a meet with this Z person. I told everyone they had to come. I wanted her to know who we were, that she was getting the unique opportunity to become one of us.

So we're all sitting in the comfy chairs in the corner of Bean Around the World, watching people pass by the window doing the Hastings shuffle.

What if she doesn't want to join us? Kayos asked. She will.

Is she gonna live with us? Sly Girl asked.

Yeah, if she wants.

Where will she sleep?

We'll figure something out.

There were only three tiny bedrooms in the ratty house we rented on Cordova, but I was saving up so we could get a condo uptown, something real nice. A bright home with lots of windows, a balcony, maybe even a view of the mountains. Something far, far away from the hellhole that is the Downtown Eastside. Sometimes it feels like I've been waiting my whole life to get out of here, and for the first time, I'm actually getting close.

And let's agree on something, I said and looked at each of them. If she wants in, this is the last member of the Black Roses. We can't have this thing getting too big, you know? Or it'll get out of control. We'll just keep it to five members, max. That way, everyone knows each other really good, we know we
can trust each other, and we can all live together. Agreed?

Yeah, sure.

Okay.

Agreed.

Good.

The other reason I didn't want more than five people was because we weren't making enough profit yet to support any more than that and afford a condo. One day soon, I wanted to drive a sweet car, a Corvette or a Porsche. I wanted a diamond choker, and a floor-length leather jacket. I wanted a little dog to carry around in my purse and dress up in little outfits. Just kidding, I didn't really want a pocket rat, but you get the picture. Feeding, clothing, and housing another girl would seriously cut into my bling funds.

I didn't feel comfortable managing a huge crew; some people could do it, but never for long. The big street gangs always get taken down, either by mutiny or the cops. I wanted this to stay small and highly efficient. I wanted to be organized. I wanted to be tight. And I wanted each member to be able to reap big rewards, instead of spreading it thin across a bunch of girls. As I was thinking this, a scrawny Chinese girl walked up to us. She was not what I expected a graffiti artist to look like. She had spiky black hair, thick glasses, and Adidas warm-up pants. She was cute as hell.

I stood up first, and everyone else followed my lead. I extended my hand to her. Hi, I'm Mac. Her T-shirt said
Support Your Local Hustler
. I couldn't help smiling.

She looked like she swallowed her gum the wrong way, and
her eyes got huge and watery behind her glasses.

You must be Z.

Yup. She coughed into her hand and I let mine drop back to my side.

This is Mercy, Kayos, and Sly Girl.

She wrinkled her nose like she smelled something bad.

Won't you sit down? I heard myself say. Jesus Christ, who am I, Martha Stewart? Why am I nervous? This chick's like, four feet tall. Mercy, would you mind grabbing us some coffees? I slid her a fifty.

Sure, what do you want? she asked Z.

A latte?

I'll have the same.

Me too, said Sly Girl.

Me three, said Kayos. And could you get them to make mine a triple, please? I don't know why I'm so tired today. She yawned and stretched.

Someone keeping you up late last night? Mercy winked.

No. Kayos glared at her.

So … I said.

So? Z set her backpack on the floor and I heard the metallic clink of what must've been spray cans inside.

You live around here?

Yup.

Chinatown?

Yeah, all Chinese people live in Chinatown. Didn't you know?

Sorry, I didn't mean … it's just that it's around here … and … sorry. Shit, this was not going well. She was so
small and so cute. She was such a great artist, she was a perfect fit for us, and I was screwing up everything.

We're not racist, Kayos said. Obviously. She gestured to Mercy standing in line.

Whatever.

Do you, um, do you get high?

What are you, a narc or something? You undercover? Fuck this shit, man. She picked up her bag and stood to leave.

No, no! No, God, no. Please, sit down. I put my hand on her shoulder and felt a little electric shock zap me. I'm sorry. It's just that I have to make sure before …

She sat down with a huge sigh. So what's all this about?

Well, I said. We were wondering if you're with a crew.

No way. Z is a one-woman show.

Would you consider joining one?

Depends.

On?

On what's in it for me and what I have to do. She tilted her head and stared at me as if I were her mortal enemy.

I smiled. Z was a tough nut to crack.

Mercy came back with our coffees and sat down.

I gave Mercy the nod to go ahead and take over. Like my mom used to tell me, if you don't know what to say, shut the hell up and let someone else do the talking.

Mercy gave her the spiel about who we were and what we did, and if she was with us, she'd have to be okay with it all. She'd have to promote the Black Roses through her art. In return, she would get our protection, a place to live, an equal
share of the profits, and, of course, our undying love.

I'll think about it, Z said, and stood up.

I felt a sudden pain ripple through my chest. Wait. I wrote my cell number on a napkin. Take this.

She snatched it out of my hand and was gone.

Mercy, Kayos, Sly Girl, and I were left staring at each other and shrugging our shoulders.

Whaddya think? Kayos said.

I don't think she's into it, said Mercy. I don't think we have anything she wants.

She already talks like a G, anyway. She's part way there, yo.

Sly Girl giggled.

I guess we'll have to wait and see, I said, and finished the dregs of my coffee. As I set my mug down, a cold rush of air blew in. Z came through the door and rushed up to us, all breathless and rosy-cheeked.

Okay. I thought about it. I'm in.

VANCOUVER

These girls?

These girls are like five sudden stars, exploding into the night.

SLY GIRL

I was still workin the streets, just in a different way. Now, I was selling H, crack, and Oxy instead of blow jobs, hand jobs, and pussy. The streets were still hard and nasty, but at least I wasn't sleepin on them no more. And I always went out with another Black Rose, usually Kayos, sometimes Mac or one of the others. It's not that they didn't trust me to do it myself, it's just that they didn't want me to be alone out there, in case some crackhead got violent or somethin, you know.

I'd stopped doin meth and heroin, but every now and then I took a few hits of crack. Just because it was everywhere, and it was easy and free. I was scared that Mac would catch me, but I hid it from her real good.

What I would do is, I'd smoke a teensy, tiny little rock in the dead middle of night. Around three or four in the morning I'd just take my pipe outta my hidin place and have a little hit. Blow it all right out the window. Once, I was this close to gettin busted by Z. She got home right as I finished. She was the only one who stayed out that late usually, sprayin up the town with our name. I wanted to go with her real bad, eh, but she said she preferred to work alone. Whatevers. She's nice enough. Doesn't get in my way or stare at my ugly eye. Her and Mac share Mac's room.

Kayos and I like to work in the daylight cuz then you can see who's comin. One afternoon, we were out, must've been around two or three. I'm makin a deal with Cindy, one of our regulars at the corner of Hastings and Columbia. Kayos is
havin a cigarette, checkin out some of the kiff beside us. Then outta nowhere, our buddy with the spider tattoo on his neck comes chargin around the corner. He's all huffin and puffin.
What the fuck did I tell you bitches?
He yells at us.
Stay the fuck outta U.P. territory!
Then he reaches into his pocket, but Kayos reaches into hers first, and fires off a shot at him. And then another. And then another. It's so loud right beside my ear. My ears are ringin and hurtin bad, and he is bleedin from the heart, and staggers toward us with his arms reachin out for us. Then he falls to the ground. I look at Cindy and her mouth forms a giant O, and she runs down the street, her arms and legs all jerky like a chicken.

Come on! Kayos grabs my arm and pulls me down the alley, and we run and run and run and run and run until we're at our house on Cordova and in the front door. Kayos locks and bolts and chains the front door, and her hands are shakin so much she has trouble with the chain. When we turn around, Mac and Z are starin at us. They're eatin sandwiches, and Mac finishes chewin and swallows and takes a drink of milk before she says, What the hell did you do?

KAYOS

Hey! Mac yelled and snapped her fingers in my face. What the fuck just happened?

I sat on the floor with my back against the door and Mac, Z, and Sly Girl stood over me. I pulled out a smoke and tried to light it, but I couldn't get my lighter to work. I tried again and again, but it just wouldn't. Finally, Mac flipped her Zippo in my face and lit it for me. I took a long, hard drag.

I think I just killed someone.

What?
Who?

That U.P. guy we told you about, who harassed us the other night.

You shot him?

I took another big drag, held it in. Nodded. Exhaled.

Oh,
fuck me
, Kayos! Do you realize this is gonna fuck us up royally? This is exactly the kind of shit I didn't want us to be involved in.
Fuck!!!
She grabbed her forehead. What happened? Tell me exactly what happened.

It was self-defence, yo. I swear. He charged at us, he was yelling, and then he went for his gun. He was gonna execute us right there on the corner! We'd both be dead right now if I hadn't got to mine first. Right, Sly?

She nodded.

Sirens screamed a few streets away.

This is fucked up, Mac said.

Z rubbed her hand over Mac's back. Just chill out, girl. We gotta stay calm right now. Let's all take a deep breath, aiight?
Okay. We're not gonna panic. We're all gonna be smart right now. Okay? Everybody smart? Yeah, that's right.

Did anybody see you?

Sly Girl nodded.

Who?

Cindy, I said.

Who else?

I don't know! Whoever was standing around at Hastings and Columbia right then. Probably lots of people!

Christ.

What do you want me to do? I asked her.

I want you to go back in time and
not fucking shoot him!!

I looked down. I had fucked up everything. For real. I'd broken the oath, I'd probably started a gang war, and I had let everyone down. I began to cry.

Then there was pounding on the door behind me, which scared the living shit out of all of us.

Hey! Let me in, it's Mercy!

Is anyone with you? Mac yelled through the door.

No.

Move. Move! Mac shooed me away from the door and unlocked it for Mercy. She burst in smelling like pine air freshener. Hey, good news, I just loaded this Escalade onto the … What's wrong?

Kayos shot a guy from Unified Peoples.

Oh.
Shit
.

MERCY

Look, Kayos, I said, I think the best thing for you to do right now is go home and be with your family. Go have dinner with them. Stay in. And make sure they stay home with you tonight. Play Monopoly or something.

She rolled her eyes and wiped the tears from her face.

Come on, I'll give you a ride home.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her up off the floor. All the colour had drained out of her face, and she'd chewed her lower lip so hard it was bleeding.

I'm sorry. I—