Jumped In Read Online Free PDF Page B

what do gangsters do? Besides tag buildings, steal cars and guns, and deal drugs?
    They kill people.
    And that fucking scares me.
    On the other hand, if Luis is such a badass, why would he work so hard to follow the Rules? To try to not be noticed? To try and disappear?
    Like I do?
    Why is it important to him? What makes him that way? Why would he care? He’s a big, cold-blooded, cholo gangster with a scary neck scar.
    A cold-blooded cholo who just threatened to kill my ass.

 
    TELL US ALL ABOUT THE LIFE , GANGSTER BOY
    I T’S A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT . Luis and I sit in Cassidy’s class, eyes trained on the board, following rules 3 and 4.
    We’re ready for anything Cassidy might dish out as she starts in on metaphors . We both follow rule 7.
    She asks for “an example of a metaphor for our society.”
    We follow rule 6.
    Smartass Mick Weatherspoon does not follow rule 6. He fires his hand up and Cassidy calls on him. He asks if gangs could be a metaphor for society.
    Possibly a deep question.
    But at the moment, I can’t give a rat’s ass because Cassidy’s knee jerks and she immediately turns to get feedback from Luis. Like he’s the class expert. Like he’s dying to educate us all about gangbanger life.
    She walks right at us.
    I can’t believe she’s coming back at him so soon after he blank-stared her down.
    I freak out about all the looks from the class. But I’m not worried about Luis. He’s gonna prevail again.
    Cassidy’s standing directly over him and she says, “Luis, what’s your take on—”
    It’s all she can get out.
    She’s frozen.
    Stuck in her tracks.
    Luis hasn’t done anything. Hasn’t said a word. But Cassidy is stopped cold.
    You can see the wheels turning in her head. She’s looking up at the ceiling, thinking the whole thing through.
    It’s quiet.
    The furnace clanks in the corner.
    A jumbo jet slowly whooshes overhead.
    Cassidy looks down at the ground. She turns and walks away from Luis. And she completely changes the subject.
    It’s awkward. But for the moment, the attention isn’t on Luis. It’s on Cassidy. Everyone is checking her out, wondering what the hell made her stop like that.
    The bell rings and the class bolts up to go.
    Cassidy’s off the hook.
    But she doesn’t take the free pass.
    As Luis walks toward the door, she stops him. “Luis, I hope you don’t think that I’ve assumed anything about you. Because I haven’t.”
    He doesn’t respond. He just stands there for a long time. Then he looks up at her like he wants to say something, but he can’t. He struggles to talk, but no words come out.
    Carlos called Luis Callado. I looked it up. It means quiet, or like, the Quiet One. Well, Callado is all he is until he dashes out of the classroom.
    Running.
    Without a word.

 
    ON A STRING
    O N MY WAY TO CLASS , I’m trying to figure out what made Luis run from Cassidy.
    And just like that I smack into—
    â€œ Ojos, man. You never not bumping me?”
    Aw, hell.
    â€œYou gotta keep your head up, son!”
    â€œI’m just going to class, so—”
    â€œ Callado beat the shit outta you yet?”
    â€œNah—”
    â€œSerious?”
    â€œNo—I mean, yes, I’m serious.”
    I try to take off, but Carlos pulls me back to him. He looks to make sure no one’s listening and says, “Ain’t no vato in this pen don’t fear Callado .” Carlos pinches his thumb and finger right in front of my eyes. “He’s got us all right here,” he says, “on a motherfuckin’ string.”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œSo whattaya gotta do?”
    â€œI … um … I—”
    â€œDon’t you listen to nothing I say?”
    â€œI do. I listen.”
    â€œYou gotta keep your eyes open.”
    â€œThat’s what I was gonna say.”
    â€œDo it,