The Game Don't Change. Mazaradi Fox
carefully because he wasn’t trying to do any more time than he had to. After a few seconds of contemplating, Nicky decided that he wasn’t about to be left behind. He jumped out of the bed, grabbed the darkest clothes he had, and pulled them on along with his black Nikes.
“Nigga, you know I’m in,” Lil’ Nicky said just as they heard the phone ring.
DeMarco peeked out of the door and saw the guard get up to answer the call. “Let’s go,” he said. He didn’t know how long the guard was going to stay on the phone, so they had to move quickly. Once the two of them were outside that door, they were going to run like their lives depended on it—because it did. Moving up the hallway, DeMarco put his hand on the doorknob to open it when he heard someone yell, “What the hell are y’all doing over there?”
DeMarco shoved the door open and took flight with Lil’ Nicky right behind him.
“He’s calling it in!” Lil’ Nicky yelled.
“So what? Fuck ’em. They gotta catch us now!” DeMarco said as they flew by the intake office, making their way out of the building.
“Once we hit these woods, they won’t be able to drive and see us!” DeMarco said loud enough, so Lil’ Nicky could hear him.
“Man, you hear all them cop cars already?” Lil’ Nicky was scared shitless. In a million years he would’ve never had the guts to escape on his own.
“Yeah, I hear it, nigga; just keep moving. We gotta make it to the other side of the road.” DeMarco kneeled down with Lil’ Nicky between some bushes.
“Let’s make it then,” Lil’ Nicky replied, and they got ready to jump.
DeMarco took a deep breath and said, “A’ight, let’s move.”
As they came out of the bushes and hit the road, a cop car appeared out of nowhere, almost swiping them.
Errrrrrrr! was all that was heard as they hit the other side of the street and headed into the woods..
“Damn, it feels like we’ve been running for months,” Lil’ Nicky said when they cut through a cluster of trees and noticed some bright lights.
Finally, DeMarco spotted the Mobil gas station that Mrs. B told him to be on the lookout for. He was trying to figure out how the fuck they could make it across the road without being run over. Just then, a jeep pulled up to the gas station and parked beside the pump closest to the road. A woman exited the vehicle and left it empty with the engine running while she went inside. DeMarco saw this as their chance.
“Come on!” he barked, and flew across the road, making his way to the jeep while watching the gas station doors. He was about to pull open the driver’s-side door when the woman walked out. “Fuck!” He played it off and walked past the jeep as if he was going into the gas station, then headed back over to Lil’ Nicky. A couple of minutes later a black Ford truck drove up into the same spot the woman had just pulled out of. Leaving his truck running, the driver went into the store, and DeMarco made his move again.
“Get in!” DeMarco called out as he jumped in the truck. DeMarco pulled away before Lil’ Nicky could even close the door.
DeMarco knew how to drive, but with his adrenaline pumping, he was swerving in and out of lanes. Lil’ Nicky was so scared he asked him to slow down a few times.
Eventually Lil’ Nicky dozed off while DeMarco rapped along with the songs that played on the radio. After a couple hours of driving, they began to see signs indicating they were approaching New York City. DeMarco felt relieved to be so close to home. As he pulled up to a tollbooth, nervousness set in. He hadn’t thought that they needed money to get into the city. They couldn’t risk going through without paying and getting pulled over by the cops.
“Nicky, get up! We gotta figure out how we gonna pay for this toll.”
Lil’ Nicky jolted awake in a state of confusion. “What’s goin on?”
“Man, look and see if he left any money layin around in here,” DeMarco said.
Lil’ Nicky, now focused, went through the glove box and every other place he could think to look. He didn’t find even a penny. Not knowing where else to search, DeMarco pulled out the ashtray in frustration and saw that it was full of quarters.
“Got it!” He let out a sigh of relief.
The relief was short-lived when he rolled up to the tollbooth.
“Ticket,” the chick at the window said.
Fuck, DeMarco thought. “Gimme a second,” he said, and began to look around for a ticket he knew he didn’t have.
Nicky joined in too, acting like he was searching as well. The woman was visibly annoyed as a line of cars formed behind them.
“What if I can’t find it?” DeMarco asked. “I must’ve threw it out by accident at the rest stop.”
“Then you gotta pay from the free spot,” she replied with an attitude.
“A’ight then, how much is that?”
“$6.80,” she said.
Under any other circumstance he would’ve cursed her out for her tone, but he was trying to stay under the radar. He looked over at Nicky who was counting out the change from the ashtray.
“Got it!” Lil’ Nicky said.
DeMarco was able to relax again and take a deep breath. He quickly passed her the change and pulled off smiling as they headed toward Grand Central. “Home sweet home!” he yelled.
* * *
Turning onto Merrick Boulevard, DeMarco could tell that not much had changed. He drove up the block slowly, looking around, and all he could do was smile.
“Ayo, look, Lil’ Nicky, I know you wanna go holla at ya peoples, so let’s get a few dollars and I’ll leave you with the whip,” he said as he pulled over. “You can drive it if you want, but remember, it’s hot . . . A’ight? I’ll be right back.”
Lil’ Nicky slid into the driver’s seat and waited.
About five minutes later, DeMarco came back and got into the truck.
“A’ight, Lil’ Nicky, here’s my number and five. Call me when you reach ya hood. Be safe, man, and dump this whip the first chance you get.” DeMarco reached over to give him dap.
“I got you. Thanks, man, I appreciate it. You be safe too, a’ight?”
DeMarco watched as Lil’ Nicky pulled off.
“Coolest white boy I know,” he said aloud as he turned and walked away. “I’m back, bitches!” he yelled with a devilish grin.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Boy, stop standing around looking like you lost,” DeMarco’s Aunt V. said.
“Auntie, it just feels so good to be back home,” DeMarco responded with a smile.
“Um huh, I still don’t see why them people let you go early and didn’t call to tell nobody.”
“I told you, they took time off because I was bein good.”
Aunt V. shook her head, knowing damn well he was lying; she’d let him think she was oblivious for the time being. “Boy, get in here so you can eat,” she said, walking back into the house.
“A’ight,” he replied before taking a quick look at his surroundings once more. Being on the run had him checking his back every other minute—he was betting that they wouldn’t look for him at his aunt’s place.
After he ate, DeMarco realized just how exhausted he was. He felt beat now that all the adrenaline had worn off. He went into one of the extra rooms and dropped back on the bed. As soon as he got comfortable, he fell right out, not even