??????????.

Though Kross scolded him often about it, talking about how he was supposed to bother him with things like that, he still didn't want to— especially since Kross had his problems to deal with.

"What did you eat?"

"I a-ate a pop tart a-and my mom got o-oranges too."

Sebastian liked oranges and often saved the ones from his lunch to eat at home if he got hungry while he was alone.

"Aight. It's mad boring, whatchu wanna do today?"

"I w-wanted to g-go to the l-library and get some n-new books. I a-already read a-all of the ones I-I have," Nas answered, tilting his head over towards the large stack of books that sat on the carpet where he had been.

"Is it open? We can go right now if you wanna. I wanna see if my brother is outside today, too, so."

Sebastian always thought that Kross's older brother was nice but very intimidating, including the people he hung around. Kaze treated Sebastian as if he was his little brother too— sometimes giving him money, which he hid inside a hole in his mattress.

He didn't know what he'd do with the money, maybe he would give it to his mother.

"I think i-it's open. I'm gonna g-get my hoodie and s-shoes." He slid off of his twin-sized bed and walked over to the tight-spaced closet and wrapped his chubby hand around the silver knob, yanking it open carefully.

The door was so old, that it had fallen off of the hinges a few times, almost falling on top of Sebastian. He was luckily able to put it back by himself, afraid to tell his mother about the broken door— not knowing if the Jamaican women would be angry or not.

Nas grabbed the grey New Balance sweater Kross had given him at the beginning of the year when the weather had gotten too cold just for one coat, and the beat-up New balances he always wore.

He swiftly slipped the shoes on over his mix-matched black and grey socks and leaned over to tie them as quick as he could, and then shrugged the large sweater on his shoulders, letting it remain unzipped.

"You ready?" Kross pulled his syrupy-red orbs away from the iPhone 6 he had been occupied with.

Nas nodded and briskly picked up the large stack of books from off of his carpet, snuggly holding them under his right armpit.

The two friends then gravitated towards the front of the small apartment, where Sebastian searched inside one of the drawers to the old wooden entertainment center, which supported a small flat-screened TV in the center of the tight-spaced room, for a spare key so he could lock and unlock the door when he came back.

He figured he would be back before his mother came home, but in the projects locking your doors was a must.

The two friends made their way out into the wide apartment hallway, slamming the door behind them. Sebastian slowly lock the door, his thin eyebrows furrowing as he focused on locking it correctly. A smoke alarm whose batteries desperately needed changing beeped loudly every five seconds, echoing throughout the hallway along with the sound of the metal locks clicking.

"You got it, Nas?" Kross queried and Sebastian bowed his head, dropping the key in his pocket when he finally got the door locked on his own, then they made their way towards the rickety, old elevator so they could get to the first floor.