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“I think so too, which is why I don’t like the idea of Jake spending time with him. I don’t want him around Sean either.”
“Why not? Sean’s a nice kid.”
“Yeah, but none of those guys are doing anything with their lives. It took me a long time to convince Jake he could get a good job, make money, and have a decent future. I don’t want those guys making Jake think college is a waste of time and he could just go get some hourly job.”
“Jake wouldn’t do that. He wants to make video games and he’s on a path to actually making that happen. He’s not going to give that up.”
“I hope you’re right. I just don’t trust those guys.”
“Who was the other guy? Weren’t there three he always hung out with?”
“Leo. I don’t know if he was there. Jake ended the call before I could ask. I can’t believe he went back there. After I told him not to.”
“You knew he would. He’d at least want to see the old house.”
“He already did. He said he drove by it and that it looked the same.”
Danny glances at the building. “We should get back in there.”
“We still have time. So tell me about the house.”
“The house? What do you mean?”
“I mentioned the house and you changed the subject. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No. I just thought we should get going.”
“Just tell me,” I say with a sigh. “How bad is it?”
He looks down, shaking his head. “It’s pretty bad.”
“How do you know?”
“My dad told me. He said there’s graffiti all over it and the door is falling off.”
“Shit,” I mutter. “You guys did so much to fix it up, and now it’s destroyed?”
“Hey, it’s not a big deal. We fixed it up for you and Jake. It doesn’t matter what it looks like now.”
“I know, but I still feel bad knowing I sold it to some guy who turned it into a crack house. Is that what happened? I assume it’s a drug house.”
Danny shrugs. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Fuck,” I say, angry at myself for letting that guy buy it. “I was hoping that house being fixed up would make other people want to fix up theirs too, but it sounds like that didn’t happen.”
“My dad said the whole street’s gotten worse. All the people who kept up their house are gone. Now the houses there are either abandoned or party houses.”
“Meaning drug houses.”
“Yeah, basically.”
“And now Jake’s hanging out there.”
“In the neighborhood, not on that street. Sean’s house is a few blocks over.”
“I don’t know if he lives there anymore. Last I heard, his mom took off with some guy.”
“She did, but Sean still lives in the house. His uncle moved in to help pay the rent.”
