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"Oh," Ellie's new friend whispered as he stood

"Ellie sic," I said doubling her leash around ed the leash The leader and Hispanic kid turned and ran down the street The quite kid chuckled "Good girl," I gave a quick tug on her leash Ellie sat doithout another bark

"You got a cool dog, but she ain't no coonhound" the quite kid said

"She's a pitbull"

"That's what I thought" The quiet kid smiled

"I'm James" I extended my hand

"Jerome" He shook my hand

After sunset, Shannie, Genise, Ellie and I walked the boardwalk "This works," Genise said We were at the corner of St Ja a duffel bag and booot dibs on this corner Anyone ht They gonnaabout other acts Spots on the boardere always up for grabs I leaned against the itha baseball cap on backwards and shades Having a pitbull helped I didn't have to wait too long before they reappeared Seeing thelad I wore shades

Clad in short shorts, a low cut top and inline skates, Shannie looked wonderfully trashy She coasted on her skates drawing gawks She winked at me as she approached She bent over and turned on the boom box and cranked its volume A crowd formed Shannie circled backwards on her skates I couldn't take my eyes off her

"James, whatever you do…" Genise's voice appeared fro crowd Ion her blades, "…don't move an inch! Got it?"

"Got it," I watched Genise retrieve the duffel bag next toinch" She skated away from me on an old pair of quad skates "Give it up for MS Montana Fontana" With the skills of a ringa horseshoe around Shannie and me Shannie did a couple rabbed ainst the wall

Genise pulled three igling thelimmered off the polished steel

"Not bad!" Shannie cried as Genise gathered in the last knife "Would've been better if they were real"