by Karen Sims<\/p>\n
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Listen, it\u2019s you, me, and Jojo. We\u2019re going in, doing the thing, and getting out. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy–Grilled Cheesy. You\u2019ll be with me, Jojo will be in the getaway, and I\u2019m not going to let anything happen to you. I\u2019ll do the heavy lifting. You just hold the gun and keep your cool. Deep breaths. Three in, four out, just like we practiced, just like we did for Panama. Remember how that went down without a hitch, smooth as Jack Daniels? This\u2019ll be the same, Panama 2.0. You don\u2019t even need to shoot, unless you need to. Just watch my back, and I\u2019ll watch yours. It\u2019s you, me, and Jojo, like always. Right Jojo? See that? Jojo\u2019s chill. Cool as watermelon salad. It\u2019s watermelon and feta and it sounds crazy but it\u2019s delicious. Balsamic dressing. Crisp, crisp basil. I\u2019ll make you one. We just get through this, then we\u2019re in the clear. In. Out. Jojo in the car. Okay? Okay. Have the engine ready, Jo. We\u2019ll be right back.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s just you and me, now. That\u2019s okay. We\u2019ve got this. Forget Jojo. Should have shot him in Panama. But you and me, we can do anything. We can get out of this. We just gotta stay cool–watermelon salad, baby. Sometimes whisky\u2019s got a kick. But listen, we got in, we did the thing, and we got out. Sure, you had to pull that trigger after all, but you fucking nailed it. You’re barely shaking anymore. We aren\u2019t Jojos. We\u2019re bonded. Blood Brothers–here, wipe that off–Moon Sisters–whatever. We didn\u2019t need a rat like Jojo. Forget him. Who the fuck is Jojo? Plan B exists for a reason. We\u2019ll wait it out, then I\u2019ll cook for you. The watermelon this year is sweet as hell. We got this, right? Nod for me. Okay, good. Now, listen, we gotta run. It\u2019s just gonna be a little bit longer. Just follow me, and keep your eyes glued to my head. And if your legs burn, keep \u2018em moving. Just think of hitting Jojo with a car.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Weeeeeelllllll, fucccck you. Just like Jojo. Worse than Jojo. At least Jojo was always kind of shady. But you were my person, my ride or die, it was us forever. Now it\u2019s just me. Sold out. And for what? To try and salvage a spent life, a chickenshit soul? Probably working with Jojo the whole time. Now I\u2019m going away for some shit I didn\u2019t even do. What did you tell them? That I pulled the trigger? That I forced you into it? Liar. We were safe. We had Plan B. Then you fucked it, you jittery shit. \u201cI\u2019m popping out for smoke,\u201d you said. I should have known. It was always just me. And you know what? I’m glad. You\u2019ll never know what real loyalty feels like. The cold, hard confidence of it. My beautiful watermelon salad. How crisp the fucking basil.<\/p>\n
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Suqi Karen Sims is a food writer and creative writing PhD student at Georgia State University, where she teaches composition and fiction. Her work has appeared in\u00a0McSweeney’s Internet Tendency<\/em>,\u00a0Heated<\/em>, and\u00a0Put A Egg On It<\/em>, among others. She is an assistant editor for the literary journal\u00a0Five Points<\/em>, where she writes on food and literature. She also publishes under the name Karen Sims. Contact her through her website,\u00a0suqikarensims.wordpress.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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