At the tender age of seven, I became a victim of a tragic incident that tore my world apart. Witnessing the brutal murder of my parents, I was thrust into a life governed by circumstances beyond my control. My uncle, driven by a sense of duty, took...
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I rushed around my room in a panic, running late for my first day of senior year. Standing in my underwear, I quickly gave myself a once-over in the mirror. I looked good, if I do say so myself. Over the past ten years, I had managed to keep my body toned with daily workouts at Billy Castelo's local gym. Billy was an up and coming street fighter, and he owned the gym as a way to keep the youth off the streets. It was a noble cause, but little did he know that I was secretly selling weed there.
My fingers glided over my skin, tracing the six military stars that flanked my shoulders—three on the left and three on the right. They looked bold and angry, protruding on my caramel skin. Those stars were a symbol of honor, my rank and strength, but also a constant reminder of the things I had done.
My thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of my phone on the bed. I picked it up and saw a message from Raven, one of my best friends. Another vibration followed, this time from Sage, my other BFF.
Raven: Where are you? You know I don't like waiting outside your house. 😡
Sage: Please hurry, I can't handle any more moaning from this bitch. She just doesn't stop. Help, please! 😭
Me: I overslept, sorry. I'll be right down.
I quickly grabbed my school uniform and got dressed. It was a simple black dress, white shirt, and black school shoes, resembling funeral attire. I tied my hair up into a messy bun, not bothering to comb it as the messy look was in these days.
Descending the stairs, I took a left turn down the long passage and knocked on Griffey's door. "Yo, Griffey! Open up, I'm running late!" I knocked again when there was no response. Finally, the door flew open.
"What the fuck, Michael? Are you trying to wake Franky?" Griffey snapped, annoyed.
I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. "Just give me my shit. I'm running late."
He turned around and went back into the room, and I took the opportunity to glance around. Griffey had become my uncle's right-hand man over the years, a result of some twisted law of succession. No one was allowed in this room besides Griffey and me. We were solely responsible if any stock went missing. The room was filled with shelves stacked to the roof, each containing safe boxes that opened with a secret code. Different drugs were hidden inside, but my involvement was limited to selling weed. I had been doing it since I earned my rank.
In the middle of the room, there was a desk where Griffey prepared a brown paper bag, weighing it on a scale before handing it to me. "There, it's bagged and ready to sell. Have a good day, and try not to get caught."
I rolled my eyes at his warning, but then he did something unexpected. He leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek, smiling at me. It caught me off guard, and I awkwardly smiled back, mumbled a goodbye, and hurried out of the front door.
