Loving A Gangsta

Chapter 43 (Sunday-October 18th)

Marcus's POV

I park in the empty space between Jessie's and Mike's cars and me, Trey, and Xavier all get out the car. Waiting inside is Jessie, Mike, and Marlon. We all decided to come up to David's Bridal to pick out or suits for homecoming this weekend.

I wouldn't say that Mike, Jessie, and I been all buddy-buddy, but we cut off all that beef and been cool this past month. I ain't got time to focus on beefs and fighting anyway when we all just learned that life is short. My whole mentality has changed, and I've finally put Ant's wishes into action. I ain't been out running sells, hitting houses, riding around in the streets, or even smoking.

Trey's basketball coach told me that if I stay out of trouble in school and keep my attendance and grades up, then he'll give me a shot on the team when tryouts come around. That's some good news for me since I felt like all odds in school was against me, but Ren's been helping me a lot. My grades was never bad to begin with, but I had been missing so much class that I was behind a lot. She helped catch up on a lot of my work and study for test, so my GPA went from a 3.0 to a 3.4. It ain't nothing spectacular, but if I keep it up, shit I might walk out of high school with close to a 4.0. I'm smart enough.

With all this help and support from Ren, I've really been in a good state of mind and back on track when it comes to this school shit. She persuaded me to start meeting with the career coach, Mrs. Tyson, at our school, and I glad she did. Mrs. Tyson scheduled me to take the ACT next week. After I take it and when the semester ends this December, she's gonna walk me through applying to some colleges around the state that I'm hoping I can get accepted into.

She said that all I have to do is get at least a twenty-two on the test, make the basketball team, get a job, and participate in two community service projects so that I can put all that on resume. Her and a few of my other teachers that I actually have decent relationships with promised to write me some recommendation letters, so I'll be all set when the time comes.

I ain't told Ren none of this yet because I don't want to disappoint her if my ACT score ain't high enough, I don't do too well to make the basketball team, can't find a job, or I don't get accepted into none of the colleges. I'd hate for her to think that her man ain't and can't go nowhere in his life. But if and when I get some good news, she'll be the first person I'll go running too.

I know she's got a bright ass future ahead of her with all the things she's done in and out of high school and with her grades. She already took the ACT and made a thirty, so she's not worried at all when it comes to getting into college even though she still got another year in high school.

It scares me knowing that if I do get into college, I'm gonna have to be away from her. Ain't no telling what's gonna happen to our relationship then, but I feel like the love we got for each other ain't gonna die out just because of a little distance. We've been through too much to make this work, and I love her to death. She ain't going nowhere no time soon.

"What's the deal?" Mike says, shaking my hand as we make it over to where him.

"Ready to get these suits and get out of here. The girls waiting on us at the house," I say, shaking Marlon and Jessie's hands too.

"I'm ready to hop out of here too," Marlon says. "Jada ass was too specific when she gave me the details for this tux, and all of it is giving me a damn headache." He holds a gray suit with a pink tie and handkerchief in the pocket up to his body. It look real clean and fresh, almost like he's going to prom. This all just a little practice for prom when it comes to me. Ren will be by my side for that too.

"That's clean, nigga. I need to pull out the text Ren sent so I can start ordering mine," I say, pulling my phone out my pocket and clicking on my messages. She was real specific too, and I ain't mad at her cause her dress is sexy as fuck, and she looks in sexier when she has it on.