Off The GridIron

Chapter 4: Playing Games

Saturday February 9th, 1991

Leon's POV:

"Ugh that damn alarm clock be killing the fuck out of my ears." I said as looked at the clock. "You got to me fucking kidding me 6am!" I found the will power to get up. "Alright time for me to make sure i look good for all the females out there, come on Leon let's brush these shiny teeth." I said as i laughed, man i'm one cocky dude. 

After i did my morning routine i went downstairs and got me a bowl of cereal and some bagels, then i went back and brushed my teeth, i usually brushed my teeth twice in the morning, it's been a habit since i was little, i can't stand the smell of morning breath when i 1st wake up. I got dressed and around 7am i caught out and headed to work, ugh working on a Saturday i swear, i have 2 jobs, On weekdays i work at Rollins Cleaning Store and then on weekends i work at a Burger joint which is cool, i'm really trying to make that money the right way so i grind, i mean fast money is cool but it's not worth my life. Anyway i hopped in my purple 1985 pontiac firebird and i headed to work. On the way i listened to 88.5 The Heat, they played some music from LL Cool J, Slick Rick & Big Daddy Kane. My place was on the corner of Somerset Drive & Rodeo Road, my job was on the corner of Crenshaw Blvd & Coliseum St. So it was a easy commute. Anyway i pulled into work and i seen this fine ass girl through the window, i walked in and turned my Leon charm on.

"Hey girl what's up, you looking mighty fine this morning."

"Leon if you don't get your big headed self on, don't make me get management on you."

"Come on girl you looking good." I said leaning over the cash register. "Let me get a little bit of your time, oh be mine Veronica." I said smiling.

"Boy stop!" She said. "What you need to be trying to get with is that grill in the back and put the Burgers on it." She said, i can't believe she just played me. "Girl why you playing me like that?"

"Cause you're making a ass of yourself." She said laughing. "Boy go ahead and start your shift." She said shaking her head and laughing.

I hopped over the cash register and slipped a bit causing everyone to laugh. I'm a jokester but i can be serious when i want to be. Anyway work was work, hey miminum wage was alright, i mean it was $3.80 a hour, that's not bad, i'm just glad i had some money stashed away, money i could pinch off of for the time being until i could find a better job than flipping Burgers. I'm not really proud of my past life but i did make good money, and before i got caught i made sure i stashed it in only a place i know, when i got out i went to that spot and got my Lock Box, i had one of my old friends help me, i put money down on a place and i got it. Looked for a job, found one after a few tries, simple as that. Anyway work was cool, i was happy as hell when my shift ended around 1pm. After that i seen Veronica getting ready to leave so i decided to holler at her again.

"Hey Veronica, so what you have planned for the rest of the day?"

"Well i plan on resting 1st, then maybe going out later on. What about you?"

"Same, my alarm clock went off at 6am and i was pissed but i had to be here, good thing work is a short drive here. Anyway what i plan to do is relax, kick off my shoes, watch a bit of TV then go out, i don't yet. I might just stay in." I told her.

"Well why don't you hang out with me and a few friends?" She said.

"Wait what are you serious?"

"Yeah but only as friends, you're cool and funny Leon but honestly you're not my type." She said, i was shocked. "Hey i'm sure you'll make some lucky girl happy one day though, oh hey here's my ride, i got to go." She said as some dude pulled in and opened the door for her.

I knew Veronica from school, she was one of the coolest people there, when i 1st went to Dorsey High people said what's up and said hey here and there, some people knew me from the streets, i told them i didn't sell no more so they stayed away. I remember one day she came and sat at the table i was sitting at, i was sitting with some random nerds, they was cool but not really my type of crowd, so me and Veronica talked for a bit and boom  the rest is history.

Anyway after work i drove home. On the way i seen one of the people i went to school with, his name's Chris, black dude, looked like your average nerd. Guess he was coming back from the library so i slowed the car down.

"Hey man you need a ride?" I asked. He seemed somewhat startled

"No thanks." He said.

"You sure man?"

"I said i'm good!" He yelled, then he turned around  and seen it was me, i also seen his black eye. "Oh hey Leon...you know what a ride would be cool man." He said as i unlocked the car and opened it for him. "My bad Leon it's just i got in a fight and i'm not in a good mood."

"Yeah i can clearly see that due to  the black eye." I looked at his eye and seen it was pretty swollen. "Yo i'm on the way back to my place homie, let me swing by there quick and get some peroxide and alcohol." I said.

"Thanks dude, also thanks for the ride bro i appreciate it."

I drove to my place and we both got out the car i went in and he was still nervous.

"Come on brotha i ain't gonna bite, it's all good." I told him. "Come on dude it's cool." He said. he walked in and seen my place.

"Hey man your place looks cool, it's nice." He said admiring the furniture and things in my house. "Shit this couch is dope!"

"Thanks man i try to have nice things, believe it or not that couch was $400." I told Chris. "That TV i have right there was $200 and the furniture in here cost a bit over $600. Sometimes the Flea Market have good sales." I said laughing as he side eyed me. "I'm just kidding i know a few people that didn't want the stuff no more so they gave it me, oh and trust it's clean i checked plus i cleaned the shit myself before i brought it in my house, niggas might have roaches or something." I told him as we both started laughing.

"Yo thanks dude i appreciate what you doing for me." He told me. "And you have more stuff than i had growing up. For real your stuff look good."

I got the Alcohol and Peroxide out of my cabinet and a wash cloth, i got a ice pack out my freezer and went over to him and started to take a look at his eye and put some stuff on the cut.

"Hey Leon how you learn to do all this?" He asked me, the way he looked at me kind of sent me some weird vibes.

"Well when you playing football bro you got to be ready for anything, sometimes you got to learn how to fix your own cuts, like if you get a regular cut or a busted lip or some shit."

"You're right, well i got to go. I got to get home."

"You need a ride?"

"I'm good on the ride, i live down the street from you man."

"Oh alright....well hey Chris if you ever want to hang out sometime or something just feel free to stop by or call man, here's my number."

"Alright cool man, will do." He got up and gave me a fist bump and headed out.

I don't know why but it was something somewhat off about him. I'll get to the bottom of that later on, he just seemed so shook up, the dude never really bothers anyone, he's short he's like 5 ft. 6, looks like a buck fifty (150 Lbs.) He really is a nerd, some people just start shit for no reason. He's 18, same age as me and he's 1 of the few people that talked to me at Dorsey High when i got there.

End of Chapter 4

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