The Millenials

Mike and The Worst of Both Worlds

On the day of March 28th, 2019, Mike was sitting on his friend, Ramon's porch in North Philly. Ramon and Mike have been friends since the 2nd grade. They started off fighting each other over a girl then later bonded after she left them. Ramon isn't like Mike's gang, he hangs out with drug dealers and real gang members. Mike hangs around him because he's encouraging him to do better. He doesn't want him to live the street life. Ramon's been in shoot outs and in and out of jail multiple times. He wants to introduce him to the group so he can know a different life and want to do better. Ramon lives in Nicetown in a dangerous area. Mike only visits on occasions so he doesn't get mixed in with the bs.

He's been telling Ramon to hang out with his friends for a while and Ramon always denied saying he doesn't have anything in common with them. Mike assures him it'll open his eyes to a different life. Ramon doesn't want to do it, mostly because of nervousness. That same day while sitting on the porch, one of Ramon's friends, Nahmir, pulled up with the windows rolled down looking at Ramon. He walks up to the car and hands something to him. Nahmir looks over and notices Mike. Mike isn't usually seen with Ramon often. They live two different lives and because of YouTube, Mike is well known on the internet. He tries to stay in safer areas, so seeing him with Ramon would make people think he's gang affiliated. Mike tells them he's not, he's just Ramon's friend. They passively threatened him, but Ramon tells him not to worry about it. 

Later before Mike left, he convinced Ramon to hang out with his friends on the condition Mike hangs out with his friends. Mike is uneasy because he knows the guys Ramon hangs with aren't good people. He agrees only because he still believes Ramon isn't that person. Mike went home and planned with Alpha who should he be around. Alpha suggested Derrick and Alexis, but Mike said he doesn't want Alexis to fuck him. Mike threw in Sasha's name but Alpha didn't want her to fall for him. Mike agreed on going to the beach with Ramon, Derrick, Zahra, Alexis, and Tone. Alpha didn't want to go because he doesn't wanna be involved in any potential shoot out. Mike calls him a bitch and makes him agree to go with him to hang out with Ramon's people. Alpha, weighing his options, decides to go to the beach instead. 

On March 31st, they were preparing for the beach trip that day. Mike jokes in front of Alpha's girlfriend that Sasha was coming upon request of Ramon knowing Alpha has a crush on her. His girlfriend, Aaliyah, watched his reaction because she's always been suspicious about her. Alpha plays it off as if it's nothing but deep down he was tight. Mike plays the joke out until they're leaving and Alpha breathes a silent sigh of relief. 

Mike, Ramon, Alpha, Derrick, Zahra, and Alexis all go down to Ocean City. Alexis is already flirting with Ramon. Mike tries to cock block at first but eventually gives up. Derrick and Ramon talk about what careers they wanted. Ramon wants to be a rapper. He played them his music on the way to Ocean City and they showed him support and liked his songs. He was surprised because he wasn't expecting that reaction. He sees them as a bunch of squares and nerds. He resents them because he's not what he's used to. They don't dress the same or listen to the same music to his knowledge. They definitely don't talk like him. It was like a street guy hanging out with a bunch of artsy people but they relate in a weird way.

They spent the whole day at the beach, at carnivals, playing games, also going go-kart riding and laser tag. They got there at 2 in the afternoon and didn't get ready to leave until 9 p.m. that night. At first, Ramon resented the group, but throughout the night he saw they were a bunch of cool people. Mike told him he didn't have to look over his back ever 2 seconds, Alexis complimented his smile all day, and he noticed how they interacted with themselves and other people. Nobody got angry at anything, they made a joke or game out of everything, and most importantly, they were happy. This was Ramon's first day being sober in a while and he had a good time. But still, he had that nervousness of not adapting to that life. He has people he loves, and people he cares for where he's from. If he leaves them, who will they depend on? He has to protect them from that life while living that life.