Professor Knowles {Complete}

You.

Bey's POV

When I finally got home, I took a long shower and changed into loungewear. I fixed myself up some pesto chicken with pasta for dinner. Sitting in my townhouse, eating at the island in my kitchen, I couldn't help but think of my student, Jay Carter. This weird curiosity rose within me, and I wanted to know more about him. After finishing my plate of dinner, I went to my bedroom, grabbed my Mac computer, and searched on Southern University's Athletics page.

Sure enough, I see Jay's picture front and center. It was a promotion to buy tickets to the football games for this upcoming season, which started in September. I looked more into his profile and saw that he was born and raised in New Orleans and was a Criminal Justice major. Below his picture, stats from his freshman season are read. I wasn't an expert in sports, but I knew enough to see that, according to the numbers, this young man was a star and a potential SUPERSTAR. It made me smile at his talent. So many young people have potential in life, and it's up to them to find out what they're talented in and perfect their craft every chance they can.

Looking at Jay's athletic profile wasn't enough for my satisfaction, so, like a creep, I googled him. So many things popped up about him being an NFL prospect. Then I came across this article where a local reporter interviewed him. It was very raw and personal.

I discovered that Jay grew up very poor. His father was in prison while his mom worked a minimum wage job to keep him and his four other siblings in their apartment in the projects. He was the oldest and talked about how he had to grow up quickly. He had to be the man of the house and a role model to his two brothers and two sisters.

Jay talked about how he had a slip-up when he was 14. He met a few guys who lived in the same projects and began hustling on the streets. His mom knew about it but didn't mind because Jay would bring in so much money that she didn't even have to touch her food stamps. She had extra money to buy each child and herself 200 dollars' worth of clothes a week if she wanted to.

"I was careful with how I hustled because I was starting high school then, and I knew the only way out of the hood was to excel in school and ball hard in football. So, I never let the hustle come first. It was more like a side job, something to get by with," he was quoted in the article.

"I didn't realize how dangerous life was until I brought my 12-year-old brother, Jaden, into the mix. He saw me making money and wanted to make money, too. We vowed to save most of what we brought in for a nice car for our mother. The closer we got to our goal, the more Jaden got wrapped up in the streets. It wasn't supposed to be like that. I was so distracted at times with school that people were out here using him for pick-ups and drop-offs, which were so dangerous that even I stayed away from them. Jaden could never say no." The article continued.

I skimmed through it until I got to a section that broke my heart.

"One day after football practice, I was walking home. I saw a bunch of police, crime scene tape, and the whole hood outside standing near our apartment building. As I made my way closer, I could hear loud sobs that I could recognize from anywhere. I ran up and pushed through the crowd to see my mother being held back by police with blood in her hands. A slim body lay there just a few feet away with a white sheet over it. I looked around for Jaden and rushed to my other siblings standing beside my Aunt, crying their eyes out. I asked them what happened, and my sister Jamyra said, 'They shot little Jay Jay.'"

I couldn't help but sit here with tears rolling down my face. I didn't even finish the article because I was too emotional. I clicked out of it and closed my computer.

I should have never crossed that boundary, but I must admit that hearing about Jay's life before college has caused me to have a soft spot for him. It gave me some comfort to know that he made it out of that terrible environment alive, but it was unfortunate what happened to his little brother. This was a reminder to myself that people come from all different walks of life. You never know what they went through to get to where they are now and the fuel to keep them going. That said, this shouldn't justify his actions from earlier today. He needs to stay focused and take my class seriously. I am willing to help him do that.