Thug Luv Pt. 1: Beginnings

Back On the Scenes

Our night was cut short because of Shaun coming home early from Jalisa's, so Darryn and me just decided to call it quits and go to bed. Ceaz was in a particularly good mood the next morning and got up early to cook breakfast for everybody. All of us sat together and ate. Ceaz had Kaamil in his lap while Shonda fed him, Shaun, who had already finished eating, got up to go get the mail. He came back in a few moments later with a single folder and handed it to Darryn.

"This came for you," said Shaun.

Darryn opened it up and pulled out a piece of paper, reading it. I noticed his face light up so I leaned over to see what was up.

"What's that, baby?" I asked as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"It's from this director and he's interested in me for a role. It says I need to read through the script as soon as possible and make sure it's something I want to do," Darryn said, setting the paper aside and pulling out a thick booklet from the envelope; the script. He flipped to the first page where the characters were and found his name.

"Darryn Jackson as "Nate"...Cool," he said nodding.

"That's great, bro, I hope you like it. I know you been wanting to get back into it," Shaun said sitting back down at the table.

"Yeah, D. It'd be tight to see you on the screen again," Ceaz said handing Kaamil over to Shonda, who agreed with him.

"I just hope I like what I see. I'm sick of em sending me the same tired ass roles, that's part of the reason I been turning shit down since '96. If it's another thuggish one I'm not doing it," Darryn said.

Shaun gathered up everyone's empty plates and took them over to the sink. "If I was you I'd take whatever I can get. Shit, it's more money in ya pocket."

"Yeah that's why we ain't the same. I don't care about the money, I just want these fuckers to stop playing with me before I really show their asses what a thug is," Darryn said scooting back from the table.

"You know you're not no thug," Shaun said from the sink. "We wasn't even raised like that. I wish you would cut that shit."

Shonda and Ceaz got up from the table with Kaamil when they noticed things were getting heated and relocated to the living room. I stayed next to Darryn and finished my coffee.

"You always coming at me like you wasn't doing the same dirt I was. Don't front like you wasn't tryna be about that life at one point," Darryn corrected him.

Shaun turned off the water and came over to where he was. "Yeah but I had enough sense to straighten up though. You never did, you
went crazy after that first role and you been fucking around with life ever since."

"I think you two need to chill out," I said, rubbing Darryn's arm when I noticed his foot start to tap.

"Nah he rub that shit in my face every chance he get. I don't care if you straightened up, nigga. You're still not any better than me," Darryn said standing up to face Shaun.

"Is that right?" Shaun asked looking up at his brother towering over him.

"Yeah. That's right."

"I'm not messing with you, bro. I gotta get going, you know. To my respectable job," Shaun said, throwing shade at Darryn's selling of drugs before he grabbed his wallet from the counter and walked away.

"I know you not because you know better," Darryn called after Shaun, who ignored him.

"Ceaz get them dishes for me, bruh," said Shaun as he placed his hat on and left out the door.

Darryn picked up the script from the table. "I'ma go back here and look through this," he said leaving the kitchen and going to his room.

"They haven't got into it in a grip. The last time was a couple months before you came. Them niggas was in here boxing," Ceaz said with Shonda and the baby on his lap.