Kaycee Threatt
Age: 15
Grade 9- Category 1
Losing My Balance
The sirens were deafening, but the thump of my heart drumming louder and faster as I ran overpowered. It intensified with every step, as if Jaws were getting closer. How I ended up in that position, I don't know. Everybody expected great things to come from me. "See that boy, Cj Royal? He's gonna do great things one day." is what they'd say. I don't think that by "Great things," they meant running from the cops at 3:48am.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
"Up to bat- lucky number seven- CeeJayyyyy Royyalllll!!!!!!"
My thoughts drowned out the cheers from the crowd and the hype from the announcer. We were down by three in the last inning. Bases loaded. Championship trophies were on the line. And I was the last one batting. It’s my time, I thought. I planted my feet up close to home base. Remember what coach said Cj: Elbow up, knees bent, feet apart. I locked eyes with the pitcher. He wanted it as bad as I did. He threw the first pitch, it went over my head. Ball one. Second pitch; ball two. He was gonna walk me, so only one person could come home, which meant they would win. The third pitch looked perfect. Eyes closed, I let faith guide my bat and I swung as if my life depended on it. I unclenched my eyes, only to see the ball sailing through the wind and over the fence. The crowd went wild. I jogged my way around the bases, filled with pride as I met home base. The disappointment of the opposing team was like plaster on their faces; the perfect way to end a victory.
"Cj!"
I knew that voice anywhere, it was Nicole.
"Can I treat my star boyfriend to a victory pizza?"
I couldn’t say no to her big brown eyes, it's impossible. Mom wouldn’t be home from work for hours anyway.
"Yeah, just let me get my things, I'll meet you at the car."
I walked back into the dugout. It wasn't very sanitary; dirt and chewed gum everywhere, but I felt at ease there. Sitting on the dusty bench, I closed my eyes, looked to the sky, and talked.
"Hey, Taylor. Me again. I brought my team to victory today. I know you were here but I wish I could’ve seen you. I miss you little sis, but I know you're in a better place."
“Hey, you ready?”
“Been ready, what took you so long.?”
“Sorry, I was catching up with an old friend.”
We drove for what seemed like forever as I blasted Outkast and Paramore, an unusual combination that appeared to satisfy my natural high. I was clearly doing 90, judging by the speedometer, but everything seemed to be passing by in slow motion. All the cars, the signs, I could’ve sworn I was going two miles per hour. I loved it, that relaxing feeling. My life in that moment was perfect: Singing Roses by Outkast with a beautiful girl at my side. Nicole was perfect. We had known each other since sixth grade. I made her mine junior year. I knew in my heart she’d always be here for me, no matter what.
“One medium pizza, half pepperoni half pineapple please.”
Nicole and I found a booth near a window. We sat opposite from each other and locked feet, as always.
“I’m so proud of you Cj; I knew you could do it. But you know number three on your team? He sucks! I mean he only went to bat twice and both times he struck out. That’s why he rides the bench every game. He’s a nobody babe. Maybe you should give him so pointers for next season? Cj? Cj!”
“I love you.” I said
There was an awkward silence.
“What?”
“I Love you.”
“Awe, that’s sweet Cj. I think the pizza’s ready.”
That’s it? That’s all she could say? The first girl I confess my love to and all she can say is, ‘That’s sweet?’ Really?? I couldn’t believe it. Maybe she didn’t hear me right. I know she loves me too. We’ve been together for almost a year now; she has to love me back. How can she not?
I sat back down with the pizza across from Nicole. She immediately started stuffing her face with the pineapple half of our pizza. I knew what she was doing. She was trying to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t be forced to have this conversation with me. I just sat and waited. Her pizza would be gone at some point; she couldn’t pack her mouth forever.
“Hmm, that was good. I’m full. You haven’t touched your half. You want me to box it for you? I’ll go get a box.”
I grabbed her hands before she hand the chance to get away.
“Nicole,” I said. “Next week is our one year anniversary. We’ve been through so much together babe. I trust you with my life. You’re perfect. I love you.”
Her long brown hair hid her right eye. She held her head down low. Her brown hands gripped tighter around my tan ones, and then slowly pulled away. When she lifted her head, I could see the tracks of a tear leaving her left eye. My heart dropped.
“Cj, I… I’m sorry. I have love for you Cj but... I didn’t know you felt this way. I thought we were just having fun. We’re in our senior year of high school Cj; I’m not ready for that kind of a commitment. I still want to be your girlfriend Cj.”
I couldn’t bear to look at her face. So I left, bringing along the awkward silence that would’ve made things worse between Nicole and I if we had stayed. Instead, I drove home.
I sat in the car in front of my apartment complex for about ten minutes while listening to old Drake albums. Music always helped me through times like these. I was interrupted by a vibration from my phone. The Screen on my iPhone lit up to reveal a text from Nicole that read, “Are we good?” It’s amazing how three simple words from the right person hold the ability to change a person’s mood completely. The mood all depends on the three words and the situation. These words from this person in this situation caused me to blow up inside. I screamed louder than I ever knew I could, blurting curse words I’d never even heard before. I didn’t know what to do. I loved her regardless of how she felt about me. It broke my heart when I replied to her text saying, “Yeah,” and added a sarcastic smiley face.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
“Ma! I’m home! Ma?” I found my mom sitting in the dark at the kitchen table. Her white face was paler than usual and her sclera was flooded with a sea of red, making an island of her green iris, as if she’d been crying.
“Ma, what’s wrong.”
“Sit down Cj” I did as told. She grabbed my hands tightly. “I got fired today Cj. I still have my job down at the bar but I got fired from the pub. That was two weeks ago, I’ve been trying to find another part time job but nobody will hire a college dropout. We’re behind on rent, way behind. I want to go back to college Cj, that’s the only way I’ll ever find a well-paying, stable job.”
“So what does this mean for us?”
“Your Aunt has agreed to help pay for my tuition. We can’t afford to live here right now. We also can’t afford two cars. I’m moving in with my sister in Richmond. You’re father has agreed to take you in. You’re moving to Texas next week and finishing this semester at Red Valley High. He’s already bought the plane ticket and made room for you. He’s got a nice two story house Cj, one I could never be able to provide for you. You’ve already gotten your scholarship to Virginia University; you’ll be back in the summer. It’s only a few months”
“Mom, No! I haven’t had contact with him in six years! No calls, no texts, no letters, nothing! If he wanted to be a part of my life he shouldn’t have left us after Taylor died! Mom you can’t do this! What about school Mom? I’ll get a part time job; I have time to help out now since baseball seasons over. What about Nicole? What about you?!! I can’t go.”
“It’s too late.”
The mysterious ways of those three words affected me once again in ways I couldn’t control. Tears welled up in my eyes, but clung to my ducts for dear life, not wanting to degrade my manhood. I retreated to my room, turned up the music, and released my composure. The tension flowed out like an active volcano. Words were inaccessible, only screams had the ability to break through the gates that were my lips. Most of my anger wasn't produced by the fact that I had to leave home; it was the fact that I had to leave home to live with my father. He abandoned us right after Taylor died, when we needed him the most.
I suddenly felt weak, slowly collapsing to the floor. I lied there and let my thoughts scurry across my mind as I stared at the ceiling. The silver rings of my blue notebook caught my eye from under the bed. I looked at it. I knew what it held and I knew its power, yet I grabbed it, thinking I would be able to slay its strengths. I slid my fingers against its smooth surface, bracing myself for what it would reveal. I finally peered through its covers. Dozens of sketches were revealed. Taylor used to sit and watch me for hours, requesting specific pictures she could keep forever. The graphite on the white paper was worn and raw, the lines were permanently embedded. I hadn’t drawn since the accident, but looking at these memories made me tempt. Should I? I thought. I fought my way to my feet and found a pencil in my desk drawer. Sitting at my desk, I connected the pencil to the notebook. My fingers were shaky, they wouldn’t grip tightly. My hand finally began to move the pencil against the paper. I saw the graphite creating lines and curves on the paper, but I had no idea what I was drawing, my hand had complete control. After restless minutes of sketching, I finally realized what my hand was in the process of making. The big round eyes, the crooked smile, the long straight hair..... It was Taylor! The pencil slipped from my fingers. I stared at the image, bewildered by how I unconsciously copied her every feature. Liquid descended from my eyes, I closed them.
My eye lids didn’t separate until my alarm clock went off the next morning. Her face was the first thing I saw. I quickly closed my notebook, turned on a song by Odd Future, and got ready for another wretched day in high school.
"Hi" Nicole approached me at my locker, looking unsure of herself.
"We need to talk" I said. "Come on." I grabbed her arm and tugged her along behind me. I took her to the library; the one place in this school that was usually abandoned. We sat at the furthest table from the librarian, we didn’t need any spectators.
"Cj, what is this about?" Nicole had worry written all over her face. She knew what was coming.
"Nicole, we have to-"
"Cj stop! Look, if this is about the other night, I’m sorry! But I still wanna be with you, you are the best thing in my life right now, please don’t end that!"
"I don’t want to end this, I really don’t Nicole.... but I don’t have a choice. I have to, we have to.
"No we don't! Cj please." Tears welled up in her eyes. I couldn’t stand the thought of ever making her cry, but, unfortunately, I had no choice.
"Im sorry. I’m moving to Texas. My flight leaves in a few hours and... And, I don’t think we can make a long distance relationship work." I took her hands and looked deep into her beautiful brown eyes. "Goodbye, Nicole." I tried to release her hands; she gripped tighter. I plied her fingers from between mine. With every step I took, my heart fractured a little bit. I walked away- I walked out of the library, out of the school, out of Nicole's life, and I was on my way out of my own; on my way to meet my new life.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
I landed in Texas that night, only to find my step-brother awaiting my presence.
"Aubrey?" I hadn’t seen him since seventh grade, when he spent a summer in Virginia with us. "What’s up man? It’s been a while."
"Yeah c'mon. We gotta go." Aubrey looked uneasy- he kept looking around and talking quietly, as if someone were out to get him. I followed him, more like struggled to keep up, back to his black '94 Cadillac. We rode mutely, excluding the loud, poor excuse for rap music that Aubrey was blasting. I reached for the knob that controlled the audio and twisted it counterclockwise.
“So” I started “You graduated last year right?”
“Nahh.”
“I thought you were a year older than me.”
“I am bruh, we in the same grade now.”
“Oh, so you failed?”
“Man why you turned the music down bruh?” He reached toward the stereo and turned the “music” up louder than it had been before, to the point where the bass made the seats vibrate. I sat still the rest of the ride, preparing myself to see my father’s face again for the first time since I was eleven. Eventually, we drove into gated community filled with two and three story houses, houses more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined myself in. Where are we going? I thought. We came to a halt in front of a two story, flat-roofed, house. It came equip with white picket fence, a pool, and crayon green grass. I was waiting for a puppy to come running up to me.
“Aubrey, whose house it this?”
“It’s ours man.”
I repossessed by luggage from the trunk of the car and followed Aubrey to the front door. My astonishment at the fact that this was my father’s house didn’t disappear until I walked in and glanced at his bald head floating around in the kitchen. The sight of his skin and the circumstance that he was in my presence disgusted me. I ran up the staircase and found the only bedroom that seemed uninhabited. I threw my luggage to the carpet, reluctant to unpack. I walked across the hall and found Aubrey lying in bed with Dre Beats over his ears. He noticed me in doorway and paused his music.
“Uhmm, what school do we go to?” I questioned
“Red Valley High. It’s a 45 minute drive so wake up on time.”
He placed his headphones back in their position on his head. I went back into the room I was supposed to sleep in, and slept.
I opened my eyes, bewildered at what I saw. The clean grey walls, the tan wooden floors, the flat screen TV-it was all foreign to me. I had forgotten all about my situation. I shut my eyes tightly, wanting to get back to my dreams, because at this point, they were better than my reality. I gave up and accepted my new life. I rummaged through my suitcase and found an outfit with the most swag. I wanted to make a good impression since I would be residing here for a while. I freshened up after dressing and made my way downstairs. I hadn’t really examined the house when I made my entrance. It was homey, yet elegant. It was clean but it looked lived in. The high ceilings, the automatic lights. My father obviously had and abundance of money and lived in wonderful home, yet Mom and I live in an apartment and struggle to pay monthly bills? That annoys me. I opened the black refrigerator; it revealed blue lights and a surplus of food. I chose a Pop Tart from the pantry instead. I was two steps away from the front door, on my way to meet Aubrey in the car, when a deep voice ordered me to wait.
"I'll take you to school Cj."
I rotated on my heels and met my father’s gaze. "I'd rather go with Aubrey." I said
"Go ahead Aubrey." My father ordered his stepson to leave without me. I starred at my father, wondering what he was up to. I watched the dark muscular man wonder into the kitchen and grab a bottle of Dasani. He fetched a set of keys from the counter and walked out the door.
"You coming?" he hollered out to me
Reluctantly, I followed him to the white Chrysler 300 and planted myself in the passenger seat. I hadn’t been this close to my father in years. We used to have so much fun. When he took me along with him everywhere, he would roll all the windows down and push the car to its limit. I caught myself smiling and quickly shunned my thoughts away. We rode in a silence that I didn’t want to break, he did it anyway.
"So how've you been." he questioned.
"Fine." I responded
"You excited about livin’ in Texas? Everything’s big here."
"Very excited!" I answered with sarcasm.
I looked out the window, noticing how we had left the pleasant, immense houses, and came into a neighborhood where graffiti was prevalent. We pulled up to the large building that was my school. It held a gloomy vibe, something like a prison. I attempted to read a sign next to it, but the indicator was covered by spray paint. I hopped out the car without giving it a chance to come to a complete stop.
“Have a good day!” I heard my father call after me.
I pushed through the big brass double doors and became acquainted with chipped paint and the leaking ceilings of my new school. It wasn’t what I was expected after sleeping in the house I supposedly live in now, but I couldn’t do anything about it, so there was no point in complaining. The halls were empty; I assumed everyone was already in class. I reached in my back pocket and unfolded a yellow piece of paper that held my class schedule on it. First block- trigonometry- Mr. Smith. Room 201. Where is that?
“Uhmm, are you gonna move? You’re right in front of the girl’s restroom.”
Startled by this voice, I unstitched my eyes from my schedule. She was beautiful. From her hazel eyes, her perfect dimples, her soft caramel colored face, to her elegant curves. I was astonished! I was so perplexed by this rare occasion that I only had the ability to say, “Huh?”
“Move!” she ordered. I stood there.
“Can you help me find my next class? It’s Mr. Smith’s Trig class.”
“It’s right down the hall on the left. Can I use the restroom now?”
“Im Cj.”
“That’s nice, MOVE!”
“What’s your name?”
“If I tell you will you let me pee?”
“Maybe.”
She sighed, “Its Brielle, alright? You’re gonna make me pee on myself!”
I stepped aside with a smirk on my face and watched her scurry through the door. I had to get to know her. I turned around and followed Brielle’s directions. I found room 201 and walked in. I wasn’t surprised to see half the class either sleep, talking, or making imprints in the wooden desks. Another fourth had headphones stuck in their ears. An eighth was heckling who I assumed was Mr. Smith, and the last few kids were actually paying attention. I took a vacant seat in the front row. Mr. Smith was working on special triangles on the board, something I had already learned back in Virginia.
“So class, find X” The kids that were paying attention were silently struggling to work out the problem. It was simple geometry.
“X is eighteen.” Everybody, including Mr. Smith and Brielle, who I hadn’t noticed come in, looked at me awkwardly.
“Well class,”Mr. Smith started “This must be our newcomer, Cedric Roy-”
“Excuse me, I prefer Cj, sir.”
“Alright, this is Cj Royal, our newest mathematician. Get acquainted, make him feel welcomed.” Mr. Smith turned around and continued to teach. I slid down in my seat, pulled my hat down and decided to stay quiet for the rest of the period; I wasn’t fond of the uncomfortable attention that came with answering a question correctly. But I couldn’t help but glance over at Brielle persistently, I only knew her name and already she proved to be irresistible.
BBBRRRRIIIINGGG!!! My thoughts were interrupted by the ring of the bell. Immediately, students gathered in the hall. As I walked to my next class, I could feel the eyes of others on me. I could hear the whispers of girls and laughs of boys. I had no idea why I was a spectacle. Maybe it’s my sandy, poofy hair, or my clothes… is it ‘cause im mixed?? I floated through second and third block, trying to stay as unnoticed as possible. I hadn’t seen Aubrey at all until lunch.
“What’s up, Aubrey?”
“Aye! Its Cash bruh.” Aubrey, or Cash, walked off with a posse of teenagers laughing at the fact that Cash’s real name was Aubrey. I was forced to sit alone.
My father met me at the door when I arrived to his house.
“Hey, how was your first day?”
I didn’t acknowledge his presence and instead made my way upstairs.
“Ya know you’re gonna have to talk to me sometime Cj; I’m your Dad.”
There it was again! Those three miraculous words, they stopped me in my tracks.
“My Dad?” I questioned. I believe a ‘Dad’ is supposed to be there for his family through thick and thin. I thought a ‘Dad’ was supposed to provide for and love his family. Someone who would never allow his nine year old daughter to ride in the passenger seat next to him while he was drunk! Someone who would never be responsible for a death and then make me feel like it was my fault! You abandoned us when we needed we us the most! You could never be a ‘Dad’ Cedric! You’re nothing but a sperm donor.” My father was speechless. He had a look of guilt completely covering his face. Aubrey and his mother appeared astonished. I hurried up the stairs and rushed into my room. I rummaged through my luggage and found my iPod, a pencil, and my blue notebook. I opened my window and climbed on top of the roof. With my music muting out every outside commotion, I began to draw again. I drew for hours, not caring how the picture turned out or what it turned out to be, the feeling of drawing again eased me.
Other than the fact that I started riding the city bus, the next two weeks were similar to the first. Trying to stay unnoticed in class, yet I gained more of an audience. I was still eating alone, and had made no friends. I had decided to leave Brielle alone because I wanted no reason to stay in Texas when I had the opportunity to go to Virginia U in the fall. Every day I’d come home and reside in my spot on the roof, only slipping back inside to satisfy my hunger, use the restroom, take showers, and sleep.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
The next morning, I woke up and went on my usual routine. I got dressed, acquired a Pop Tart, and was on my way to catch the city bus when Aubrey approached me in his black Cadillac.
“Slide in.” He said.
“Nahh I’ll just catch the bus.”
“Shut up and get in the car Cj.” I shut up, and got in the car.
“Aye so we not goin’ to school today.”
“Huh? Why not? Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
We rode for a while. Instead of the usual suckish music he we would listen to, he put in Jay-Z’s Reasonable doubt. We bobbed our heads to that until we stopped in a dark alley, beyond our school. I got out of the car skeptical, but I didn’t question. I noticed a few familiar faces from Aubrey’s posse and immediately became reluctant of ever getting in the car with him.
“Why you brung him, Cash?” A shady looking guy questioned my presence.
“He’s my stepbro, chill.” Cash introduced me to his friends. “Cj, this is Dom, Keese, Reggie, and Slash. Everybody, this is Cj.” The group starred at me for a second, then turned their attention back to Aubrey.
Cash,” I interrupted, “Lemmie talk to you for a second.” I stepped to the side and waited for Aubrey to meet me. “What are we doing here Aubrey? What is this?”
“Ok, you’ve seen all the graffiti around this side of town right? And on the School sign? Yeah, that’s us. We did that.”
“Woahh! So you’re a tagging gang? You know that’s illegal right?”
“Yeah, whatever. Look, I’ve seen your drawings-”
“What! Aubrey you can’t just-”
“And I want you to help us out. You’re good. We need somebody like you to help gain territory.”
No, I can’t do that Aubrey!”
“Just think about it. Come with us today.”
I’d rather go to school”
“I wasn’t asking you Cj. You don’t have a choice.” He flashed a shank made out of a toothbrush, as if he were threatening me. Aubrey had changed drastically since we were kids, I had no idea what to expect of him now, and wasn’t going to take any risks. I followed him and his crew through a series of dark alleys. Keese fell back and caught my stride.
“Where you from?”
“Virginia.” I answered
“Oh, I’m from Atlanta. Moved here when I was fifteen. You seem pretty chill though. Slash and them, it takes a while for them to come around to new people. Just stick close to me alright? I know how it feels to be the new person in an old environment. I’ll look out for you.”
Wow, why is he being this nice to me? “Yeah alright, thanks man. ‘Preciate it. But you don’t seem like the type to get into this kinda stuff.”
“Yeah. Aubrey, I mean Cash, was one of my first friends at Red Valley. He wasn’t like this back then. But Slash, Dom, and Reggie started showing interest in Aubrey. They wanted him to join their gang. Once Aubrey knew about it, rejecting them was like a death sentence. He said he couldn’t do it without me. The longer we were in this situation the more and more Aubrey started to act like one of them. He’s kinda like the leader now. We’re not as cool as we used to be.” I could tell Keese wasn’t like the rest of the crew. His hair was cut, his pants were on his waist, and he seemed genuine.
“We here.” Aubrey announced. We stopped in an alley that appeared to be exactly like the ones we passed by.
“Cash, you know where we at right?” Slash said in a deep voice. “This the Diablo’s spot man what we doin’ here?
“Who’s the diablo’s?” I whispered to Keese.
“Another tagging gang. This is their territory.”
“Yeah it’s their spot now,” Aubrey started, “It’s gonna be ours when we finish. Cj, you ain’t gotta do nothin’ if you don’t want to. But feel free.”
Keese left my side and picked up a can of spray paint. Each member left their own individual marks. They all had nicknames, so cops could never identify them. What they did with just a can of paint, it was surprisingly remarkable. How the colors came together, it was more than just vandalism, it was art. Unsure of myself, I picked up a can. Aubrey looked at me with a smirk on his face that made me reconsider my decision. I looked to my right to see Keese look at me concerned, but gave me a reassuring nod. I took a deep breath, and started painting.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
The next month was fairly good. Associating with Aubrey and his crew instantly earned me popularity. Aubrey and I had gotten closer, and I could trust Keese with anything. I would go tagging on a regular basis, but the regret still lingered in the back of my head. On the other hand, my grades were slipping, and I wasn’t the principal’s biggest fan, but he saw potential in me and was going to make me start seeing a personal tutor. I was on my way to my first session, hoping that my tutor wouldn’t be some nerd. I entered the library and sat at the nearest table. Nobody was in there. Ok, I’ll wait ten minutes. That’s it.
“Cj?”
“Brielle. Hey!” my face lit up, I hadn’t spoken to her since the first day of school.
“You’re who I’m tutoring? Ohh God.”
“Well nice to see you too.” She slammed her books on the table and sat across from me. She looked pissed, but she opened up her French book and began teaching. I couldn’t concentrate, not when she was sitting there looking astonishingly pretty and mad at the same time. It was sexy.
“Why don’t you like me?” I asked
“What?
“What did I do to make you not like me?”
“You started hanging out with Aubrey.”
“How do you know his real name?”
“I’ve known Aubrey since before he was Cash. We used to be the best of friends. Then he started hanging out with Slash and them.”
“What does that have to do with why you don’t like me?’
“You guys are all alike.”
“I’m not like them, Brielle.”
“……Aren’t we supposed to be working?”
“Je suis trop distrait par vos beaux yeux à travailler.”
“Huh?”
I chuckled. “I said I’m too distracted by your beautiful eyes to work.
We shared a gaze for a few seconds. But she soon broke the connection.
“Ok, obviously you don’t need my help so I’ll see you around.” Brielle gathered her things and tried to get away. I grabbed her hand.
“Can I walk you home?”
“It’s a free country.” She replied, refusing to look at me. I grabbed her books from her grasp and followed her out of the library. The walk, at first, was awkward. We both refused to start a conversation. I gained the courage.
“So.” I began “You want to go to college?”
“Yeah, Howard. What about you?”
“I got a scholarship into Virginia University; for baseball, and I’m think about becoming a pediatrician, I would love to help kids.”
“Baseball? There are not too many people around here that play baseball.
“I told you, I’m not like everybody else.” She smiled, and took my hand
Brielle and I got closer after that walk. She soon became my girlfriend, a great accomplishment on my part. Besides Aubrey, she was the only one that knew I could draw. And the only one that knew about my father. Tagging routines had gone smoothly sense I joined. It didn’t seem so bad. Brielle was against it but she accepted it. I didn’t realize the risk I was taking with that gang until Dom got caught. He was spotted by a pedestrian while he was out tagging alone one day, just for fun. The cops intruded his home and arrested him that night. Apparently this was his third strike, so I didn’t see Dom anymore after that. I had mentioned to Keese a few times that I was thinking about getting out. He advised me not to, for my own good.
“Brielle I can’t keep doing this. If I get caught even once, the university could revoke my scholarship. I can’t let that happen.
“Well Cj, you gotta do what’s best for you. Talk to Aubrey about it. He’s family, he should understand. We graduate in a couple weeks anyway. We’ll be leaving soon.”
“I hope so.”
“I love you, Cj.”
“I love you too.”
I was scared about approaching Aubrey. He and I were cool, but he was still crazy. There was no telling how he would react to my news. I found him in his room listening to music as always.
“We need to talk bruh.” I said
“What’s up?”
“So, I’m going back to Virginia after graduation.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“And, I don’t want to tag anymore. I can’t risk getting caught like Dom did.”
He took a deep breath. “I knew this was coming man. I know you got a future ahead of you, I’m not gonna ruin that. But look, go on this one last run with us bruh. This one is big. We’re going to the Diablo’s hangout.”
“Are you stupid!? They’ll kill us!”
“Nahh we made sure they wouldn’t be there. So you in?
“This is the last time right?”
“Last time.”
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
The five of us –Cash, Keese, Slash, Reggie, and I- met up in front a large, rundown building. We we’re supposed to be in and out, covering all the walls with our tags. It was late, 3:45am actually, and not many people were out, which was good. Before we even got a chance to go inside, we saw red and blue lights flashing from around the corner. We all dispersed in different directions. There were five cars, one to follow each of us. The sirens were deafening, but the thump of my heart drumming louder and faster as I ran overpowered. It intensified with every step, as if Jaws were getting closer. Every time my sister would watch me draw, I would get easily distracted. “Stay focused.” She’d say, “Don’t lose your balance.” I had blocked out her voice since I had been in Texas. I lost my balance, and now, I was running from the cops at 3:48am. I couldn’t let this happen to me. I had too much to look forward to, too many people counting on me. I ran, faster than I ever had before. Years of running those bases finally came in handy. Luckily, I lost the cops when I dove into a ditch. I stayed there for about half an hour. I had to call somebody, somebody who knew how to get me out of a predicament like this. I pulled out my phone and called for assistance. Help arrived fifteen minutes later. I hopped into the car.
“Thanks.” I said. We drove calmly, I was unsure of where we were going. Along the rode I saw I figure running toward us. As we got closer, I recognized Keese.
“Stop!” The car came to a halt. I opened the back door for Keese and he quickly slid in. As soon as he did I noticed the red and blue lights coming around the corner.
“Drive!” My father stepped on the gas immediately, but the police were now following us.
“Dad you gotta go!” I pleaded “Drive how you use to, when I was a kid.”
He looked over at me suspiciously, probably wondering what I had gotten myself into, but he didn’t question. Instead, he rolled all the windows down, and drove as fast as the car would allow him, we drove for hours. We finally lost the cops. Keese was in the back seat, fast asleep, by the time we had started making our way back home.
“So, you wanna talk about it?” My Dad asked.
“Not really.” He looked at me, reassuring me that I could trust him.
“There were six of us. Aubrey, Keese, Slash, Reggie, Dom, and me. We were taggers. Dom got arrested about a week ago. Tonight was supposed to be my last night. We were gonna go in and invade our rival gang’s headquarters, claiming it as our own. The cops showed up before we had a chance to. I couldn’t get caught Dad; I have too much going for me to ruin it. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“I’m glad you called me. I’m glad you finally trust me….I’m glad I can finally be your Dad again, and not just your sperm donor.”
That’s all he said. He didn’t yell at me or judge me or tell me how disappointed he was in me, he understood. I could hear Keese startle and wake up in the back seat. I hadn’t heard from anybody.
“Keese, Where’s Aubrey”
“They got him Cj.”
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
“So, was that exciting enough?”
“Wait wait, so what happened to Aubrey? What happened to Keese? Your mom? You and Brielle?”
I was sitting across from the Dean of admissions. This was an interview that would decide my fate of becoming a pediatrician, and the Dean had only asked one thing of me: to excite him.
“Aubrey spent two years in a halfway house since he wasn’t a minor; he’s a high school graduate on probation now. We found out that Dom had let the cops in on our plan to claim the Diablo’s spot in order to get time off his sentencing. He’s still in prison though. Keese joined the Air Force, but we keep in touch. My mother got her degree and was able to buy her own home in Richmond after finding a better job. My Dad and I talk occasionally. Brielle graduated from Howard; we’re engaged now.”
“Wow. Your story, it’s inspirational. I appreciate your devotion and passion. I like you, and we’d be honored if you came to study medicine with us, Cj.”
“You can call me Cedric.”
