Chapter 2

I walked into first hour the next morning with no work done. I had mistakenly fell asleep last night. I sat down at my lab table. My first hour was Chemistry, which I currently had a D- in. I couldn't afford to not do any work.

"Everyone take out your lab notebooks." Mr. Jackson demanded. I took mine out and he walked over to me. He opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Nothing, huh?" He snickered. "Mr. Freeman, exit my class, and take your things with you." I got up and took my shit. "Fuck boy" I whispered on the way out. I took all my shit to my locker.

I guess I was going to roam the halls for a minute. I walked to the senior side of the building. I had to go to the bathroom, even though bathrooms were one of the most dangerous spots in the school. I began washing my hands when I heard a noise. Someone was coming. I hid behind the door, brass knuckles on my right hand.

The door opened, slowly. Little by little. As soon as the door opened I jumped from behind the door and swung. I missed the person as he backed up. "BOY WHAT THE FUCK YOU DOING?" Caeser exclaimed. Hiro was behind him, laughing hysterically. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Aw shit I ain't know who you was, opening the door that slow." I replied.

"We heard somebody washing they hands. We thought it was one of them Red Light District niggas." Caeser explained. I nodded my head. "The hell you doing all the way over here?" Caeser questioned. "Got kicked outta class." I said. "Man c'mon." Caeser persisted. "Where we going?" I asked. "You'll see." Hiro smirked.

We ditched school and we headed towards this building, downtown. We got out of Caeser's car. "The fuck is this?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. "Dude shutup and bring ya ass." Hiro insisted.

We took the elevator up to the 16th floor in the tall building. Caeser took some keys and opened a door to a dark room. He flicked on the lights. I looked around the room and it was a studio. "Why we here?" I asked. "Remember you used to rap and shit, now let's use them skills to make some money" Caeser smirked. "Man I ain't rapped in forever " I said. "That's why it's gon take some practice" Hiro added. "Shit nigga what I'm gon rap about?" I replied. "Your life, nigga. What you live in and what you go through.I thought about it for a second. Shit it wouldn't hurt to try. There isn't many rappers out there that actually live what they rap. That's what's gonna get me my fan base. I took the headphones from Caeser and entered the booth. "Turn me up"

A beat began playing. I nodded my head to the beat. I was ready to go in.

"Long Live Lil D and no fuckin' wit me cuz if you fuckin' wit me, I put ya ass ona tee, my niggas they riding, them Swamp niggas they hiding, Ceez come through wit the drum, best believe he fying ! ... Run it back" I spoke up.

I was in the studio for about three hours. We had recorded about 15 songs, and they were heat. It felt good to let out some of my anger on the tracks. We left the studio and headed towards the McDonald's on 98th and Cline. We were in enemy territory so we had to watch cautiously. We went through the drive-thru and got food. As we were exiting the lot we spotted someone walking towards 99th and Virginia. He had his hoodie tied around his face tightly.

Ceaser reached under the seat and handed the 30 to Hiro. Caeser was testing our loyalty and guts. He wanted to see if we really had it in us. Caeser looked Hiro in the eye. "You know what time it is." Hiro smirked and took the gun. Caeser turned out of the lot and crept down the street, eyeing the target. He turned and glanced at our car about five times. He knew we were on to him.

He bang sprinting down the sidewalk. Hiro let 2 shots off from the window. They both struck him in his right leg. He fell and began crawling towards the corner. Caeser sped up on the side of him. Hiro hopped out the car and stood over him. There was a pause. Then Hiro let about 6 shots go. He sprinted back to the car and Caeser pulled off.

4:33 PM

Caeser took us back to his crib. It wasn't shit else to do but chill. We decided to kick back, smoke some dope, and post & promote the new music. I plopped down on the couch in Caeser's living room. The living room was filled with his mom's old African statues and paintings. She was a zealot about her culture, Ceez, not so much.

Caeser walked into the living room, from the kitchen, blunt in his mouth and laptop in his hand. He sat down next to me. "Hiro throw me the lighter" he said, powering on the computer. Hiro reached into his pocket and tossed it into Caeser's lap. He picked it up and lit the blunt.

Hiro began flipping through channels, stopping on SportsCenter. Caeser passed the blunt to me. I eyed it, cautiously. Caeser knew I didn't smoke. "Look man, just once, it ain't gon' kill ya.." He explained. "Yeah, quit being a pussy" Hiro chimed in, leaning next to my ear.

Fuck it, I thought to myself. I just got done watching these niggas murder somebody. How they could act as if nothing happened was beyond me, I needed to forget. I took the lit blunt and sucked the life out of it(no homo). All the smoke entered my mouth and my throat. I began coughing violently. Hiro and Caeser laughed hysterically. "Man that ain't how you hit a blunt, who da hell you been smoking wit?" Caeser questioned, sarcastically. "Look nigga take a light puff and inhale the smoke, that's how you get high" Hiro explained.

I took the blunt to my mouth again, puffing lightly. I inhaled the smoke, then blew it out. I handed the blunt to Hiro. I laid back on the couch. "Man that's it?" I asked. "Whhhaaaaaaattttttt yoouuuuuuu meeeeaaaaaaannnnnnn nigggaaaaaa?" Caeser voiced sounded slurred and deep. I widened my eyes.

"Nigga what?" I questioned, heart beating out of my chest. "Yeah this nigga high" Hiro snickered. Caeser hit the blunt twice more and passed it to me. This time, I hit it like a pro. I felt a new high and it felt good. "Man I'm bouta' upload this song on YouTube, let's see if this shit blow up." Caeser said.

Caeser cut on some music, then we got a bake session started. It lasted about a hour. Within this hour, we smoked about 4 blunts. My mind had completely vanished. I laid back, examining the ceiling. Oh how it looked so pretty. What the hell am I saying?

I looked at my phone. "Time to go?" Caeser questioned. I nodded my head. We got up off the couch and it felt like I was moving on air. I couldn't feel my legs, whatsoever. I got into Caeser's car and just laid back. My mind was blank, that is until we pulled up to the house.

I was high as shit and my clothes smelled like loud. What the hell was I going to do? I walked up to the door I rung the doorbell and signaled to Caeser I was good, and he drove off. Jazmine opened the door and I rushed past her, straight up the stairs. She looked bewildered as I blew past her. I got to the bathroom and stripped all my clothes off. I turned the shower to the hottest it could go and hopped in.

I stood in the shower for a minute, letting the water run down my body. I couldn't say it enough, I was high as fuck. After a 20 minute shower I wrapped a towel around me and walked down the hall to my room. I threw my clothes in the dirty hamper and began searching for something to sleep in. I had threw on some basketball shorts and a white Ralph Lauren t-shirt and socks to match. I tied my long dreads and the stuck together down my back.

I went down to the living room, where Jazmine and Huey was chilling at. I jumped over the back of the couch and landed in between them. I wrapped my arms around both of their necks. "Awww look at my favorite couple!" I announced. Jazmine snickered and Huey rolled his eyes. I could tell I was annoying him.

"What's with you?" Huey narrowed his eyes towards me. My heart was racing. "Nigga what you talking bout'?" I scratched my neck. He looked me in my eyes. "Nigga you bet not have been smoking.." He threatened. I got up off the couch. "Nigga I ain't been smoking, and if I was it ain't like you was gon' do shit, you ain't my daddy nigga." I sneered, walking up the stairs. This nigga always tried to threaten me, shit I was grown as hell.

I laid down and put my headphones in. I had school tomorrow and I needed to get my shit together. I dozed off into a deep sleep...

Tuesday Morning

We pulled up to school the same way we did for the last two years, ready to leave. Huey parked close to the school doors so we didn't have to walk as far as usual. The morning and ride to school had been awkwardly silent. Something was wrong with Huey, and when I notice something is wrong, it's time to take advantage.

"The hell wrong with you?" I asked, smirking. He didn't even acknowledge me, he looked straight ahead and kept walking. "Nigga I know you heard me!" I shouted, garnering looks from some of the students in the crowded lot. He stopped and I stopped alongside him. "Look Riley, if you don't shut the hell up.." He whispered. I raised my eyebrow. "Or what nigga-" He clinched his fist and jumped at me, making me flinch. Shit I thought I was about to get hit for real. He resumed walking towards the school doors.

His hoe ass always tried to bitch me, that shit was getting old. I squirmed my way through the crowded halls and made it down to my locker. As I was emptying my locker, local freshman basketball star Trevon, we called him Tre for short, came up to my locker. He started varsity for the school and he was also Lil D's younger brother. This lil nigga was like a brother to me and I would do anything to see him make it far.

"Yo man I know you at the game tonight!" Tre exclaimed, pushing his short dreads behind his ears. "You already know, lil bro." I dapped him up. "Better get buckets, too man." I added. "Buckets? That's my middle name!" He claimed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah we'll see tonight." I declared, walking to first period.

I sat in first period, bored as shit. I didn't listen to anything Mr. Jackson said, instead I grabbed my notebook and began writing rhymes that popped in my head.

"This school shit wasn't working, so I found myself tryna' make it, my niggas getting money, yo' niggas out here hatin'."

My mind went blank. Fuck it I'll start over.

"Just a young nigga tryna' grind for them M's, these materialistic ass hoes get excited over clothes and over Timbs, but what they fail to realize that it's a method to this madness, I'm gon' feed mine and if you cross me, here's ya casket. I got ratchets and the hood got slammers, I don't trust niggas so one false move and I'll blam ya. And I don't hesitate to let the K spray, one day ya here, ya gone the next day. And I'll never slip, I keep the XK, I let that bitch rip, you dead in broad day. Yeah I might be new to this shit, but this street shit, I'm mature to this shit ... Ehh fuck."

I put the pen down, that's enough for now, I'll add on later. The first couple periods went by fast and before I knew it, it was lunch time. I threw everything in my locker and proceeded down the hallway. "My young bull!" Marcus shouted wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "Man you gay." I said flatly, coming from under his arms. "You know I don't play that gay shit."

He snickered. "Man you ain't always gotta be homophobic, Riley." He said. "Yeah but I ain't gotta like fags." I replied, as we entered the lunch room. "You right you ain't gotta like them, but be tolerant nigga!" He said, shaking someone's hand. This nigga just told me to be tolerant. He didn't tolerate anything, if someone looked at him the wrong way, he was gripping the 40.

I looked at him sideways and he busted out laughing. Fucking hypocrite. I spotted our lunch table, Caeser, Jazmine, Cindy, and Huey already occupying it. "Wazzap , lil bitch!" Caeser greeted me. "Fuck you." I replied, shaking his hand. "White girl and mixed girl!" I shouted rubbing Jazmine and Cindy's shoulders. "Pencil dick." They snickered to themselves.

I looked at them with wide eyes. "Aw, yall think yall funny, right?" I questioned. "Hey, take it how you want it." Jazmine said, innocently. "Yeah, fish stick." Cindy snickered. Ceaser and Huey laughed. Huey didn't usually laugh at Cindy's crude humor.

"Aw yeah, yo boyfriend got a fish stick!" I replied. "Ehhh.." Cindy said. "Suspect." Huey added, making everyone laugh. "Aye you stay out of this lil bitch. I'm going to get my lunch." I spat at Huey.

I returned to the table, which was now occupied by Hiro, Cindy, Caeser, Jazmine, and Huey. I sat down next to Hiro and Jazmine. "Aye, ya'll heard about that boy named Zay that got killed on 99th yesterday?" Cindy asked. My heart dropped. I had actually forgotten about that situation. "No, what happened?" Jazmine questioned.

"Well I guess he was walking home from a friend's house when somebody pulled up on him and shot him like 7 times." Cindy announced. Hiro and Caeser smirked at each other before bursting into laughter. "Y'all know who did it?" Cindy raised her eyebrow. "Do we?" Caeser scoffed. "Don't tell me-" Cindy stopped. "Man why you care about that nigga so much?" Hiro asked, nonchalantly.

"No. That was Damien's best friend, he's pretty hurt over the situation." Cindy confessed. My eyes widened. Woah, this shit crazy. "Damn, what he say about it?" Caeser inquired. "He just said he wasn't gon' let this shit pass, meaning he was gon' find out who did it and kill them." Cindy replied. Jazmine sat with her mouth open. "So what you gon' do? You gon' tell him?" Hiro asked.

Cindy seemed pulled in two directions. "No." She said, flatly. But I could tell, she didn't know what she wanted to do. Huey's face told everything. He didn't trust what she said. Hiro and Caeset didn't either. Shit, this was her boyfriend after all, the one she truly loves. Who wants to see somebody they truly love in a situation like that?

The rest of lunch was awkwardly silent at our table. The situation made everyone feel tense. Lunch was over, and I felt relieved, for some reason. I sat through the rest of the school day writing rhymes and not paying attention to the teachers. Graduating wasn't going to buy me the things I wanted, but a record deal would. Before I knew it, the day was over and it was time for the game.

7:30 PM

The game was packed. Bleachers filled to the ceiling. It was Hoover High's homecoming against rival, Red Light High. It was bound to a fight or shootout, maybe even both. On one side of the gym it was Red Light High and some niggas from the Swamp. On the side we sat on, it was Dark Side and the Low End.

They had called out the starting line-ups and the game was ready to tip off. Everyone was on their feet in the gym. The ref blew the whistle and threw the ball in the air. Hoover High won the tip. Trevon crossed over and pulled up for a long three. All net. Our side of the gym erupted. Yeah, Red Light High was in for a long game.

Before I knew it, the first two quarters had been played and it was halftime. Everybody went out by the concession stand at halftime to mean mug and try to intimidate niggas. Me, I went out to talk to the bitches. I didn't have time to be beefing with no niggas when it's money to be made.

Me, Caeser, Hiro, Tyreek, Justin and Lewis stood posted by the vending machine, surrounded by about six other girls, and about three cheer leaders.

I kept my eye on some Red Light niggas who seemed to be staring us down. I kept my focus on them. It was nine of them, all nine had on black t-shirts that read : The District, in red letters. "Aye lil nigga!" Cindy shouted pushing past the girls to dap me up. "White girl." I said, smirking. "What yall doing after the game? I know yall know where the parties at." She insisted. I looked at Caeser and he looked back at me. "Shit we just go with the flow, but I'll let you know." I said. I noticed a nigga staring us down the whole time we were talking. He was dark skinned with waves and a tattoo across his throat. The tattoo was three letters, R.D.S. , meaning Red Lighy District. It was Cindy's boyfriend, Damien. "Ight, just text my line." She replied, walking off.

The whole time he watched us talk, with a scowl on his face. It didn't mean shit to me, though. A loud uproar awakened me from my thoughts. On one side of the concession stand was the Swamp, on the other side was Dark Side and the Low End. A confrontation had begun. Officers sprinted out with dogs and shut it down, quickly. After this, halftime was over.

The rest of the game was amazing, Hoover High winning 71-68. The game was over and everybody filled into the parking lot, some waiting for rides, and others to cause trouble. Me, Caeser, and Hiro sat on Caeser's car talking to a few lil broads, Caeser trying to persuade them to fuck us.

"Look my nigga right here bouta' be a star with this rap shit. All yall have to do is suck some dick, let us fuck and yall might get some clout.." Caeser explained to the three girls. The one in the middle replied, "Okaaay, we'll fuck yall, but don't be on no dirty shit and yall might get yall dick sucked, it depends."

"Shit that's enough for me!" Hiro exclaimed. Then out of the corner of my eye I spotted a brawl. About 32 people were fighting in the back part of the lot. We knew it was Dark Side against The District and The Swamp. Caeser noticed too and grabbed his gun from under the seat. The girls ran to their car, they knew what was about happen.

Caeser fired shots into the crowd of black shirts. The whole lot scattered and somebody began shooting back. One of the shots hit Caeser's car. We ducked down and Caeser let the whole magazine go. "CMON, cmon !" Caeser yelled, starting the car. I jumped in the front seat, Hiro in the back. Caeser swerved out of the school lot.