BILLY
As Bodie left to watch the guys we were here to kill, I went to the liquor store at the corner. I entered to have the Indian guy at the front watch me as I walked to the back of the store. I grabbed a twelve pack of beer, a pack of cigarettes, a thing of cough syrup, and some aspirin. I paid and left as quickly as possible. I downed a beer and then drank all the cough syrup. I stumbled to get a beer. I used the bottom of the can to crush the aspirin. I took out my wallet and used my ID to make lines out of the aspirin. I started doing lines of aspirin like it was coke. Eventually, I passed out on the couch with the TV on mute.
Dream
I woke up in the middle of the night to hear crying from the bathroom. I light was on in the bathroom and I noticed that Brittany was not asleep next to me. I heard some one throwing up and then the sobs started again. I silently made my way to the door. I knocked on the door but nobody said anything.
"Brittany, are you okay?" I asked. A moment of silence but the crying was slowly coming to a halt.
"Yeah, Billy." Brittany answered. The door opened and there stood Brittany in my big white t-shirt and some underwear. Her face was tear stained and her hair was curled slightly but messy. Her eyes were red and rimmed with sadness. A sense of fear, worry, and confusion was in her eyes but she didn't speak. She just clung to me. I rubbed her back as she buried her head in my chest.
"I love you and don't ever forget that, Brittany." I whispered. She just nodded.
"Everything will be okay when we get to New York. I can get a job in construction and we can move into that apartment I picked out. We don't ever have to come back and see them or Bones." I promised her. She looked up at me and smiled meekly at me.
"Promise me that even if something happens to us, that'll you get out of here and away from Bones." She said. I grabbed her and pulled her closer to me, which was not by that much.
"I'll always be here for you." I told her.
"But do you promise me this Billy?" She asked.
"Whatever you want." I replied.
I was meeting Brittany at the corner near the bus stop. She got out of her mom's car and she ran to me. I caught her as she jumped into my arms and her mom drove away.
"Billy!" She said into my ear.
"Take this." She told me as she handed me a note. I set her down to read it. My writing was on the front so, I flipped it over. On the back was her writing.
No, I'm sorry for everything.
It said as I read her note. I looked back up to ask Brittany what she meant. But instead, Brittany was already running towards the bus stop where the bus was pulling up now. She didn't look back. I stood and watched her board the bus and drive away from me. I didn't follow her because I was told and taught to never chase after a girl. Women were good while they stayed around but once they left, they were nothing but a whore. I pocketed her note and left the corner to go to pack my bags to leave for New York. But then I ran into Bones.
End of Dream
SPENCER
I got home at 1 to find the apartment empty. I stumbled to my bed. On my bed was a note from Joe.
Spencer,
I had to work tonight so, I'll be back in the morning. Billy left town to handle something for Bones.
Joe
I passed out on my bed.
"Hey, man wake the fuck up! It's two in the afternoon!" Someone screamed in my ear.
"What the fuck!" I yelled sleepily.
"Get your lazy ass out of bed!" Another yelled.
"Give me an aspirin, you're hurting my head." I demanded while I rubbed my temple. The voice from before laughed and I recognized it as Joe.
"Shut up, Joe!" I screamed.
"Get up, Spencer!" He retorted.
"Here's your fucking aspirin." Spinks said as he handed me my aspirin.
- 1 year later(14 years old)-
Since Billy came back from that business trip a year ago, the drug addiction got worse for him. He would be gone for a week with some whore and would come back with drugs. When he was here, whores would come in day and night. I didn't speak to him anymore beside the occasional hello. I grew closer to my uncle, Joe who now was mostly there. He made sure there was food for me to eat when Billy didn't provide for us. Joe was the one to take me to school and pick me up. He went to the school events like Back to School Night. Bodie was there for me as a mentor and he would kick my ass when I got busted at school for doing something stupid. Spinks was the one to make me laugh and cheer me up. The other guys were also there for me like a family. They all were good to me but I had always wanted a family with my mom and dad. But my father was not in the picture anymore. I partied harder and drank more. I dated all the girls I could get my hands on. I got in trouble every other day. The cops knew me as 'Darley'.
- 1 year later(15 years old)-
I dated all the girls at my school and was currently seeing Madi, the brunette from the first party I went to when I was 13. Dylan and Mark had stayed as my friends until Dylan got sent to Juvy for trafficking drugs when I was 14. Mark got shipped to some small city in Minnesota to live with his grandparents when they got word of Dylan's bust. For the past year, I've been hanging out with all the druggies at my school and my girlfriend. I always stayed friends with Summer since I was 13. Madi, lived with her aunt after her drug addict mom left her to move to Spain with her boyfriend. Her dad wasn't in the picture and her aunt was a hooker. Madi and I were very close and she was different than the other girls because she didn't give a fuck, she stood up for what she believed in, and she was a fighter.
Billy would leave for a month to go deal in Mattapan under Bone's orders and I rarely saw him. Joe would be gone working the corners Billy did before Bones expanded his territory. Bodie left to help Billy and so did a couple of the guys. But the rest stayed here to work the original territory. They had to work harder as rival gangs tried to challenge Billy's gang. I didn't see much of the guys unless they were here early in the morning after a shift or had the day off. With no one really there to parent me, I got more into drugs and smoking.
I was hanging at the lunch table smoking a cigarette waiting for Madi to get here with her friends.
"Spencer!" Madi called out from across the hall.
"Hey, babe!" I greeted her.
"I can't believe Mr. Gagner! He gave me detention because I was laughing at him." Madi told me. I clenched my fist.
"That motherfucker!" I muttered.
"You don't have to do anything about it." Madi said as I stormed to Gagner's room. I took my lighter and I grabbed some beer from some junkie's hands.
"What the fuck, I was drinking that!" They yelled. I turned.
"Not anymore." I yelled. They saw my face and shut up.
"You can have it, Darley!" They yelled. I turned back and continued my way to Gagner's. I got to his room and he was inside. I poured the beer in front of the door and then put my lighter to the beer. I watched the flames burn the door.
"Fuck!" I heard Gagner yell as he saw the flames. He looked through the window and saw me staring at him with the lighter in my hand. I flipped him off. I walked back to Madi and we sat down on the benches. The fire department came and put out the fire. They treated Mr. Gagner's burn to his arm and I smiled.
"The motherfucker got what he deserved." I whispered to Madi.
"You're going to get arrested." Madi told me. The cops got called to our school and I tried to leave with Madi to go back to my place.
"Darley, where you going?" A cop yelled. Another cop came up from behind me and shoved me back to the benches. Mr. Gagner was talking to some cops and looking at me every so often. The cop watching me to make sure I didn't run was looking at Gagner.
"What did you do this time?" He asked.
"Innocent until proven guilty." I answered.
"You're just full of shit." The cop responded.
"The best shit in town." I replied. The cop laughed.
"Of course with your daddy being who he is." I gritted my teeth at that comment the cop made.
"Don't talk about my father." I commanded.
"You got daddy issues." The cop teased. I drew back my fist and punched him. I get tackled by another cop and end up in handcuffs for the rest of the time while they question everyone about the fire. The cop talking to Gagner came over to me.
"Mr. Gagner says that you were there when his door caught fire and you were holding a lighter. Then that junkie over there says that you took his beer, which leads me to believe you set fire to Mr. Gagner's door. Is this right, Darley?" The female cop asked.
"That's right babe." I answered. She slapped me.
"Don't ever talk to me like that again Darley." She snapped.
"Alright buttercup." I said. She clenched her fist.
"Take him to the station." She ordered. I got shoved into the car by three cops. The let my head smash into the top of the car. I glared at the cops as they slammed my door shut.
"You're going to Juvy, Darley, this time." The cop said driving me.
"It's better than living with my father." I commented.
"Trying to be like daddy." The other cop said. Both cops laughed at that.
"No, I'm trying to be better than him." I said back. We got to the station and I got dragged into the station. I got a phone call and I called Joe.
"Who the fuck is this?" Joe answered.
"It's Spencer." I replied.
"What did you do this time?" He asked.
"I set fire to Gagner's door." I spoke. He laughed.
"That motherfucker got what he deserves." Joe commented.
"That's what I said but the cops didn't like that reply." I told him.
"You need me to bust you out." Joe concluded.
"If you can or just send Spinks." I added.
"No, I'll go myself with Billy." Joe told me. I gulped when he said Billy's name.
"He's down?" I asked.
"Yep, he added new guys to the gang to handle Mattapan so, Bodie and him could come back here. He wants to talk to you about something." Joe summed up for me. I groaned.
"This is destined to go well." I replied.
"Yep. Don't kill each other. Be right there to get you out." Joe said as he hung up. I slumped in my chair after the call and watched the cops talk about me.
Everything got real quiet and everyone was staring at the front door, I turned to see Joe, the tall lanky guy and Billy, wearing his leather jacket and smoking a cigarette. The police chief came out and watched as I walked over to greet them.
"Look, one big happy family, aren't the Darley's? Where's grandpa Darley to free his grandson?" The chief stated jokingly.
"I'm here to get my son. I'm not here to cause trouble." Billy spoke bitterly to the chief. I smiled at Joe and he put his hand on my shoulder.
"You okay?" He asked as he looked at my cut from the cop after I hit the one cop. I nodded and rubbed my wrists after I got unhand cuffed.
"Spencer will be due in court for this, Darley." The chief informed Billy.
"He'll be there." Billy told him. And we left in Billy's mustang.
"Spencer, you got to be more careful. Bones won't like that we made the papers." Billy stated.
"The fucker deserved it." I muttered.
"Watch your language." Billy demanded.
"Don't tell me what to do!" I yelled.
"I'm your father!" Billy yelled back.
"You're just a sperm donor." I replied.
"I fucking took you in after your mom died." He responded.
"Joe took care of me more than you did." I said. Billy clenched the steering wheel really tight.
"You weren't there while she was alive either. I doubt you even cared when she died." I added. Billy fucking lost it.
"I fucking do care about her! Don't ever say that I didn't care about your mother! She was the only girl that I cared about beside my mother before I found out what a bitch she was." Billy yelled.
"Mom, was not a bitch!" Joe yelled at Billy.
"You didn't know that she killed herself. She's the one who got Uncle Ronnie killed and she watched him die. She fucking told me that I was just an experiment to her and that she didn't want to test out this anymore. She would tell me what a mistake we were and how much she hated this." Billy told Joe.
"But Bones said that mom died in an accident." Joe replied.
"He lied to you because he knew that you would fucking lose it if you knew the truth. Mom went insane and she fucking killed herself. Bones loved her but things went wrong after she got his brother, Ronnie killed." Billy stated.
"I thought Ronnie died in an accident." Joe murmured.
"Mom got involved with a cop and he murdered Ronnie because Ronnie killed his son. Mom watched as the cop shot Ronnie ten times." Billy informed Joe.
"Aren't you full of secrets? What else are you hiding?" I asked Billy.
"I watched your mom leave on that bus and I didn't follow even when I could have stopped her. I stood there holding the note and then just walked away as she drove away from Boston." He admitted.
- At court hearing-
"The jury finds the defendant, Spencer Darley guilty. You, Mr. Darley are being sentenced to 6 months in Juvy. After this term, you will live in Oregon with your new foster family due to the narcotics that was found in your home with your father and uncle, William and Joseph Darley. As well as the firearms in the possession of the Darley household that were there illegally without a license or permit." The judge announced. I got taken into custody as Joe and the guys watched me leave. Billy wasn't even there to attend my hearing.
-6 months-
I was staying with my new foster family, the Washington's. The Washington's were very religious, they had an exorcist come to get the devil out of me, and they have me see a counselor every week. They volunteer at the local Boys and Girls Club and they all are good people. It's fucking driving me crazy. At school, I got the girls all over me because I'm the bad boy with a record. But then the son, my age who happens to be a nerd comes along and ruins it for me. The teachers hate my guts when they found out I was a gang lord's kid that got involved in the family business and sent to Juvy for arson and assaulting an officer. The girls eat the shit up when I tell them about my life in Boston and in California with my mom.
My phone rang during class and I answered it while the teacher gave me a dirty glare.
"Spencer, it's Joe." Joe said.
"I know Joe. I have caller ID." I told him. He laughed.
"Oh yeah. Hey aren't you in school?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm in math right now." I told him.
"Cool. Hat the fucking subject but anyway. Remember Madi?" He questioned.
"What about Madi?" I asked.
"She left Boston after you got sent to Juvy and she just showed up on my doorstep and she's seven months pregnant with your kid." Joe said. I dropped the phone and it got on speaker.
"Spencer, I can help with the kid. All the guys can help. You don't have to worry about being a dad. Man, we got your back." Joe said. The whole class looked at me.
"You sure she's pregnant with my kid?" I asked.
"That's what she says." Joe replied.
"But we used protection." I argued.
"Doesn't always work. Your dad used protection with your mom but look, they had you." Joe told me.
"I'm 15, Joe. I'm don't even live in Boston to take care of the kid." I told him.
"Well, Billy said he's out of jail in a month or two and he plans on coming out to Oregon to get his son and when I tell him, he's going to be a grandpa, he'll bring Madi and the kid. Plus the Bodie and I plan on going to get you too. Spinks will stay in Boston to work for Bones." Joe informed me.
"He's coming to get me. Wait, he's in jail?" I asked.
"Yeah, after you got busted. Billy got put in for trafficking but he's on good behavior so he's being released earlier than his sentence of a year. He's changed Spencer. He knows what he needs to do to be a father to you." Joe spoke. I nodded.
"No more of the drugs?" I asked.
"I mean, we still got to make money for Bones but no more usage for him." I clarified for Joe.
"Yeah, he's clean." Joe laughed.
"For once in his life." Joe added. I laughed.
"Bye Joe." I said.
"Bye Spencer." He said and hung up. The teacher looked at me. All the girls were gawking at me and the guys were in shock. I left school after that class and I smoked some cigarettes at some corner where a guy that was probably selling something. I walked over to him.
"What are you selling?" I asked.
"Coke." I nodded and got out my wallet. I took out a few crumpled hundreds and purchased some coke. He saw the picture of my mom and me.
"She's hot." He commented.
"She was my mom." I replied. Then he saw the picture of the Joe, Bodie, Spinks, the rest of the guys, and Billy standing off to the side and I was right next to Joe looking at Billy.
"Is that Billy Darley?" He asked as he handed me my coke.
"Why, you know him?" I asked the guy.
"Dude, he's a legend. A motherfucker you don't want to mess with." The guy told me.
"I know you don't want to mess with him." I commented.
"But seriously, how the fuck do you know Billy Darley?" He asked me.
"He's family." I said over my shoulder as I walked away.
"No fucking way!" He yelled at me. I walked until I got to a friend's house and I found them sleeping. I woke him up so we could some lines of coke together.
"What the fuck, Darley?" He yelled when he saw me.
"Want some coke?" I asked. He grinned.
"I fucking love your white ass." My friend, a black guy said as he cleared the table.
"You better watch your black one, Angel." I joked.