A Brooklyn Love Tale

Page 1

The game isn't for everybody. This isn't the life most of us wanted. This was the life we were given. Our surroundings gave us this life. Our parent's choices gave us this life. We didn't ask for this. Some of us envision ourselves being singers, rappers, and even painters. Until someone told us we weren't good enough for that. We have to survive, that's too unrealistic. Our survival instincts are natural for us, and our parents lived by that alone. You must survive. Get on welfare, go apply for a job, and receive the bare minimum. Momma doesn't make enough money for college, so just get a GED, and apply for whatever job the white man offers you.
That wasn't the life I wanted. Nah, hell naw. I wasn't going for that. I want something fast. I want something quick. I want to blow my money on materials things. I want to buy my momma a house. I want to drive the cleanest car and have everybody looking up to me. I want everything the white folks told me I couldn't have...and that's money & power.

                                                                           Brooklyn, NY

The wind was blowing harder than usual. Laughter went through the group as they made their way down the stairs and towards the subway station. Typical day in New York. Just four kids, laughing and chatting about the crazy things that happened this past week on campus. She loved this. It made her feel alive, even though she didn't go to the same school as them. She went to college all the way in Sand Point. I know right...Boring. Everyone was stuck up there. Pretending to be happy and perfect when they were far from that. Here, everyone is their true selves. She was able to be her true self with friends who were their true selves.

"Alchemist, shouldn't you be on your way to that big ass house with them square ass people B?" PJ blurted out, causing everyone in the group to look over at Alchemist as they walked towards the subway doors that were opening. Scrunching her lips up at his smart remark, she replied, "You wish it was you going to that big ass house with the square ass people, huh!?" Everyone laughed amongst the group, causing PJ to nod his head and smirk at Alchemist's comeback. "Ight, you got me with that one," he mumbled with a smirk still on his face. It was common for them to play around like that. No harm was intended.

Who were they? PJ, Juice, and Kade. They were her friends...Best friends. So close, that others knew that if they started a problem with one, the others were coming. But that wasn't them. They would ride or die for each other, but they wouldn't go out in search of trouble. Alchemist loved them. They made her feel alive. PJ was the funny one in the group and the brightest one. He wore a short dark afro, but his line-up was always clean. He cut hair. That's how he makes his money. He brought excitement to the group but also caused the most trouble.

Juice was the chill one; she usually spoke when spoken to, especially when it came to people outside of the group. But she loved the hardest. She loved the most, actually. Her skin was as soft and brown as butter, and her hair stayed in a curly ponytail. Alchemist could never understand why she never wore her hair out. It was beautifully course. She can be a bit of a tomboy, but she was very much straight. Her choice of style would make people think otherwise. That's what she and Alchemist had most in common, but Alchemist sometimes likes to switch it up and dress more girly. Kade is what we like to call the "Let's thoroughly think this through, but I'm down" one. He always had your back, no matter what you did or said. He's also the one you could go to if you need someone to vent to. That's why they know he had it the hardest. The point is, that they all had something to give to the group. They were all different, which made the friendship even stronger.

You may be thinking...What about Alchemist? Well, she's the nice one—the one who always loved but knew how to clap back if you tried her. What they love about Alchemist the most is that she always kept a secret and helped them if they needed anything. She never judged them, no matter how different their background was from hers. She was also the smartest one in the group. The one you could pay ten dollars to, and she would give you all the answers to your homework. A book was always in her hand, and she could tell you any historical fact if you pointed to it. They needed someone like her in the group.