Beyond the Doubts

t w e l v e

As soon as we hit resistance, then we want to stop right? Because it's hurting. We feel that pain and be like I'm not going through this no more, right? But we have to fight through it as men because it's going to be very painful.

Mr. Willis words started to float around Adonte's mind. Mr. Willis, he thought, my father figure. "Thanks a lot dad." He scoffed in thought of his biological father and gripped his curls tightly, leaning his head in his lap. "-for nothing."

Leroy knocked against Adonte's door before entering inside slowly. He thought he heard loud thumps earlier from Don's sleep fighting and decided to check on him. Noticing he was up, he stood in front of his grandson. "You alright? "

Not looking up to the face of the voice, Adonte only nodded as the grip on his own hair didn't loosen. "I'm fine." He mumbled, not wanting to be bothered at the moment as the drug was definitely kicking in at the moment. For others, it calmed most people down but for Adonte, he grew angry about most of his hardships.

"I've been meaning to talk to you. You've been pretty busy, though. How's school and that tutoring going? "

"Fine."

"And uh, boxing?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure you're alright Don?" Adonte clenched his jaw and looked over to the side before keeping his head facing downward, not responding. "Well I just wanted to talk to you about getting more hours at the shack a-"

"What? " Adonte interrupted and looked up at his grandfather with a glare of disbelief. He sighed, rubbing over his face. Leroy leaned his hand against the dresser in the room and nodded.

"Yeah Don. At least until we hire some more help. You may have to cut your hours at the gym short or something. Business is growing but employees aren't which effects the busin-"

"I can't just cut my hours short. I can't do more hours, I do enough now." Adonte spoke up, finally looking up completely at Leroy. Leroy was taken back but understood the disappointment.

"I understand how you feel about boxing Don but it's not the most imp-"

"It is to me! What's not important is that dumb ass business! Just sell the place already." Adonte spat, unintentionally rude as he stood up and snatched a jacket from his hanger and stuck his feet into some shoes.

"Now you listen here, boy! I'm not your nappy headed friends and you won't talk to me like you've lost yo mind! You're picking up more hours on the weekend rather you like or not. I'll tell Willis myself!" Leroy rose his voice and pointed in his grandson's face to emphasize his seriousness. He was not going to allow the disrespect.

Adonte got past him in his doorway and turned to face him. His chest heaved up once before he said, "Guess what? I quit! Do the hours yourself old man. You don't have anything else better to do." Don stormed from his room before Leroy could stop him or hit him.

He pushed the screen door outward as he rushed outside. He grabbed his skateboard quickly and jogged down the street then dropped it on the ground. He jumped on it and started to roll down the street as the cool winds that blew sobered him slightly from his high.