𝓒HAPTER ONE.
The Pain Subsides, But The Scars Remain. I Remember Shit Like It Was Yesterday, Straight On A Tuesday. Flames Surrounding Our Building, Screaming And Shootings Could Only Be Heard. Little Infant Was Only Seven Playing Outdoors With His Football. Witnessing Everything From The Outside, He Sensed There Was A Homicide. His Parents Was In There, He Could Only Shed A Tear. Feeling Speechless & Sadness, He Knew He'd Be An Orphan.
- 𝒥uan Collins
𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐈 | VOLUME ONE.
❝ N.Y STATE OF MIND ❞
[ HARLEM, NY ]
1997. Standing around the corner, which served as the three males' preferred location to hang out, relax, or even sell narcotics, they were smoking a blunt that was being passed. The youngsters started sprinting away without hesitation as they could see blue and red lights flashing back and forth from a distance, as the police sirens grew louder and louder.
Jumping over fences with their hoodies over their heads like straight bandits who had been creeping all night. It was obvious as day that the neighbours had complained and had chosen to contact the police; it wasn't the first time either, but the boys obviously did not give a single fucks. The boys knew exactly how to get away from the police because they had done it before, so it was nothing new to them. They simply had to follow the shortcut path, which is what the boys did— Juan's book unintentionally slid out of his fingers and fell to the ground as they were aiming for the shortcut path. "Fuck." He muttered, turning to face it as he could already hear the approaching sirens.
His mother gave him that book as her last gift just before she died, and that is where he recorded everything about his life. Juan always had a good mind and could write well. He used to freestyle his own lyrics and as a result, he dreamed of becoming a lyrical poet like Nas. However, as he got older, the dream gradually faded away. He had potential, as his mother could tell from the way he spoke. He took that book by heart. Not only was it too personal for anybody else than him to read, he knew he had to go back and get it. After all, it was his mother's last present to him.
"Nigga, hurry the fuck up!" As Juan hastily returned to get his book and joined Malik and Roscoe back on the run, Malik yelled back at him. Although it was a risky move, he would stop at nothing to prevent anyone from opening the book. Even his closest friends were unable to open that book. It was stuck to him like glue. He thought he was penning down too much intimate and emotional information for another person to read; it felt too open and secretive.
The boys reached the shortcut and could hear the sirens diminishing, but they kept running and couldn't stand until they reached their neighbourhood. A neighbourhood they share and grew up in— Juan resides with his maternal grandparents, followed by Roscoe, who lives with his uncle and auntie down the streets, & Malik, who lives with his parents and siblings two doors away from Juan.
Roscoe joined the group in sixth grade after Malik and Juan, who had been best friends since third grade. This made them all brothers by default. When they were together, they planned on causing trouble because they were inseparable and always visible. Due to several complaints from the neighbourhood, they were widely known and screamed trouble. Everybody respected them because they controlled their neighbourhood. Not only did they work for Roscoe's cousin, who is a well-respected man in the community, but also just because they were them. They gained reputation as a result.
They were fresh to the game and enjoyed the money-making hustle; to them, it wasn't about ruling the drug lords; it was just about providing for their families and treating themselves. Because they were constantly fly from head to toe and that captivated the ladies, you would always see them sporting the newest of the news. Fly didn't just refer to wearing expensive clothing; anyone may wear it regardless of its appearance. They thought it had to do with the styling.
When they finally arrived in their neighbourhoods, they had to stop for a moment on Juan's front porch to regain their breath and rehydrate after all the running they had been doing. Being just [ 7:45 ] in the morning, the street was empty. Except for them, hardly anyone was awake. They barely had any sleep last night because of the money calls. Although it was an odd sleep routine, they eventually became accustomed to it and it didn't bother them as much. They were encouraged to carry on by the money.
"Son, we almost got caught today." In between breaths, Roscoe was able to exhale as he leaned against the stairwell in an effort to breathe in some fresh air. "Shut your Dominican ass up." It was one thing to be dehydrated, but in Malik's situation he wanted to be dehydrated and in silence, so he responded back without trying to hear Roscoe's mouth running.
Roscoe's face grew stern as he tried to comprehend Malik's abrupt insult. "Would I be racist if I was to say, shut your Jamaican ass up?" Malik gave Roscoe the information he sought without hesitating, giving him a few head nods to indicate his response. "Definitely!" Roscoe was a combination of both; his mother is Dominican and his father is black African American, Malik informed him, prompting Roscoe to kiss his teeth back at him. Because of his light-skin, Malik likes to tease him about being an actual native white man who was adopted by coloured people and brought to places with a lot of sun, where he got darker.
"Both y'all niggas can shut y'all asses up." Mean mugs were given to Juan as he alternately pointed at Malik and Roscoe. "Ain't nobody was talkin' to your Panamanian ass." Roscoe added his own statement, making Juan chuckle. They were seniors in high school and had reached the age of majority; nonetheless, they continued to bicker back and forth over insults they were hurling at one another. They were brothers and shared that closeness.
"Nigga, we supposed to be brothers." To demonstrate to him how genuine they should be with one another rather than hating on another, Juan showed him his hand by clasping it. "Watch out before I cuss both y'all spanish ass niggas in patois." Malik chimed in with his opinion, mentioning that he didn't interfere with Juan's attempt to shake things up and team tag him with Roscoe, which made them both chuckle.
"Aight bro, y'all niggas got it. We need to get the fuck on— school 'bout to start in less than an hour and we over here sweaty as shit." They all stood up from the porch at the same time as Juan started to talk. It was their third day of the first week of classes. Even though they knew they couldn't miss it, it appeared that first period would be cut short given the amount of time they had left. They all despised first period, so it didn't worry them as much, but second period was English, and since they were all in the same class, it was interesting enough for them to want to be there.
"Word I'm tellin you, I'm 'bout to go home and hit that shower." Juan chuckled and nodded in agreement after Malik shared his thoughts while staring at himself disgusted, before dapping the two of them. "Ima catch y'all niggas later." Malik and Roscoe gave each other a salute as they went their separate ways. Juan waited a short while before going inside his house in the hopes that his grandparent wasn't awake. He didn't feel like listening to one of them early this morning.
Juan carefully entered the house while opening the door slowly to avoid creating any noise. Because of the weak floors and constant creek noise, it was difficult to exercise caution. Juan wanted to renovate the house for his grandparents so that they could all live in a better place, but they consistently refused to accept his money. They refused to allow it to touch their hands, referring to it as "dirt money."
He got caught off guard just as he was about to close the door behind him, causing him to pause. "Juan Mitchie Collins." When he turned around, his grandmother was standing with her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face. He quickly muttered a curse word under his breath. Given that she addressed him by his entire government, he knew she wasn't playing this time. "Grandma! How you doing today? You slept good? Any new episodes from Oprah's show, I know you love yourself sum' Oprah." He strolled off with a smile on his face and a pleasant mood to the living room to grab the remote so he could see if there were any new episodes for her; his way of trying to play it off by appearing like he hadn't been caught.
When his grandma caught him, he would act just like that because she was softer and less strict with him than his grandfather was. She was too familiar with him to be able to recognise the act he was putting on. "Juan." Even though she called to him softly, she was serious; she knew what he was up to and she wasn't going to go along with it. He stopped what he was doing and exhaled heavily because he knew he needed to get ready for a lengthy speech. He's heard it a billion times before. "Sit down." He moved slowly toward the chair she was indicating at the dining room table when she gave the command. They occupied the opposite seats. Juan could tell she had had enough of him by the way her hands were resting on the table, but he had no idea what would come out of her mouth next.
"Ever since your parents-" He stood up without any hesitation as soon as he heard that word. They were aware of the topic, which he had previously chosen to avoid, so he was perplexed as to why she had chosen to bring it up now. "Nah, nah... I'm not doing this shit today." His grandmother called at him to sit down just as he turned to leave. "Sit your ass down! Don't you dare walk away when I'm talking to you, Juan." She pointed back to the chair and spoke to him loudly. Juan knew better than to fool with her because of the serious tone in her voice. They've had enough of it, and he could tell just by the way she was acting that things were going to get serious this time.
Without even looking her in the eyes, he sat back down on the chair with his body turned away from her and his eyes fixed on everything but her. She was aware of his attempts to avoid having the conversation, but she also understood that she had to do it. "As you can see, It's only me here. Your grandfather had to go to work, leaving me by myself having to..." Juan's attention was drawn to the woman's cracking voice as she struggled to complete her thought and covered her mouth with her wet eyes because she knew the words that were about to leave her mouth would crush hearts. Given that his grandfather had been threatening him, it didn't take him very long to comprehend. Now that he was staring at her, he couldn't help but ask the first thing that sprang to mind. "You kicking me out?"
With just that query, his grandmother's eyes started to well up with tears, which she swiftly wiped away. That said it all; pain wasn't even the right word to express Juan's feelings. "Listen..." Juan interrupted her by standing up and gazing at her in disbelief before she could even finish herself. He never anticipated it coming from them because he always believed they were just trying to intimidate him; yet, the ease with which they got tired of it told him a lot. "Y'all the only family I have, and you kicking me out?" He pointed to himself and repeated the question once more in an effort to determine whether what he was hearing was accurate. Given that he had nothing, both he and they were aware of it, he was baffled by their actions. They were all he had, and they were about to give him up.
"Juan, you go out there each nights doing the devils work and expects us to continue going out this way?! We tried to show you the right path, we tried to make you stop! But you, wanna keep doing you! You are so much bigger than this— you are smart, you have potential but you wanna keep throwing it away for some nasty drugs that'll bring you nowhere but in jail or dead! You think you grown and know everything, then fine! Go out there and be the grown man you think you are. See how the world treats you."
Juan was affected by what she said after she said it. Though she wasn't mistaken, he thought it wasn't always easy being a black man in America. You can't expect to be paid the same as a white man when you've come from nothing. Being recruited for well-paying employment as a black man is difficult, particularly if you are only viewed as a thug. To him, it went deeper than that; he only had the ability to support himself and his grandparents if they agreed to him selling drugs. He was not concerned by the drug game at all; all he wanted was to be able to survive in these streets.
"I hear you, you ain' gotta say another word." He didn't feel like battling with her back and forth, especially about a location he was definitely not welcomed anymore. He was devastated to realise that his one and only family was preparing to expel him, but he also recognised their motivations. He put them under too much stress, so if they chose to live without him, that's their prerogative. He left his grandmother alone in the dining room without saying anything further and entered his room. Opening the door to his room, he quickly went to his drawer, pulled out the majority of his clothing, and threw it on his bed. He then went to get his duffle bag and put his clothing inside it, not even bothering to fold them because all he could think about was leaving this place as quickly as possible, just as they had wished. He wasn't too worried because he knew just where to go. Since he couldn't carry everything at once, he made sure to take everything he would need for the remainder of this week.
He exited his room and returned to the dining room to find his grandma sitting there with a tissue in her palm and a sorrowful expression on her face. Both of Juan's bags—a duffel in his hand and a backpack on his back were filled. Since his duffel bag contained the majority of his necessities, he knew he would need his backpack in order to go to school. "I'll come back for the rest." He knew he couldn't be angry with them for the choice they made; he just didn't know why. He didn't try to linger for even a second before leaving the house after telling her he will return for his other remaining.
He was experiencing a range of emotions as he realised he was now alone and had no one by his side. He was the lone person in the circle; an orphan child without a family to support him. But he was unable to display any emotion since he forbade himself from doing so. He understood that things happen in life and that you must move on; you cannot dwell in a miserable state and sob. You still have a long life to live.
He knew exactly where to go after giving it a quick sniff and some thought. He continued strolling down the streets till he arrived at his destination. He quickly knocked on the front door as he got there, and it immediately opened. The woman's expression said a lot; she was aware of what was happening and needed no further explanation from Juan. "Qué ha ocurrido?"
[ translation/spanish; what happened? ]
She stepped aside to allow him to enter, before calling her nephew, Roscoe. The only place that sprang to mind and the only place he knew he could go to was Roscoe's house. He would have gone to Malik's house, but he didn't want to bother because they were already a full house. "I got kicked." As Roscoe emerged from his room, he responded to Maria, Roscoe's aunt. The sad look on Maria's face screamed that she felt sorry. To hear Juan say that hurt her since she treated him like the second son she'd never had. Everyone, including her, was aware of Juan's lifestyle. His orphanage tale was well known to all; it was nothing new.
"I'm sorry... you're always welcomed to stay here." Maria informed him and left towards the kitchen after he thanked her so Roscoe could speak with him. He had sympathy for Juan. Not having your parents was one thing, but not having any family at all was quite difficult. He could relate to Juan in some way because he never really knew who his father was and had to live with his uncle Carlos and his wife because his mother was a drug addict. He will always be appreciative of having an uncle like him and a kind auntie like Maria since to him, they served as his parents, and he is aware that not everyone is blessed with such a chance; Juan is an example.
"Damn man, you good?" Juan could only nod in response to Roscoe's question as he approached him while shaking his head. However, he didn't really feel like discussing it; instead, he was just checking to see whether he had somewhere to stay at least for the night. "You cool with me staying here for the night?" After jerking his head at the inquiry, Roscoe grabbed Juan and gave him a hug. "You my brother. Always, don't ask no dumb question like that. You can stay as long as you want." Before releasing him from the hug, he assured him that he recognised his feelings and was delighted to have him stay in his home for however long he required. They treat each other like actual brothers, including Malik, and that is what they do.
"I can tell you didn't even had time to shower, you still lookin' musty." With Juan's teeth being kissed in response to his joke, he laughed. "I'm not arguing with no nigga that's lookin' like the black version of Al Capone, now shut the fuck up, and show me the bathroom." He shoved him out of the way and began to ascend the stairs, leaving Roscoe in his wake, who continued to smile; it was something he enjoyed doing. He enjoys making jokes with other people. It was just the way his personality was created.
"That's cool, I still get all the bitches lookin' like Al Capone." As opposed to being offensive, he interpreted it as a praise. Actually, they joked about it that way, but they were a really attractive group. Even while their reputation was what they were most known for, their appearance also had a significant impact. It goes like this; Roscoe is a ladies' man who attracts more women because he is open to the idea of having them on him rather than shooing them away. He is searching for his own Cinderella. Malik, on the other hand, is truly only there for the pleasure and not for love because, unlike Juan, he isn't interested in either. Many girls are drawn to Juan specifically because he is a closer-knit person. They are particularly drawn to him because of his enigmatic aura. In contrast to the others, he is more difficult to seduce.
As the second period drew nearer, Roscoe had already put Juan at ease by showing him his bedroom, where he would be spending the night in the guest room along with the adjoint bathroom he would be using. It was now only a matter of him finishing preparing himself so they could both depart to school before second period began.
Although Juan was relieved to have someone he could at least refer to as family and treat as such because they were always there for him, the shock persisted. He was conscious of his isolation at this point, and realising that blood isn't always thicker than water further broadened his perspective. He was aware of his role in it as well, so he couldn't really blame his grandparents; he just couldn't believe they would treat him in such a way. He understood that going forward, he had to give it his all because at that moment, he realised he was his only resource.
——————
❝ — BEYOND THE WALLS
OF INTELLIGENCE, LIFE IS DEFINED.
I THINK OF CRIMES WHEN I'M IN A
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND. ❞
- N.Y STATE OF MIND, NAS.
ALBUM; ILLMATIC. 1994.
[ OPENING SEQUENCE— ILLMATIC I. ]
——————
The three males were now bobbing their heads to the music, feeling the beat, as "The message" by Nas blared from Malik's car speaker, filling the car with a pleasant atmosphere. They were now en route to school, as if they hadn't missed an entire first period— However, that didn't bother them because they were accustomed to skipping classes on a regular basis. It wasn't a secret that Nas was their favourite rapper; in fact, the main reason they connected was that they both liked the same kinds of music. Nas' rhymes reflected his reality and covered a wider range of topics than what was seen. His reality, but also what it's like to live in N.Y.
They referred to New York as "the city that never sleeps," as crime and protests could be seen all over the place. It turned into a case of "if you ever slow down, you die," and you should always keep an eye open.
You had to either choose between
staying in New York or move for the better.
"Mane, fuck school." Malik griped as he drove up to the school, heading straight for a parking spot; it was obvious the boys didn't like going to school but continued to show up in order to receive their diplomas. They felt relieved that this was their final year. "I'm tellin' you, and them lil ugly ass kids too." Juan laughed at Roscoe's comment, which he made in reference to the newest freshman.
"Fuck them kids do to you?" Malik took sure to carefully park his car before the boys exited it, at which point Juan enquired. He had money like that, they all did, but Malik put more money down on that nice all-black 92' Cadillac Seville car he had. Because of his close relationship with the dealership owner, it was less expensive for him as well. Roscoe spent his money on girls, clothes, and other frivolous items that were short-lived, while Juan was primarily interested in saving up and getting his own home. However, the idea of having a car at the time made him feel good.
Due to everyone being inside getting ready for the upcoming period, the parking lot was almost completely empty. "Everything! One time a lil nigga gon' ask me when does recess starts." The two others snickered as Roscoe answered the question and shook his head in annoyance as they moved towards the school entrance. "And what did you say?" Malik inquired since he found the circumstance to be rather funny and wanted to learn more about it.
"I told that lil nigga to get the fuck on." He responded to Malik, adding aggression to the final half of his response as they entered the school and could already hear the bell ringing behind them. The hallways were starting to get empty, and the only sound was of doors closing and opening from left to right. They were most focused on getting to class without being called into the principal's office when the bell rang, so they started speed walking without glancing back or allowing themselves to become distracted.
They made it to their English class in less than five minutes, and as soon as they walked in, the noisy, active chatter of other students flooded their ears. All around them, people were having conversations but still keeping to themselves. Regardless of whether they were chatting loudly or just hanging around. Similar to how you could see it outside the class, you could see the clique division in the classroom. The jocks were seated just behind the cheerleaders farther in the left side of the classroom, leaving the middle empty for the quiet, nerdy, or lonely ones.
On the right side, there are more drama students, a bit more of jocks team, cheerleaders, and popular kids. In the back of the class, is where the boys sat. They normally get along with everyone because of the respect they had, thus they didn't need to gather in a group to express themselves. Due to their negative reputation, they were the most well-known group in the school, and many boys tried harder to be friends with them than with any other clique. They are the ones in charge of the school, so it felt better to sit at the rear of the room rather than in a particular group to draw attention to themselves.
"I have arrived! Ladies and gentlemen." Juan and Malik followed behind Roscoe as he entered the classroom with his arms extended wide, which caught everyone's attention and made them start to chuckle. It wasn't a secret that Roscoe's personality was apparent to everyone; if you were having a bad day, he could quickly make you grin. He was that kind of a good man, after all. Even the teacher, Ms. Green, shook her head and giggled a little. His personality didn't disturb her in the least because she was recognised as one of the chillest teachers around. "Take a seat, please."
As Juan made his way to the rear first, dapping any male he's cool with and attracting flirtatious looks from girls all around him, Ms. Green politely asked the boys to make their way to their seats. A substantial portion of it was consumed by the way he presented himself—his clothing and cleanliness. The women were drawn to that. A dirty eye drew Roscoe's attention as he made his way to the back, trailing behind Juan, and dapped a few of the guys while Malik did the same. Roscoe smirked as Yolanda's eye, not any other filthy eye, stared down at him with hatred. "Who yo daddy?" As she rolled her eyes and held a hand in front of his face to allow him to continue going, he inquired, pausing in front of her, which just made Roscoe smile wider.
"Ima fuck you up, word." Malik instructed him to keep walking by shoving him on his back; in turn, Roscoe only laughed briefly before moving to the rear. Yolanda is Malik's twin sister, and Roscoe had been making countless flirtatious comments to her without giving a damn what Malik would think. I mean, could you really blame him? Yolanda is known to be one of the most stunning dark-skin woman in the school, she always maintained a polished look that enticed men from every angle. Her natural face played a significant role in this. She also had the most stunning body, which is why Roscoe always had a thing on Yolanda since elementary school. He persisted despite the fact that she continued to play with him. She was all he wanted. She was the loveliest girl, and only acted sly with Roscoe. She frequently hung out with her best friend Regina, who was sat next to her, as well as Shantae, another best friend who wasn't in their class but was still a member of the popular kids' clique.
Juan sat across from Malik, and Roscoe was seated at the desk in front of them. They had returned to their customary spot and were now prepared to begin the class. The class fell silent as Ms. Green cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Good morning class!" The same comments came back to her as she got up from her desk and moved to the centre where everyone could see her. Some of them were quiet, while others were loud. "Today, I want us to speak about-" When the door opened just as she was ready to continue, she stopped mid-sentence. The door now draw everyone's interest.
Not simply the door, but the girl standing behind it as she entered the classroom also attracted everyone's attention. She felt like the centre of attention at that very moment as all eyes were riveted on her. She had long, curly hair that reached her shoulders and had a beautiful, slim figure. Her skin was flawless, medium-warm golden caramel in tone, and looked well-cared for and soft. She stood at about 5'3. Her thin eyebrows and small, brown eyes complemented each other nicely, and her pink, juicily moisturised lips did the same for her facial characteristics.
She displayed her belly piercing by wearing a white cropped small hoodie that stopped just above her belly button. It was slightly zipped down to her chest, showing off her well positioned breast and her gold necklaces, which matched her hoops earrings. She made sure the white hoodie went well with her flared-leg, low-waisted blue jeans and her white square-shaped slides that complimented her French tips toes of which was almost visible. In other respects, she shouted elegance and wealth since she made sure the colour matched her white cute Louis Vuitton expensive backpack. Without a doubt, she did not appear to be local. "Is this Ms. Green's class?"
Whistles were now coming from the football boys team, making most of the girls glance at her with envy eyes as she spoke in a soft voice while gazing down at a small paper that appeared to have been given to her from the school's front desk office. She was among the most attractive person in that room and resembled one of those drop-dead gorgeous models you see on television. She appeared more at home in a wealthy private school abroad, such as France, than in that kind of public institution. "This is she, and you are..." She read what was written at the top of the paper the girl handed her as she sought to learn her name.
"Jade Jackson." Jade smiled without revealing any teeth at her as she introduced herself to the students. She was clearly nervous, as evidenced by her body language, and the attention she was receiving didn't make her feel any better. "Welcome to my English class, you may sit at the empty desk next to Yolanda." Jade turned her head towards the direction Ms. Green directed, and as she did, she saw a gorgeous girl beaming directly at her. This warmed her heart since it was comforting to see someone smiling rather than being met with envious eyes.
Jade thanked Ms. Green and walked up to the seat next to Yolanda. "Boujee ass girl, that's yo type." Malik whispered to Juan while tilting his head back a little. Everyone's attention was still on Jade as she was now speaking to Yolanda in a quiet voice. However, no one looked at her as intently as Juan did; he had deeper ideas than the other boys. She wasn't just attractive; something about her also aroused his curiosity to know more. In particular, he pondered what a girl like her may be doing in a high school like this.
Everyone was paying attention as Ms. Green began her lesson again by outlining the assignment they would be working on. They had to choose a topic to discuss with the partner she would pair them with for the project, which was about a problem in America. They would have to choose one with their partner and tell her the next day whether it was about race, gender, age, or sexual identity. — The end of the week is the deadline for an oral presentation.
"I'm going to give you guys the opposite gender as a partner to make this more interesting. I'm interested in hearing from both genders perspective. The partner would be chosen by me, and I assume you two are mature enough to take care of the rest. It must be completed by this week's end, so move smart and not slow." Laughters could be heard coming from all directions as Ms. Green said her final sentence. She was a hilarious teacher who very much gave Auntie at the cookout vibes. Because of this, Ms. Green was everyone's favourite teacher, including those who detested going to school.
" Marcus Washington & Erica Brown,
Brandon Taylor & Aaliyah Smith,
Roscoe Perez & Regina Long,
Ludacris Williams & Moesha Campbell,
Malik Kingston & Yolanda Kingston,
Deion B-"
"Hell no! I object." Yolanda hand palmed herself out of shame as Malik got up from his chair to tell her he didn't agree with the concept of working with his sister. Slowly putting her paper down, Ms. Green turned to face him. "Do we have a problem, Mr. Kingston?" He kept nodding his head as she inquired, "Hell yea, we do. — Why I gotta work with someone I see everyday, when I can just work with someone new?" Despite being correct, he attempted to appear convincing. To be more imaginative and to obtain himself some new pussy, he merely desired a new experience. He was eyeing at the cheerleader, Erica Brown.
"Ain't nobody tryna work with long head Regina, take her! I'll gladly change with him." Regina's mouth dropped, and others started to chuckle as Roscoe pointed at her and made himself seem available. Not only did it eliminate the possibility of Malik switching with Marcus in order to be with Erica, it also irritated Yolanda the thought of being partners with him, and she began pleading with Ms. Green not to switch her with Roscoe. "Nah, you just ruined Malik's moment." Juan told him between laughs while lightly hitting Roscoe on his shoulder.
In addition to maybe missing his chance, Malik kissed his teeth while mugging Roscoe because he was also making advances on his sister. — Regina didn't take Roscoe's insult lightly, and she decided to respond as well, showing that she wasn't the only one who was displeased. "First of all-" A barrage of "ohs" that started flowing from all directions as she was going to defend herself convinced Ms. Green to bring herself to the situation, in attempt to stop it. "Silence!"
Roscoe didn't give a damn when Regina shot him one more scathing glance before settling back into her chair. One thing he enjoyed was a woman who could talk back, and Yolanda was now glancing his way making him blew her a kiss, leading her to roll her eyes once more and turn around. Jade couldn't pretend that she didn't enjoy the show, watching everything with a smile on her face. She was not accustomed to it, but it actually felt like a high school. She shook her head playfully while fiddling with her medium-length french tips acrylic nails as Juan caught a glimpse of the smile on her face. He assumed that someone like her would find this to be pretty ghetto, but she seemed to be enjoying it, which he found strange. That simply piqued his interest in learning more about her.
"Since it's not looking so well with Roscoe and Regina, same as you two, I'd be switching Roscoe with Malik." As negative reactions could be evident on Malik and Yolanda's faces, Ms. Green informed them. "And it is not up for discussion." Roscoe was happy to finally be able to get his way out around the classroom and was eager to have more opportunities and interactions with Yolanda, as Ms. Green made plain in her last statement. "Punk ass." Roscoe gave Malik the middle finger after he insulted him under his breath while glaring at him. — Juan watched everything as he always did from the centre. Out of those three, he was the most serious, and he didn't mind at all. As a result of acting more adult, he also attracted more women. Like Roscoe, he was capable of making jokes, but not always. His personality was pleasant, but Roscoe was the true comic.
Juan was finally called out as Ms. Green proceeded to list names, drawing his attention. "Juan Collins & Jade Jackson." Eyes were now looking back and forth at those two names as she spoke them. Although he was taken aback that she was chosen as his partner, he didn't dislike it either. Just the right chance to learn more about her was presented to him. When Roscoe and Malik gave Juan a tease look while grinning, Juan understood what they were trying to say right away. Before Yolanda's finger was aimed at him, he gave them an odd expression as he sensed a finger pointing at him. Jade turned back and looked at him, and he assumed she must have questioned who he was at that point.
She would be lying if she said she wasn't taken aback by his look when their eyes finally met. She was taken aback by his attractive appearance. His face was beautifully detailed, and his small, slanted almond eyes and gorgeous brows complemented each other perfectly. Surprisingly, he had a small scar under his right eye, near the corner, that was both noticeable and neither too big nor too small. That intrigued her. His skin was gorgeous, he had lovely skin that was a mild, medium-deep chocolate colour. It and his hair both appeared to be quite clean. He had neat cornrows that went well with his dazzling stud earrings. His lips were full and luscious, and they appeared to be hydrated. Although she thought he was really gorgeous, he had a grave expression on his face. She felt uneasy as a result of his icy, serious gaze.
But that was just Juan's expression, just the way he stares. Although he appeared to be very serious and had a calm cold glare that made people uneasy, he had personality once you got to know him. — Juan's ability to divert his gaze away from her quickly caused their eye contact to end as Jade turned her head to the front. He gave out a strangely frigid aura that she didn't recognise, which bothered her. She wasn't used to that because she was someone who constantly had boys swooning over her. In some ways, his vibe affected her, but it only piqued her interest in learning more about him because he was now perceived differently in her eyes.
Although Juan had did things with a few women, he never truly fell in love. He wasn't the kind of man to give in easily. The prospect of dating was never a concern of his. However, Jade was the first woman who really caught his attention. She was incredibly alluring to him, and since she didn't appear to be from around the area, he was compelled to learn more about her. He enjoyed difference, and she looked different. They were both young adults who were curious about one another. — Unaware that learning more about each other's lifestyle would reveal the unexpected of the unexpected, their curiosity was starting to get the better of them.
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©𝐆𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐔𝐃𝐄
PRESENTING; — ILLMATIC I.
𝓒HAPTER ONE.
Nas once said ; Time is Illmatic.
A phrasing to emerge through illmatic. — that death is all around you so you shouldn't waste a minute of your time on earth, while acknowledging that time is always moving forward and it's easy to get stuck in a rut in your life.
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— 01/28/23.
This isn't just a love story, it's a truth. A lifestyle truth, as you'll continue reading the book you'll realize a lot of struggles and differences within the book. Many people struggles differently, whether it's family issues, race issues, relationship issues, personal issues— those are some few examples you'd see in the book. I am just a writer, expressing my vision through the book. Don't get me wrong, I'd still keep the book interesting by adding a lot of comedy, details, drama, and plot twist. But the main topic, is reality. [ Nas inspired me to write about it, and bring more awareness to it. ] Young adults experiencing and getting a taste of life, as their struggles and escapes follows them. Time is Illmatic.
— GIGI EHMAN.