Antonio, a renowned boxer in NYC, revels in his fame, money, and success with the ladies. But as his most important fight approaches, his usual trainer departs unexpectedly and is replaced with his daughter, Danielle. Antonio, fueled by his ingraine...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ANTONIO
"Ma! Ma!" I call out, rushing through the hall with my Spiderman suitcase that's half my size.
"Ma! Ma!" My heart races with anticipation as I make my way to her room. My dad is picking me up today, and I'm going to be staying with him for a whole week! I've never been with him for that long, not even when I was a baby. But today's different! Today is my 10th birthday, and my dad and I are going on a boys trip.
No, a men's trip! Because I'm double digits now.
"Ma, where's dad?" I push through her door and quickly scan the room, noticing it's empty. I rush out the room and down the hall and into the living room and kitchen. She's not here either. "Ma? Ma, where are you?" I call even louder.
I stand there for a moment to catch my breath and think about where in the house I haven't looked. We have a small home, just being two bedrooms, so this puzzles me. I look into the backyard, and she's not there either. I check the front, and her car is still here, so she must be somewhere.
A lightbulb goes off in my head, and I realize I haven't checked her bathroom. "Ma?" I lightly knock on the door pushing it open in the process, eager to use her phone so I can call my dad.
But my smile quickly drops at the sight in front of me. Laying there is my mom, on the bathroom floor, a pool of blood beneath her head. A gun rested next to her lifeless body.
"Mommy?" I whisper scream, my voice barely audible as I drop to my knees next to her. "Ma! Ma, wake up!" I plead, shaking her lifeless body, my voice choked up with grief. Desperation consumes me as I cling to her lifeless body, tears streaming down my face. "Please wake up, Mommy! Ma, please!"
Suddenly, a hear a knock at the door, and I pick myself up, knowing who it is. I wipe my tears away, in an effort to compose myself, but it's no use. Standing there is my dad, and my sobbing starts again, uncontrollably.
"What's the matter with you, boy" he demands, his voice harsh and unforgiving. I struggled to find my words, and the next thing I know, a large hand grabs my collar. "Answer me, boy! Or do I need to knock some sense into you?!"
"It's ma, She– she's go–" I couldn't bring myself to say the words. "She's in her bathroom," I manage to say, my voice still barely audible.
Without a word, my dad storms off toward the bedroom. I follow suit, trying to control my tears as they stream down my face. The foggy vision causes me to land into my dads backside by accident. I peek around his tall frame, and it's as if I'm witnessing the scene again for the first time. I scream in agony, the reality of the situation finally settling in.
Next thing I know, my dad is dragging me out the room and grabs me by the shoulders. "Listen here, son! And stop them tears!" he groans under his breath. But as hard as I try, I can't stop. She's gone. She's really-
He smacks me in the face, and for a moment the reason for my tears shifts to the sting on my reddened cheek. "Are you a girl?" he spits at me. I remain silent, licking the tears that fall down my face. He smacks me again. "Answer me, Antonio! Are you a girl?" he demands.
"No," I manage to choke out, my body trembling with fear.
"Then stop crying like a bitch. Boy's don't cry, you hear me!"
I nod anxiously. "I can't hear you," he growls, his grip tightening on my arms.
"Yes, sir," I force the words through my gritted teeth.
"Girls cry. You know why girls cry?" he sneers.
"No, sir."
"Because they're weak. Your mom was weak. That's why she did this! Are you weak like your mom?" he hisses.
I feel myself stifling, my breath catching in my throat, but I hold back my tears. "No, sir," I say, dignified.
He stands, and I look up at his great height. "Then wipe your tears. Be a man. And get it together," he commands, his tone leaving no room for weakness.
As I wipe away the last of my tears, a newfound view settles within me. In this moment, something shifts, and I become a man molded by my mothers weakness and fathers words.
With a deep breath, I embrace the new me.
~
A/N - a rough way to start, but we got a little background into Antonio's upbringing that has shaped him into the man he is today... thoughts?
chapter 1 will be out next friday! you can also read it now on my patreon page if you so choose
thanks so much for reading and voting! ILY
also it's my birthday today (July21)! if ur reading this have you seen barbie?
