A Hustler's Protege

Chapter One

"Antonio!....Annnnnn....Tonioooo!" The sound of my mom voice sounded like a blur to me, as I wiped my eyes and adjusted my vision I noticed her standing in the doorway in her favorite blue robe that my siblings and I hustled to get for her last Christmas. My brother Davon ran in the room and dived on me, he was the baby as for boys; at the mere age of sixteen, smart as hell, quick on his feet and always knew how to have fun.

"Bro, I was on the phone with this shorty last night b.... Woo talk about a freak?" My brother was a ladies man, he loved and adored any and every type of woman ... His only problem was he didn't know how to stay faithful to one girl, but hell he's still young got his whole life to figure out women. "Lil' bro you need to keep ya head out of them girls titties and put it in some books! No lil' brother of mine is going to be sitting around here waiting on the mail man to show". My brother just laughed at me and nodded.

I finally decided to get up and get ready for school, knowing my boys they would be here within a blink of an eye waiting on me so we could walk to school. I got up and hopped in the shower, brushed my teeth and washed my face; the annoying little voices of my twin sisters was enough to turn my mood. Only having one bathroom was a mere struggle, hell having only a two bedroom with five people was a struggle..

"Tony!!! Get out! We have to get ready for school! .... Momma!!!! Tell Tony to hurry up!" I rolled my eyes in the mirror as I shook my head hearing the voice of my little sister Tai complain about the bathroom, she's only eleven what time spent does she has to be in the bathroom for so long?

"Antonio! Boy get out the damn bathroom its 6:45 and none of you kids are nowhere near being ready for school! Yall do this every damn day". That's one voice that relives in my head daily, my mom was 37, uneducated, unemployed, single mother of four and worse of all... A former crackhead. My mom went through men as quick as average people went through underwear, most would come by just for her to let them bust one off on her then they give her drugs in return... At one point my mom got so desperate she tried to pawn off my sister Tai. Taivia and my other sister Jazmyne were twins, they're the only two out of the bunch with the same father, lucky them; they were only eleven years old just starting West Baltimore Middle School... Me on the other hand I'm the oldest, I seen my father a few times in my life, but each time was a lesson taught. My dad was a Hustler; he stayed in and out of prison like it was nothing, when I was born he always made sure I was straight.... Sadly, when I turned 13 he was arrested for killing an officer undercover. Now he's serving a life sentence... Davon?

His father was a real KingPin, he basically ran the streets of Baltimore .. But Davon father was never in his life, he played dumb sometimes denying Davon, but how could you do that when he looks exactly like him. Davon never met his dad, sadly his father was gunned down two years ago during a major drug bust.

As for Tai and Jazmyne, they were born crack babies... Their father was so deep into his addiction that he got my mom on it. My mom never in her life put a crack pipe to her mouth until she met Simon; he got her pregnant and showed no remorse on the situation ...

They would both get high together. Luckily, my sisters were strong enough to live due to the intake they were born premature and was very very small; but I'm proud to say they're older now and beautiful. Their dad, is somewhere around Maryland .. Getting high probably, I honestly could careless about the bastard.

"Ayo Tony! Where you at boy!" I walked over to the window looking outside seeing it was my boy Trevor shouting. I grabbed my hoody, my keys and my very light backpack and headed out the door. "Yo! Wait for me!" Davon shouted.

"Awe man, why you always bringing your lil' brother around mane?" My boy Trevor never got along with Davon, Trevor was 19 and a father of two ... Yeah I said it, father of two. He never see his kids because his baby mothers doesn't want nothing to do with him; Trevor just lazy and don't want to amount to anything. "Chill b... He's cool", as Victor barked back at him..

Victor was my brother from another mother, we've been through everything possible together. Not once did we be disloyal to one another, Victor situation was merely the same as mine; both 18, play ball and fathers was never in our lives... But in Victor case he had an alcoholic father who use to abuse his mother until one day she called the police and got him arrested. Victor only got one sister name Dream, she was 21, a college student and was a full time worker at a local pharmacy on the north side. Dream was so fine, I had a crush on that girl for years, but she never showed me the time or day; saying I was too young psh... I'll show her what young meat can do. But nah, that's my boy sister and I wouldn't disrespect him like that.

As Davon caught up with us, all four us walked down the sidewalk heading to Woodlawn High School. "Ah, Seniors... Who'd thought we'd live to see the day" as Trevor mentioned. "Word b... I'm just ready to graduate so I can play ball yaaaa know!" As Victor replied.. As I listened to the conversations I just thought to myself that I hope my SATs are good enough to place me in a good College... Or better yet earn that scholarship I so desire been waiting on.