Collide With Me

Chapter 1

Tony’s POV

Beep, beep, beep!  I groaned at the sound of my alarm clock going off. Time to get ready for school, a place I dreaded going to every day of my life. If it wasn't for the many truancy letters scattered on my kitchen table or the possibility of my mom going to jail for not making sure I go to school, I'd totally contemplate skipping.

I begrudgingly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. As the water was heating up I looked in the mirror. I looked like shit. My hair was a mess and my padawan braid was coming undone. I had bags under my eyes and I looked paler than ever. I needed a fix. That would make me feel better.

After my shower, I got dressed and went downstairs. On the couch in the living room was my mom sleeping heavily. She still had her work clothes on and she looked completely worn out. It broke my heart to know that she was so tired from work that she couldn’t even make it to her room.

My mom is a single parent. I never knew my dad. He skipped out on my mom and I when I was 3, maybe 4 and I haven't heard from him since. He was a coward who could't man up and be husband or a father. I guess he must have gotten his shit together later though because the last we ever heard of him was that he lived in Arizona and had a little family of his own. I've got a little brother and sister that probably don't even know I exist.

I'm not sure what I'd do if I was to ever see my father again. My mom tells me I shouldn't hate him. that he was young and afraid. I just can't understand why, after all he's done to us, she keeps defending him. She sees the good in people through all their bad I guess.

I loved my mom more than anything in the world and I’d do anything to see her smile. I grabbed the couch blanket and put it over her, tucking her in. She stirred and opened her eyes tiredly.

Tony?” she asked groggily.

“Shh mamá. I’m going to school now. Hopefully I’ll see you before you go to work in the afternoon.” I said and kissed her cheek. She smiled.

“Bye mijito, have a good day.”

* * *

I entered my school and was immediately bombarded by my posse of “friends”. “Yo turtle! When we gonna do business together again?” my friend Jose asked. I smiled knowing exactly what he meant by "buisiness". This was exactly what I needed.

“Right after school?” I asked, a little bit too eagerly. He winked at me.

“I got you.”

School flew by and I practically flew to to meet Jose at our chill spot in the woods behind the track field. I was there in less than 5 minutes and there was Jose, laying out the goods.

“So turtle, what’ll it be today?” he asked with a sly smirk. My palms were sweaty and I started to feel my body getting worked up at the sight of what it longed for the most.

“D-do you g-got any rocks?” I stammered, anxious to get this started.

“Fresh in stock. A little pricey though.” He was staring at me with uncertainty. I had a habit of going to Jose for drugs when I had nothing to compensate. As my long-time friend, he glady gives them over but as my drug dealer, he had a profit to make and I was in deep debt. I knew I’d pay him back…eventually.

I nodded furiously to show him I understood and grabbed the bong and the drugs. I quickly lit up and inhaled deeply, letting the sparks in my brain take over.