Gray

-Dicari Reed-

Something is hitting me in the head.
A hand?
No . . . something softer.
A pillow.
"Wake up, Dicari," I'm met with my brother's voice.
I groan. "Shouldn’t you be at college somewhere or with your girlfriend?"
Carson laughs. "You miss me, little bro? It's Christmas break, stupid."
I groan again, opening my eyes and sitting up.
"Get ready and I'll walk you to school, kid." Carson stands next to my bed in sweatpants and a light jacket, his straight-ish hair tousled and weird eyes squinted at me.
I shake my head. "Nah, I got a week left before break. You can walk me tomorrow or somethin'."
Carson nods. "Alright." Then he does the unexpected, one of those things he didn't do until his girlfriend Monae came into the picture and changed him into someone with a future.
He hugs me. "There's more to life than this hood, Dicari."
I quickly hug him back and pull away. "Yeah, I know, man."

Two blocks from school, I see my friend walking.
"Seth!" I pull my bike over to the curb. "Bro, hop on."
Seth smiles and straps his book-bag to his chest, before sitting on my handlebars.
"Thanks, man."
Seth Rodriguez could probably be considered my best friend. I've known him a shorter time than a lot of my other friends, but he's one of the few that are actually on my level. Meaning, he will probably make it out of the hood, go to college, and do something with his life.
To a lot of my friends, that's just a dream.
"No problem, brah."
I lock up my bike when we get to the school and we dap up before parting ways.
"Yo, Car!" I hear as I head down the hallway.
I turn to the leader of the "never gonna make it out this hood" crew, Bruce Morton.
He's a seventeen year old freshmen, that will probably end up dropping out before he's a legal adult. He bleeds hardcore rap, drugs, and violence, but, really, he's just a lonely bully.
By his side, as always, is Diego Martinez. This loser is a straight A student that will end up selling drugs on the corner anyway. He's such a follower that he dropped all his AP classes so he could kiss Bruce's ass all day.
"What's up, Bruce?" I say, dapin' him up.
"Not much, man. Gettin' tired of this school though, brah. Thinkin' about droppin' out," Bruce shrugs, like it's the coolest idea ever. If only he realized how stupid he was.
"Oh, yeah? You'll be flipping my burgers next time I see you," I chuckle.
He scoffs. "Yeah, right, man. I'mma be rich, doin' a lot more than flipping burgers, brah. I'm gonna be a rapper."
Although I'd rather not admit it, he was a pretty good rapper, just not my style.
I'm more into the educated MCs like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar.
I smirk. "What's a rapper, if not educated?"
"I learn my lessons from the streets," Bruce's dark eyes are sincere and I feel for him. He's been in foster care for over ten years and even got left back twice due to a mixture of abuse and migration. He thinks rapping is his only way out. It might very well be. It's a sad truth of this town.
"Yeah, I feel you. I gotta get to class though." I dap up Diego before turning around and navigating through the crowds of students.
When I reach my Honors Earth Science class, someone grabs my shoulder from behind. A lanky, Asian boy stands in front of me when I turn.
He smiles. "What's going on, Lil Carson?"
I laugh at the nickname. "Not much, Kenny. Carson's around, community college Christmas break."
"Oh, really? Well, tell him to hit me up." Kenny pulls up his falling pants and puts his other hand on my shoulder as well. I swear he's too skinny for all of his belts. "And if you ever need anything, let me know, little bro." He smiles again and walks away after I nod.
I sigh, glad that most people that were friends with my brother graduated or dropped out. I hate being called "Lil Carson".
I'm Dicari Reed.
And I'm gonna make it out this hood.