Introduction
Introduction
The night skyline of South City beckoned. Buildings at least twice the size of anything back home in New Strawberry Fields loomed overhead. I slowed down the car.We were almost at our destination;The Hangout Club. I was having a night out with my ride or die Adrian Knight and my roommate Mitch McKay. Along with Mitch’s girls Amanda Joans, her roommate Catherine Williams and Catherine’s friend Sarah.
As I parked the car outside the Club I couldn’t help but feel excited. The anticipation I’d felt the last few days had led to that night. Our first night out as Aspire University students.
I opened the door of the car and stepped out. Taking a second to marvel at the skyline of South City. The club was a one story red brick building. Semi dwarfed by sky scrapers and dual level buildings.
My best friend Adrian got out of the shotgun seat. For a moment we stood side by side. Taking in the view of South City at night. Adrian came over to me. “We made it Ed.”
I smiled.“If folks back home could see us now.”
We were small town boys from the nearby town of New strawberry Fields. We’d only been going to Aspire University in South City for about a week. So much about city life was still strange and new to us. The skyscrapers and night life. The sounds of city traffic. The number of cars and people. Not to mention the hustle and bustle of city life.
We’d each come to Aspire seeking something. Besides the education we’d been promised. Adrian had come looking for an opportunity to grow his dad’s carpentry business. He was set to make partner by the time we graduated from Aspire. I’d come looking for a fresh start. A chance make something of myself. Besides being known as a pro level dancer. Back home I was known for my three years as a dance Troupe soloist. I’d even had fans in South City.
I’d also come outrun my past. Something that I hoped no one in South City knew about. The Trope had harbored a small crime ring. Made up of all the kids in my squad. I’d had to join up after getting into Troupe as a freshman. First year I was a lieutenant. Then I’d called the shots after getting my first solo. Been the Kingpin for three years straight.
Out of the two of us I’d cleaned up the most. My dark hair was sleeked back. I’d gone for black dress slacks paired with a blue button down shirt and tie. Even finished the look with my letter jacket and a pair of dance shoes.
Adrian’s look was almost too casual. He hadn’t bothered to fix his hair. Let the blond waves that sometimes fell into his eyes stay like that. Adrian had stuck with a normal T shirt, jeans and loafers. I doubted he’d even changed his shirt.
I heard the third door close followed be my roommate Mitch McKay saying, “Go on ahead Adrian. I want to talk to Ed about something.”
If any of us looked dressed to impress it was Mitch. He’d gone for a full black suit. Complete with a matching vest. He’d even finished the look with a pinstriped fedora. I’d stifled a laugh when I’d seen him in that earlier.
Adrian rolled his eyes. “Sure. If you say so.”
The night out had started as a planned event for new students. Thanks to Mitch our group of friends had turned it into almost a group date. I’d even gone so far as to ask Catherine to be my date. Adrian and Sara were the only unofficial pairing in our group.
Adrian hadn’t been himself the last few weeks. I knew the reason too well. Adrian was heart broken over Bethany Harris. She’d been my partner as well as partner in crime. Not to mention Adrian’s sweet heart. Adrian had wanted her to stay close to home. Instead of going to NYC to train as a pro dancer. Even though we’d both known New York was her dream.
Adrian headed over to the side of the building. Close enough to see what was going on. While still giving us some privacy.
I didn’t know what Mitch wanted to talk about ; Part of me didn’t want to know. He’d convinced me to wear my old Troupe jacket; Which had doubled as the colors for my old crew. I’d used a slight gangster persona for performances. Catherine had been a fan. She’d known me as ‘King’ for years before meeting me.
I looked at Mitch. “What’s this about?” I hoped he wouldn’t try convincing me to slide again. To go for the persona I’d become known for. Or worse. Revert back to my old ways.
He glanced over his shoulder. As if he was scared of being watched. Or overheard. “Not out in the open. This way,”
Mitch lead me around the back of the building into an ally way. There was a service entrance. Along with a dumpster. I could tell what was coming. What he hadn’t wanted Adrian to over hear. It could only be one thing. Mitch folded his arms. “Why don’t you at least try going for it?”
There it was. Mitch had been pressuring me all night. First to even wear my old jacket. Then to go for the persona, or worse revert to my old ways. I’d tried to fight but in the end he’d won the jacket round. I wasn’t about to let him win a second round. Not when I had three good reasons to behave myself.
The first was how Adrian would react. If I dared to go for the persona. He’d hated the persona almost as much as my old crew. Because it’d caused tension between him, Bethany, and me.
The second was that Aspire wouldn’t be the only school at the Club. Our rival Hilltop College would be there too. I’d already been warned not to start anything. Mitch was on the Aspire football team and had a friend on the Hilltop team. He didn’t want our group to get caught up in the rivalry more than we needed to be.
The final reason was personal. Catherine wasn't just my date for the night at the club; She was also the daughter of a city cop. Catherine couldn’t know that my persona hadn’t just been an act. She would have left me if she knew. Thanks to the conflict of interests. Between my old life and her father’s career.
It’d take a lot to convince me to slide. After months of staying clean. Given my reasons for going straight.
Mitch hadn't known about my rap sheet. The number of petty crimes I could be arrested for . Or the number of close calls I'd had. The least I could do was humor him. Give him a chance to make his case. “Give me one good reason and I’ll consider it.”
Mitch smirked. As if he knew something I didn’t. Or hadn’t realized I could use. “You know Catherine’s an actress. Plus, she’s a model.”
I didn’t know what he was implying. Catherine’s ambitions were another reason to keep my head down. A small town Kingpin or ex Kingpin was no good for an aspiring actress and model. “What does that mean?”
Mitch smiled at me. “She’s as much his type as yours. I don’t know why you’re holding yourself back.”
Mitch’s first point wasn’t enough to convince me. I knew better than to giver in that easy. When Catherine was just one reason to stay out of trouble.
He had a romanticized view of the life. Didn’t know the true danger. Or how Troupe and ‘ King ’ had almost cost me my friendship with Adrian. Because of people shipping me and Bethany together.
“Adrian hates King. Always has. Because of Bethany.”
Mitch came closer to me. “So? The persona seemed harmless enough.”
Mitch didn’t know how hard things had been. There had been gate keepers in the crew. Who hadn’t liked Adrian being a non Troupe dancer. Bethany and I had been treated as rebels by them for even staying friends with him. She’d gotten it worse when they’d gotten together.
I backed up wanting to keep a bit of distance. Between myself and my boarder line bad influence roommate. “You said no trouble. If I go for the persona it’ll attract attention.”
Mitch had a friend who went to Hilltop College. Aspire’s fiercest rival. Both schools would be at the club that night. Didn’t want any fight breaking out. Or animosity between the schools.
Mitch closed the distance again. I couldn’t dodge him. He was at least twice my size. “Attention isn’t the same as trouble. At least try.”
He still wasn’t giving up. Not even when I’d used his own words. To try winning the argument.
There was still one thing to try. Something I hoped wouldn’t ruin my friendship with Mitch. Something the rest of all knew but Mitch, Amanda and Sara didn't.
I'd had a close call with the SCPD a few months earlier. When rival mobsters had pulled a furniture store heist and tried to pin it on Bethany, Adrian and me. The cop on that case was Catherine's father Detective Henry Williams. Detective Williams had scared me straight.
I look right at Mitch.“Remember the trouble in the spring? The Detective on that case was Catherine’s father.”
The reminder about Detective Williams would’ve been enough to make Adrian back down. Mitch wasn’t giving up. “You’ve changed since then.”
It’d been a good thing that the crew had stuck to our town. Instead of trying to gain a foothold in South City. If we’d gone that far Detective Williams would have known my persona was based on life. Instead of just suspecting it was and warning Catherine about me.
Catherine had been rebellious enough to be a fan. She’d even tried to keep a show poster in her bedroom. Until her father confiscated it.
I didn’t want her knowing my past. The truth about what really inspired ‘King’. Not to mention what it stood for. “I want to leave that behind me.”
Mitch had a romanticized view of my past. He’d only known what books and movies showed of the life. Hadn’t really lived it. Or known anyone before me who had.
“Live a little, Just one more time.”
I didn’t want to disillusion him. Or let the truth about the character ruin our friendship. Besides I’d set myself up for this by letting him talk me into the jacket. There was something else too. A bit of a fantasy I’d had ever since I meet Catherine. Of how she’d react if she ever meet the King.
We were going to a swing dance after all. The style 'He' was known for. I had the chance at a new crew with him and Adrian. Not to mention Catherine was the ideal girl for Him. There wasn’t any harm of channeling the character outside of the club. Especially if it was just us. Or a moment with the boys and then us. “I could go for the persona. Not treat it as a job. More of a night out.”
Mitch clapped me on the back.“Now we’re talking Boss.”
I stifled a laugh. Mitch was really going for it. Calling me Boss as if we were on a job. Instead of having a night out. “Don’t call me that unless it’s a job McKay. You’re not even an official member yet.”
Mitch put his arm around my shoulders. Steering me back towards the club. “You got a deal.”
I hadn’t even tried to date in High School. Most of the girls I’d been friends with had been fellow Troupe members. Besides that everyone had expected Bethany and I to end up together. I’d known better than to even try going for anything with her. Because of Adrian. I hadn’t wanted any more trouble with him. Things had been bad enough with us being Troupe partners.
There had been another reason. Why I’d never given any of the girls back home a chance. Even broken a few hearts. It’d been dangerous. For a crew member to court. Other than sweethearts in the crew. Anyone who’d gotten involved with us had become a target. For any number of enemies. Including the local mob. The crew’s arch rival.
A regular crew member romance had been dangerous. I would have been worse as the Kingpin. Any girl with me would’ve had a death sentence. A price on her head.
In South City I’d thought I was safe. Hadn’t made any enemies yet. Almost no one knew my past. The ones that did I trusted. For the first time I felt free. Free enough to risk courting.
I still knew how to treat a girl. Dad had taught me right. To try to be a gentleman. To always be respectful. I’d seen the way he was with mom. So had my sister Sammy. We’d heard stories about their courtship growing up. He’d always treated mom right. The way a lady should be treated. Sammy knew how she should be treated. Thanks to how dad was at home. Or when we went out as a family.
That night could possibly be the start of something. If I treated Catherine right. Though, she’d be Miss Williams to the King. He didn’t know her as well as I did. Miss Catherine was used to city boys. Adrian and I were some of the first small town boys she’d known. I hoped to show her how a small town gentleman was supposed to treat a lady.
