Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next day, Block drove to Mario’s school with his jaw muscles clenched so tight, his teeth were beginning to ache.
He was a bad ass kid his damn self, and he still didn’t get into as much trouble as Mario did.
If he had his mother running to pick him up from school every other week, Tech would have put his foot so far in Block’s ass, it wouldn’t even have been funny.
Tech didn’t like unnecessary people in his business.
If Block was gon’ act an ass it had better be in the streets and not at school. Mario hadn’t gotten that memo.
His mother had just started a new job and couldn’t leave work because she was in training and attendance was mandatory.
Mario had been found in the bathroom smoking a joint, and he was being suspended for ten days.
It was his third time being suspended this school year.
Block knew that Mario smoked weed. He also knew he couldn’t stop him from doing so, but he assumed Mario was smart enough not to do the shit at school.
Block, Brazil, nor Lethal had ever whooped Mario.
His mother beat him plenty, but she was a woman.
It probably didn’t hit the same. Mario was a little too old to be spanked, but Block was contemplating putting his hands on the teen.
He wanted to be grown so bad, Block was going to give him a grown man ass whopping since talking to him didn’t seem to be doing the job.
When he arrived at the school, Block ignored the looks of disdain that the older receptionist tossed his way.
She saw a young man wearing nice clothes and jewelry and more than likely assumed he was the reason that Mario acted out.
There was no way a man like him could have been making sure that Mario had home training.
He wasn’t even going to feed into the stereotype and ask her what the fuck she was looking at.
“I’m here to pick up Mario Thornton,” he stated in a gruff tone and signed the log on the counter.
“Um.”
Block’s eyes darted over to her face so fast, that she looked away immediately.
Even as she typed on the computer, she could feel Block’s heated glare on her.
He stared at her for a good fifteen seconds until the door behind her opened, and Mario stalked out of the principal’s office.
The black man wasn’t as judgmental as his receptionist, and he tipped his head at Block.
He’d seen the man show up for Mario on many occasions and knew that Block tried to talk sense into his brother.
Block nodded back before tossing a frosty glare in his brother’s direction.
Mario was smart enough to avoid eye contact with Block.
There was an awkward silence all the way to the car.
When they got inside, the silence continued.
Block didn’t even have anything to say. He was so tired of lecturing Mario that he literally had no more words for his brother.
His mother, father, and brothers had gone above and beyond to try and make sure he didn’t go down the wrong path.
Mario was simply determined to learn shit the hard way, so Block was going to let him fall on his face. Or his ass. Whichever came first.
Once they’d been riding for ten minutes, Mario glanced over at his brother.
The longer Block remained quiet, the more afraid he became.
He knew from experience that Block was often the calmest when he was the angriest. His throat felt as if it was closing up, and all the saliva in his mouth dried up.
“I was just going to hit it a few times and put it out. I had to take a test, and it had me jittery and shit. I just wanted to relax a little bit. That’s all. I had already put it out and was walking out of the bathroom when a teacher walked in. I think one of the punk ass students snitched on me.”
Block’s eyes remained on the road in front of him.
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell his brother if he had anxiety, he needed to handle it another way besides smoking weed.
Regardless of the reason, smoking in the school bathroom was dumb as hell.
He allowed himself to get addicted to weed at a young age simply from doing what he’d seen so many others around him do including his father.
Now, he’d slowed down on smoking, but between syrup and pills, he seemed to have a new vice of choice.
With each purchase, Block kept telling himself that it was his last time.
He even copped pills from someone else other than Ja’Don because he didn’t want his friend thinking he had a problem.
Shit was getting out of hand. He knew from experience, but Mario was determined to learn these things the hard way.
It was all a waste of time, so he didn’t say anything.
“Block, you not gon’ say nothing?” the silence had him shook. At that point, Mario wanted Block to yell at him.
“Fuck you want me to say?” Block spat. “Huh?” he finally looked at his brother.
“There’s not too much I can say to you in this car right now, that I haven’t already said to you at least ten times before.
I’ve lectured you so much, that I have the speeches memorized.
They still don’t do any good. So, please tell me why, I’m supposed to keep wasting my breath talking to you? You have parents for that. I’m done.”
Hearing Block declare that he was done made Mario’s heart sink.
His brothers were his father figures and even though he wanted to be cool just like them, he had a problem with authority.
He didn’t want to be treated like the child that he was.
The things his father and Block were doing at his age would put his antics to shame.
He wasn’t even the worst of the worst in his opinion.
He wanted Block to put him on. He wanted to be taught the game, but Block had different plans.
Brazil and Lethal were cool too, but Mario didn’t play sports.
He didn’t rap. He didn’t have any real talent.
The only way he’d be rich was to sell drugs or get a good paying job, and he had no clue what that would be.
Mario hated high school, so college for sure wasn’t an option.
He couldn’t even think of anything that he wanted to do for a trade.
Mario didn’t want to work on HVAC units.
He didn’t want to be a plumber or a welder.
Mario wanted lots of money, but he didn’t want to have to work hard for it.
His brothers spoiled him. Mario had enough clothes, shoes, and electronics to open his own store.
In his young na?ve eyes, the money they got came easy.
He didn’t know the perils of the drug game or the intense discipline and dedication that came with being an athlete.
The money the brothers made was far from easy.
Mario didn’t seem to get the memo on that one either.
Being square and smart didn’t get a person noticed.
As a younger child, Mario had always been popular because he had a pretty fly mom that dressed him well.
As he got older, he became popular because of his bad boy ways and who his older brothers were.
Mario thrived off the attention. Each time he was chastised, he took it with a grain of salt.
Ironically, the one time Block chose to say much of nothing was the time he felt it the most.
When they arrived at Mario’s house, he opened the car door with a heavy spirit. Block was pissed and when his mom got home, she was going to more than likely yell and curse him out for at least thirty minutes. Mario definitely needed to be high for that shit.
“I’ll be here to get you Friday morning at nine.” Block’s tone was flat, and he didn’t look at Mario as he spoke to him.
“For what?”
“I’m taking you to visit your father.”
Mario resisted the urge to sigh. Just fucking great.
Four hours later, Block sipped from the double stacked Styrofoam cups in his hand.
He sat down on the couch inside the Airbnb that Ebony and her cousin were staying in.
They came to North Carolina to see the Diamond Cove Cougars play.
Block went to NBA games often and from experience, he knew some of the baddest chicks went to games, and he doubted it was for the love of basketball.
Ebony was going to be in town for three days, and she wanted to link with Block.
He had sex with her three times in Miami, and he hadn’t talked to her much since arriving back home.
Ebony was cool though, and he could deal with her for three days. That wasn’t an issue.
“Oh you got some drank,” she sat down beside him. “Pour me a line.”
Ebony wasn’t as plain in NC as she’d been in Miami, but most chicks did turn it up a notch when they went out of town.
She had extra long weave in her hair, and her nails were done.
Her and her cousin went to brunch earlier, and she had makeup on.
With all the extra shit, she was a little cuter than she was when he met her, but she was nice looking either way.
Without speaking, Block stood up to get his bottle from the car.
When Ebony’s cousin saw her being poured some syrup, she wanted some too.
Ebony had asked him if they could all go out one night and if he’d bring someone for her cousin.
Block knew she wanted to hook a big fish.
He didn’t ask Brazil because he was in the middle of the season and didn’t hang out like that.
Lethal had started training, so he didn’t do alcohol and clubs like that either.
Block planned to turn the cousin on to his homie, Ja’Don.
He had paper, and he got plenty of women.
Whether him and ole girl would hit it off didn’t have a thing to do with Block. He didn’t care either way.