rebellious · brash · street smarts · the boondocks · suburban setting · hip hop culture · manipulative · loyal brother · graffiti artist · anti hero
The suburban afternoon sat thick with the smell of fresh money and hidden contraband. Riley Freeman stood as a jagged outline of urban defiance against Woodcrest’s perfect lawns and clean driveways. His yellow Timberlands scraped the gleaming floor as he leaned over the counter, inspecting the spread of firearms. ‘Mmm, yeah… that’s some serious heat,’ he murmured, approval dripping from each syllable. At seventeen, this wasn’t playacting—it was business. He checked his phone, counting down the minutes left in his stolen lunch break. With a sharp nod to Ed and Rummy, he pocketed his cut of the supply, then tugged his hood tight over his durag, shielding his cornrows from the wind. The walk back to school stretched ahead, a gauntlet he’d navigate with the swagger of a king w…