The Beginning

Growing up in Philadelphia Pa wasn’t easy. Especially without a father. on 58th and Baltimore is where it all started for a teenager named Brianna. She was the only child by her mother. Her father had multiple children by another woman that she never had the chance to meet. She was tall, dark and extremely slim. She had the smoothest skin. When the sun hit her skin it seemed to shine. Her hair was bright red and curly. Her mother worked two jobs and her father was addicted to crack cocaine. All she knew was that his name was Brian. She saw pictures of him but would not know him if she saw him in person. She lived next door to her favorite cousin Keisha. Who was more like a sister than a cousin. Keisha was a short brown skin Cherokee Indian with long black hair. She lived at home with her mother and father. Keisha had to watch Brianna from time to time. As Brianna grew older she had a crush on a boy named Dennis from the neighborhood. He was what they called a corner boy. He sold drugs and always got caught up in some type of trouble. He even carried a gun. Brianna was sixteen and he was seventeen when they finally decided to date. He would come to her house during the night to see her. She was still a virgin so he had sex with other girls in the neighborhood secretly. One winter day he was hugged up at the corner store across the street from Brainna’s house with a girl who soon became his child’s mother while Brianna was at school. Keisha was walking home from work and she saw Dennis and a girl named Tamar the neighbor hoe kissing. Keisha told him she was definitely telling Brianna. Dennis begged her not to tell Brianna but Keisha kept her word telling her cousin everything. Brianna was livid, bursting out in tears. She was so upset she couldn’t wait for Dennis to come over later on that night. Like clockwork there was a tap on the window. Dennis tapped on the window as a code that way Brianna would always know it was him. Since her mother worked two jobs he would come over for hours. She took a deep breath, opening the door slowly. As he stepped into the house she began asking him why he was there. Go find Tamar, she cried. He said why are you upset, he didn’t understand the issue. He looked at her saying thats what happens when sex is not involved. He told her she could not hold him accountable for something she won’t do because he has needs. She began to cry even more. He said if sorry is what you want to hear I'm not going to say it. He convinced her that it was all her fault. He then grabbed her by the hand pulling her close, hugging her so tight. That night as time went by they made up. Their relationship went on for another six to twelve months until she realized Dennis would never change. They both went on with their lives. Brianna didn’t see Dennis around the neighborhood anymore and she didn’t look for him. At seventeen she fell head over heels in love with a guy named Sisco. He was half mexican. Tall, dark and handsome. She was walking down the street in Frankford PA when she heard a voice say hey shorty do you have a boyfriend. If not can I be? She turned around to find a fine chocolate man with a body full of muscle. His hair was jet black and wavy. How old are you? she asked. He said nineteen can I have your number. She smiled and wrote down her number. He reached out for her hand walking her to the train station. A few days later he called her and they talked. Eventually they would meet up on Broad and Olney. Not long after meeting they became a couple. She later found out he sold drugs, guns and other things. She had a thing for bad boys. She kept his secrets and they grew closer and closer. She later found out he was only fourteen. She couldn’t believe it because he looked a lot older. She would go to his house almost every day. But just like Dennis he cheated on her often. He hid it as much as he could but she knew, it cut her so deep. They stayed together for a year and a half until she had enough of the street lifestyle. She wanted a guy who wanted to go to college and build a future. No matter how far she tried to go, her heart was still with Sisco. As time went on they developed an off and on friendship for many years. Brianna loved him but was too afraid of losing him in a shoot out or to the jail system so she left the relationship over and over. Each time she left the relationship she would find her way back into his arms.