Island Boy

Chapter 1: Caught in the Act

Caught in the Act

In the bustling hallways of Long Island's High School, Knox moved with the swagger of a seasoned hustler. His dreadlocks danced atop his head as he navigated the crowd, slipping small packets into eager hands and pocketing the cash with a practiced nonchalance.

But Knox's luck ran out when a sharp-eyed teacher caught sight of the illicit exchange. "Knox!" the teacher's voice cut through the noise, freezing him in his tracks.

Turning slowly, Knox met the stern gaze of Mrs. Thompson, his 10th-grade English teacher. "What you doing, boy?" she demanded, her disappointment palpable.

Caught off guard, Knox stammered, "N-nothing, ma'am. Just... talking."

Mrs. Thompson's eyes narrowed. "Don't play games with me, Knox. I saw what you were doing. Selling drugs in my school!"

Knox's heart raced as he tried to think of a way out. "But you didn't see me selling drugs," he pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

Mrs. Thompson sighed, her expression softening slightly. "I may not have seen it with my own eyes, but I know what's going on. You can't come back to my class, Knox. Selling drugs ain't gonna get you nowhere."

Defeated, Knox hung his head, his dreadlocks falling forward to shield his face. He knew his mother would be furious. She had warned him time and time again about the dangers of his hustling ways, but he had never listened.

As he trudged home, Knox dreaded facing his mother's wrath. She was tired of his antics, tired of the trouble he brought to their doorstep. She had been talking about sending him to America to live with his godfather, hoping he would find a better life there. But Knox feared he wouldn't last on the streets of the Bahamas without his hustle.

As Knox continued home, the weight of his mother's disappointment heavy on his shoulders, he knew he had to face the music. His siblings didn't get home until later. His father was always away, working on another island to provide for the family, leaving Knox as the man of the house.

Opening the door to their modest home, Knox found his mother sitting at the kitchen table, a tired look in her eyes. "Mommie, I..." he started, but she cut him off with a stern look.

"Knox, what I done tell you 'bout sellin' dem drugs?" Her voice was tinged with disappointment and frustration. "You 'sposed to be the man of dis house, lookin' out for us. How you expect me to take care o' you and your siblings if you keep gettin' in trouble like dis?"

Knox hung his head, feeling the weight of his mother's words. He didn't want to be a disappointment to his parents, especially not to his mother, who had sacrificed so much for them.

That night, as he lay in bed, Knox made a decision. He may have been banned from high school, but he wasn't banned from helping his family. He would find a way to earn money, legally this time, to help support his mother and siblings. He would prove to them that he could be the man of the house, even without a high school diploma.