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[i]“you’re a kingmaker…” - Trey Marcus[/i]
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Somewhat blind sided by Joanne’s hug, DeShawn nontheless reciprocated; wrapping his huge arms around her and pulling her in tight. He very much considered Jo to be a positive presence in his life. She was a kind hearted girl with a lot of baggage but he didn’t mind, Dee had developed a reputation for being able to carry other people's problems on his broad shoulders and Jo was no different. However on the flip side, she was a confidant of his; whenever he was struggling and needed someone to talk to, Joanne was his first port of call, usually down at the shitty ball park falling apart near her house where they would shoot hoops, shoot the shit and sometimes shoot a ball at a passing Liberty kid car which may or may not now be parking in a school as they spoke.

It was somewhat nice to have a platonic girl friend for Dee. That’s not to say he didn’t find Jo attractive, girl was fine. Especially after a few games and she got her swear on and whatnot but it wasn’t like that for them. It was a deep respect they held for one another and on that rare occasion he would not be in training, Dee would find himself at some random hole in the wall, listening to Rico try and chat up a waitress, all the while trying to support Jo at the open mic she was playing at. It was a weird old fucking world.

As they separated, the two were joined by the one and only, JayVaugn Spencer.

[color=97ADBB][i]”Who do I gotta flirt with to get the chance to ride shotgun in one of those, let alone drive it around?"”[/i][/color]

[color=CB8DEB]”Likely anyone wearing Gucci or Prada my dude”[/color] 

DeShawn responded to his fellow Rosefell Knight. JayVaughn was a good kid and he was one hell of a Wide Receiver. The hands on this guy in the clutch when it’s fourth quarter and the clock is winding down; ain’t no better feeling underneath those bright Friday lights than watching Jayvo catch a touchdown...besides Dee sacking some poor QB1 or the soft sweet touches of one Melissa Elliott in her little cheerleader uniform. Regardless there was a brotherhood amongst the team and JJ was an integral part of that dynamic. Like most others, he pissed the big Linebacker off to no end but that was part of his charm. Unlike Hunter and Spike, Jay was being annoying because he was trying to understand D, he was trying to get past the Walls...wall? And get into his heart. Hunter and Spike were just annoying for annoying sake and the amount of times that DeShawn had pulled all three of them out of harm's way in the short time he had been in Columbus was ridiculous.

Without provocation, Dee suddenly felt a strong grip on his shoulder and force like non other he had felt bringing him down to almost a knee; it was Jo.

[color=52AED0]"Anyway! My best friend, who I met online, goes to Liberty and this is the first time I'm meeting her. I love this girl to death... So...if any of you even try to sleep with her, you'll know what's coming”[/color]

Immediately, his mind conjured up thoughts of castration, of being hung, drawn and quartered and then his insides being used for guitar string and his teeth as picks for said strings. The mere thought of losing his manhood caused the sensation of physical pain to run throughout his body. Shaking off the feeling of imminent death, number 44 of the Rosefell Knights followed the small blonde and his fellow football player deeper into the the parking lot and after a few false alarms it seemed like Jo found the girl she called her best friend; Sam.

[color=DCD0FF]"Are these your friends, Joanne? Hi, I'm Samantha! It's great to meet you guys!"[/color]

DeShawn offered out his hand to hers and shook it as gently as possible but still firm. His palm alone engulfed her tiny fingers. [color=CB8DEB]”DeShawn; it’s good to meet you Sam”[/color] He could see why Joanne was afraid; shawty was fine but a promise was a promise so Dee wouldn’t put any work in, at least not for a while. Jayvo on the other hand, brother was a hound who loved to jump more than his master's leg. For Christmas he was going to buy that boy a sign that said “BEWARE OF DOG”. Catching sight of a certain Queen of Thorns down the other end of the parking lot, Dee took his leave. [color=CB8DEB]”Imma love you and leave you, fam. I’ll catch you in a bit”[/color]

Making his way to the other side of the lot, 44 parked himself beneath the shade of a great big tree. Dee watched the blonde bombshell he knew as Queen as she laid down the law and asserted her dominance over her brand new Liberty subjects. Damn, he forgot how good homegirl looked in her cheerleading outfit, then again Melissa looked good in everything...and especially out of everything. Was theirs a romance for the ages? Probably not. Yet it worked for them as it was. He, a potential ticket to the big time she always dreamed of. Her, a warm and limber body for him to work out his stress and anxiety. There is a spark of something more; DeShawn felt it but his family didn’t take to Missy all that well; not that he cared. He was his own damn self and if he wanted to propose to this girl he would, ain’t no thing stopping him from doing anything he pleased; the one great lesson he learned from the Soulman.

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[b]West Baltimore - Three Years Ago[/b]

“If I teach you anything boy imma teach you this, ain’t nobody gonna tell you what to do. Beyond the street, beyond the fucking game, you’re a kingmaker, Dee. And you gonna make your own self into a damn King, ya feel me young’un?”

Trey was high on his own supply, staring down from his throne at his young son DeShawn as he made a feeble attempt at doing his homework. [color=CB8DEB]”I feel you”[/color] The child responded, not looking up from his algebra papers.

“Such disrespect” Trey mumbled as he got up from his chair and made his way over to the fridge. “Can’t even look at your old man when he talking at you. Fucking…” Each passing word seemed more slurred than the one that came before. “I’m the Soulman and my son ain’t got no goddamn soul. He ain’t hard, you hear me boy you ain’t hard!” The venom continued as Dee refused to move his gaze to meet his father. “Ain’t built for the street, he soft. Doing his damn algebra when he should be out there grinding, out there slinging...you ain’t made for this Dee”

Unable to bite his tongue any longer, young DeShawn raised his head from his textbook and spouted bile right back at his snake of a father[color=CB8DEB]”Who’d want to be this if they could be anything else, dad?”[/color]

In that moment, the room fell deathly silent for what felt like an eternity. At least until the fridge door closed and Trey launched a six pack of beer at his teenage sons head, missing by mere inches. He darts cross the room, following the trail of the cans and threw himself over the table, grabbing Dee by the collar and pulling him to his feet. DeShawn struck out at his fathers face but he simply smiled and shrugged it off, a combination of adrenaline and drugs. “You shut your dirty mouth” He hissed. “You need to keep that damn thing closed or I swear on your beautiful mothers eyes I’m gonna rip your fucking tongue out. This here is us Dee, you and me. We ain’t need and we ain’t got nobody else. You’re my blood boy but that won’t stop me from throwing you off of a balcony in Franklin Terrace if you disrespect me again”

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He didn’t want to interrupt Melissa as she did her thing; so in the brief moment that their eyes met, DeShawn offered her a million dollar smile and a look in his eye that she knew all too well.[/center]