Part One

Summer of '87, pretty great one if I recall correctly, which I do of course. It was my 7th b-day, June 18th, and I was jacked. I'm chilling up outside on the front stoop working on my tan, giving the entire hood a good view. A young stud flaunting his new look, just getting the 6 pack in around this time. I was also on the lookout for my cousin Chris to arrive. His mom was dropping him off this afternoon. Chris was a badass and he fucked all kinds of shit up. The neighbors hated it when he came over. We hadnt seen each other for a while because he got expelled from school a year back. He was outside at recess practicing karate moves by himself. Chopping and kicking with a striking enthusiasm. When some all star decided to make fun of him for it. Chris waited till he got back to class to get even. He could not stand for this put down. It was time to get even or die trying. Death before dishonor is what says. He went straight to his desk and pulled out three black ink pens, placed them between his fingers caps off and he ran up to the kid and punched him in the neck, The chump started to bleed a lot and the teacher went nuts. Chris had to go.

I was pretty disappointed because hanging with my cousin was so sick. He had all the drugs and all the ladies. After he got kicked out of school his mom took him to some doctor. I even had to answer questions about Chris He asked me why i think the other kids don't like him i just said it's probably because he likes killing animals so much. I told him how I would always follow Chris to the animal shelter and watch him chase cats with knives. Shit was hilarious and they'd always throw him out. It was a riot watching him chase after them. God forbid he ever caught one.

When Chris finally arrived on my 7th b-day I remember him running out of his moms car and saying we have to do something immediately. I asked him what was going on but he did'nt answer, he just said, "follow me." With Chris being 4 years older than me, I automatically followed his orders. We walked up the stairs to my bedroom and shut the door. He turned around and excitedly said, "we need to become blood brothers!"

"Whats that?!" I replied, with an enthusiastic yet nervous look on my face.

He explained he saw it in a movie, "two guys cut their palms and shake hands to share blood, then they become blood brothers!'

“oh sweet!” I replied sheepishly.

Chris immediately takes out his 4 and a ½ inch stainless steel Remington pocket knife and brings his hand eye level. He looks at me as he begins to cut a line diagonally across the palm of his hand, seething in pain he motions for me to come forward. A little nervous I walk up to him and he quickly grabs me by the arm and holds my hand steady. The pressure of his grip cuts off the bloodflow to my hand and I look away while Chris digs the blade into my skin. I let out a cry of pain and jerk free leaving only a small 1 inch cut below my index finger.

With ample blood flowing down my hand I convince him its good enough and we hold a firm handshake for the next few minutes. He kept saying the blood has to mix for this to really work; but after a while I wasn’t feeling any different and told him to stop. Chris palms were drenched and he let in a deep breath as he slowly drew two lines of blood underneath both eyes. Standing in silence we stare at each other for a moment and I see a look of pure euphoria on his face. Suddenly his stare drops and he sprints out of the room and down the stairs. I look out of the window in my room and see Chris in a dead sprint across the backyard, heading into the woods.

Ever since then we’ve been blood brothers for life son. Whenever one of us needs anything, we’re always there for each other. Now its much later, I haven’t seen Chris for about 3 years and just heard he was recently fired from some security cop job. He hasn’t told anyone why, but all he told me was he’d be getting in sometime tomorrow afternoon and we’d be going out that night…

Part 2 will be up later.