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"What does thatcompares to the beauty of stars"

As I watched him, closer, I just couldn’t work out how so He was so talented in football, but this side of him, this sensitive, almost poetic part of his personality, was divine

"Austin?"

"Mhters?" The soothing touch of his finger on my hand stopped and the hardover, I putto understand you"

Blowing a pent up breath through his lips, he rolled on his side to face ht up, not many kids do well, Pix Most of thes, hustle for cash Luckily ere different We had Ma down that path" Austin squeezed his eyes shut and I kneas because he was picturing his sick momma I stretched ers around his

Austin’s eyes fluttered open and he sucked on his lip He released his lip, the flesh now glistening etness and I couldn’t take my eyes from his hters He loved it, but I was different, so is hter in his, he continued "But then ed We needed an to hustle for whatever amount of cash I couldfor the Tide?"

"I was good at football and Coach recruited me"

"That’s not what I meant--" I tried to say, and Austin cut me off

"I know You want to knoas able to leave the crew"

"Yes"

Austin’s jaw clenched and his eyes closed, like he was reliving a otwell on the streets and the leader of the crew, Gio, was iot more money for Mamma, but bad because it o I’d just finished a deal with a group of junkies and returned back to the trailer park, when Gio called s about you, Carillo," he’d said toto the door of the trailer, praying Axel would hurry home to help me Gio terrified h school So football star That true?" I knew he couldn’t have known about the scholarship At that point only my family did And I definitely didn’t count Gio as onna keep shut about that too?" I knew right then that he’d been doing soo Gio ht up in my face "You think you can just up and leave your brothers? Think you can just leave this life behind?" He began to laugh at ht in my face "This ain’t hoorks, hohter for life" I honestly thought he was going to killoff every word he said

"Gio pushed on ainst the trailer wall "You listenin’, you little punk? You think you’re better than me because you can run fast?" He was so fkin’ o But then I heard, "Gio, man, leave him the fk alone!" Gio froze in ain It was Axel’s voice and Gio was suddenly wrenched away froer, ht--it’s why Gio keeps Axe so close My brother’s one ot a fkin’ football scholarship for the Tide and you didn’t say shit ’bout it?" Gio shouted at Axe Axe looked over at me, and my eyes dropped to the floor I wanted that scholarship bad and he knew it My mamma wanted that scholarship bad He knew that too But I had no idea how I could ever take it Gio was right In this life--the shit life I got handed--what you wanted neveryour crew brothers’ backs was the only code of honor in a place that held no fkin’ pride"

"Austin…" I whispered, not knohat to say I couldn’t believe this was his life That he had to go through all of this to go to school To follow his dreams