Supervillain

Brothers

Photo by Jordon Kaplan on Unsplash

On Fridays Auntie Cool got us pizza when Liz was working. 

I never knew Auntie Cool’s real name, and I don’t remember why our mom’s pimp boyfriend Vic got us calling her Liz instead of mom, but I ain’t never gonna forget Friday pizza.

Auntie Cool always had a coupon for a small, and that’s what we got, and it just wasn’t never enough.

There was a story time at the Baldwin Library, and Liz dropped us off there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, me and Charlie. Charlie was four years younger and black, but we were about as brotherly as brothers get, both good and bad.

Liz didn’t really care if we read or nothin’, I don’t think, but it was like free babysitting.

Me, man my imagination got all fired up.

You know how there’s a dark side of The Force?

That was me, man, my imagination got all riled up by those library stories, and just went to the dark side.

I started making up my own stories, but presenting them as real. Got a free haircut because my dad got hit by a car, barber said hop in the chair son, and gave me the best style I ever had.

Vanika Erwin said I looked fine, and nothing will ever top that.

Navy Norm was that barber’s name. I never went back to him though because I was afraid he was gonna find out