Chapter 61

"My uncle was the only responsible person in her life. Unfortunately, he didn't have the money or the means to raise me himself, so It wasn't uncommon for him to come over to see me and find her completely doped up beyond comprehension as I wandered around the house, crying for some various reason. By the time I turned six, I was completely independent when it came to caring for myself. There were a lot of times I had to steal little things here and there from the run-down grocery store a block from where I lived, otherwise I would starve. When I turned eight and entered the second grade, I met my best friend Tanner. He was the brother I never had. Our home lives were about the same, so from that day on we had an unspoken agreement that he looked out for me and I looked out for him. End of story. "We struggled to stay alive in the shitty fucking area we lived in. There were gang fights almost every night, drug deals gone wrong, people who didn't pay their dues. Violence wa