South Philly Castles First Chapter

First Chapter of South Philly Castles. The chapter follows a "Veteran" Pennsport Boy, who after a bad break up, is brought out by his friends to go to a kegger to cheer him up.

South Philly Castles, Chapter One.

For most of my high school life, I was a Pennsport Boy, Like my mother and older brother before me. The Pennsport Boys being the kids who represented the Pennsport neighborhood in South Philly. We hung out in old school yards, singing and laughing, joking around. We drank, we fought, we smoked. We were the kids that your mother warned not to hang around. I was the kid your mother would warn about by name.

However, my own mother seemed to encourage the life of being a Pennsport Boy. She was the Queen of Pennsport, and ruled independently without a king. Of course she grew up, eventually giving birth to me and my two brothers. My older brother of course became known as the Prince of Pennsport. Once his generation came and went, the Legacy was passed to me.

I proved myself a good “prince” I suppose, by proving myself of course I mean by out drinking my fellow Pennsport Boys. My generation sort of dropped the “Monarch of Pennsport” so I never truly held the same elite status as my mother and brother had. Still, some of the Pennsport Boys with deep family roots called me “The Prince.” However, Most people called me “The Cannon.”

Then there was the Philadelphia Mummers parade which took place every New Years Day. A day where we dressed in garish dresses, strutted and danced, waving umbrellas, and drank ourselves to our breaking point. It was a day I loved. Not just Pennsport Boys loved it, but all of South Philly.

For years, being a Pennsport Boy was all I knew. On weekdays, I went to school, and went home and slept. Then the weekends came and I would get whacked. The whole year was half waiting for New Years, the other half was missing New Years. That was my routine. It wasn’t healthy, admittedly, but I didn’t care, my friends didn’t care. I was caught up in the lifestyle I suppose.

That was my life for about half of high school. But things change, people fight, people get jumped, people get stabbed. Suddenly, representing the Pennsport Boys was a dangerous gamble. Representing the Pennsport Boys was a risk that I couldn’t take. I got scared, I admit it here. I was afraid for my life, and for the others I care about. So I got a girlfriend, and I “settled down.” And “retired.” At least, from the Pennsport Boy life style. 

For months, I stayed in, watching movies with my girlfriend. It was dull, but safe I suppose. It was a good time, and so that became my life for the beginning of my junior year in high school. However, like before, things change. People lose feelings, people cry, and people move on.

So today, I was being dragged out of my house and my depression, by my brother and my old friend, to go to a keg to just drink my worries away. I know not the best advice, I wouldn’t recommend it. To my brother though, it was the only thing he knew that would cheer me up, so they brought me along.

Before heading over to the keg, we decided to stop at Tony Luke's. Like I said,  I was here with my brother, Brian. Also our best friend since we were in elementary school, Shane. Shane and Brian brought along a friend who I didn’t really know too much, they introduced me to him as Tommy.

We were chilling and eating cheesesteaks and waiting around for the keg to get more started. It was about seven, and the keg did start at seven, but us four liked to be fashionably late as there weren't too many people who showed up too early.

I stood out front of the place, leaned up on a pole. I figured that I had enough time to smoke, so I reach into my pocket and take out my pack, flipping it open. A green lighter and about eleven Ports looked back at me, and one of them flipped upside down. I always did that to the first one I touched in the pack. I never really knew why I did, just did because Shane, and a bunch of my other friends did.

I put it in between my lips, take my lighter out, and cup my hands, shielding the flame and I light it, taking a long drag. I feel my self relax instantly, it’s been a while since I had a smoke. When I exhale, the smoke spins and billows as I blow it of, getting taken away in the wind.

“You know kid, those things aren’t good for ya.” I hear a voice from behind me. I turn around, and I see a man leaning out of the counter.

“I know, just a rough week.” I tell him.

He nods a bit. “Yeah, tell me about it.” He tells me. “It don’t ever get easier.”

I take a hit before answering. “I know.” I say.

“Anyway, here’s your steak kid.” He says, handing me the sandwich, wrapped in white paper and tinfoil.

“Thanks man.” I tell him, I walk back to the tables. Brian, Shane, and Tommy were all sitting at one. The place was lit with an orange hue. The walls lined with pictures of famous celebrities, Mummer’s memorabilia, and all kinds of Philly related stuff.

"They always take forever with my cheesesteaks man," I say to them as I sit, unwrapping my steak. "Like why do they take so long with mine and you got yours in like two seconds." They shrug.

"Maybe it's because you're not that boul like me," Says Tommy, he was a large kid, with long messy blonde hair, and a slight beard that was barely visible because of it's light color.  "Plus they know me, did you know Tony Luke is my uncle?"

"Bro you say that everyday yet I never seen that man, much less even with you or visiting your family," Says Shane, he was a skinny kid with light shaved brown hair, and with a voice that made it seemed like he was always high, or a Cali surfer, despite us living on the East Coast. "And I'm at your house everyday."

"Well that's because he don't like my mom or anyone in like my family." Tommy tells us

"Well what do you mean?"

"I don't know, my mom prob' did some drawlin' s**t," Tommy says. "I think she robbed him or something," Shane shakes his head.

"Typical George family bullshit." Shane says, we all laugh and Tommy punches him in the arm

"Stop playin' with me bro, we can step out in the street if you want to catch these hands." Tommy warns.

"Alright man chill, I was playin'." Shane tells him, Tommy was quick to anger and could never take a joke. His answer to everything was just to fight. 

"Who's throwing the keg?" Brian asks, breaking his silence. My brother was a mixed bag, he went from total silence to talking his mouth off. Going from awkward introvert to social extrovert.

"Some Pennsport Boy I guess." Says Shane

"I think it's Ian Baker" Tommy tells us.

"That's Tori's older brother." I add, they all nod.

"Shane's baby girl" Brian says grinning and rubbing his hands together, Shane gets defensive.

"Nah bro, that's not my girl, she's a Pennsport girl, my older brother would kill me if he found out I was dating her." Shane said, his brother was a Whitman Warrior, but I don't think he really hated Pennsport like the other Whitman Warriors.

“I think it’s not that big a deal.” I tell him. “Your brother was a Pennsport Boy.”

Shane shrugs. “Still, I mean, he just doesn’t want me getting in any s**t.”

“Also it wouldn’t be Ian, he’s too old to be throwing kegs at Castles.” Brian says, and we all agree, and Tommy just shrugs.

“I don’t know, all these Pennsport Boys are the same.” He says. "Why are we going to a Pennsport keg anyway?"

“It’s not a Pennsport keg, all of South Philly is gonna be here.” Shane tells him. “Don’t matter anyway.”

"I feel like we should head out now," I say after finishing my cheesesteak.

"Well yeah, we wanted to like ten minutes ago but your fat a*s was too much into that cheesesteak." Tommy tells me.

"Hey man, f**k you." I tell Tommy and we laugh.

"Yeah, take it easy on him Tommy, this nights for him, gotta get his mind off Gianna." Shane tells Tommy. My mood drops. My friends brought me out here tonight to cheer me up, but with Tommy and all of them bringing it back up, they weren't really doing a great job.

 

You see it all started just a mere three days ago.

The air was cold and crisp as I sat on the corner of Second and Porter Streets, it had a certain hollow and quiet feel to it. It was the kind of air that signaled the end of fall. We all expected a horrible winter, but the impending doom of freezing weather could not bring me down. For the last few weeks have filled me with an exuberance that I have never really felt in my life.

You see, since this Halloween I was blessed with having the miracle of winning over the heart of the girl of my dreams. It has been a sappy lovey dovey sort of honeymoon period right now, and as corny and unfamiliar as I am with relationships, it was something that I loved. 

Which love is a word I feel is thrown around too much, a word that’s taken advantage too much. However even though we haven’t been dating for long, I feel love is the perfect word for how I am feeling.

However perhaps I should elaborate on how I was able to win her. You see Gianna Gavone was actually one of my best friends, someone I have known since eighth grade, when she moved to Philly. It wasn’t until this summer where we started to show feelings for each other. After a long build up for a relationship, also pushed by our friends, I finally found the courage to ask her out on Halloween night. I should also add that she was dressed in like a Ninja Turtle costume, which has blessed me with the rare opportunity of being able to say “I kissed a Ninja Turtle once.” 

So yeah, It’s been quite great for me, because I finally have been able to find happiness, something I have long sought after, and to truly say that I am happy is something that feels great. Though I stopped going out with my other friends. I used to be a Pennsport Boy, and we would all party on weekends, getting into trouble. Now my weekends were spent with Gianna, out to eat or sitting inside, watching movies.

Today, I was on my way to go pick her up from therapy. Gianna has a few problems with her life, she was cursed with anxiety and depression. So she has had therapy for a while now. I’d like to say that us being together really helped her find happiness like I have, but mental illnesses are a b***h. I still am here for her however, and I plan on making her day just a little brighter. 

Which Is why today, after I pick her up, we are going to have an awesome day at South Street, going out to eat and going to our favorite spot. Which was the top of a parking lot that gave you the most beautiful view of the Philadelphia skyline.

The bus rolled up after about twenty minutes of sitting on the corner, I stood up to gather my bearings and walked up to the curb. The bus made a steamy, metallic, screeching halt in front of me. Well, not exactly in front of me, it kind of overshot its stop and I had to walk up the door. The doors folded open and I was greeted by your average SEPTA bus driver, a portly man in about his fifties. I put in my token, and stumbled to the back of the bus as he drove off. I sit down and start my ride down the streets of South Philly.

You see, to be completely honest, Philly was not the most pretty city. My ride was filled with looking at passing row homes made of concrete and bricks. The streets were littered by trash, oil stains, and the occasional bum crackhead walking down the block. Amidst all of this however, there was also a sort of urban beauty that I found in these streets. There were murals passing by, families playing outside, many bars and other little locales that all bring something to these streets that gives me a warm feeling of home.

I passed a few familiar places while my bus barreled down the streets. Just a block after where I got on was my New Years club: The JHJ Saints. You see every new years day in South Philly, there is a traditional folk festival called the Mummers Parade. It was a day filled with Colorful costumes, elaborate dancing and floats of glitter, drunks strutting through the streets, and so much more. It was an amazing display of talent all put together by neighborhood working class men. It was an annual tradition that we all head true and dear to our hearts. 

Next I passed by  a large brown ugly building that resembles something akin to a prison, it was my old elementary school. George Sharswood Elementary School, a public school where I spent most of my childhood at. It was here in eighth grade where I met the love of my life. 

A lot of my ride was filled with murals, which Philly seemed to have a lot of. They were large pieces of art that are painted with bright colors, or put together by broken glass and colorful tiles to make a beautiful mosaic wall. Some of these murals were dedicated to people, but most of them told a message of happiness and togetherness. These murals brought color and hope to these streets.

I passed by a little pizza place that I loved. They made the best cheesesteaks. You see cheesesteaks were a food that is native to Philly, and is probably why most middle aged men here were so obese. Something that most Philadelphians know is that the best cheesesteaks don’t come from the famous tourist traps like Geno’s, but rather the small corner stores.

Almost to my destination, the bus passes by the Mummers Museum. A bright, large orange building, that was topped by a little mosaic tower with a bright light that shone in the night, which while looked cool, it was probably annoying to the neighbors. Anyway all Mummers history was centered here, and it was also the starting point for the second part of the parade where we marched down Two Street.

Finally, while the bus crosses one of the larger streets, I see clearly in the distance the skyline of Philly. Large buildings, old and new, populate the skyline, and give a view that one cant beat. It’s a city that I love dearly. 

As I approach my stop, I pull the yellow string to let me off. The bus makes a screeching halt, almost having me fall over, and the doors fold open. I step off onto South Street. 

South Street is one of the most prettiest places in Philly, and also the weirdest. It’s a colorful street, with it’s elaborate and very diverse stores and houses. It’s a popular gathering place for hipsters and gays and many more kind of folk like that. There are food places, tattoo parlors, cloth stores, tech stores that sell old video games (my favorite) there are even a few sex stores. Weird.

I was sorta late to picking Gianna up on account of the usual lateness of the buses. So I texted her and had her just wait for me at a Starbucks near her therapist. 

Walking down the street there were the usual weird characters here. There was a few homeless people begging, each with their own unique weird sign, or a talent, like playing some weird instrument, (where did they get the money for those?) also some of the clothes people wear up here are beyond ridiculous. Leather and jeans seemed to be everyone’s favorite fabric. Large articulate piercings, awesome and weird tattoos, hair with vibrant frivolous colors. It was a freak show up here.

Anyway I spot the Starbucks up ahead and a spark of excitement hits me, I really couldn’t wait to see her. I also really love this Starbucks, it was one of those cool ones that had a second floor. I walk inside and I am greeted to the wonderful smell of coffee and pastries. Though the smell was good, I honestly was not too much of a fan of Starbucks, the coffee was not too great and I don’t like any of their fancy drinks, or even how to order them.

Anyway I scan around for Gianna but I don’t see her, so I assume she must be upstairs. I order a coffee anyway so I don’t just look like some freeloader walking in here, and head upstairs.

When I get up there, I instantly see Gianna and I feel my face light up.  She was sitting on a bench on her phone. She was stunning as always, with her short blonde hair, cute freckles, blue eyes covered by her glasses. She was wearing jeans, a t-shirt with a Batman logo, and black boots. Simple, yet beautiful.

I take the seat in front of her, she still hasn’t acknowledged me yet, so I snap my fingers to get her attention.

“Hello?” she looks up genuinely surprised, I laugh, “How did you not notice me, I think I’m too big to be unseen.” 

She takes out headphones, which confirms how she didn’t hear me I guess, “I’m sorry what was that?” She asks.

“It’s nothing, but uh, How was therapy?” I ask.

“Good.” She answers half heartedly. She must be tired.

“Oh,” There’s an awkward silence, “Well my day was okay I guess, Zack came over for a bit and I was able to see Colin for a bit. He really is the most cutest baby, and he was messing with our cat and hold on I think I got a video somewhere on my phone,”

“Listen, Logan,”

“What’s up?”

“We need to talk.”

Wait, what.

“Me and my therapist were talking,”

Oh no.

“And I know this is gonna be really hard,”

Oh please no.

“So I’m gonna be completely honest before this goes any further. I’ve been thinking for a while now and even spent my whole therapist session talking about you and how I feel. Logan, I love you, you’re my best friend, and I think that’s what’s wrong,” By this point I had tears. “I believe that maybe we should just go back to being friends, and I just think this is for the better.”

I don’t say anything, just kind of stare and think for a bit. I was in disbelief, and was waiting for her to just say this was all a joke but it never comes. My mind races, thinking of anything to say.

“This is because of what I used to do right? Because of all the fights and s**t I used to get into You’re embarrassed of me?” I ask her.

“Logan, look my friend may rip on me because you used to be a Pennsport Boy who would just drink every weekend and get in fights but I know you’ve changed it’s not about that.” She says, which I half believe her. “It’s just, my feelings for you aren’t real.”

I think of getting angry, and saying this is bullshit, like no way your love for me was forced. I started thinking about crying and making a scene, all to embarrass her. I think about accusing her of seeing another boy even, as her sudden drop of love just seemed impossible to me.

I don’t do any of these things however. Instead, I just muster out a weak “I understand.”

“I’m so sorry, I just can’t keep living a lie.” she answers. I don’t say anything else but just a goodbye, and I leave. I notice on my way out that people were looking at us, which would usually embarrass me but I have reached a point where I have ceased to care. I storm down the stairs, run through the front door into the cool, now dark, street.

Waiting for the bus took another twenty minutes, I sat there in disbelief, as I couldn’t figure out how something so perfect could be ruined. The tears were almost full force but I didn’t care. I didn’t care what everyone thought walking by or the two other people at the bus stop thought. I just wanted to let it out and go home and let it out more.

The bus comes hauling up, and stops in front of me and the two other people at this stop. I let them go in front of me, as I pull out my token. I walk inside and put my token and drag myself to the back of the bus. disappointed however at the fact that most of the seats were taken, I latch myself onto a pole and stand for the ride. Looking out the window, I notice how dark it got and so early. It was a sign of the dark cold winter to come.

 

I could say that the next few days got better after me and Gianna’s break up. Unfortunately it has only really gotten worst, and I just feel like I could actually die. Which is a strange feeling, like before, I said that it felt weird and unfamiliar to be loved and in a relationship. Now I’m experience a new feeling of losing that person, a person who you relied on for the last few weeks.

Even though Gianna said that she wanted to be friends still, that ended up not being the case. As she has not made much of an effort to answer me or even try to be friendly. Any kind of answers were cold and really heartless, as if it had been me who broke up with her.  

There was a point where I stopped being upset and just transitioned to being miserable, both upset at our break up and angry that she doesn’t even wanna go back to being friends like she said. I became more stressed, and even started smoking again. The first thing I did when I got back to the neighborhood that night, was head to Fifth and Porter to buy a pack of Newports.

So that's why I was out here, back to drinking on weekends, going to a keg with my brother, our childhood best friend, and a new kid who I barely knew. They thought I was too upset and couldn’t just mope around all day. I agreed to their offer, and when I asked where this keg would be at, Shane told me "Castles."

 

We throw out our trash and head out towards under the bridge, we see a couple of other kids heading in the direction of the keg, and something tells me that it's going to be a big one tonight.

"Are coming.. The Saints! Are coming.. The Saints!" We all sing, it was a mummers song. We are surprised when we hear someone yell behind us

"F**k The Saints, Froggy Carr all day!" A voice says behind us, followed by a small cheer.

"God damn it Brandon, back at it with the dick eatin’ are we?" Shane says. We all turn around. There were three Pennsport Boys, one I recognized as Brandon Stag, as back then me and him used to be really good friends.  Since then we haven’t really talked much, and I don’t really mind, he wasn’t much of a good friend.

“’Sup P*****s,” The one kid said, he had a thin beard and a cocky look on his face, I instantly got a bad vibe off of him. “What are youse doing here, this a Pennsport keg, ain’t no dirts allowed.”

“Who you talkin’ to you f****n’ weirdo.” Tommy instantly gets in his face. Shane pulls him back

“Yo bro chill, we cool, we cool, no smoke.” Shane says. The kid with the cocky look pulls back and spits on the ground.

“Ain’t you boys reppin’ Whitman?” He asks.

“No, we just chillin we don’t rep nobody,” I tell them, Tommy jumps in.

“And so what if we were with Whitman, what you tryna say?” Tommy says, I glare at him. The cocky kid just hesitates.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, like your buddy here said, you don’t rep nobody right?” He asks.

“Yeah man we just here to drink.” Shane answers. “Let’s go, y’all.” We head through a hole in a chain link fence, leaving the three Pennsport boys behind us.

 

Behind a gate under the I-95 overpass, and through a small road and another gate, there was an old lot. The ground was laid out in gravel and dirt. There were huge piles of construction and highway equipment, all orderly stacked and arranged to look like large fortresses of concrete and metal. Large red shipping containers were stacked and covered in graffiti, which formed little towers that looked over the whole place. A large old abandoned crane towered over it all. In the middle and in the back of it all there was a billboard that advertised many things over time. Right now it advertised a local business, Bob's Furniture. I liked to call the huge billboard with Bob showing off his prices, "The Eyes of Bob."

The name of this old abandoned lot was called Castles, at least that's what we were told by the bigger kids when we first learned about it. We all learned about it from our older peers, and for some it where we first drank. (Of course not me, that was New Years.)

That's really what Castles was, it was a place where we could come to drink and hold kegs. It was far enough from any streets or buildings, and if cops ever came, there were many exits. It was a great place for us to just get away from it all. However, it was also a dangerous place without law. There were no authorities around to stop anyone from causing harm. In Castles, it was a free for all, it was The Lord of the Flies. 

I had many adventures here at Castles. I've been to many kegs here, they were mostly thrown by my Pennsport friends. Many beers were chugged here, and I've actually gained my nickname, "Cannon" here one summer after winning many drinking games against the biggest and heaviest guys there. 

I have also had some memories here before becoming a local hoodlum kid drinking and what-not. I used to come here with my friends and we used to play games like manhunt and cops and robbers, or we would run around and climb one the many forts of concrete barriers and large buildings of shipping containers. Sometimes I long to be a little kid again, to live in those days of innocence. While I want to live in the simpler times of my younger days, I'm sure my older self will think the same way and want to live in the days I am living right now. I guess that's a good reason to make everyday count and to live them to the fullest.

We walk along a dark dirt path for a bit as the overpass rumbles over us. We climb over a small dirt mound to another hole in a chain link fence. Pass that we finally enter Castles.

There was a huge crowd here, Almost everyone our age and from South Philly were here. Pennsport Boys I used to know, kids from school, kids from other neighborhoods too, like East Oregon, and Marconi. Most everyone was friendly to each other for tonight, and these people may have had beef in the past they all gathered here to do one thing, drink and have a good time.

Walking along the gravely past I see a few familiar faces, nodding to them and they nod back, your typical Philly hello (I mean I guess just a basic hello everywhere). I noticed a considerably large crowd towards the center of Castles near the huge crane.

A dense large crowd was a sign telling you that the keg was there. Everyone there were buying cups and fighting through the crowd in hope to get their cup filled with some s****y, foamy keg beer. I mean hey, five dollar all you can drink beer has it's disadvantages.

I walk to the crowd with Shane by my side, we meet a lot more familiar faces. We greet them and shake hands and the whole deal. As I walked through, the boys wore hoodies, mostly Nike or their school’s sports team. They had nice shoes, and some had long hair, with some pushed back with snapback caps. The unmistakable attire the Pennsport Boys.

While wading for the crowd asking around where to buy cups, I meet a familiar face pop up out of nowhere.

"Hey Logan!" A light skinned mixed girl yells to me. It's Asia Primo, I know her from around but I'm not as close with her as she really acts like we are, and she screams and runs towards me with her arms out obviously waiting for a hug from me

"Hey Asia." I say as she suffocates me with a hug akin to the grip of a vise. "How you been?" I manage to say with my last breath.

"I'm good, I'm good, I heard about you and Gianna." She tells me with a forced frown and pout of sadness.

"Yeah, It's been pretty s****y actually, she told me she never even really loved me." I tell her, and then add, "Well, Apparently."

"Aww Logan!" She yells and pouts, she does that a lot. She hugs me again.

"Well, I'm just a single pringle now. I'll be good I think, I mean I got Shane, Brian, and all them. Of course Brianna too." I say.

"Ooh, you and Brianna." She Says with a tone of innuendo.

"No, oh god no, she's Ant's girl, and I don't like her like that, she's my friend."

"Oh," she says, disappointed. "Well didn't you used to like her?"

"What? No!" I say, maybe a little too defensively. "Well, alright, I used to but that's it, Used to." 

"Aww, well It'll be okay." She tells me, "I'm sure you will find the girl of your dreams."

"Yeah maybe." I say, distracted at Shane behind her. He is gesturing to me and Asia. Something that roughly translated to "you gonna hit that?" I shake my head at him no.

"What's wrong?" She asks and looks behind her. Shane casually slides in a conversation with some other boys to avoid being caught.

"Uh, it's nothing I tell her." She turns back around. Shane looks back at me from behind her, smiling and nodding, roughly translating to "Yeah, get it Logan."

I'm about to go over and punch him when I hear someone scream my name.

"Logan Cavaliere!" Everyone looks around, and in turn at me. I'm just as confused as everyone else. Until I look up on top of one of the barrier forts, where I find one of my friends.

"Alex f*****g Royal." I yell back with a smile. 

"What's up man, get your a*s up here, I got the cups." I head towards him pushing through the crowd. Some people are mad that I was granted access to the front of the line (Well it was more of crowd but you know.) Some people drunkenly cheered too. I start climbing towards Alex.

You see, I've known Alex for a long time, since I first went to school really. Actually, he used to be a bully to me until ninth grade. Where one fateful night while I was out drinking with the guys, we shared a couple of beers and shared a drunken night together. Since then, Alex has been my drinking buddy, and one of my best friends back when I used to be a Pennsport Boy.

"What's up man? How you been?" He asks me as he takes my hand and pulls me up. “You haven’t been out in ages dude.”

"I'm alright, but I think the real question is are you alright?" I ask "I didn't think you would still be alive when I busted your a*s at our last game of flip cup?" I say, he laughs. We were big into drinking games, we have had a rivalry since the second time we drank together. I usually won, and he could never accept his losses and always wanted a rematch, and I expect him to ask for one tonight too.

"Hey man, that's low, don't tell me I'm gonna have to kill you in a rematch." He warns, but I don't take no s**t.

"Well, you gonna talk all this s**t I'm gonna have to put you in your place." I tell him. "You want your rematch? Let's do it right now."

"Alright then. I got one for you. Extreme flip cup, two rounds, and a third banger round." He tells me.

"Okay, you're on." I say, Alex turns to the crowd and yells. 

"Hey yo!" Everyone turns to us. "Let's get ready for extreme flip cup!" Everyone cheers. We both start to climb down. Alex tells one of his friends to bust out the table. Which well wasn’t really a table, but more of those wooden round wheels that wound up wires and rope. The kid rolls it up and drops it down. It spins around and lands with a loud thump, and some dust is pushed out from underneath it.

"Logan what are you doing?" Brian runs up and asks me. 

"You heard." I tell him, pointing up at the barrier fort. "Extreme flip cup."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He asks panicking. Shane jumps in to my defense. 

"Don't worry bro, your big old brother can handle it," He says. "They don't call him Cannon for nothing." Brian still looks concerned

"It'll be alright," I assure him, "It's Alex Royal, I beat him like a hundred times back in the day, plus he's already hammered, he won't make it past the first cup" I say, with more volume on that last part so Alex could hear. 

"Your mouth is gonna be the end of you buddy.”           

“We’ll see about that.” I say with a smirk.

Eight cups are placed on the round makeshift table, four on each side. Plus, three shot cups are placed on the side in case we reach the banger round. All eight cups are filled to the brim with beer, no foam. That nasty liquid was what we were to chug, and hopefully none of us will die tonight. Then again, where was the fun in that?

The rules of extreme flip cup were fairly simple, Each round you had to chug two cups, one at a time. When you finished a cup, you placed it on the edge of the table facing up, and you had to flip the cup so it landed with it facing down. If you puke at anytime, you lose. If both people are tied after the second round, then you start the banger round. You have to take three shots of liquor, tonight was vodka, and flip them over like the beer cups. So whoever does the round the fastest, wins that round. Me and Alex settled on some agreements for who wins. The victor was to receive the grand elite prize of twenty whole dollars. Also the rest of the vodka. 

On my side I had my three best friends, Brian, Tommy, and Shane, all supporting me and doing more the trash talk for me. We were sort of split into two teams, technically just my side and Alex's side, but we were named too. My side was to be The Saints, named after me and my friend's New Years club, and Alex's side was Froggy Carr. Alex's side was way more crowded, as he was technically more popular and so was Froggy Carr. 

"Round one yo! Gather 'round," Said Tommy, acting as a referee. "Alright you two both know the rules. Up down up, then chug ‘til empty, one cup at a time. First one finished wins the round."

"Alright Tommy, we all know the rules." I tell him. "Let me get started so I can bust his a*s and get back to drinking."

"We'll see about that smartass." Alex says to me, I smirk at him. We both grab our cups, still have them touching the table.

"Three, Two, One." Tommy counts down. "Go!"

In a quick three step motion, we bring our cups up and cheer, then bring them back down and touch the table, finally bringing them back up to start chugging. Alex had his cup reach his lips before me, but alas, it was not how fast you could bring it up, but how fast you could chug it. So I start chugging, the bronze foamy liquid coursing down my throat. It's absolutely disgusting, and the cup funneled the smell right up my nostrils, which added to the gross taste. But I learned to get rid of all that to concentrate on winning, and in about just three seconds, I finish my first cup.

I slam the cup down top facing up on the edge of the table. In one flawless move, I take my finger and flip the cup, with it landing perfectly, bottom facing down. There is a small cheer, and I glance up for a moment and Alex looks just about almost done his cup, so I snap back and grab my second cup, bringing it up to my lips and start chugging.

The second cup was always more worst than the first, but I don't let that stop me, just focus on my goal of winning. In three seconds again, I finish and slam my cup down on the edge. I see that Alex is struggling with trying to flip is first cup still. I start with mine, screwing up my first turn, then flip it bottom facing down right as Alex goes to start his second cup. Everyone cheers and I put both my hands up in glory.

"Logan wins round one!" Tommy screams.

"Yeah Saints Baby!" Shane shouts as he hugs me.

"Ay yo shut up!" Alex says, he has a salty look on him. "It's only the first round chill."

"Alright, Alright we'll chill." I say. We all sit around talking s**t for a bit and let our stomachs settle. After that we get set up and move on to our second pair of cups. 

"Okay, Round two everyone!" Tommy announces. Me and Alex grab our cups and get ready. Tommy starts another countdown.

"Three, two, one." Tommy takes a dramatic pause. In that moment I feel my stomach feel unsettled. Oh no.

"Go!" We start off like last time, Up to cheer, down, and then back up to chug. I start off pretty good and flawlessly, however I do take my time, and finish in about six seconds. Still way ahead of Alex. I slam my cup down and start to flip it and screw up real bad, dropping it on the ground. I Pick it back up and set it up, and flip it right this time. Both me and Alex start our second cup at about the same time.

Just when I'm halfway through my second cup, I screw up. I get too grossed out by the taste and cough, getting beer all over me and spilling it all. Alex's side starts to cheer. 

"Looks like The Tank is not so much of a tank huh?" Alex mocks me. "Couldn't handle the beer?"

"Ah shut up," I tell him. "I just, got a little cough you know."

"Yeah, yeah, keep up with the excuses Logan."

"Alright, Alex wins!" Tommy announces. There is another cheer from Alex's side. Shane and Brian are screaming and booing back at them.

"Yeah! F**k Froggy Carr!" Shane screams.

It was now time to move on to the banger round. Six little plastic shot glasses were pulled out (Would they be called shot plastics?) and three were placed on each side. The vodka was poured into each one, I could almost smell the strong punch of the clear liquid.

"C'mon bro, you know you can beat this guy you just got to do this perfect!" Shane tells me, rubbing my shoulders as if he were my trainer. "For the Saints man!" He yells, even though this game has no effect on our new years club.

"Final round y'all!" Tommy yells, and everyone gets silent. Me and Alex ready up for the final round. Tommy gets to eye level with the table, so he can properly judge who wins. We grab our first shot glass and wait for the countdown.

"Three. Two. One... GO!"

Up, down, and up. We do it carefully but fast as to not have our drink spill out. And like lightning we take our shot. It stings, badly, and I feel it coursing through my body like fire. I ignored all of this however, as I slammed my shot glass down and flipped it right in one try. I swiftly move to the next shot, again, taking it and slamming it down. In two tries I get it right. I move onto the last one, down it, and slam it down. this one was much more difficult, it took me a bit to get it right. Alex caught up to us and we desperately flipped our hearts out. after about seven tries I get it right.

"Logan wins!" Tommy screams. We all jump and cheer, all hugging each other and just generally being hype. I relax for a bit and I realize that it was starting to hit me all at once. Everything goes blurry for a moment and I focus back. Shane looks at me worried.

"You good bro?" He asks

"Yeah I'm fine," I tell him. "We won though!"

"That's the spirit." Shane grins. We turn back to Alex and his gang. Alex has a mean look on his face, and kind of scares me for a bit. S**t, were they about to jump us over this? Right when I'm about to dive out of there, Alex grins and hugs me

"Ah bro! I'm f*****g with you, man you really are The Tank." He says and I laugh.

"Maybe next time Alex, maybe I'll have to train you." I joke with him.

"Yeah right," He says. He then pulls up the rest of the bottle of vodka, and I take it. 

"You're reward, Master Tank." Alex says, and I'm grinning, until I realize something is missing. 

"W-w-wait," I stutter. "Where's my twenty bills?"

I look around, and everyone is giggling. I'm confused and ask again. They keep laughing, and I look down at my bottle. Inside, there lies a twenty dollar bill, wrapped around a rock to hold it at the bottom.

"Oh youse are drawlin!" I scream, and they all bust out in hysterics. I laugh too, and punch Alex in the arm.

"You got your twenty man," He says "you just got to finish that bottle."       

“Alright, but not tonight, I feel like I’m 'bout to die.” I say, as my head felt like it started to spin.

“Hey, don't get light on me now alright Tank?” Alex tells me. I nod my head.

“Yeah sure.” Though I don’t believe myself. “But, uh, I’ll be right back.” And I dart off 

As I run to find somewhere to relieve my soon to explode bladder, everyone tries to stop me. They all scream “The Tank!” and I quickly push them away. Like a bull dozer pushing through the crowd, I run to a small corner and begin to do my business. It was a relief that I loved. 

“You ever feel like you’re not worth it man?” A voice says and I scream.

“What, Tommy, what the f**k are you doing here I’m taking a piss!” I yell at him. He doesn’t seem to care.

“I’m just, I don’t know man I’m so worried about me and Julia.” He tells me in a drunk slur. How did he get so drunk so fast?

“Uh, listen dude, it’ll be fine, just like you know, talk to her about her feelings or something.” I tell him as I’m still peeing. 

“She won’t even text me back anymore.” He says, and I feel the tears coming up in his voice. I finish my business, and sit next to him. 

“Hey, don’t worry bro,” I assure him. “I know how you feel. Gianna broke up with me the other day, and I know this probably isn’t the best advice, but we’re here tonight to have fun, and drink some s****y keg beer.”

“Yeah…” he says trailing off, then I realize he’s starting to pass out.

“Tommy, Tommy! Wake up.” I slap him and pick him back up. “You good?” He stares at me for a bit before answering. 

“You’re right!” he yells and grabs my shoulders, startling me with his sudden burst of energy. “F**k her!”

“No Tom I didn’t mean that,”

“Let’s go drink some s****y beer!” and he heads off to the keg. I laugh and shake my head and head off towards him.

Now for the next hour or two, we continued to drink our asses off. I don’t actually remember much, but also it's a might I won’t forget. Me and Shane sang Mummers songs. Brian and Tommy jumped off a trailer almost killing themselves. Asia also didn’t leave me alone but eventually I reached a state of inebriation where I ceased to care. And with my friends, we drank the night away, well until trouble started brewing

After getting drunk enough, the night slowed down a bit. I eventually found myself sitting on top of a concrete barrier, smoking a Port with Shane. As I took hits, and sips from my beer, I started noticing a lot more kids coming in, a lot of them were big and looked more older and more thug than the rest of them. I got worried, and I turn to Shane.

“Hey, yo, Shane.” I hesitate and think for a bit. “Um, who are those kids, that just, uh, came in.” 

“What?” he looks around for a bit and then notices them, and gets a shocked expression on his face. “S**t, that’s some Whitman Warriors.” He whispers to me. I start to worry, and look at them again.

They seemed to slowly trickle in, and stuck out. Their faces, full of resentment, and their minds filled with bad intentions. They wore red jackets, with hints of red. Their sweatpants back or grey, and some wearing jeans. A lot wore Timberland boots, or ACGs, and honestly, looked a lot like what I was wearing. Anyway, I knew they weren’t here to drink.

"Do you think they're here to start trouble?" I ask, and as an answer, one of them pipes up.

"Alright, where is Julius Baron?" Says one of them, he's a big tan kid with a few tattoos on his arms. All of them seem to follow him and agree with him, piping him up.

"That's Shaun Caesar." Shane whispers to me. I get a little worried, I die out my cigarette, and get off the barrier, standing up. Then behind us, a drunk Alex steps forward.

"He ain't here." He slurs. "What do youse want?"

"Well I'm here because we don't bangs with boul," Shaun says, and then he spits on the ground before continuing "He always talking s**t on Instagram so I'm here for my one."

"Well why you gotta bring all your little friends, huh?" Alex says "Seems like you wanted more than a one, and if you were thinking of jumping my mans, well you're wrong."

"It ain't jumping, it's a family thing, one of us swing we all swing." Shaun says. All the Pennsport Boys laugh.

"The f**k does that even mean?" Alex is getting more loud. "What are you f*****g stupid or somethin'?"

"Hey don't talk to my cousin like that." Tommy says, stepping up  from the crowd and now standing with Whitman. 

"Yeah well what youse gonna do huh." Says one Pennsport kid, and pushes Tommy.

"Hey yo chill!" Me and Shane try to say, no one is listening and everyone is shoving each other and the situation is escalating.

"Get the f**k out of here you dirts!"

"Aye yo shut up you p*****s, do something!"

They all yelled and shoved for a while, I tried to find my brother in the crowd but to no avail. It was clear to me that we all needed to get out of here before a fight. Then, after a while, I here a bottle smash. I quickly turn and see Tommy fall to the ground, and then a brawl breaks out in full. Fists are swinging and bottles are being thrown. A big meaty fist catches me in the jaw and I fall to the ground.

My vision is blurry, and the world begins to spin around me. I start to crawl in one direction, and try to push through the crowd. I eventually break out and fall back to the ground. I pull myself back up and focus my vision. It's a blood bath and the brawl seems to show no signs of ending soon, everyone was fighting. Someone I saw jumped off a higher ledge and elbow dropped another kid. I wince at that and look around, I eventually see my brother. Who was being held in a chokehold by some Pennsport Boy.

I instantly start to rage out and run to my brother, and with a left hook, I swing and knock the kid out, releasing his grip from my brother and falls to the ground. Out of anger, I grab the kid on the floor by his shirt, and punch him one more time and he falls back down. I get up and then look to grab Brian.

"C'mon man we got to get out of here, this ain't our beef!" I yell to Brian.

"Well they got Tommy!" Yells Brian, "And where's Shane?"

I whip my head around to look for them. Tommy is still laying on the ground and seems to be bleeding. The bottle must have caught him good, and I wince, then turn back to Brian.

"I'm going for Tommy!" I tell Brian. "Go find Shane and meet me at the gate!"

"But Logan," But I ignore him and run towards Tommy, pushing some kid out of my way and slide to the ground next to Tommy

"Hey bud, c'mon, get up!" I shake him but he is knocked out cold. His long blond hair is wet with beer and blood, and littered with shards of glass. I curse to myself, and realize I'm going to have to carry him out of here. Tommy is a big kid, but I was slightly bigger.

"Let's go man, c'mon." I grab him and try to pull him up. I grab his arm and put my other arm under his leg, pulling him over my shoulder. With a scream, I start to stand up, then run out of the mob of fighters. I run blindly and charge into some other kid, breaking out of the crowd with me, Tommy, and the other kid falling to the ground again. I get up right away and run to Tom. The other kid runs to me also and I get scared that he's going to tackle me in anger but instead helps me get Tommy up. 

"You alright bro? sorry for bumping into you." he says to me, he looks familiar but I'm not sure where I know him.

"Yeah, I'm good, just trying to get out of here." I say.

"Alright get out of here man, hurry!" He says, gesturing towards the exit. Tommy was now half conscious and could walk with his arm over my shoulders. He grunts and says something that I couldn't understand.

"It's okay man, we're getting out of here." I tell him, breathing heavy under his weight.

"Where's... Sal..." He spits out.

"What, who?" I say

"Sal, boul... He hit me with the bottle man... I want my one!" He yells at that last part.

"What, no, dude, we gotta get out c'mon." I say, as he tries to break free. He pushes away and tries to run, but falls to the ground. Right when this happens, Shane and Brian run up to us

"You good bro?" Shane asks me,

"Yeah, help me carry Tom." I grab him by under his arms and Shane grabs him by his legs. We run off to the exit, well, at least as fast as we could carrying a two hundred and thirty pound kid. When we reach the gate, Tommy is awake enough to walk with our help. We push out of there, and head out under the overpass.

"What just even happened man?" Tommy asks us as we walk out from under the overpass and into the street. 

"Well, you sort of instigated a fight between Pennsport and Whitman." I say.

"No I didn't do s**t!" He says defensively, "I was trying to stick up for my cousin, and then I got hit with a bottle by that Sal kid." I shrug.

"You're right, sorry." I say. "But we gotta get you home man, you're still bleeding." Tommy feels his cut of his forehead, where a bad cut lays and winces. 

"Dude, this hurts so bad."

"Looks like it, damn." Shane says, cringing when he looks at it. 

"Don’t worry man. We're almost home." Says Brian.

And we were, as we were greeted with the row houses of our neighborhood. Irish and Mummer flags flown of the sides of the houses. The street light lit up the damp asphalt streets. As we walked, some cars and a bus drove down the streets with a loud hum and hiss. We all reached Tommy's house and headed inside, and I was left with a feeling of dread of the days to come.

At the end of the night, when all my other friends found a comfortable spot in Tommy's bedroom and tried to fall asleep. I thought about Gianna again, and my happiness. For the longest time I always thought you had to find someone else. When I was with Gianna I had true happiness, and it was all fake. I realized that happiness now was not just another loving person in your life, but rather something you had to pursue and chase. Happiness was something gained, and it took the form of whatever you wanted it to be. Whether it be drinking with your buds on New Years, or being with your family and having a corny and happy picnic.

Happiness could also actually just having someone you could love. I realized the only thing that can make you happy is what you want to choose to make you happy. I didn't know what this happiness was for me yet. I lost my love, so I made a decision to set out on a new quest, a pursuit of happiness.

Author's Note

I understand the Philly slang may be a bit difficult, but I wanted to stay true to life. Also this is still quite a rough draft, and is only one chapter out of an entire novel. I don't want to publish the entire Novel on this site. I mostly just want to have a more official place to post my writings so I can get feedback. This is mostly for my supporters too, which is mostly people from my community, however I do appreciate any feedback or advice.

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