Being a black male teenager living in the Southeast is never an easy picnic unless you have a stable home life, a few mentors to keep you grounded, and a game plan to ensure that you escape from a life of crime or a fast-track path to the graveyard.

I guess I never got the memo since my family treated me like old furniture and a whipping boy; my schoolmates and teachers mainly ignored me (that spared me from bullying, but the teachers never stopped giving me homework); and the one mentor in my life- my late maternal grandma- was dead alongside my parents, older sisters, and younger brothers. And that left me facing little hope since none of my domineering mother's relatives (all of them equally vicious and demanding) nor my hen-pecked father's condescending sisters (ditto) volunteered to take me in.

But as they say, you gotta prepare yourself for whatever curveballs are thrown your way. And boy, the curveballs that were aimed my way would forever change my life.

Fate, you gave me one too many bad hands for my cards. But I guess I accepted it all with little complaint. This is my last chance to find some sort of new beginnings. And whether or not the cards are in my favor; this is your last chance to point me in the direction of a more hopeful ending, if not a happy one. All in all, fate, this is our last chance to finally get it right.

And so it begins, ladies and gentlemen.

I will tell you all that this story right here is going to be full of teenage drama yet will be more of the slice-of-life kind of story. And yes, I will be adding some soap-opera elements that will make "Degrassi: The Next Generation," "Gossip Girl," and the "Beverly Hills: 90210" franchise look like children's shows. And trust me, you'll want to stick around for all the edgy, realistic, and juicy details that will make you want more.

This is dedicated to NathanielLeyva, spoffyumi, and GreenForestWitch. Media: "Cool Kids" by Echosmith.

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