The City: The Beginning of Summer, the End of Lives

By Michael J. VanHorn III

Black Mike is a high school basketball star in Detroit whose life is turned upside down. After graduating, Black Mike attends a party that changes the rest of his plans for the summer and maybe his life. He is now struggling to find his way back to doing right in a city where doing right seems like the wrong thing to do. But throughout all the wrong he has seen and done in a matter of weeks, he doesnt know if he can go back to doing right for the safety of himself and his family and friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984542342

Michael J. VanHorn III

Michael J VanHorn III was born on May 10, 1997 in Irvine, California. He grew up in Detroit, Michigan and was raised by Toinett M, Bolden a single mother who took care of him and five of his siblings. Michael is the second oldest of six. At the end of Michaels fifth grade year he moved to Virginia with his father who is Military man. He would learn a lot of important life values and lessons from his father Michael J, VanHorn Jr. He started to get more into sports after staying with his father, but he still had a passion to be a writer. At a young age he took on the role of being a role model for his younger siblings by graduating from high school with honors from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. He also attended Virginia State University in the fall of 2015.

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Copyright © 2018 by Michael J. VanHorn III.

Library of Congress Control Number:                 2018908648

ISBN:                   Hardcover                       978-1-9845-4230-4

                              Softcover                         978-1-9845-4229-8

                              eBook                              978-1-9845-4234-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 07/23/2018

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Contents

Chapter 1 June 9th-Graduation Day

Chapter 2 The Party

Chapter 3 The Article

Chapter 4 Lies

Chapter 5 Payback

Chapter 1

JUNE 9TH-GRADUATION DAY

As Black Mike walked across the stage in his all white cap and gown, feeling on top of the world, looking at the posters and banners, the bright smiles and hearing the cheers from the crowd, he started to realize that although he had received a full ride to play basketball for Eastern Michigan, he knew he would never feel love like this again. Unfortunately he didn’t know, his life was about to take an unexpected turn in the wrong direction.

The Next Day

Black Mike, Terry, and David met up at the basketball court. The court was where Black Mike and his bestfriend Terry had been coming for years. The court was where Black Mike and Terry discussed all of there problems. Black Mike worked on his game everyday Emerson Basketball court it was their favorite place to meet and clear their heads. They could have went to the basketball court that was just built but they had been through so much at Emerson court they felt as if they were being disloyal to go elsewhere. The court had broken up pieces of concrete and loose gravel with one halfway useful basketball goal that leaned to the side without any nets. As Black Mike walked on to the court there was a loud voice

YOOOO! Black Mike, What’s up with you man? Terry said in a very excited tone, which is how he usually sounds.

Nothing much man. Just tired of everybody asking what are my plans now that I graduated. said Black Mike, his voice so low that both Terry and David had to stop bouncing the ball to hear.

Yeah I feel you Black Mike, my moms already talking about putting me out if I don’t find a job in two weeks. David said with a very straight face.

Bro I told y’all my uncle has a spot for both of y’all if y’all trying to make some money. Terry said, while reaching into the shorts of his pockets grabbing out a stack of money held together by two tan rubber bands waving it in front of Black Mike and David.

Man don’t nobody want to work for your uncle, selling that quiet loud. Said David while he and Black Mike laughed.

Yeah, okay. You weren’t saying that the other day when you was saying you was on cloud nine and how you couldn’t feel your fingers, dropping the blunt and shit. Terry said in a very high defensive voice while punching his right fist into his open left hand.

Bro it was free of course I’m gone hype it up. You was the one trying to pass around that little piece of the blunt that’s why I dropped it! David replied.

Whatever bro y’all think I got it easy because I’m making money. I would rather be like y’all man. Replied Terry.

What are you talking about man? You always fly and you know the girls always feeling your gear. Said David.

But you know my moms haven’t been the same since the boys killed my pops. Now I gotta go handle some business tonight with my uncle some young boys robbed his spot. Terry told them. Damn he found out who did it? Black Mike questioned.

Hell yea he found out somebody named after the Looney Toons character Taz did it. Terry said hotly

Damn man. said David.

But forreal y’all what we gone do now that we don’t have school no more. It hasn’t even been a day and I’m already thinking about how long its gone be until my moms get tired of me sitting in the house playing 2k. said Black Mike

Same here bro. said David.

August is to far away I can’t wait to go to college. Said Black Mike while shooting the ball and missing the shot.

"See that’s why you not going to college on a full ride you can’t make a free throw. We supposed to be living large right now man! You was supposed to be in the league straight out of high school! Said