1 Just Another Morning?
The world is spinning, and my stomach is bubbling. I fucked around with Gallagher last night, and we got shit-faced. He left with Lisa Bradley, and I hung around for a while, then the world went black. But that's happened before; nothing new on the south side. Blackout drunk is like a rite of passage.
Even though I'm in a pile of garbage, that's normal too. Honestly, my life is pretty simple and carefree. Rising to my feet and dusting myself off, I look around to find myself in an unfamiliar place and butt-ass naked. Now, this is a first for me. Honest to God. But for the life of me, I can't remember how I got here.
I finally started to shiver, and the snow beneath my bare feet began to burn with a cold intensity. Focusing on the street sign erected at the corner, I couldn't help but curse, "Fuck!"
In this moment of confusion and despair, allow me to introduce myself. I am Cain. My father was Black, and my mother was Puerto Rican. The former died young, and the latter left me about six years ago. I know my story isn't that unique; I'm not special. I live on the south side of Chicago. I once had an apartment, but I grew tired of paying bills and bailed. It was in my mother's name anyways.
So, for about five years, I've been crashing at friends' houses and wearing my life on my back. I don't really do much of school. I'm not dumb or anything, but I opted to take the bare minimum of what's needed to graduate. Now my days are twenty percent school and eighty percent hustle. South Side is all about making the next buck. The majority of South Side was born in South Side and will die in South Side. All we can do is make a little cash to party along the way.
Anyway, I'm a professional street artist. That's why I find it bewildering that I'm nacked in a pile of garbage on the West Side in the middle of winter. I mean, I've been naked in a pile of garbage in the middle of winter before, but I always sleep on the South Side. It's like how birds know to go south in the winter, I have a biological homing beacon for the South Side.
Pushing the mystery aside, I start trotting down the street. It's still pretty early, the only people away awake are hustlers of many professions. In fact, there's one guy about my size a few yards down. I sped up a bit and once I was behind the guy, I took my right forearm and jammed up between his legs. My left hand grabbed the back of his coat. Lifting up and pushing forward, the man drops on his face.
After stripping the guy for everything he had, I was no longer naked or penniless. I even had a pistol for the trip back home. Wrong and criminal, I know. But out here, everyone's a criminal or they have a criminal caring for them. To protect life and that of your people, sometimes morality is the first to be sacrificed.
It was a long walk back to South Side, mostly because it was cold as hell. I wish I would have taken the train, then I would have been prepared for what came next.
Back in South Side, it was around noon. It took me a while to search for my shit, but I still couldn't find it. So, I'm in front of a rundown brick house neighboring an alley. I had started coming to this place towards the beginning of the school year in August. I had met this pretty aching-to-be-boned chick in my class. She always wore a skirt and at times she would forgo the panties and don't get me started on the tits that were being covered by a top and a bra a size too small.
Walking into the house, the door always seemed to be unlocked during the day, I find the place cluttered and in need of a cleaning. Around the living room, the Milkovich brothers are passed out drunk per usual.
I chuckle to myself as I remember a small part from the night before. The lightweights ended up in drunken comas, I oddly feel better about waking up on the West Side. Walking up to the top floor, I enter a room with a creamy-skinned girl wearing nothing but purple panties, sprawled out on the bed overly packed with large blankets and pillows.
I quickly strip and climb into bed. Pulling her close, her arms wrap around me like second nature as she nestles her head into my chest. I then drift off.
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"What the fuck!" I wake up to shouting.
I then feel a few smacks to the faces, quickly bring me to lucidity.
"What the fuck, Mandy?!" I shout.
A moment later her brothers rush in and they sigh in relief as they see me. Mickey smiles as he smacks his sister in the arm. "I told you he wasn't dead." He said.
Mickey then looks at me and says. "Disappearing for a week isn't cool man. But, Welcome back, beers in the fridge."
The Milkovich brothers leave as they chuckle on their way. I was confused and struggling to make sense of the situation. 'a week?', I thought.
I had only been gone a few hours. We had all just partied with each other the night before. Then it hit me, a mind-splitting migraine worse than any hangover I had ever experienced. I fell into the bed and soon felt myself being pulled into Mandy's embrace.
The time the migraine subsided, I was waking up again as Mandy was smoking a joint next to me. She looks over at me with worry and asks if I'm alright.
"Just fine," I reply distantly, only deepening her worry as it manifested in a frown.
But that was the least of my concern as I was currently listening to a voice within my head.
"Slice Of A Shameless Life System" a robotic voice sounded.
"Assimilation complete... Host: Cain Narvaez... Age: 15... Occupation: Ward of the South Side"
I rub my tempos as I mutter, "what the fuck is happening?"
The robot in my head seemed to hear me as it replied, "Cain Narvaez, murdered September 28th, 2010, Resurrected October 9th, 2010."
I subconsciously began to feel my body as I freaked out. Mandy calmed me down by putting a joint in my mouth, I faced it in sixty seconds flat. When I was nice and high, I realized an alert was flashing in my face. I reached out and touched as Mandy laughed at me. I guess she figured I was doing weird stuff since I was high.
Clicking the alert, it opened a 'Skill' tab. It read: Drug Tolerance lv.1
I nearly lost my shit all over again, but I managed to hold it together. This weird SciFi shit was unbelievable. But until proven otherwise, it's real. I suddenly feel a soft elegant hand grab my limp rod and stroke it to erect glory. I quickly forget the SciFi shit and begin a night fucking my Mandy to a sloppy mess. I felt like a new man. Like I could breathe from my pores and every sensation was my first time.
'Wait, if I'm reborn, then that means I just gave my virginity to Mandy Milkovich...Fuck!' I thought.
But it couldn't be helped. And her pussy seemed extra eager tonight. I wanted to put my cock back in her but she mumbled something and fell asleep. I thought about it for a moment and then thrust home once more as her eyes snapped open in an instant orgasm. I took my minx for a few more spins.
When I was finished and my cock went limp, I rested in bed as I had another smoke. Mandy was in a deep sleep as she snored like a hog.
'I hope she doesn't get pregnant, that would suck.' I shook the thought off and made a mental note to get her some pills later.
Having a good smoke, calm and relaxed, I looked over this 'second chance system' that called itself the 'Slice Of A Shameless Life System'.
The first thing I saw was alerts. So I spent time clicking through them. Based on the notifications, I learned a lot about this 'system'. It actually recorded me. Every alert was about the night I had with Mandy. It gave me experience points, dexterity, and constitution points. It gave me sex skills that were scary detailed.
Finger banging Lvl.2
Pussy Eating Lvl.2
Stroke Game Lvl.2
Orgasm Inducer Lvl. 3
Pullout Game Lvl.1
Jizz production Lvl.4
I mean the list went on and the experience points kept raising. The purpose of the system was clear, to upgrade my average life SHAMELESSLY. After the notifications were finished, I opened the home screen it was like the world's shitiest game.
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Host: Cain Narvaez
Age: 15
Occupation: Ward of the South Side Lvl.2
XP: 1500
Stats:
STR-10
DEX-12
CON-12
WIS-10
INT-10
CHA-10
Skills (the only ones that matter)
Sex Lvl.2
Theivery Lvl.1
--------------------
"Is that all you have to offer?" I sighed.
"Would you like to see the challenge tab, Cain?" the robot asked.
"Sure."
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Challenges-
Sexually Satisfy Mandy Milkovich (Repeatable-R) (50 times to achieve Stallion Lvl. 1) - 100xp
Explain Your Absence(R)- Deceiver Lvl.1 10XP
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"How are challenges generated?"
"Like everything in the System, life events. You read and it generators intelligence and wisdom. You have sex and it generates the skills and a challenge to satisfy your partner, whatever their particular need may be." the system explained.
"Are there ways to level up?" I ask.
"Ask and the system will generate a skill-based task to gain levels. Practice also upgrades your skills."
"And experience points, how are those decided?"
"Proficiency. New experiences give many points and decrease as you grow in certain tasks. It can also increase based on the difficulty of the task."
"How about occupation level?"
"Occupation level is your life level. Every benchmark hit will cause you to level up. Each level's experience cap is increased by fifty percent."
" How much do I need to get to level 3?"
"3000 XP. Level 4 requires 4500 XP." The system replied.
"This can be good. What I get from the system is what I make of it. " I mutter.
I feel motivated by this new gift in my life. Climbing over Mandy, I get dressed and leave. Back on the street, I think of a few things and Challenges are generated.
-New Pair Of Clothes-
-Consistent lodging-
I couldn't help but smile at the notifications. I didn't know if I was going crazy and I really didn't care. I skipped down the street and began to make a living the way I knew best.
Sometime later I was at the back door of the local salvation army. During my freshmen year of high school, I meet this senior girl that had a thing for young ones. She would take me around and show me off. She had a part-time job here at the Salvation Army and let me know a little secret I never forgot --The store doesn't have an alarm system.
Picking up a few needles from the filthy alley ground, I used them to pick the lock, gaining another skill. Walking in like I owned the place, I took my time as I stole a new bag. I found the perfect one at the bottom of a bin. It's green, large, and had durable straps with a stencil print that read: US ARMY.
I then stole three pairs of decent boots, four pairs of pants, some tee-shirt, coats and sweaters, and a couple of new packs of socks and underwear. Just as I was about to leave, I see a sign that said 'winter wear'. Naturally, I waltzed over and stole a few pairs of gloves, scarves, bennies, and jackets.
Leaving the build and locking the door behind me, the system went off and awarded me 50XP for a robbery well done. As I walked the brisk winter streets of the south side, I found myself in another bewilderment --Money.
I need money to maintain consistent lodging. But until I had that, I went to the place I knew I would be welcomed and didn't have to fuck every night. Don't get me wrong, Mandy is a wonderful fuck. But, she has this thing that almost compels her to fuck almost any guy she shares a bed with. Even if she isn't in the mood, she offers her body, and eventually, she's happily riding another cock. But hey, I don't mind so it doesn't matter.
Once I arrived at my favorite crash house, I walked up the steps and knocked on the door until someone answered. The door flew open and a pretty woman with disheveled dark brown hair was staring at me with a deep frown. Her face then relaxed and she snatched me into a hug. She couldn't help it, she's a caring woman.
"Hey, Fi. What's it been, a week?" I say.
"You asshole..." she sneered, " It's been almost two weeks. We couldn't find you anywhere. And when Frank said he hadn't seen you, I knew something was wrong. I even stopped by your favorite girls' houses. Nothing."
Fiona Gallagher, hands down the woman I am most attracted to in all of the worlds. Not saying, that she's the most beautiful, I'm saying that everything about her makes my body scream. I can put her next to any pornstar and I'll choose her every time.
When we part she sniffles and wipes the tears from her cheeks. I give her a weak smirk and jokingly ask, "Would you believe if I said I'm the modern-day Jesus."
"Not funny.." she replied with a straight face causing me to sigh.
"Fine, I woke up on the West Side. Made my way back and slept a little more at Mandy's." I tell her.
"Slept?" she asked with insinuating smirk, " I doubt that."
"Okay, I slept for the most part. The point is, I'm back, shit happened, and things are different now."
Fiona stepped aside and opened the door wide. I flash a thankful smile and walk into the Gallaghers' house. I took my usual spot on the couch as Fi went to get me a blanket.
"How long?" she asked when she returned. She took a seat next to me on the couch -- a sign that she wanted to have a talk.
"A week. Just until I get my money up." I reply. "I meet this guy on the west side, he had a lucrative opportunity for me and I ended up stripped of everything and tied to a pole. I managed to get free but after something like that..."
"Hey...we don't have to talk about it."She gently rubbed my shoulder to console me, "I know you're good for it. Just help out with morning drills for now and no skipping school, I mean it."
"Thanks, Fi...And, do you have a man, yet?"
Fi laughed as she rolled her eyes. She tapped my thigh a few times then pushed herself up. "Too young, Cain." she sang as she went upstairs.
She quickly poked her head down and added, "Cain, I'm glad you're alright. Lip was feeling guilty that he left with Lisa Bradley."
"Did he get laid?" I asked.
Fi nodded with a smile.
"Then he has nothing to feel guilty about."
"I told him you would say that. Sleep tight," she gave me a wink and disappeared.
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Sniff Sniff!
'1st Sunday...Meat truck." I thought as I woke up to the smell of simmering meat.
Rolling off the couch, I fell on to Frank Gallagher, the drunken father of the Gallagher House, master cable thief, and my favorite drinking buddy. I use him to push myself up and head to the kitchen. When I walked in, I felt a strong thud. I look down to find Deborah 'Debbs' Gallagher with her face in my side and her arms wrapped around me.
At the table, Carl Gallagher gave me maniacal smile as Ian Gallagher gave me a welcoming nod. Finally, Lip Gallagher turned around. He moved from the table to the Kitchen in a flash. I found myself in a stronger hug and I didn't fight it.
"I thought you died man," Said Lip, "Next time we get laid together or not all."
I burst out laughing at the ridiculous solution to keep me from getting lost.
"I'm fine." I tell him as I return the hug, "I met some chick on the west side and crashed with her for a few days."
Fiona gave me a side-eye and I gave her pleading eyes causing her to return to her cooking without a word. I could have told Lip what I told Fiona, but that would be a hassle. But I figured I could put Lip at ease and stay in Fiona's sympathy if she believed I was just trying to spare Lip.
Deceptive, I know. But Let me tell you all about the GallagherFamily and me. I met these no-good bastards when I was 10 years old. Around the time I started floating around, Lip and I tried to steal the same window air conditioning unit. Of course, we argued until he offered me to crash at his place in exchange for helping him steal the window unit.
The day I met the Gallaghertribe, I've been with these guys ever since. I love their work ethic, their grind for the next dollar, and their divine ability for decadence. And when I'm with them, it's like being with my own family. They pulled me out of more shit than I care to admit and when I score big, they're among the first people I think of.
"So, Fi said that you're crashing with us for a while. " Said Lip as we parted.
I peel Debbs off of my waist and move to the kitchen table.
"Yeah. I'm looking for something big." I tell him as I pull bacon onto my plate.
"Big?" Ian asked, "Like what? There is no big score on the South Side."
"I don't know yet. But this...This can't be all of what life has to offer. We deserve more."
I know, I said the South Side life is amazing and all. But after a night of sleep and some thinking about my death and miracle return, I know I have to make something of myself.
" For now, South Side is just enough," Fiona spoke as she eyed me. She broke eye contact halfway to the table with a pan of eggs.
After breakfast, Lip and I struck out. We wandered the streets together, got into some mess, and made it back home before sunset so Lip could finish his homework. When the house was quiet and everyone was sleeping, I did something that would have shocked them all dead, I took Ian's and Lip's school books and began to read. As I was diving deep, I was tossing back the beers and discovered a new feature of the System.
Reading = Intelligence and Wisdom points
INT&WIS = Memory recall.
It didn't matter that I was getting drunk. As long as I read enough, I'll remember some of it and my stats will raise. But it had to be intelligent, thought-provoking material. I acquired new skills like Science, Math, Reading. The most interesting thing about the system is that it intrigues me. And eventually, I started to study the books in front of me to test the work-reward function. How much work do I have to put in to get the best out of the system?
Let me tell you, by 3 AM, Fiona was answering the door and Frank was being brought in by the cops as usual. But I looked at the stacks of books and found that I had mowed through them. My Reading skill was at Lvl. 4.
Focus and Effort beget maximum rewards.
"Hey... What is all of this? Fiona asked me.
"I'm working on a new score," I told her.
"What? College?" she asked.
"Psssh, that's foolish. No, I'm working on something bigger." I explain, "Just watch me, by Christmas I'm going to buy you a dress that you like and don't have to return."
"Oh...Did I just make Fiona Gallaghersmile? Holy Shit..." I tease her as her smirk deepens.
"You do what you want with your money. I'm just happy to see you studying. Hell, I'm happy to see all of you studying." Fiona spoke and her eyes looked a bit off.
"Why don't you study something? You graduated. You keep your nose clean so you can always be here to care for everyone. You deserve to study if you want." I tell her.
"What? What would I study? What about the money I miss out on while I'm studying?" Fiona asked and it seemed like every question was meant to bury her desire.
"I heard this teacher talking about free money for student shit. If we can get that. You can take a class or two and use the rest of the money on the house." I suggest.
Fiona was frozen.
"You alright, Fi?" I ask.
"What about you? You put all of this effort into the next score, don't you want something more?"
She sounded as if she was in attack mode.
"The system is rigged, babe. I know you hear many of us say that. But I swear I'm going to find out exactly how it's rigged and then use it to make myself some cash." I tell her, "Told you, things are different now. What would you do, if you suddenly died and some god or higher power brought you back? How differently would you live your second life?"
"Cain...Are you alright? I mean, really."
"Yeah." I tell her, " I just don't want you, Lip, Ian, anyone I care about to look up one day and find themselves dead in a pile of trash in some alley. No one is going to live our life for us and no one can make us happy. We have to want to be happy and work to stay happy. Think about that."
I close the textbook in front of me, then rise to my feet. I tower over Fiona who sat on the arm of the couch. Finally, I wrestle up the courage to kiss her forehead. I made it sincere and lingering.
"See you tomorrow, Fi," I whispered.
Leaving the house, I look at the list that I spent all day working on. I then took a train up North and looked at a few jewelry stores, the security cameras, and doors. I even went by their security firms. Honestly, putting a sticker on your door and telling the world what security you use is like the dumbest thing ever.
By dawn, I acquired the Observation skill.
It was around eight o'clock when I got to school and my teacher looked surprised that I even showed up.
"Mr.Narvaez." Mr. Williamsl spoke in this weird as fake Spanish accent.
"Yes, Mr. Williamsl?" I spoke to the man in a very Chicago accent.
"Good to see you joining us. Please, have a seat." he gestured to the back of the class.
I took my seat next to Lip and this gorgeous Latina with curves like an hourglass. I look at Lip and gestured towards the brown-skinned beauty. Lip just laughs at me.
"I thought you were coming to school to learn?" he whispers.
"I find her pleasantly distracting," I reply.
Lip shook his head, "Page 32." he said.
I look at him and then I look to my left. Suddenly a great Idea comes to mind as I move my desk to connect with the pretty lady next to me.
"Can I look at your book?" I ask.
She rolls those beautiful hazel eyes and tells me, no.
"Would you really deny me an education? It's only for an hour."
She sighs. "Fine. No talking." she orders.
As the class went on, I found myself familiar with the content and kind of intrigued. I listened to Mr.Williamsl speak about Dr. Victor Frankenstien in many ways except the way in which any of us could relate to the character.
"Mr.Willams, Victor is a South Side boy," I spoke out.
The class looked at me and Mr.Willams stopped speaking. He then gets this look on his face that most teachers get when their 'worst' student participates.
"What do you mean, Mr.Narvaez?" he asked.
"I mean, you stand up there and talk all this bullshit, but nothing that matters to us. Love, loss, sorrow, the need to feel alive and a part of something are what we feel in our everyday lives. Victor put in work every day and night, even when people told him that his endeavors were a waste. They see a man and recall what they know of the world and how they think it operates...
Then they tell him that he can't succeed. I don't care about the dilemmas and complex inferences, I just like that he created his monster and said fuck the world. Now his monster has to do the same thing --create a life for himself no matter who is creator his or how the world treats him. My mother left me and my father died young. I've done a few things that the world condemns. But I'm not rampaging, I'm grinding."
I didn't really get much of what I was saying. It's probably an incomplete thought at best. But this death and resurrection shit has me be a bit twisted. The bell rung and class sped off. I looked at the girl beside me and she was moving at her own pace. She knew where she was supposed to be and when she was supposed to be there. It was peaceful to watch her.
"What's your name?" I asked her.
"Giovana, but my friends call me GiGi. Is that what you want, to be my friend? Is that why you buggin'?" She asked and I laughed.
"I think I do," I reply.
She purses her lips. "I think, comparing South Side boys to Vicor Frankenstein is giving you guys too much credit."
"Wow, Okay. Why is that?" I ask.
GiGi picks her books and hugs them as she walks to the door. Of course, I kept pace.
"You see southside boys like a pretty face, slim waist, fat ass, and big tits. You holler at one and then another, and you become indecisive and whimsical. But Victor, Victor is narrow-minded, driven, all in. I don't entertain whimsical boys." she said.
"I'm all in. But you know you southside girls are a bit fickle yourselves. When the ride gets a little shakey, you find another. And when the ride gets too smooth, you like to sabotage yourselves and find a new ride in the junkyard. I'm not in the mood for self-destructive. But you do talk a big game."
GiGi stopped walking as she grabbed my arm. She then pulled out a marker and wrote her number on my forearm. "It seems we both have something to prove. What's your name?"
"Cain," I answered.
"Cain? Okay, I can get used to that. Give me a call, Cain. That's if you remember who I am by the end of the day. There's a lot of pretty faces around here."
Gigi put away her marker and walked off. I look at my forearm and see a number with no name.
'GiGi? I like her.' I thought.
Each class was the same. Lunch was a bit rowdy as Mandy wanted to fuck and I had other things on my mind. She then wanted to talk about my short vacation. Honestly, we could be considered friends. So I never mind having her around. I gave her the same story that I gave Lip, but she wanted details that only served to level up my Deceiver ability.
After school, Lip and I hung around the front of the school as we looked out for any trouble we could get into for the day. Nothing was really happening and I got another crazy idea. Lip doesn't have a system, but he does need to get in on my next score. And maybe, I might motivate him to take on this wildlife with me.
"Hey, Lip...."
"What's up, man?"
"You still working that little Job at McGrady's?" I ask.
"Tutoring gigs right now," he replies.
"Good, come with me." I drag him along as I see GiGi.
"Hey, GiGi.." I call out and she turns around. "See, I remember you."
"Okay. Good for you."
"Girl, stop being difficult. Look, I have a hunch you know where the public Library is."
"Maybe. You need to go to the Library?" She asks.
"Pshh, I wouldn't bring it up if I didn't. Can you help me or not?"
"My girl, Letty, has her dad's car today. You pay for gas and we'll drop you off. " she bargained.
"Deal."
