After securing his windfall, Leon quickened his pace back to the shared house.
In Manhattan, a thousand dollars might just be the cost of a tie for some Wall Street suit, but in Brownsville, it was enough to get you killed.
A junkie's brain automatically converts dollar amounts into grams of meth—a fatal temptation.
Just one block away from home, Leon was distracted by a sign on the corner.
Barbershop.
T-Ray had specifically warned him not to cut his iconic long hair, as it would weaken the "Street Jesus" brand he had inadvertently built.
But after staring at the sign for a moment, Leon walked in anyway.
This wasn't just about trimming his messy hair; it was about saying goodbye to his shtty past life.
---
After trimming his hair slightly shorter and shaving off the scruffy stubble, Leon's entire vibe changed.
He bore a passing resemblance to Brad Pitt's character Louis in Interview with the Vampire.
Staring at his reflection with a burning gaze, he dropped a twenty and headed straight for the thrift store next door.
Even thrift store clothes were a massive upgrade from the grime-encrusted workwear he currently had on.
He skipped the cheap five or ten-dollar T-shirts—mostly donations from charity drives that somehow ended up for sale—and went for something better.
He spent 80 dollars on a pair of decent-condition Air Jordan 1s and another 50 on a Nike tracksuit.
Walking out of the thrift store, he felt the wind in his sails.
The clothes weren't expensive, but in a slum like Brownsville, he looked downright respectable.
His feet were on the cracked pavement of the ghetto, but his heart was already in Manhattan.
A dark, ambitious fantasy rose within him: sooner or later, he would conquer this city, pressing New York under him like a whore and taking everything it had to offer.
When he got back to the house, Bonnie, who was putting on makeup, was so shocked by his transformation she couldn't speak.
She had originally picked him up because he was good-looking, but now, cleaned up, the way she looked at him changed.
Like a lioness eyeing her prey, her gaze was practically dripping with hunger.
"WTF, can you stop staring at me like that? It's creeping me out..." Leon collapsed onto the sofa and lit a cigarette. "It's not time for your shift yet. Why the heavy makeup?"
"And look at what you're wearing. It's barely a scrap of cloth. What's the difference between that and being naked?"
Seeing Bonnie dressed like this gave Leon a bad feeling. Was the financial pressure finally pushing her toward street-walking as a side hustle?
"I have a very important date tonight!"
Date?
Did Bonnie have a boyfriend?
Her chaotic private life was usually none of his business, but this might mean he'd have to move out and find a new place.
Leon immediately started his manipulation tactics. "You have a boyfriend?"
"I advise you to be careful. More than half the men in Brownsville are walking petri dishes. HPV, syphilis, even HIV..."
"Watch yourself. Guys who keep it clean like me are a rare breed."
Bonnie bent over laughing. "What are you thinking?"
"Tonight is my best friend Lisa's birthday. You've heard of that btch."
Lisa?
Leon had a vague impression, but not much.
He recalled a Black girl with dreadlocks who was built like a Panzer tank—easily 180 pounds. The combination of features was... an acquired taste.
Yet, that heavy tank made more money at the strip club than the blonde bombshell Bonnie.
The reason was simple: 80% of Brownsville residents were Black, and no brotha could resist an ass the size of a millstone.
So, Bonnie, who believed she was superior in both looks and figure, was secretly in competition with Lisa. They were "frenemies" at best.
Applying a coat of bright red lipstick, Bonnie suddenly sighed, sounding melancholy. "I still don't get what she has over me."
"You're better than Lisa in every way. I'm serious." For once, Leon wasn't lying. His tone was sincere.
"Really? Then why did she get picked as a backup dancer for Beyoncé's concert and not me?"
"What?! Her?"
Even if it was just backup dancing, that was shocking news.
Because it was Beyoncé.
This Diva, formerly of Destiny's Child, wasn't just a pop titan; she was practically a spiritual totem of New York.
Her husband, Jay-Z, started as a drug dealer in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn.
Now, he wasn't just a rapper but a label owner, agency head, and angel investor.
His influence in the New York entertainment scene was king-like, making his wife, Beyoncé, the de facto Queen of New York.
Across the five boroughs, Beyoncé was worshipped wherever she went.
"You're surprised too, right?"
"You heard me correctly. In two months, at the Brooklyn concert, Lisa is going to be on the same stage as Beyoncé."
"Damn it... why does that kind of luck never fall on me?"
Leon shrugged helplessly. Who told you not to have the premium 'Black Gold' skin?
Beyoncé might be light-skinned, but she represents the community. Naturally, opportunities like that were reserved for her own people.
"Forget about that. How do I look?"
"I have to outshine that btch at her birthday party!"
Bonnie stood up and spun around. Her "headlights," barely contained by the fabric, nearly blinded Leon.
She wore a tiny black tube top that revealed acres of white skin and a cleavage deep enough to tempt any explorer.
The bottom half was even slummier—a bodycon skirt that barely covered her thighs.
Forget bending over; even just standing there, the color and style of her underwear were playing peek-a-boo.
Leon couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to a birthday party or working the corner?"
Bonnie winked. "As long as I look slier than Lisa, I don't care about anything else~"
"By the way, can you come with me tonight?"
Leon shuddered and quickly tossed his cigarette butt. "I'd rather not... I've been pretty busy lately."
Considering Bonnie's social circle likely didn't include many upstanding citizens, he immediately declined.
"Let me remind you, asshole. That wasn't a request; it was an order! Or else get out of my house right now!"
"Why do I have to go?" Leon asked bitterly.
"Because you're a celebrity in Brownsville now! My roommate is the famous 'Street Jesus.' I can't wait to see the look on Lisa's and those other little btches' faces when they find out..."