Hustlin 'Ard: A True Story. Chapter One

Have you been looking for a new, exciting online storybook to read whilst you visit your favourite blog? Well look no further! Presenting ‘Hustlin ‘Ard: A True Story’. Read it and weep.
(As usual, cos I’m so nice, I’m always welcome to suggestions/feedback...just send us a message!)

Hustlin ‘Ard: A True Story
Chapter One: Dreams

'Where’s my lens cover man, for f*ck’s sake!’ Nick yelled as rummaged through his bed sheets.

His room was always a mess, which didn’t help in situations such as this. Nick Benson was born on the 2nd January 1987, and was a dreamer. He dreamt all day, and all night, for things that were absent in his life. He dreamt of his future, and changes he wished he could have made to his past. Visions of his life ten years from now were a constant reminder of the things he needed to fulfil, and all this dreaming was preventing his room from ever being tidy again.

‘Oh, there it is,’ he whispered, as his mum ran up the stairs with a scowl on her face.

‘Nick, why are you always losing things in this room?’ She shouted. ‘If it’s not your lens case, it’s your phone. If it’s not that, it’s your keys. I tell you, one of these days you’re gonna have to sort this room out. And I’m not doing it for you. I do everything in this house.’

Nick noticed the sound of his mum’s voice begin to fade as he ignored her, and ran down the stairs. He quickly buttered his toast, picked up his camera, his keys, and his folder (which his mother had left in a neat pile on the kitchen worktop), and shouted ‘Bye Mum, Love ya!’ up the stairs. She had barely responded when he ran out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Nick looked down at his feet as he walked up to Streatham High Road, and couldn’t stop thinking how fresh his new Reebok Omni Lites looked with each step.

‘These trainers are SICK!’ He thought to himself. He took extreme pride in his appearance. His hair was always cut, his jeans new, and his trainers had to be the latest edition. He arrived at the bus stop and noticed a pretty girl standing with a guy, who seemed to be her boyfriend. As they held hands, she turned around, and looked at Nick.

‘I must be looking nice today, man!’ He muttered. It was always a confidence boost to get the eyes from young ladies, he thought, especially at 8.30am. As the 109 bus arrived and everyone got on, he couldn’t stop thinking how well she would photograph, and was just thinking of backdrops and light settings when his phone rang.

‘Nick, are you there yet?’ said a loud voice down the phone.

‘Nah, I’ll be there soon though, just on the bus. Did you finish that project?’ Nick asked.

‘Err, No! When do I ever finish photography projects, man! I’m doing it in my own time, as and how I feel like it,’ the voice replied. It was Sean, one of Nick’s university buddies, who was extremely lazy, and rarely completed any of his coursework.

‘Sean you’re a joker. You know I did mine though innit! And I have to say, it looks bloody great.’ Nick smiled as he opened his folder and glanced through his latest photography project. He knew he deserved a 1st for it, or at least a 2:1, as his talent was undeniable. But there was a certain lecturer at Uni who just wouldn’t give him the credit owed to him. However, the frustration of receiving these lower, undeserved grades only spurred him on.

‘Bruv, I’ll be there in ten, yeah?’ Nick said, ending the phone call as his reception cut out. The bus was nearing central London, and he noticed a black Mercedes drive past as he looked out of the window. He smiled to himself, as he saw that the driver looked young, in fact, a similar age to him. But he couldn’t help feeling that he wanted a better life for himself. He knew it was out there. He had dreamed of taking care of his mum; paying off her debts, providing the financial and physical security he had always strove to.

‘I should be doing more than this at twenty-two,’ he thought. He remembered the internship application he had made a couple of months ago. Nick never mentioned this application to anyone; it was a complete secret, and always would be, if he wasn’t successful. Just the thought of it made him anxious. He closed his eyes as the sun broke out from behind the clouds, thinking of the possible opportunities it could bring him, and his mum. Sighing deeply, he picked up his stuff and got off the bus.

Whats the internship Nick applied for? Will he be able to take care of his mum, and have long-lasting success? Find out in Chapter 2 of Hustlin 'Ard: A True Story!