CS, I hope the way I wrote your story follows the spirit of what happened.
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When I was 5 years old, my biological father realized having a family was not for him. He disappeared without leaving a phone number or address. All that was left of his existence were a few pictures, debts, and... me. Mom struggled to raise a child while working full-time at the local Walmart. Our financial difficulties continued until I became a junior in high school and found students who needed tutoring. The supplemental money was helpful.
In high school, I was a B-average student. Nothing interested me until our teacher started telling us about famous criminals: John Dillinger, Clyde, and the Mafia bosses. I was fascinated by their ability to achieve their goals through crime for years. After learning about these personalities, I went to the library and read their biographies.
Our neighborhood was not a nice one. Drug dealers, prostitutes, and other low-life people roamed the streets, and the police were helpless to make a dent in their illegal activities.
The most notorious guy was Tony 'The Bucher' Bianchi. Everybody knew he was the boss, and nothing was done without his approval. The law tried to catch him multiple times, but it was futile. He was the envy of many kids like me. He had a shiny, bulletproof black Mercedes and used to stop by when we played basketball. He would get out, joke, and give us candies or dollar bills.
When I turned 17, I saved a little money and bought a used Toyota Corolla. I loved driving. At the same time, I read everything about cars and made up my mind that I wanted my future to be around cars - Either as a mechanic or a driver.
By 18, I was already a good driver and acquired some knowledge about fixing mechanical problems. I liked to show off my driving skills before my friends. Most were taller and stronger than me, but nobody was a better driver.
One day, as I was displaying my abilities controlling my car, Tony stopped by. At first, I didn't see him and was talking proudly as if I was Lewis Hamilton. Tony listened to me quietly and then approached me, put his hand on my shoulder, pulled me to the side, and said, "You are Larry, aren't you?"
I mumbled, "Yes, sir."
"My car driver is in the hospital with a severe lung infection. According to the doctors, he'll have to stay there for weeks, if not months. I need a driver. Would you be interested?"
I gazed at him admiringly, "Yes, of course, sir. I'll be honored."
He chuckled, "Can you keep a secret? I mean, you should NEVER mention anything we do to anybody, including friends or family."
"I promise!"
He stared at me and said, "Remember your promise, boy. I am sure you've heard about my reputation. Anybody who ever crossed me regretted it, if he was still alive..."
"Sir, on the life of my mother..."
He cut me off, "That's good enough for me. Tomorrow at 10 am, come to Joey's Cafe, and I'll introduce you to my buddies."
...
On time, I approached Joey's front door and was stopped by 2 massive guys, "Where do you think you are going?"
"My name is Larry. Tony asked to talk to me."
They looked at me with mocking eyes. I didn't blame them. At 5'7" and 155 pounds, I was hardly the guy Tony dealt with. One of the guards went inside and chatted with Tony. He returned, checked that I carried no weapon, and let me inside. Tony introduced me to 3 big guys who sat at his table and mentioned I'd be their new driver. One of them laughed, "Do we have to trust this tiny cucumber with our lives?"
Tony grinned, "Enzo, it's a fair question. Tomorrow morning, bring your car and I'll give him mine. You two are going to drive 3 miles through the city streets, reaching where I'll be. If you win, Larry is out. However, if he wins, you'll shut the fuck up. Deal?"
Enzo smiled, "Yes, boss."
To cut the story short, I arrived a minute and 22 seconds before Enzo.
I became their driver. Unbeknownst to me, the first mission was a test. They told me they were planning to rob a Jewelry store the following day at 7 pm. I arrived on time and drove expertly. Tony was happy. He handed me $200 and told me it was a mission to test my loyalty and ability. Since I passed it with flying colors, I became the official driver.
...
Growing up, I noticed early I was different from the other guys my age. I was never interested in any sports. I loved to read and watch TV. Later, when my classmates began whispering about girls, I was not interested. At 18, my friends, and later the gang members, loved to talk about the ladies they were fond of or had sex with. I attempted to fake interest, but the truth was that a relationship with a girl was never on my mind. Seeing tits or women's butts and muffs simply did not do it for me. Deep down, I suspected I was gay because when I masturbated, my muse was a headless, unidentified, muscular body. However, I did not do anything about it.
Since I did not join the group during their raids, the only information I got was when and where to wait for them, and then drive fast, avoid the police, and reach the gathering spot. I did it for almost a year, and Tony compensated me handsomely. I brought the money home to Mom and told her I was working as a mechanic in a car shop. She was happy I was doing well and never bothered asking questions.
It all fell down one evening when the gang decided to rob the biggest pawn shop in the area. I was not privy to the details. I only heard talk about a pawn shop and that the owner offended Tony. I drove them and waited in a small street nearby. Ten minutes later, I saw Tony running in my direction. As he opened the car door, 4 police cars surrounded us. Later, I heard 2 other members were captured while Enzo ran in the opposite direction and was more successful escaping.
At the police station, I called Mom and told her that I had driven a passenger who got into trouble and I'd be away for a while. She began crying. I reassured her everything would be OK.
In short, it wasn't OK. Tony got 10 years in prison, and the other 2 accomplices got 3 and 5 years, respectively. My trial was 2 months later. I thought I'd get out on probation, but the judge decided to lock me up for a year. Mom was devastated. I said that with good behavior, I'd be out in 8 months.