Garet McLendon

I remember we get pulled over.

My mom gets picked up.

Maybe they found drugs.

Maybe it was a warrant.

It probably was a warrant or probably it was drugs, but whatever.

I go from where we were living.

I move in with my grandmother.

And, um, my grandma lives in town and like, I sort of lived off in the outskirts of town and like this little secluded area to where like we're drinking pints and, and smoking weed and, and, and, um,

The change happens.

Eighth grade, I get introduced to the, like, I meet this guy, and this guy is a full-on, he's older, he's like 10 years older than me, and I'm big, so I'm not like your average size, so I'm like, I'm a big kid.

And I'm walking the dogs, my mom, like, my mom gets out of jail, she's like on this different path, she's living with her mom, and

And I meet this guy and like, and like, I think I'm just like this guy.

I'm just like this boy who wants like this role model in this life.

And I, I've been, my mom's connection has been like my, my role model for the longest time.

Like I've been watching him sell drugs.

I knew what drugs are.

Like I, they're happy in my household.

My mom would come in and bring me stuff.

And like my friends would sneak over and I'd be like, Hey, you guys all want to do lines and we all do lines.

And,