BEFORE THE SETUP

By Quentin Smith

Before the shootouts. Before the betrayal. Before the bodies hit the floor—there was just Q, Spanky, Tray, and Rikky D... four kids ridin' rim bikes through the northside of Houston, eatin' greasy burgers from Menefeeds and learnin' life the hard way.

But loyalty don't grow in silence.

And hate? It don't always come loud.

In these streets, childhood is short, and envy moves quiet.

As friendships shift and the block turns colder, Q starts seein' the cracks long before the setup ever begins.

This is where it all started.

The dogs. The dirt. The lessons. The love.

This is the story before the war.

This is Before The Setup.