Bit of backstory. When I was in elementary/high school, like a kid you know, I grew up in a pretty hardcore ghetto in New York, ran with gangs.. that kinda stuff. My best friend Wesley (M20), I looked up to him since he was the leader of our gang. But then I had to go away when I got into an Ivy league college (sorry, not gonna name which one), and I didn't get to come back home because I was so busy the past few years because I've been working so hard trying to make something of myself. It's hard living that life, you know? I'm trying to get away from all that. I've been learning how to dance, and sing, and get educated at the same time. Kinda like all those old b-boys that used to hang out in the subway station near where I used to live.

So things calmed down a bit and I actually managed to find some time to come back home recently. Once I got home all my old friends were there waiting for me. I got a kind of intense vibe right away, like they were a bit judgmental about what I was wearing, and how I talk now because I'm not using as much slang as I used to. But we kinda shrugged it off and went out anyway.

We decided we'd go roam the streets like the old days, and I kinda hinted to them that I was cool with that but I'm not really down with mugging people and all that stuff, you know? I don't want to risk my studies and career just to impress them. Wesley wasn't happy and was getting increasingly pissed at me, so I just said fuck it. I took them down to the subway station and I guess I let them peer pressure me into showing I'm still a bad mofo by robbing a few people. I figured if nothing else I could say hey to the b-boys down there, if they were still there.

The first guy comes up, an old man - and I just couldn't do it. I just don't feel it anymore. I just think it doesn't make you a badass to do that anymore. I don't need to behave that way, you know? There's ways I can better myself without having to mug old guys. I don't have to live like that. So I shouted at the old guy to get outta there, to just run for it because Wesley was coming for him. He got away though because of me.

Wesley was pissed at me and was shoving me and shit, and he got my friends and they all turned on me. It genuinely felt like I was gonna die, they were saying I lost my connection to my neighbourhood and turned my back on the ghetto. Wesley thinks I betrayed him and our people by going to that ivy league college.

Just when I thought they were going to beat me up, just like we used to beat up traitors when we were kids, the b-boys appeared outta nowhere. They totally had my back, and I realised, like - I think it's more badass to have the courage to protect people like I did that old guy. It's more badass to go out and better yourself through ways that don't involve hurting other people and pushing drugs and shit, you know? So I told Wesley that. I shouted at him, you ain't bad you ain't nothing!! I still feel good thinking about it.

So then the b-boys nodded at me and we ganged up on my former friends, shouting at them, taking over the whole subway, breakdancing, showing them through peaceful ways how we're the ones that are tough, it takes more guts to do the right thing in this world. More guts than Wesley and his boys have just beating up old guys.

Wesley had nothing to say at the end, he just said like 'fair enough then' and shook my hand. But it got me thinking, were the b-boys right? Did I do the right thing, or did I just turn my back on my friends and my neighbourhood? AITA?