Chapter 1

Natalie sat in class, watching the clock hands move closer to the designated time.

"Come now everyone, we don't want to do bad on our finals, right?"

Natalie looked down at her paper, which had a few things written down on it. She sighed, and then looked at Mr. Olsen. His head was bald and his eyes were dull. He was clearly the boring teacher you'd expect in you Senior yea roof High school. These finals were only the semester one too, which weren't as important as the ones at the end of the year.

Mr. Olsen became tuned t as Natalie stared at the clock. She had only a minute before the-

Suddenly, a loud sound rang over the speakers. Everyone stood up and started packing their bags; the end bell had rang.

Natalie scooped up her notebooks and pushed them into her backpack. She pulled a strap onto her right shoulder, catching her black hair in it, and almost yelping in pain. She winced as she pulled it out, and then rushed out of the classroom.

Natalie sat on a bench outside, waiting for someone. She pull out her phone, and stopped for a second to examine herself. Her skin was on the paler side, and her eyes were green. He long, black hair was out today, and she had chosen to wear hardly any makeup. As she turned her phone on, someone wrapped their arms around her waist and tickled her. She screamed and then laughed as her boyfriend came into view.

"How are you doing?" He asked, pulling some of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm good, how are you Brett?"

Brett smiled. "Good, class was boring today." He said leaning towards her.

She smiled as he kissed her. "Well, I hope that makes it better." She said, as she pulled it away.

Brett smiled. "Just seeing you makes it infidelity better, babe."

Natalie grinned. "I best be off, can't be late."

"Why what's up today?"

"Mother is in town."

Brett frowned. "Oh, so I can't come over?"

Natalie sighed and shook her head. "You know how she feels about you."

"Yeah, she hates me."

"No, she doesn't...hate you, she just...extremely dislikes you."

Brett scoffed. "That's the same thing as hate, you know."

Natalie put her finger to his lips. "Hate is a strong word." He grinned under her finger, and she kissed his cheek. "Have to go, see you tomorrow!"

Brett nodded, and sighed.

Natalie was walking home. She passed by an apartment building. She looked at it. It'd probably been there for a long while, and it still hadn't been torn down. Many of the public warned it'd be a burden to their city, but the city felt it wasn't as important at the moment.

Natalie was watching it when she noticed a bit of movement from inside of it. She stiffened. Perhaps this was a gang hideout?

She started backing up when something crashed through a window and almost hit her head. She froze, then looked down to see what it was. A large rock was living there, and her eyes widened. Someone had just tried to kill her! She looked around the street, and others had frozened in place and were staring at the building. Some turned running, but Natalie was still staring t the rock. She then picked it up, stand at the building, and felt anger rising up in her. She pulled her arm back, and chucked the rock though the building, and heard it crash through wood. Hopefully she just put a giant hole through their floor.

Natalie turned around and started walking home. It felt good to get revenge.

******************

Ivan and Zoe stared at the hole the giant rock had left in the floor. Ivan walked over and pulled it out. This was a rock that he'd seen thousands of times in the front yard.

Brandon and Darrick came running in. "See? I told you no one was hurt!" Darrick said, his breathing long and heavy.

Brandon shook his head. "That Richie chucked it back at us. I only intended to scare her away." Darrick scoffed. "You aimed for her head!"

"Yeah, and?"

"That could've killed her!"

Brandon sighed. "Better her than us."

Brandon walked away, leaving the other three speechless.

"Who in their right mind-" Darrick said, clearly angry. Then he sighed. "Brandon, when will you ever learn?"

Ivan looked back at Zoe, her eyes wide. He sighed and walked back to her. He looked at her arm, which had a nasty cut on it. "When'd you get this cut?" He asked.

Darrick looked over at her. "What? A cut?"

Zoe's face turned bright red. "It's just a little cut..."

Ivan shook his head. "We need to get medical supplies, otherwise, it could get infected."

Darrick leaned against a wall and slid down it, clearly stressed. He sighed. "I'll have to go get some, Sophia won't know to get them."

"Make sure to let Brandon know. We don't want him attempting to kill another Richie."

Right, I'll do that." Darrick said as he turned to leave.

"Darrick?" Zoe called.

"Yes?"

"Be careful, I don't want to lose you."

Darrick nodded. "I'll be careful."

Darrick stood in front of the pharmacy. He looked down at himself. He'd gotten a bath at the Twenty-Four Seven gym that allowed anyone in. His clothes were cleaned at the laundromat from the change he'd stolen from other machines people hadn't emptied, or change he'd found lying in the streets. And only a quarter had he pick pocketed from a man in front of him, but that had been it. Darrick hated stealing, but for Zoe, anything.

Darrick sighed and then pushed the doors forward. He stood in the font of the shop and breathed in the smell of medicine. It was clean, much cleaner than he was used to. Darrick walked around until he found the health care aisle, and started grabbing the things needed. He made sure the scratch off bar codes, just in case. He also grabbed smaller versions of things, so they could fit in pockets easier. He pulled out the few coins he had and counted a dollar. Perhaps he'd buy a candy.

Darrick k walked over to the cashier, and waited in line. He was tapping his foot nervously. He knew he'd have to be prepared to run once he got out.

When he came to the cashier, he noted the piercings and tattoos in their body. The man sighed. "Just a candy, kid?"

Darrick bit his lip. "I'm seventeen, I'm not just a kid."

The man scoffs. "Shorty, aren't ya?"

Darrick said nothing as he handed the chocolate bar to the man, and he grabbed it. He scanned it, and then held out his hand. Darrick placed the coins in the man opened Palm. "Coins, eh? Don't have a job now, do ya?"

"No sir, I don't."

"Well, I'd say get one here, but I can hardly stand the clothes you wear, aren't too clean now, are they?"

"Sir, they're clean."

"Yes, and I have no tattoos on my butt. Now, get a move on, I got some more people to attend to."

Darrick nodded, and then walked off. When he got to the door, he prepared his legs, and bolted. As he ran through the parking lot, he heard yelling from behind him, but he didn't look back. He didn't look back until he came to an alley, and fell to the floor, his legs jelly.

Darrick sat there for a bit, before he heard a voice. "Po po after you too?"

Darrick whipped around to see a girl about his age sitting there. Her hair was dirty blonde, and her eyes emerald green. She looked like trouble.

"I, uh, wouldn't say that really..."

"Trust me, you stole something. Pick pocketed? Tried to kill someone? What'd you do?"

Darrick sighed. "Got medical supplies for my younger sister. She needs it desperately."

The girl smiled. "A kind and loving boy, huh? Not gonna survive in the thief world much longer with that attitude."

"Good, I didn't want to be in it anyways."

"Names' Jennifer. What's yours?"

Darrick said nothing for a little bit. Finally, he told her his name.

"Darrick, eh? Not that common, but mighty fine in its own right. Where is your family?"

Darrick felt tears lining his eyelids. "I don't have a family."

"What about your sister, ain't she family?"

"Yes, she is, but she's all I got left."

"Hmm, so your parents are," Jennifer paused, then mimicked a knife going over her throat.

"Yes, they are. No other family member to take us on either."

"Seriously? No aunts, uncles, not even grandparents? Or cousins? Or cousins second time removed? I never got that really, but-"

"None. Not one." Darrick said.

Jennifer nodded. "Hmm, unlucky you are."

Darrick looked at her. "Do you have a family?"

"Yes, I do." Jennifer said. "Why?"

"Well, why are you getting in trouble with the police if you have a family?"

"How long have you been on the streets?"

"Since I was six."

"How old was your sister?"

"One."

"Well, that's nice. And to answer your question, police go after those who are drug dealers."

Darrick felt his legs being relieved of the jelly that was forbidding him to run. "Drug Dealer?"

Jennifer nodded. "Unlikely profession, huh?"

"How, and why?"

"Same as you, I'm protecting my family."

"That's not protecting them, you're endangering yourself, and if they know that you are a drug dealer, well, that could land them in prison along with you!"

Jennifer said nothing. "We need the money." She finally said, tears starting to trickle out of her eyes. "We have almost nothing. Soon, I'll be on the streets like you if I hadn't done anything. Of course they are mad at me, but I managed to get them enough money to stay in the house for at least another month without having to use the money earned at their jobs for it, so they can feed and clothe us."

Darrick sighed, and then stood up. "Good luck, Jennifer. I hope you don't end up in prison for the crimes you have committed to care for those you love. Drug Dealing is serious. Be careful if you want to live in the normal world."

And with that, Darrick ran off, leaving Jennifer sitting there, crying in the alleyway.