Gangsters Paradise

Gangster's Paradise - An intense story built off of a basketball game and a teenage girl. Taylor Jones struggles to protect her brother and friends... she's willing to be killed by Red, a gang leader in the city, to do so.


Chapter One
     Graffiti. Riding through the streets on my bike that's one of the things I see the most of. For some reason, I could compare myself to it - I guess anyone can after being called something like it all your life. I was a piece of trash. As I rode down the sidewalk, I suddenly hooked a right into an empty lot between two  buildings. All along the walls was the same spray-painted writing and two basketball hoops.
     "Taylor!" Josh yelled in surprise and I heard his bike skid to a halt, and he followed behind me.
     Taylor - that's me. I was in the center of the city basketball court, steadying my bike with one foot on the ground. Graffiti... it looked like something that shouldn't be there, quickly painted on the side of a building then left. I thought about how I looked - I have dark, almost black eyes, and light brown, almost red hair. I had long legs so most of my  friends weren't too much taller than me (but they did make me feel shorter than I really was). I'd just turned fourteen yet I was a freshman in high school. I was a smart kid. I didn't die my hair, have any piercings or tattoos... I thought I looked normal. My clothes weren't the problem either - I was wearing jeans, a yellow t-shirt,  my jean jacket, and grey, high-top converse. As far as I knew I wasn't breaking any fashion code, I don't even think there is one to break.
     Josh rode up from behind me. He has these half-blue, half-green eyes and like I said before - he was a few inches taller than me.  His hair is long and blonde, it falls in wisps over his forehead and sort of kicks out at the neck.  We'd been best friends ever since we were little kids and shared so many jokes and sayings from all the days we'd run around our side of town doing whatever we wanted. Now we rode our bikes to school every Friday morning.
     It only took Josh a second to realize how the thoughts in my head were working, he said, "You thinking like a writer again?"
     "Yep."
     All of a sudden I couldn't stop thinking about graffiti. About who did it... what it said. I thought about how people always tried to pain over graffiti - make it go away. But no matter how much you use to try and cover it up... it will still be there lying beneath the paint. It will always be hiding beneath the paint. Just like how the people that write it hide behind their hoods.


     I followed Josh up the stairs and through the hallway, my backpack over my shoulder, towards our classroom. We were late. The second he opened the door and we walked through all I could hear was noise. People were scattered on desks all across the room laughing, talking, or yelling at Ms. DiCamillo - and she was yelling back.
     " - don't understand! I want all you kids to do well in school! All of you have some potential and don't throw your entire lives away just because you live in these awful and - and -"
     She stopped when she realized what she was just about to say and looked up at the students warily; but the entire class had heard her and they all knew what she was about to say too. They were already snatching tests or worksheets off their desks, ripping pages out of books, grabbing at anything paper in an arms reach, and crumpling the pages up just so they could throw them at her.
     She yelped as everyone swore at her and told her to get out. She knew the only smart thing to do was run out the classroom and we all watched as the door slammed shut behind her. Josh and I finally walked away and started to sit down.
     "Hola mis amigos," Carmen smiled, "sleep in?"
     I nodded as I sat on the top of an empty desk and tosses my bag into the chair.
     "So..." Angela began, "do you think Ms. 'Cam is gonna come back this time?"
     "Who knows..." I said, "this is the third time we've thrown her out."
     "Is is?" Emilio asked, "Then my bet is on her leaving. She's probably at Pulman's office right now shouting about how 'we're hopeless' and that she quits."
     "Kali - how 'bout you?" Angela asked.
     "I don't know... she's kind of surprised me. I think she'll come back with one of the security guards."
     Angela turned to Will but before she could ask he said, "Don't even loojk at me. I lost last time and I ain't even getting into this."
     "Alright... Josh?"
     "I don't have any money... but I personally think she's leaving. Carmen - what do you think?"
     I think she's gone and she ain't never coming back," she laughed.
     Chris stood up, "I think she's a really nice person... we shouldn't have said those things to her." He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "Let's invite her back inside and asks if she wants to be our friend."
     I giggled, "So leaving or no?"
     "I'm with Kali... she'll come back."
     "Okay... place your bets!" Angela announced.
     Emilio put down three nickels, Kali tossed a dime on the desk, Carmen dropped four pennies. Them. just as Chris stopped fumbling around in his pockets, he put down a chocolate bar wrapper.
     We all laughed. "No," angela shook her head, "we have to have something from you. Taylor - what's your input?"
     I studied Chris for a moment. "he has to be a chicken for the rest of class."
     "Woah... hey... we don't need to go there." Chris smiled, "Right? No... I'm cool. I don't need to - "
     "Nope... you're a rooster."
     He rolled his eyes as he sat back down, "Fine." 

      Within twenty minutes the classroom door opened again and the enitre class went silent. Mr. Pulman waddled throught he door, his face a chubby frown, and sat behind Ms. DiCamillo's desks. A woman had followed behind him and was waiting at the door. She leaned up against the wall and I could tell she was itching to get out of here.
     "I'm deeply disappointed in all of you. You are all almost sophmores and juniors adn you've already ran throught three teachers this year. Mr. Marzollo... Mr. Breen... and Mrs. Rinaldi."
     Looks and grins of triumph spread throughout the entire classroom at teh great accomplishment.
     "So is Ms. 'Cam gone or what?" Carmen yelled.
     The principal looked at her, and then scanned the enitre classroom, "She's quit." 
     Carmen clapped her hands in approval and her and Emilio immediately started to separate the money between themselves. Josh, Angela, Will, Kali, and I all looked at Chris who was slumped over in his chair, scowling. He glanced at all of us, stood up, and mumbled something about Ms. ‘Cam under his breath. He positioned his arms at his ribs as wings, and crowed. 
     Mr. Pulman stood up, almost confusedly, and continued his lecture; but he became increasingly angry and consequently very idiotic. “ – this class is unbelievable… I don’t understand how any of you’ve even got this far! You are all lying, uncouth, vile, dense, foul pieces of trash! Your parents? Oh… they weren’t any better. You are going to rot in the streets and no one – "