"Wow, the moon is so bright and beautiful tonight!" I exclaim as I look out the window. I turn to my parents and ask, "Do I really have to be locked up all alone tonight, why can’t I go to the wedding with you?"


"Jessie,” My mother says with a sigh, “you know you can't be out of the house when we're not here. Something could happen to you and we wouldn’t be able to get to you." Which actually means, stop pouting and go away. You're too young to be out late. “Besides your cousin said no one under 21, that includes you.”


"But mom, I'm 15. I can look after myself. I'm not stupid.”



“I never said you were stupid,” my mother replies with a face of heart break, as if I actually insult her.


“I know you didn’t. I am just saying that I’m not, which means I won’t do anything bad.”


“If you know I didn’t call you stupid then why did you say you’re not. You say it’s because you’re proving that you’re not going to do anything bad but I didn’t say you were. Maybe I am just worried about my child getting hurt, maybe I don’t want to be at the hospital tonight, MAYBE…”


“Mom! Can I please just go out tonight?! Please please pleeeaaaasssse!”


"Stop, you’re really annoying. *Sigh* George, can Jessie please go with you and your friends into town?" She asks, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, which are so squinted you can barley see the hazel.


He looks up from his cell phone and gives her a strange look. In return she gives him a sad puppy dogface, which he returns with a disgusted look where he scrunches his nose and curls one side of his lip.


They continue their conversation through facial expressions until I see my brother sigh and my mother’s face light up. "Great thanks, you're such a good son." My mother says, as she walks away with my father and heads for the door.


My father opens it and turns around to say to us, "Make sure you two stay out of trouble. And Jessie…no boys."


"That goes for you too George." My mother pipes in, she pauses before adding, "Except in this case it’s no girls."

I know shes joking around but it’s not like he’s going to get any anyways, George never gets girls, but I don’t actually understand that either, since he’s not ugly. He has short brown hair and a lightly tanned skin like me, and he wears the same ridiculously baggy clothes as his friends. Maybe he smells bad.


"Okay mom, *chuckle* see you later," George says. He closes the door and turns to me. "Alright rule 1, do not try to be best buddies with the girls, and rule 2, do not flirt with the guys. I'm 17 and your 15, which makes me in charge, you got that?"

I nod my head even though I'm not actually listening. Mostly I'm thinking about doing the exact opposite of whatever he says.

"Okay get your sweatshirt and let’s go, I told Derek I'd meet him at 9:00 and its 8:56."


"DEREK!" I screech. I pause for a moment and think, be nonchalant. "Oh, uh, Derek? He's going to be there? Oh I didn't know," which was true I didn't, but I was hoping he would be. "Cool so, uh, yeah that’s pretty cool, yup that’s...great, that’s really really great." I finally look up at George and see him staring at me with his arms crossed.


"Stop stuttering, I know you like him. Just don't try to act cool, if my friends hate you, then they hate me, so make sure they like you."


“How do I make them like me if I can’t be best buddies?” I ask with my most devilish smile as I mimic him.


“Shut up, you know what I mean. They can like you and not be your friend. Now let’s go!” He yells.

I pout and grab my sweatshirt. Hmmm I wonder what Derek is wearing today or what cologne. It doesn't matter he always...My thoughts are interrupted by George shouting at me. I take one quick look in my full-length mirror. I am wearing white and red ECKO heeled boots and my favorite pair of jeans, with my red ROCA-WEAR tee and matching white and red hoodie zip up. It all combines nicely with my auburn curly hair, ruby hoop earrings and the two diamond studs in my cartilage. *Sigh* I am such a gorgeous child.

“Jessie!” George yells.

“Sorry!” I yell back as I hop down the stairs.


We finally get to the park and I see Derek. My heart starts racing.

"Yo Derek!" George hollers as he starts walking towards them, leaving me behind. When I catch up to them I hear George explaining how our parents are making him watch me, his "annoying sister."

I look down at the ground and hear a voice say, "That’s okay, we like her company isn't that right guys." The rest of the group mumbles in agreement, which I think is mostly so they don't hurt my feelings. I look up and see that the voice belongs to Derek.


I blush and say "T-t-thanks Derek, I l-l-like your shoes. They're very...white” They’re very white? Did I really just say that? Oh god, he's going to think I'm a babbling monkey. However, to my surprise he looks at me and smiles.

He laughs a little bit and says, "Thanks, they're new." I look back at him and see his shinning teeth.

Wow his teeth are perfect. His hair is an amazing shade of brown, and he has a nice clean buzz cut. Which looks great under his white and blue NY hat, can hair look good under a hat? And wow! Look at how matched his outfit is, a perfect symmetry of colors and texture. To top it off he has his caramel colored skin, which makes the whole outfit just, POP! I sigh again and think, he is also a gorgeous child like me, and together I think we’d have equally gorgeous kids.

George starts calling my name, which awakens me from my daydream. At that moment I realize that for the last five minutes I have been grinning like a three year old on Christmas, just starring at Derek.


"Jessie? Are you okay?" George asks for most likely the hundredth time.


"Yeah I'm okay." I say



"Okay, well did you hear a word any of us said?" I look around and see everyone staring at me. I look down and shake my head. I hear George sigh, "We are going to the pizza place for dinner...now." I look up, reach in to my pocket and grab the money our mother gave me incase I wanted to order food.

"Alright, let's go." George says leading the group to PIZZA PLAZZA, the least expensive pizza place in our tiny town. I continue to daze while we walk, until I smell the awfulness of smoke. I turn around and see everyone lighting cigarettes, including Derek.

Aw man, he smokes, well that’ll all change once we’re married.

Derek catches me staring and holds one up. “Want one?” George turns around to see what the offering is then stops, causing the whole group to stop. I look around and see everyone staring at me waiting for my answer.

With all the staring I forget the question and look at Derek and say, “Huh?”

He laughs and repeats a little slower, as he waves the cigarette in my face, “Do you want one?” My confused look quickly turns to disgust.

“Ew no!” I spit out without even thinking, “I mean, uhm, no thanks.” Derek shrugs and turns to George and holds the cigarette up.

We moved here about three weeks ago, we used to live in an even smaller town in upstate New York. Because of how small it was no one really smoked, we drank sometimes but not much stores sold cigarettes. We lived near farms and the smoke “wasn’t good for the animals”, and the schools basically attacked the stores if they did, they were really big on their students not smoking. Neither George nor I had many friends here so now we pretty much do whatever we can to get them and keep them. Pathetic, yes, shallow maybe, totally wrong to do because we’re not being ourselves, of course, but do we care? No.

George looks around at the rest of the group, who are all smoking. Then looks at me and sees my pleading eyes, which hopefully read please don’t.

“Come on man, its just one cigarette,” Derek says. George looks around then reaches out and takes the cigarette. Derek smiles and lights it for him. He pats George on the back as he takes a puff causing him to lean over and have a coughing attack. It sounds like there’s thunder coming from his lungs; it sounds like he’s dying.

“George!” I yell and run over to him to try to help.

“Leave him alone, newbies are always like this.” Derek says in a reassuring voice. George eventually stops and stands up. “So how do you like it?” Derek asks.

How does he like it? He just had a coughing attack how do you think he liked it? I think to myself.

“It was, uh, good,” I hear George say. I turn my head and stare at him with a dropped jaw.

He turns away and looks at the group and says, “So, uh, lets go get some pizza.”

“Actually, it’s getting late, I think we should go to my house.” Derek says looking at the rest of the group winking. I pull George off to the side.

“George, I don’t think we should go. I’ve seen his street, it scares me, and so far from what I’ve seen tonight, despite his extremely good looks, he’s not a good person.”

“You’re right, we should go. What was I thinking?” George says with a bit too much enthusiasm. We walk back to the group and George looks at them and says, “Guys, Jessie isn’t feeling so well so I’m gonna take her home and meet you there Kay?” He says it so fast I barley even heard it. He grabs my arm and starts dragging me down the sidewalk.

I pull myself away and say, “I feel fine, and you are not going.”

“If you don’t go home I’ll tell mom and dad what you dad over the summer.”

“I rode horses?”

“Think harder.”

“I became a C.I.T??? If you’re trying to scare me it won’t work, I’m a good child.”

“Fine, I’ll give you my pay check for two months.”

I think about it then roll my eyes and say, “Fine.” We start walking and all I can think is, oh god, what are they going to do?

We get to the house and George shoves me inside and says, “Alright see ya, bye,” and slams the door. I sit there for five minutes before deciding I have to go find George.

By the time I get there they’re all smoking, again, and discussing something about later. I hide behind a bush close to Derek’s house and watch.

“Come on George its just one fight. The guys a wimp and has been bugging us for weeks. He said he’ll meet us here to fight our best and strongest man, and that’s you.”

“I don’t know Derek, I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Come on George, you know you want to.” Derek looked at him with a giant smile.

Please don’t George. Please don’t do it.

“Alright, if I’m really your best man I guess so.”

“Yes!”

NO! Oh god George, I never you knew you were so stupid!

“I knew you’d come to your senses. Look, just in time too, there he is, Johnny D.,” Derek says. Everyone, including me, turn to see him, the bushes are in the way a little but from what I can see, Johnny is nowhere near wimp. He is tall and really muscular.

As for his group, well, I really hope George doesn’t do anything stupid ‘cause they all look like they can rip him to shreds, even the girls! I mean George plays football and has some muscle, but he is nowhere near as strong as Johnny.

“Yo Derek, is this your man, George? Dumb name for a fighter,” Johnny says.

“And Johnny isn’t. Face it, you’re scared that he’s going to hurt you,” Derek replies.

“I’m not afraid of anything, especially him.”

I look at George and well, Johnny may not be afraid, but George sure looks it. Please George, back down now, please.

“Can we get this fight over with, I have to be at home at 12:00,” Johnny says.

“You have a curfew? Ha!” George says stupidly.

“Yo shut the f*** up I gotta be somewhere in the morning.” Johnny says pushing George starting the fight.

I plug my ears so tight all I can hear is the sound of horses galloping and the sound of balloons filling in and out real quick, which I can only guess are my lungs and heart. I can’t bear to watch anymore punching and blood so I look down.

About two minutes go by but it feels like one hour. Without looking up I unplug my ears. All I hear is the chanting of the two groups, heavy breathing, and the sound of a fist hitting hard against a face.

I look up and see Johnny with small bruises and minor cuts, and then George, with blood and gashes all over his body, which are probably from Johnny’s rings. Johnny takes one last swing and BOOM, George goes down.

OH NO! “George!!” I race out of the bushes and run up to Johnny and just start hitting any part of him I can. I end up backing him into a pole and his head smashes against. I am crying so hard that I don’t notice and keep hitting him.

“GET HER OFF OF ME!” He yells, a few people from his group of friends come over and pick me up. Even raised in the air I still cry and kick yelling at Johnny.

They throw me on the ground and kick me in the head. I see them drag George; they have his arms and legs tied up. Where did they get rope?

I can see that he’s breathing, but not well. I feel something on my leg and look down; all I can see are hands and more rope.

“Get away!” I yell. They start tying up my hands, and when their done drag me next to George. “George, George please wake up.” I try my hardest to awake him but it’s no use. I turn my head and look at Derek. “Derek, please help us.”

“Uh…we were kind of, uh, bye!” Derek and the rest of them run off like there’s a fire...or possibly worse.

I can’t believe I liked him. I can’t believe I wanted to marry him. I can’t believe I wanted to…*shudder* He got my brother to start smoking and got him in a fight, IN ONE NIGHT! And now he’s just, leaving us here?

“Nothing was supposed to happen tonight, it was supposed to be an even but easy fight. He goes down, I win, I get paid and no cops are called.” Johnny says, “But you’re boy was such a wimp I just couldn’t stop, and then you come along and I knew you’d call the cops, plus you smashed my head. Besides he’s gonna die anyway, just look at him suffer, might as well put him out of his misery.” He pulls out a gun and the next thing I know there’s a shot. When I look at George I see blood pouring out of his head and he’s stopped breathing.

“GEORGE!” I turn my head away and cry. With my face wet from tears and blood, which I doubt is even mine; I turn my head to look at Johnny as he lifts his hand holding the gun. I close my eyes so I only see the pitch-black sheet of my eyelids; the next thing I hear is a click, then a boom.