The School Yard was full or resistant teens, not wanting their summer to end and the new school year to begin. Many things happened over the summer; Trya Davis and her brother Hakeem were killed in a drive by shooting. Chago had gone missing and even “Striker” had been different.
He was one of Destiny’s best friends but ever since early June he hadn’t even said a word to her, not even all this time. The bell rang like a loud siren, taking her back to reality. She sighed deeply as I walked through the crowed doorway. The doors had guards posted on both sides and metal detectors, they didn’t trust us. We all were kids from a bad neighborhood.
“Hey Destiny!” Said one of her best friends. She walked over to me with a bright smile, kind of creepy for the first day of school. “Hey Jennifer” She said as she forced herself further into this “prison”. Then the unthinkable happened…Chago walked in, Destiny was speechless as she looked over. “H-hey J-Jen….Look over there” Destiny said pointing towards the door.
There he stood with a dark colored pair of baggy jeans, a black muscle shirt, and a black bandanna. His brown colored Latino skin seemed a bit darker and his eyes are a bit more cold and had a scary glimmer in them. “Hey Chago!” I said as he walked over “Hey Shorty” He said as he wrapped his warm and strong arms around her for a hug.
“Where have you been?” Destiny asked as she placed my hands on her hips. “ Oh…I just ran away for a bit” He said as he smiled. “A bit my butt! You left a week before school ended” she shot back with a glare but he still smiled. By now Jennifer had left the two to themselves. “I was really worried” She said with a somewhat melancholy look. He laughed a bit and smiled warmly “I knew you would be” As those words left his lips the bell rang for the second time, even louder from the first…even the echo blared and they were going to be late.
She had him and Jenn in a few of her classes, and the day went smoothly but her thoughts stayed on Chago. she was overwhelmed by his sudden appetence back here. There was more thoughts than just that though…like ‘where had he gone, back to the Barrio?’ It was the end of the day and as Destiny walked out of the school with a ton of other students she looked over and spotted Chago but he was with a few guys from the uptown gang, they handed him a Silver and black item. She saw it was a gun! ‘What is going on..?’ She thought then her eyes widened with the realization…he had joined their gang!
The one thing he hated most in the world he had joined. He said he would never join them not after his youngest brother was shot down by one and his eldest died fighting in one. He looked over and saw her “Des-” He tired to say but before he could say anymore Destiny began to run, she went as far as she could and ended up back at her old neighborhood. This place is the Barrio of our town. Her old house was not taken by anyone nor was it up for sale, it was to damaged. There was a fire here many years ago and no one could really fix it.
As she walked in she heard footsteps behind me, Destiny knew exactly who it was. “Hey Shorty you cant just leave with out my side of the story” He said as he came up behind me. Destiny didn’t want to hear this, she didn’t even want to believe it! “How could you! You said that you never would!” Her back still facing him. Destiny didn’t want to lose him like they had lost Jesus, Jesus was his elder brother, everyone loved him … it was a horrible blow to everyone. And so was Rudy, his younger brother. Chago wanted so much for her to understand. “ I was looped into this by force, do you really think I would want to do this on my own!” He said as he grabbed her shoulder. She twisted out of his grip and faced him, slapping him on his right cheek.
He was stunned for a moment, unable to say a word. She was looking down, her bangs shadowing her eyes so you couldn’t see them. “I know but still! I don’t want to lose you!!” She yelled at him. Tears hit the ground below her, Chago made her look and saw her tears. “I know shorty….I know” He said hugging her tightly with a grim look on his face. Destiny felt like he was going to he ripped away from her….and she was scared about that more then anything.
When she finally arrived home she heard a intense fight brewing in the living room. Her sister sat crying on the steps that lead to the hall near the room. Destiny looked in and saw her father and mother arguing. “Listen, I cant stand being here,” her father yelled “We are poor and are barely surviving each week” Our mother looked at him with a scowl and cold glare “Yeah but its all we can afford right now! Mostly with Des going to collage in a few years!” She cut back.
He glared back “If She is ever capable of that!” He father said, receiving a smack instead of words this time. “don’t you speak of our daughter that way” She said with an icy edge in her voice. “I don’t think she is even mine…I’m leavening!” he said as he walked out the door. Destiny could now feel more of her world start to crack and turn into darkness…..it felt like her world is going to come crumbing down on her.
Her sister still crying looked at her and hugged her. This wordless gesture was all that was needed, Destiny fell back and sat on the stair next to her sister. As days went by her father still hadn’t returned and her mother had begun to work more shifts at her work. Destiny wasn’t even sure that they were going to survive and even her problems with Chago got worse…. She was walking home when an ambulance pasted, sirens blaring loudly but she thought nothing of it. As soon she got to her street she realized something horrible was wrong….there were tons of police outside her house and some even inside.
She now sat in the hospital waiting room…a few hours earlier she had talked to a policeman there and he said her mother had collapsed from mental and physical exhaustion"Squeezing onto her own arms, as if to find comfort, Destiny looked around the cold and crowed waiting room." This place had always been her worst nightmare, it was a sad and dreadful place. She now fell asleep, huddled in hard, uncomfortable chair.
Many hours passed and she remained asleep. Finally she was awoken by the doctor “Miss…Miss?” He asked She looked at him with a dazed look “Miss….I’m sorry but your mother…she, she has passed” Once again her world cracked a bit more and fell into darkness. She didn’t know what to do now…..how would she and her sister survive. Her father gone and mother dead…she had no other family.
Her and her sister didn’t really tell anyone and were living on their own, Destiny had two jobs after school.
She walked into the class room of her third period class. After what seemed like forever the bell rang, as she was about to leave her teacher called on her to stay. “Destiny…what’s going on…you seem out of it” They said. Hesitant she told them. “Well…I will keep it a secret for now…if it gets worse I will tell someone” after that she left.
It had been a week or two, her grades were bad but she was just to fizzled to think! Destiny’s brain stopped working during her time off when she was home. She heard a knock on the door. It was the social services, Destiny didn’t answer so the left a note on the door. When she were sure that they were gone she quickly grabbed the note, closed and locked the door and began to read “Miss Herrson we have you sister in custody, we have reason and evidence showing that you and your sister have been abandoned buy your father and your mothers recent passing. We will also have to take you into custody, please contact us as soon as you get this…..” It continued with a street address and a phone number
Even if they got her sister she wasn’t going to let them get herself! Weeks passed and they still came and came again. Leaving notes, voice messages. They even looked for Destiny at school…she just stopped going. Destiny even hid from her friends now, her whole world had been turned inside out and was inverted. She was living on the streets and was always alone. She hardly ate and was pretty scared “What am I going to do now mom…?” She asked looking up towards the clear, star filled sky.
Chago was randomly walking with a few of his friends from the gang. Junnie, Rico, and even Sticker. He looked over into an alley and saw someone sleeping in the corner, a young girl. He realized that it was Destiny! He ran over to her with the other close behind. Destiny looked up at him, she as dirty and in very bad shape. “Wow Des…you’ve fallen hard….” He said as he picked her up and with the others, returned to him house.
When she woke up she found herself in a simple and small room. These was not where she was last but wait, last thing she remembers was seeing Chago and hearing him say something about falling. She sighed and walked out of the room, looking around she realized this was Chago’s house. No one was home but there was a not “Hey shorty, help yourself to anything you want, a bath, food and more sleep. I will be back soon. Love Chago!” She set it down and got herself some food after a few hours Chago returned home and found Destiny sleeping on the cough, curled up in a blanket. He smiled and lightly kissed her cheek “Everything will be ok Des….I promise I will make things better for you……”
As time went on, days turned to weeks and weeks into a month. Destiny had stayed with Chago for awhile now, still unsure of her new life. After living on the streets she had nothing, and if she left Chago she would never have anything again. Let alone he wouldn’t let her leave, he didn’t want to see her end up like that again. I would just pain him so much….at this point in time he was starting to get confused by his own feelings.
Every now and then destiny would sneak by the school to see Jennifer and some other friends. They all said that they missed her but she told them she couldn’t come back yet. Destiny missed her sister but she didn’t know what to do right now. It was harsh but at least she had Chago and the others with her. The others were people she recently met, they to were also forced into the gang. She had become one of them…it wasn’t as bad as being alone and on the streets.
They all called her shorty now. Chago was always with her, teaching her the ropes, and everything she needed to know. Everyday they would go and visit Rudy’s grave. “Chago…I miss Rudy so much” She said hugging his arm “Same here Kid…Same here…but that’s life and we will just have to live it” He said hugging her as well “Well Ruby we both are fine…and we will be ok, you better be doing well up there” Chago said with a smile.
More months passed and even Destiny had killed a few, she wasn’t scared anymore nor did she detest the gang or its members anymore. Her and Chago had gotten together and were happy but no matter what there seemed to be s huge wall between them. Destiny’s Latino features changed a bit. Hr hair was now to her butt and her face more serious. Her eyes had a more distant look in them, maybe more sad and pained. She walked back to the house now, were Chago was, whipping some of the remaining blood off of her gun and face. She walked in “I’m back Chago” she simply stated “So how did things go?” he asked “Well I fished them all off but it was…kinda hard, there was a kid…a actually let him go, he wasn’t meant to be part of it all” she said as she plopped down next to him on the cough.
She laid her head on his shoulder, trying to take comfort in his presence. “Chago….should we really be like this, I feel kinda bad now…” she said looking up at his slightly. “Donno but its all we really got right now Destiny, but as long as I have you I will be alright” He said kissing her cheek. With him everything seemed better but there was still that looming darkness and the feeling of her would wanting to come down. The pressure still building and weighing down on her shoulders. Chago must have been feeling the same thing, she seemed more…fragile these days. She smiled half-heartedly at him and kissed him.
It was a year later of her mothers death and Destiny still couldn’t fully believe it. This seemed to bring the weight down more and everything had gotten darker. She sighed deeply and looked around, she was waiting for Chago. As soon as he stepped in he noticed Destiny sitting in the corner of the couch. ”Destiny, you ok?” he called out as he went into his room to set his stuff down but there was no answer “Des?” he called out again. He walked over to her and moved her but what he saw was horrible….Destiny’s side was bleeding badly, she seemed to have a gunshot wound. He felt for a pulse and there was nothing, he was to late.
Chago didn’t know what to do but he decided to calm down first. He called the cops and after a few days he sat down next to where he found Destiny on the cough. “Destiny…. Don’t worry Shorty ‘m just not going to do anything, I told the cops and showed them the note.” He looked over “I’m safe now…and I really miss you” He was safe and everything went back to normal after that.
![[send message]](https://www.writerscafe.org/images/mail.png){kind=small}
![[befriend]](https://www.writerscafe.org/images/friend.png){kind=small}
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Flag Writing