Prologue

Prologue: "Changes"

Life works in funny ways sometimes. Some get hurt, others go through without a single bruise. I wish I could say that I am one of those people, but I have been so battered in my life, that I could tell so many stories of how I got each scar that is scattered over my flesh.

It could be simple to follow a destined path. Working through life, taking chances, meeting people. Sometimes though it isn't that easy. I have fallen off my path so many times, but I guess it is a miracle that I even managed to get back onto it after every stumble. Those stumbles though, have made me who I am and could be the key factors of who I will become.

Other people aren't so lucky. Friends of mine have fallen off their roads, and haven't had the strength to get back on it. The falls aren't all bad for some of them.

Two of them were some of the worst teenagers I ever met. They were in Latino gangs, sold drugs to kids, and were often arrested. Tattoos lined their skin, showing their affiliation with the city's worst gang- Sangre del lobo. Blood of the wolf in Spanish. I know, they sound like the stereotypical Latino male. They had gotten shot one day by rival gang members over a territory dispute and since then something changed in them.

My other friend's, my most loyal friend or he had been, transformation was terrible. Before it all happened he was a straight-A student, varsity football player, and a JV baseball pitcher. He had a full ride to Florida State University in Tallahassee to play football. He suddenly disappeared for a week, abnormal for him since he had almost a solid 4.0 GPA. It was after he came back that we all saw the change in him.

He had shaved his head to the skin, had a nose piercing, and had a string of tattoos. He, of course, didn't explain where he went or what he did. I could tell that in his change, he was happy with how he changed. I knew he was happy how he was before, but now he was too happy to be who he was.

I never changed as drastically as the three of them did. They turned their lives around, and you could see such a strong improvement. Then it came to Zander, whose life turned a complete 360 into the negative side of life that no one wanted to see.

My grandparents sat me down about a week after he returned. They were worried about my safety. "Something isn't right with him anymore, Izabellia. He could hurt you in more than one way. We don't want you to get hurt," Abuelita told me. Abuelo nodded in agreement.

"Sì nonna. Sì nonno," I replied in Italian as it was my native language.

"Eres una buena chica," Abuelo told me.