Not Set In Stone

As Bad As It Seems?

After a long day of classes students would be likely to head straight home, that's what most ordinary students would do isn't it? Well to put you in the group of "ordinary" students may be too generous considering the trouble you tend to get up to. With that being said, you not heading straight home wouldn't be a surprise as you were more likely (and you were doing so) to go and meet up with the crowd that you hang around with, the thugs that you often associate with, and who gets you in trouble.

However, as you were walking down the street you didn't notice someone was tailing you. Lizzie saw you leaving the school grounds and after hearing so many bad things about you throughout the day, all about why you should be expelled, she thought that she would follow you just to see who you hang around with. This led to her finding herself walking down a more rundown street with houses that had shattered windows if not boarded up. It definitely was not a place one would live by choice.

Lizzie did not like being in the area but still she followed after you as you stepped behind an old, run-down house where a group of older men (maybe in their early twenties) were all congregated and each greeted you in a way of a returning hero, one patting you on the back as they said how they heard the police picked you up that morning. You were asked about the details and you filled them in, saying how you had apparently been seen on CCTV shoplifting from a corner shop the day before.

"Did you say we were with you?" The oldest looking member of the group, a man in his later twenties, asked as he stepped forward and you scoffed. "Yeah right, you know I don't grass, J.C" you replied and the man let a grin turn on his face as his hand clapped down on your shoulder and he laughed. "That's my boy, you're definitely one of the most loyal I have in the group right now, good lad" he praised and you grinned, a look of pride on your face from being praised.

The one who you referred to as J.C (obviously a nickname) then stepped away and brought in someone else, someone around your age and introduced him as his brother who was called Tyrone (Ty for short). J.C said that they were inducting him into the group in their usual manner and everyone else, including you, looked eager for the next part before you were called upon.

"Seeing you demonstrated your loyalty again, you'll help induct Ty" you were told before you and Ty both stepped forward and took postures like you were ready to fight. Lizzie then watched as you and Tyrone started slugging each other, throwing punch after punch until your faces were all bloodied and bruised while all the others around were cheering you both on. J.C was cheering the loudest for you to try and knock each other out as the induction method for this group was apparently to beat each other senseless; blood for entry.

Lizzie watched all this with shock until finally the fight was broken up with you standing over Ty who had fallen on his back. "Shit, you can take a beating" he laughed and you held your hand out to help him up, saying how he had no idea and that as time goes on he will be able to take more hits as well.

"We build you up so you can't be knocked down, that's how you say it, right, J.C?" You asked and the addressed man stepped forward and patted you on the shoulder, laughing as he said you were correct. Again, Lizzie saw you take on a prideful expression which got her thinking about something as she listened on the group's conversation which involved your arrest that morning, one of the other members of the group asked how you were already out and you replied how your mother was there and that she managed to talk the police into giving you a warning.

"What's this, the seventh one now?" Another member asked and J.C again patted you on the shoulder, saying how you were tallying them up well. Your near arrests were seen as a badge of honour, just like how beating each other senselessly was a rite of passage in a way. Lizzie couldn't believe that you were wrapped up with a group such as this, they were definitely thugs who were making a delinquent out of you.

But what was worse really was how the other members (Ty not included) were all adults in their twenties who were getting you wrapped up in crimes, making it so you felt prideful of taking the blame for them. It was basic psychology in social influence; you were compliant with their orders because of the reward of praise. "But why does he seek praise like this?" Lizzie wondered before listening in on the next conversation, listening as J.C commented how you would probably be unwelcome in that corner shop again so you can't lift anything from there now.

"You haven't been banned from any shops in town have you?" He asked and you shook your head, saying how you could still get into places there and J.C nodded. He gave the name of one shop and suggested that you see if you can steal some alcohol for the meet up the next day. You asked why you were the one who had to do it and J.C simply replied how it was clear they could trust you with it.

"You wouldn't grass, right?" He asked and you shook your head, replying that you don't grass which earned another pat on the shoulder from the leader of the group. "Good lad, you do me proud" he said and you nodded before saying how you had to get home or risk being yelled at, the police said they would make sure you were home by a certain time as they were strongly considering putting you on a curfew to keep you in line. "It sucks but I guess it's better than jail time, besides, I can just sneak out later" you laughed and the others joined in before waving you off.

Lizzie saw you approaching and quickly took off so she wasn't caught, rushing down the street and around the corner where she waited a few minutes with you passing by before she started to follow again. Was it weird that she was following you? Probably, but she was curious about some things such as why you would seek validation from a group of thugs like that. She followed you at a distance as you were definitely on your way home, eventually arriving and she saw where you lived.

From the outside the house looked decent, definitely inhabitable. So why did you hang around with such a rough crowd? Lizzie pondered on this a little as she stood around a corner, not noticing the approaching footsteps until you were standing there staring her down and she froze up on the spot. She was caught.

"Why were you following me?" You demanded as Lizzie stood frozen to the spot before you recognised who she was. "You're that girl from e...were you told to follow me?" You questioned and she did find her voice to deny the accusation, lying that she was just passing by but you called her out on lying as you had noticed her following you for a bit after you left the meet up. You saw her at one point but left her just to see if she was following or not. And here she was.

"Look, if you know what's good for you then you will leave me alone" you said before being pushed away by one of Lizzie's friends. "Leave her alone before we call the police" they threatened to which you countered that you should call the police for stalking, making Lizzie's friend laugh and ask why anyone would stalk you.

"You're just a low life thug; why would anyone want anything to do with you?" Lizzie's friend hissed which made Lizzie say not to speak so cruelly as you clenched your firsts before spinning to turn away. "You know what? I don't have to waste on you, now fuck off, both of you!" You spat before heading to your house and slamming the door behind you as you entered, leaving Lizzie and her friend behind.

"What a freak? Are you alright, Lizzie? Did he hit you?" Her friend asked but Lizzie said you did no such thing, looking at your house before saying that they should leave as they were clearly unwelcome. Lizzie's friend had no objection to leaving and so the two of them started walking away.

As they walked together, Lizzie filled in her friend on how she did actually follow you to where you met up with your group which earned some scolding. "The hell were you thinking? Thugs like that would hurt anyone caught trespassing" her friend said but Lizzie said how there was something more to this whole thing, something deeper than what was on the surface of the situation. This didn't stop her friend from saying not to get dragged into your problems; "if he wants to associate with thugs like that then let him, it has nothing to do with you, look, I'm going to head home and I'll call you later" Lizzie's friend said before leaving her just outside her house.

Now on her own, she thought back on all she has seen and heard. You were going to attempt to shoplift again and if caught you may get in more trouble. It wasn't in her place to do anything but Lizzie did make a quick call to the police to have someone around the shops so to deter you, why did she do this? She didn't really know. What she did know was that there was something more to this whole thing than what can be seen.

Was it all as bad as it seems?