16 years

Before

"Sixteen years on the streets and you learn a lot of things. But all the wrong things,not the things you want to learn. Sixteen years on the streets and you see a lot, but all the wrong sights, not the sights you wanna see." I read the words aloud for the fifth time but still the paper was blank. Who could write a six paragraphs about what this quote means to you? I wrote my name on the top paper cause so far putting Riley Dobson on the appear is the only thing I'm doing so far." Riley! Riley!"
"In here mom!" Good. She could distract me from this paper."Have you seen mason?" Great my brother stay out pass sundown again. "No but I'll look for him" I says passing mom from my door and heading out. Mom was what I called a diamond in a dump; unlike the other moms on the block she didn't smoke or drink and she always had the house looking the best it could. Everything she touch turn to gold and personally I think it's because she was raised in the first class part of town. Then she met my father who in her neighbor was a rock in a diamond patch. I never got why she married my father but sure as hell glad she did because then I wouldn't have been born and neither would have mason.

Our block isn't really a block. Most of it is cracks in the street from wild driving and the drag races that happen here, most of he grass is uncut and is knee height. Beer bottles cover the sidewalk and cigarette buds. In the middle of our block is a railroad. It separate us from the middle class. I knew this is we're mason is. See our block takes over another block but it consider middle class since they have less broken down houses. At least to me it's middle class. Before I can turn the street I see Mason with a group of boys surrounding him. One of them throws a punch and mason dodges it and knocks the boy off his feet. I quickly run to him, pulling out a pocket knife "Get Off of him!" I yell pushing through the boys. In the middle I see mason on top of the boy and his fist is cover with the boys blood. I yank him off and grab his shirt. "LAY OFF OF ME!" Mason yells trying to get out my hold. I hold tighter so he wouldn't let go.

"Why can't you stay outta trouble" I yell at him as soon as we got on our yard.
"They started with me. Saying I was a pussy I ain't no pussy I'm a hood and I sure a hell show them" with that I gave a rough one in the head"You damn well you ain't suppose to cruses or fight"
"That's what hoods do we fight, swear, and drive cars shoot as soon as I turn 14 I'm gonna go to Scabby and buy my first loader"
"You ain't gonna do no such things maybe if you use your head more you wouldn't be so dumb and get yourself into these situation"
" I can handle them"
"You know that's a lie, there was at least 8 boys and only one you, if I wasn't there you would've been...who knows, those boys were Crosser and you know damn well crosser and hoods don't go along just like hoods and Wester don't go along" Even though we live so close us hoods and those Crosser hated each other. Mostly cause each wanted to prove that they had it tougher and the Wester were just the. Stick up kids that show off how easy they had it."I coulda handle it, I don't need no superhero"
"Yes you do" and it was true.
"Whatever I can fight my own battles." Mason walk through the door and slam it shut. I shook my head and walk to the side of the house and light a cigarette. "Got anymore of those?" I turn around and saw Cara.
"Yeah" I shove my hand into my pocket and pull out the box of cigarettes, she grab one and I lit hers. Cara wasn't like the other girls on the block. She didn't like wearing dresses or doing her hair. Cara loved getting into trouble and was the only one out of the whole gang who could jack a car in under 2 minutes. Cara did have some brothers who all were in jail, her father was a serial killer and killed about 9 people, her mother was Drunk. But even so Cara was the most beautiful girl I ever seen. Her hair was like a golden brown and her eyes were the same. She wasn't fat like the rest of the girls on the block and she looked super sexy in black. I wanted to hook up with her and so did most of the gang. "What happen with Mason?" She ask after taking her drag of the cigarette.
"He got into it again. This time it was 8 against 1"
"He gettin worse, I think Eric making him think he unstoppable"
"I wish he would stop it. Mason only 13 he doesn't need his head to be full of this" I said expanding my hands. "Yeah after this school year I'm going to California"
"California?" Nobody ever travel on this block. You either grew up here or move here but you don't move form here. "Yes, I mean look around...I don't want this to be my future" Cara had a point but even the thought of leaving was shut down. Who would watch my brother if I left or mom even dad needed someone to help him when he's back was hurting and couldn't work." I wish I could leave" I quickly take a drag as the thought full my mind "You can. The world needs more people like you and RedDock ain't the place for you to be."
"What do you mean?"
"Well look up, what do you see" I look up and the only thing I see is the clouds from the factory's. "Stars" I says
"See that's what I'm taking about, you don't really see stats but you see what you know is there, kinda of like when you talk about RedDock street you never talk about the bad rep but the people who live here"
"I think it's a horrible things to judge something base on what things looks like"
"But it the way most people judge."
"Cause it's the easy way."
"But why!why do people think that way?"
"Because it's better than taking a chance and getting hurt"
"Is that why we're all risk takers because were hurt"
"I guess so" I finish my cigarette by now and so did Cara. "I got to go thanks Riley" and she was gone. She always disappear." I'll always be there for you" I say out loud.
"What?" Said Cara. I didn't know she was still here. I couldn't see her but I guess she was and she herd me"Nothing" I yell. I hear a laugh and then a respond"okay."