Street Kids

The Grove

Hi , my name is Raquél . I'm 17 , and from the grove . I was born and raised here , it's all I know , and all my life I've been trying to get away . I hate this place , i don't belong here and I don't fit in . Most of the girls at my school don't talk to me , mainly because I don't participate in their shenanigans . All they did was party , have sex and get high , that's why half the school was filled with girls either pregnant or that had an abortion .

I knew I was going to spend my whole senior year , single and a virgin . I was a very attractive girl to be honest , I just didn't take no shit . That's how my mama raised me , especially since I was her only daughter and the youngest of three . I only had a few friends , I wasn't very social so I kept my circle small . My main friends were ; Kendrick , Déjà and Keshawn .

We all played sports , because living in the grove was bound to either make you or break you . If you weren't in sports , you were in the streets and the streets would get you killed quick .

My mom thought basketball would be good for me , and I admit it was . I was good at it , and had talent ...this would be my ticket out of the ghetto ! My daddy was never really around , and the only real memories I have of him , is when he use to beat me and my brother . He pushed him down the stairs , and broke his arm . I've always been scared of him , but as I got older all that went out the window . If he ever put his hands on me or my brother , I'd kill him without thinking about it twice .

My mama worked and worked , trying to make sure we had everything so we wouldn't end up in the streets . Though my mom did everything she could to keep us on the right track , all it took was one small group to get me off track . This one clique would change my life forever .

" I've never been in a clique before , I wouldn't know what to do " " just be yourself Shawty , you'll be all good " Kendrick added .

Kendrick basically ran the group , we kinda did whatever he said because it was just something about him you respected . Then there was Déjà , she was the youngest of us but the toughest . The third members was Keshawn , he was the comedian , but he had a bad temper and could snap without warning . Last but not least was me , ordinary teen with a few violent tendencies . I guess I was really the peace maker , always there to calm Keshawn down .

" Y'all ready for tonight , this is going to be the best night we've ever had " Keshawn said . " I have to make sure my mom is working late , and get my story straight before tonight " " well you need to make it happen , because you're a senior and all those scholarships are going to get you out of here . So think of it as your little celebration party " Kendrick added .

we made our way to the next class , and proceeded to go about our day. The main thing that sayed on my mind was tonight , and how everything needed to go right . " hey raquel , what you up to tonight ?" Tina asked . Tina was a cool chick , but her friends , not so much . She rolled with some pretty hardcore females , like the type you see in prison movies. Tina ran all of them , and was the prettiest . Sasha was the parakeet , she basically did anything Tina asked and mocked her every word and movement . Then you had Brandi , the hothead that wanted to fight at the drop of a dime . I knew they were up to something , because they never really talk to me and i was just fine with that . They were like devil himself , and i knew no good could come from talking to them , but to ignore them would be even worse. I proceeded to tell them that i was just hanging out with friends tonight , and i didnt really have any major plans . " Well we heard your little group has something planned , and we want in on it " Brandi said . Honestly i had no idea how they knew about our plan , but no good could come from the schools gossip girls learning our secret . We were bound to get caught !

Later that night my mom headed our for her night shift at waffle house , it was what helped with the bills . I told my brother i'd be out with friends , and not to wait up .He didn't really seem to care , that was just the way he was . Laid back and cool about everything , i kinda liked it because then he wasn't in my business al the time . Tonight was the night , we'd hit the biggest lick yet and it would be enough to get us whatever we wanted .  We'd have the juice if everything went right .Keyword 'if' everything went right , but little did we know how hard this would be . Especially with the gossip girls trying to tag along . only God knows how many people they told and what all they knew about tonight's plan . We would walk into Woo's corner store like paying customers , get everything we wanted , then stick the place up . It was a week after New Years , so he'd be stacked with cash . Everyone came to get their liquor from him , so we'd have to pick a reasonable time to go . I gave the idea to go at 1-2 in the morning , he stayed open late anyways plus not many people would be up and out that late . The one thing we had to worry about were the bums , because they stayed outside of Woo's 24/7 and they were known to be what we call ' street rats' . They'd snitch on anybody just for enough money to get them smoe more dope or whatever they were itching for. It's a hard life out here , but you just have to make best of it , plenty of old people lived in the grove. You're considered old if you're 30 and still living , sadly few people lived long enough to see that age.

Little kids didn't even stand a chance here , many of them died because bullets that weren't meant for them. My mama always told me " A bullet dont have a name on it"!

That was true but i felt like God had me , if it was my time then he'd take me . Death didn't really bother me , living in my hood , you got use to it because it was bordcasted all over ! People even killed them-self just because they thought they couldn't beat the statistics and they'd never amount to anything more than these streets . Sadly , that was true for some people... all they had was the streets , no family to even rely on or a shoulder to cry on . That would drive anyone to the point to take their own life , i saw a dude shoot himself and another jump off his fire escape. Shit anything to get out seemed like a good plan . Even though basketball and academics were my plan , sometimes i thought about just giving up. Lucky me , this was my senior year before i got my big break .

" Say Raquel , let me talk to you for a second " Kendrick asked. We stepped away from the other to get privacy . Kendrick had this look on his face , like he was scared..it was never a time that i've seen Kendrick scared besides when his brother Mill was shot , and killed. " You're a senior ."

Kendrick said

" We're all seniors." I added

Kendirck let out a deep sigh .

" You have more going for you, it's just not meant for you to be here . I can feel it , i dont want what happened to Mill to happen to you!"

I knew what Kendrick was getting at , but i didn't understand why he felt like it was his job to protect me . I mean what happened to Mill wasn't entirely his fault , Mill knew he wasn't supposed to even be at the drop. The guys they were dealing with were hardcore. They'd kill at the  drop of a dime , and Mill was just in the wrong place at the wrong time . 6 bullets and they all had his name on it . Like i said earlier , i wasn't really afraid of death , because it was so natural to me . I'd felt dead already , when you dont have a father and your mother is always gone and whenever she's home shes putting her hands on you . abusing you mentally and physically . You're practially dead already , thats not something worth living for .  I always had a love/ hate relationship with my both my parents , i felt like they both abbondon me . My father left , and it was like when he left , my mom left too. She lost her mind , and started drinking and putting her hands on us just like my dad use to do. She'd say " You want yo Daddy back ?" and begin to hit us the same way he would. I thought about killing her once , i know that sounds bad but theres only so much that you can take before you cant take anymore. One night she came home , with the sent of liquor on her as if it were Chanel 5 .

She walked into my room and sat on my bed , after looking at me she grabbed me by my hair dragging me out my room . I fought , kicking and screaming the whole way , she just went crazy like a animal. After i was out of my bed she beat me over and over , she even broke some of my ribs. I laid on the floor that night silently sobbing , plotting on the day i'd exscape this hell i called home , this was the last time she'd ever put her hand on me . I promise that.