The Other Side

The Beginning

Chapter One:

A side of town where the lights don't shine and where good people stay away. I've never stepped foot on the side where flowers bloom and birds chirp. I was raised by a gang called the South Side Serpents since I was born, my parents ditched me on this side of town because they didn't want me and I guess I'm fine with that because I'm so much better being raised by a gang. I'm only Sixteen I work at a bar when I'm not at my jacked up school. I'm being raised by my "father" FP who has raised me since he found me by the edge of the river dividing each side. We live in a small trailer that only has one room which he sleeps in and I'm fine with that, I sleep in the living room on the pull out couch. Sometimes I stay with some of my best friends Toni and Sweet Pea.

"Betty where's my jacket?" Fp comes into the room.

"Probably still in your truck, you were really drunk last night I had to drive you home from the bar--again." I stand up.

"I don't want to hear it Betty." The fridge door closes.

"You don't want to hear what? You being drunk for the tenth time this week and I have to be called to come pick you up before you hurt yourself and or others." My voice becomes louder.

"BETTY! ENOUGH!" He starts yelling at me, I just get up grab my jacket and keys and walk out.

I stop at Toni to pick her up.

"You're earlier than usual, was it FP again?" She slams the rusted door closed.

"Yeah he got drunk again last night and I had to pick him up, I mean I work at that bar and if he keeps doing that shit I'm gonna end up getting fired." The wind fills the car with soft force.

"Dude you can't get fired! Sweet Pea and I need you to serve us free drinks!" We both laugh as we're approaching to Sweet Peas.

Sweet Pea hops in the back of my truck and Toni opens the tiny window that separates the inside of my truck to the bed of it.

"What's up Topaz, unknown?" Sweet Pea always calls me unknown because I've never been given a last name since I was left and FP never tells anyone his last name.

"FP got drunk, started yelling at Betty, then she came to pick us up." Toni started telling everything to Sweet Pea.

I zoned out for a while until we parked at the school and it all came back. When I got out of the truck the sleeve of my jacket got caught on the door and tore it. Sweet Pea comes over and sees.

"Dude FPs gonna have a fit when he sees that." He starts messing with the rip.

"Maybe he'll be too drunk to realize that it ripped." I grabbed my bag.

"I talked to my dad about FP and he told me that he didn't start drinking until you came into his life." He put his arm around me.

"Thanks a lot Sweet Pea!" He smiles.

"Sweet Pea stop messing with Betty." Toni jumps next to us.

"This place is shit." Sweet Pea squeezes my neck with his arm.

"You say this everyday like we don't know." I try to loosen his grip by hitting his stomach.

When we walk inside it was like a normal school day on the southside, some students were doing drugs or drinking, others were smoking, people were messing around and or threatening each other with their pocket knives. I sigh and continue towards my locker. I've never liked how everyone did drugs or smoked, but I don't mind the drinking or threatening. I guess it's what my useless northside genes puts me through. Sweet Pea leans on the other lockers and watches me grab some books from my locker while Toni goes to her boyfriend he was spray painting stuff on some lockers.