Michael's spoon picked at the small bowl of chocolate ice-cream in front of him as he admiringly watched Angel as she bit into the vanilla ice-cream sitting in front of her and he anxiously licked his lips. Michael couldn't believe his luck as he silently watched this beautiful creature moan in delight at the creamy, delectable taste. He had never enjoyed watching someone eat but then again, he never enjoyed anything such as this before. They sat outside in the crisp air on a patio of her favorite ice-cream joint, "Creamy's". Nothing couldn't help Michael from biting down on his lip to keep himself from smiling. All day at school, everything that occupied his mind revolved around his romantic date with Angel and both of them eating from the same bowl. Even though it didn't turn out like that, he was glad to have a closer look at her. Her forest green eyes met his glistening dark chocolate ones and she glanced down at his bowl that had a pool of brown swirling like a whirlpool.

"Michael, your ice-cream melted," she remarked as her spoon vaguely gestured towards his bowl. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll just get another one later." She shrugged and proceeded to eat her ice-cream and obliviously make Michael become more aroused with her soft moans of pleasure. He wished she could stop but at the same time, he wanted it to last forever. This girl was doing strange things to him and in an odd, if not lustful sort of way, he liked the changes he was going through. He saw her tongue lick the ice-cream off her pouted lips and he fought off the urge to moan.

"Hey," Michael began once she finished her ice-cream, "I was at the jewelry store the other day and I bought you something that you might like." Her eyes lit up but she quickly shook her head and he noticed the reluctance in her eyes.

"You didn't have to buy me anything. I hope it wasn't expensive," she muttered guiltily and Michael wondered if five hundred dollars was expensive.

It doesn't matter. He thought shrugging his shoulders. He drew himself from the iron chair and stood behind her, delicately slipping the silver chain around her slender neck. The silver heart laying on her chest was enriched with diamonds that glimmered under the white light of the sun. She gasped lightly at the gift and her eyes snapped up to his smiling face.

"Michael!" she exclaimed.

"I know. It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked her and she couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Too beautiful..." she muttered under her breath as her worried eyes glanced down at the exquisite gift, "Where did you get the kind of money to buy this?" she asked with her eyes looking back up at him.

"I got a job. It pays pretty good," he began to study his nails in a somewhat proud manner, "Everybody always come to me."

"Where do you work at?" she asked him and he took a moment to ponder. A grin ran across his lips.

"I'm mobile," he replied solely.

"Well, what do you sell?" Michael wished she could stop asking questions and be like normal girls and accept his word and the gift but Michael and everybody else knew that she wasn't like other girls. The man Michael recognized as his first customer stumbled towards him, still clawing at his skin with the same beady look Michael noticed the last time in his dark eyes.

"Ay, Mike. You got the stuff?" he asked Michael and received a slight nod.

"You got the money?" The man dug his gloved hand in his pocket, soon slipping out two five dollar bills then hastily handed it to Michael and traded it for the small package that always made his eyes light up like the night stars. Angel couldn't believe that Michael had sold him an illegal drug right in front of her.

Is that where he's getting all of the money?

"Thank you for your payment." Michael slipped the money in his jeans then turned to Angel. He was startled to find that she was sad, frowning, looking as if she had just heard the news that a relative had passed away.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked leaning down to her face and she shot up to her feet.

"Why are you selling drugs?" she asked him and he instantly shushed her.

"It's apple jacks." Angel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest with a look of dismay.

"Why? I thought you weren't like that." It was Michael's turn to roll his eyes.

"Relax. I never get caught. Don't sweat it." He made his way to his seat and he could feel Angel's glare burn right through him.

"Don't sweat it? How can I not if my friend is out on the streets selling apple jacks?" Michael cringed at the word "friend" and wished he could end the conversation but he knew by how severe this was, she wasn't going to drop the subject.

"Angel, calm down. I don't get caught, I make good money, and I buy you gifts. That's what you girls want, right?" Angel winced slightly.

"You girls?" she questioned as she took a step towards him, "Michael, I'm not like those girls. I don't care if a guy has money. All I care about is if they feel the same way as I do. If you want those girls, then fine. You can have them," her voice grew louder, "Buy them everything they want until you only have dust in your pocket! By that time, they aren't going to like you anymore because all they care about is money and "those girls"" she said using her fingers as quotation marks, "don't like broke men! Go ahead. Waste your life selling drugs. I don't care anymore!"

Michael sat there, shocked by her sudden outburst. This was the first time he had ever seen her angry and seeing that side of her made him angry. He glared daggers at her as he watched her storm down the road.

Why is she so angry? I should be the one angry since she didn't even thank me for the gift! Damn! Women are so hard to understand! It's just drugs. She's acting like I'm the one buying them!

He looked down and noticed that she had given him back the necklace he had worked so hard to buy her. He groaned and flipped the table over on it's side and stomped down the road in an infuriating rage, startling those around him. People scurried to the other side of the street and didn't dare to look at him in the wrong way. He was angry but he still felt another dreaded feeling in his heart, something he had felt recently. He didn't know what it was but the feeling was dominated by the anger he felt raging in his heart.

Michael stormed in Mini Max's home with the gang looking over at him with startled looks of concern as he plopped himself on the couch that was pushed up against the wall.

"How'd it go?" Tyray asked with a puff of smoke escaping his lips.

"Women are the most stubbornest creatures on the damn planet!" Michael shouted as he sat upright, "She got upset because she found out that I was selling drugs! I'm not doing them so what the hell is her problem!?"

Mini Max smirked wickedly as he rose off his chair and he languidly made his way towards his fuming friend and tossed his lit cigarette into a glass of water.

"You seem angry, my man." Michael rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Angry? What makes you think that I'm angry?" he asked sarcastically and caused Mini Max to roll his eyes, "I'm just peachy. I'm the happiest man alive."

"Wanna blow off that steam?" He asked ignoring his sarcasm and returning back to the plan he had created in his mind. Michael sighed, pondered, and nodded.

"I'm up for that."

The doors of the local corner store swung open and slammed against the wall behind it with a loud bang that made the startled cashier snap his eyes up to the three boys emerging through the entrance.

"Oh. Hello, boys. H-How may I help you?" he asked and the shakiness in his voice exposed his fear and anxiety. Michael strolled up to the desk, glaring in the man's eyes with loath. The cashier could see more than that. He saw the frustration, the sadness, the guilt in his eyes. All of those feelings blended and were exposed once he yanked the gun out of his pocket to hold to his throbbing temple.

"Give me the money," he hissed with his voice breaking. The cashier saw his tears streaming down his pale face and he froze. This boy who was threatening to take his life was crying. He didn't know why and for some reason, he wanted to help him but he knew even a compassionate man like him wouldn't be able to get through his thick skull.

"I'm waiting!" Michael shouted and the man yelped in fright.

"Of course, of course," he said quickly as his trembling hands struggled to open the rusting register. His hands were shaking so much, the slot rattled as he opened it. He was panicking as the two boys behind Michael stuffed snacks in their jackets. He was getting robbed and there was no one there to witness it.

"Guys! The cops are comin!" Jakori warned from the door. Michael glared at the man.

"You snitched?" he questioned with his glare hardening. The man held up his hands to defend himself from harm.

"N-No I didn't! I swear I-?!" The sound of rapid shots crackling in the air cut his sentence short and Michael gawked in horror as he watched the man collapse to the floor. He was dead before he even hit the ground. Michael whipped his head around to them and saw Mini Max jamming his gun back into his pants.

"You said we weren't going to kill anybody," he remarked and Mini Max rolled his eyes impatiently. He could barely get out the words running off his tongue as he shouted, "Man, boy! We'll talk about dis lata! The cops are out to get us!"

The gang darted out of the doorway in an anxious haste with their stolen items and bolted down the street, pouncing over puddles like wild beasts. Their feet pounded against the hard earth in the crisp night air bounced off the walls back into their ears. Michael's heart raced as the sound of sirens wailing pierced his ears and he could see the flashes of red and blue paint along the walls. Michael couldn't believe there was a chance he was going to get arrested. He already went to jail and promised himself to never return but tonight, the promise was going to be broken, all because he sank into peer pressure for something he could have solved for himself. The white car was gaining up on them and the booming voices of the officers speaking into their megaphones made Michael shudder.

"Stop running or you will face the consequences!" they kept yelling but none of them slowed and continued to run for their lives. The piercing screech of the car skidding in front of them made them come to an immediate halt.

"Scatter!" Mini Max yelled leaping over the hood of the vehicle. Jakori and Tyray followed but Michael stayed behind, shocked by the tall muscular man stepping out of the driver's seat in his slim black uniform. He towered over Michael like a giant and glared hard at him through his shades. Michael felt his hand seize his shoulder and he snapped out of his trance and struggled to escape from his grip but he was too strong for him. It was a strength he had never before encountered.

The man abruptly crouched down onto the ground and whisked up a small package with white powder inside. Michael's heart stopped. Not only was he caught robbing a store but now he was caught with illegal drugs.

I'm so dead.

"Have you been selling drugs?" he asked Michael and received a quick shake of the head.

"I-I'm just holding it for somebody." It was the truth but it wasn't the answer the officer was looking for. He slovenly handcuffed Michael's wrists then opened the backseat of the car and shoved Michael inside, just barely missing the top of the car. As the police car cruised down the barren street, Michael looked back at his gang that were watching the car whisk him away to prison. He shook his head at them as tears stung in his bloodshot eyes. He wasn't crying because he felt betrayed, it wasn't because he felt guilty, and it wasn't because he was returning to jail. It was all because he soon had to explain all of this to Angel and the mere thought of having to see the look of disappointment in her eyes again made him sob.

Dark eyes peered out the window at the iron gates devoured by barbed wire and the screeching of the cell door opening snapped Michael out of his thoughts. He whipped his head around to the officer stepping aside to give him the permission to make a phone call. He ambled lifelessly out the numbing room and his feet dragged against the hard cement surface as if he wore lead for shoes. He languidly picked up the phone and held it to his ear as he jammed a quarter into the coin slot. He took a moment to ponder on who to call. He thought of Mini Max but after remembering that he had ditched him, he dismissed him from his mind. He thought of Angel but he knew he wouldn't be able to bear to hear the sadness and dismay in her voice. He breathed a shaky sigh then dialed his house number.

It rang several times and he was greeted by his voicemail.

"This is the Jackson residence. Either no one is home at the moment or we just don't feel like answering. Please leave a message after the tone." He sighed sadly and heard the faint beep chime in his ears.

"Hey, mom. I'm in jail right now and I know you don't care but I need you to get me out. Please, just this once, do something nice for me. Bye." He slammed the phone back on the hook and returned to the coldness of his cell.

The officer slid the cell door open and Michael took his eyes off his nails and up to the man.

"Your free to go." Michael didn't smile but instead rose off the ground and brushed past the man without thanking him. He went to the front and was shocked to find not his mother but Jackie. Michael couldn't help but feel disappointed that Angel wasn't with him but he figured it was for the best. Jackie had a look of dismay in his eyes as he approached the boy.

"You mad?" Was the first thing Michael asked and caused Jackie to chuckle lightly.

"Well, I ain't happy." Michael shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's just that..." He knew he might as well tell him everything since he couldn't trust anyone else at the moment but he knew it was the least he could do since he bailed him out.

"Let's sit down." Jackie suggested once he noticed the struggle in his eyes. Michael smiled but it fell just as quickly as it came and they both made their selves comfortable on the waiting chairs. Michael hesitated but with a sigh, he began to tell his story from when it all started; the day Angel saved his life.