*Melissa's Point Of View*

"Wu, speed up."

I obeyed the coach, trying my best to take deep breaths out of my mouth as I ran around the track. I was sweaty, the hot sun beating down on my skin.

I wore a baby blue t-shirt and white shorts. My tennis shoes were tied tightly. My ponytail swung from left to right.

My mouth was dry. I jogged slowly, my legs tired. My elbows were bent, my arms moving forward and backwards as I hurried along.

I had five laps left.

Most people would cheat and say they had less laps than they really had. Or they'd walk when the coach turns his back.

But that wasn't me. I don't like lying. It makes me feel guilty. All I have to do is try my best, and I'll be able to make it.

I looked around. Daley and Nathan hustled next to each other, challenging one another, occasionally breaking out into a full speed run. Taylor was walking, (as usual). Eric hid behind the bleachers, laying down in the shade, his hat covering his face and his arms under his head. I continued scanning the students, but found no sight of Jackson.

My breathing was now audible. I tried to swallow, but failed.

"Hagan!" Coach Phillip yelled across the track. "You're supposed to be running!"

Taylor started her poor attempt of a jog. Her hair was in a bun, bouncing as she went.

"Hey, Mel."

I turned a bit to see Jackson coming up behind me, an earphone in one of his ears. "Hey," I managed through the panting, wiping my damp forehead, unlike Jackson, who wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired. And it's not helping that I just got over a bad cold yesterday."

Jackson removed his earphones. He wrapped them around his iPod, then held it out. "Will you hold this for a sec?"

"Sure." I put the music player into the pocket of my shorts.

He surveyed the crowd until he saw the coach.

"So…" I tried to speak normally, but my voice broke as I had to frequently take a breath. "Can I come…over today?"

"Yeah."

"Wanna…ride home together."

"Sure." After a moment, he spoke. "Oh, wait a second. Elaine wants me to pick up Tre and Davion from school."

"That's okay. We could…do that."

"Okay."

"It must suck…having to ride the bus."

"It's alright."

"You could always ask…me…for a ride."

"Thanks."

"You two," Coach Phillip said, looking at us. He was standing not too far in front of us now. "Faster."

I tried to go faster, but couldn't improve by much.

Jackson noticed this. He slowed his pace so he could stay next to me. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm…fine."

"How many laps you got?"

"Four. How many do you have left?"

"Last one."

"Lucky."

"Just say you're done after this one. It's not like the coach counts anyway."

"I don't wanna…cheat." My vision blurred as sweat found its way into my eyes. I rubbed them, but it only made things worse. I blinked, but it didn't help. My feet barely left the ground.

After a minute, Jackson tripped, then fell onto the concrete.

I stopped. "Oh my gosh! Jackson! Are you okay?" I hurried to stand next to him.

He lay on his back. His eyes were squeezed together as he held his ankle in pain.

The coach came toward us. "Jackson, you alright?"

The boy didn't answer--only groaned.

"Wu, take Jackson to the nurse."

I helped the teen up. He limped toward the school as I supported him.

When we were halfway there, I spoke. "Are you okay?"

Jackson looked behind him to see how far we'd gotten. When he saw that we were no longer in the coaches sight, he pulled away from me. "I'm fine."

I looked down at his foot to see that he was walking normally. My eyes found his as I smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Wanna ditch?"

I looked at him incredulously. "What?"

"You know. Skip."

"Jackson, we can't skip," I whispered in a serious voice. "We'll get in trouble."

"No, we won't. I do it all the time."

"Jackson!"

"You can stay here and run laps if you want, Mel. I'm going home." He went into the boys' locker room.

I sighed, then went into the girls' locker room. I opened my locker, changed into my regular clothes, then grabbed my book bag. I exited, then went back into the gym.

Jackson was walking out the door. I bit my lip with contemplation, then hurried after him. He was already in the hallway.

"Hey, Jackson? Wait up."

The boy turned to look at me.

"I'm coming, too."

*Jackson's Point Of View*

"So you skip school a lot?"

I glanced at Melissa, who had broken the silence between us, then looked out the window as I shrugged.

"Don't you think about what would happen if you got caught?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

Melissa chuckled with surprise, glancing at me as her hand turned the steering wheel. "Did you seriously just ask that?"

"Well, yeah. If you think of the consequences of everything, you'll never have any fun. You gotta take risks. Live a little."

"I have fun without breaking the rules."

"Sure you do."

"I do."

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay then. What would you call fun?"

I looked at her with a smirk.

*Melissa's Point Of View*

"Jackson, slow down! You're not even buckled!" I gripped my seatbelt tightly as Jackson stepped on the pedal, bringing the car to eighty-five miles per hour.

He glanced at the review mirror, checking how far behind us that the red Porsche was, then sped up even more.

"Jackson, stop!"

The boy had a determined look on his face.

I brushed my hair out of the way, but the wind just blew it back into my face since my car had no roof. "Jackson!"

"What?"

"Are you crazy? Slow down!"

"Why?"

"You could get us killed!"

"This is my way of having fun."

"Jackson!" My voice was stern. "Stop the car! Right now!"

He glanced at me, noticing my serious expression. Jackson exhaled, as if contemplating on what to do. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, then cursed, slowing the car down to a stop after pulling over. He watched as the Porsche flew past, the man inside yelling several insults. He hung his head.

"Jackson, what were you thinking?"

"C'mon, Mel. Relax. I was just having a little fun."

"Fun?" I snapped. "What if you would've hit another car or flipped this one?" I was terrified of going that fast in a car, and it showed in my voice.

"Mel-"

"What if I got killed, Jackson? Would it be fun then?"

His head shot up, his eyes now on mine. "No, Mel. It wouldn't have been fun. I guess I just…wasn't thinking. I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry."

My voice was still a bit cold. "I wanna drive."

"Mel-"

"I want to drive." I looked at him before getting out of the car and walking around it.

He sighed, then hopped into the passenger's seat. Jackson looked out the window.

Neither of us spoke for the rest of the ride.

*Jackson's Point Of View*

My elbow rested on the door, my head on my fist. I looked down at my shoes.

I didn't mean to make Melissa mad at me. I didn't know it'd scare her so much. I was just messing around.

The car came to a gentle stop in the parking lot of a Burger King.

Melissa stepped out of the car, then shut the door behind her. "Coming, Jackson?"

My voice was quiet. "Yeah." I got out, then followed Melissa into the fast food restaurant.

Melissa walked in a zigzagged pattern through the path that was outlined by chains.

I stepped over each instead of wasting my time. I reached the counter first, ordered my food, then waited as Melissa told the cashier what she wanted. I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, then grabbed a twenty, handing it to Melissa. "I'm gonna grab a table."

"Okay. What do you want to drink?"

"Doesn't matter. Whatever you're getting." I started walking toward the dining area. I was about to sit down when I noticed the door that leads outside, where two other unoccupied tables were located. I went through the door, then took a seat. I looked at the abandoned playground that was several feet away.

*Melissa's Point Of View*

I picked up a lid, then placed it onto the plastic cup. After that, I set the cup onto the tray, then went toward the tables. But I found no Jackson.

Maybe he went to the restroom.

I took a seat at a table next to the window, setting the tray down. I squinted my eyes from the sun. After a moment, I decided to move to a shadier spot. I stood and grabbed the tray, the sun no longer reaching my eyes. I glanced out the window to see a form slumping down at a table, all alone. I soon recognized it to be Jackson. I went outside and took a seat across from him. "Why are you sitting out here?"

The boy shrugged, turning his body away from the playground and toward me. His voice was quiet. "Just thinking."

"About what?" I ripped the tip of my straw open, then blew it.

The paper flew toward Jackson, hitting his neck. Then it dropped onto the table.

Hesitantly, he spoke. "My dad."

"What about him?"

"We used to Burger King all the time--just me and him. We'd play on the playground for hours until it got dark and they'd tell us to leave."

"You must miss him, huh?"

"Yeah."

I took a sip of my lemonade, then asked the question that has been itching at me for a while. "Hey, Jackson?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it bother you if I asked what happened to your dad?"

"If you don't mind, Mel-" His eyes met with mine. "-I really don't wanna talk about it."

"I completely understand." I dropped the subject.

I knew Jackson had a hard time talking about his past and his family. And I didn't want to force him to tell me something that he didn't want me knowing. I just hope that he'll let me in one day.

"You still mad at me?"

I looked at him, a bit surprised by his question. "What?"

He tried to change his voice back to its normal, emotionless self. "About the whole street racing thing--you still mad?"

"No. No, I'm not mad."

"I didn't mean to scare you or anything. I was just playing around."

"It-"

"Excuse me." It was a new voice.

I looked up to see a large police officer.

"Are you the owner of a yellow convertible?"

"Uh…yeah."

"I'm gonna need to take you downtown for illegal street racing."

"What?"

"Please, stand up and put your hands behind your back."

"But I-"

"Ma'am, we could do this the easy way, or we could do this the hard way. Your choice."

I stood, turned around, then glanced worriedly at Jackson. My heart pounded as my hands were placed in a pair of cuffs.

Jackson hesitated for a moment, then stood. "That was me. I borrowed her car. She had nothing to do with it."

"I'm gonna have to take you, too."

He turned. Cuffs were locked around his wrists.

I wondered what was going through his mind. I knew that this wasn't his first time being detained--or second or third, for that matter. Probably not the forth or fifth or sixth either.

We were led through the restaurant--gaining several stares--and into the parking lot, then placed into a police car.

I went in first, then scooted all the way over. I'd never known how small the back of a police car was. I had to turn slightly in my seat so my legs would fit. I also learned that there were different police sounds for the many obstacles we passed, such as a stop sign or other passing police cars. I turned to look at Jackson, who was staring down at his lap.

*Jackson's Point Of View*

Elaine is gonna kill me. I'm gonna be in so much trouble.

But I couldn't let Melissa go alone, especially for something that I did.

D***it! I'm gonna be grounded for life. Elaine is gonna be p***ed.

I wonder how many warnings I have and how many more warnings I can get before I get thrown back into juvie hall for good.

I just hope I didn't get Melissa into too much trouble with her parents. Who am I kidding? Her parents are strict…very strict.

*Melissa's Point Of View*

"Bye, Dad." I hung up the phone, then took a seat on the bench next to Jackson.

"How'd it go?"

"He's coming to get me."

"Hey, kid?" It was a new voice.

Jackson looked up at the heavyset policeman.

"You're up." The cop pointed a thumb toward the phone.

The boy stood, then picked up the phone. He dialed a number, then waited for an answer.

*Jackson's Point Of View*

"Hey."

"Why are you calling from juvenile?"

"I got into some trouble. Can you come get me?"

"Why? So you can get locked up again?"

"Elaine, I didn't mean to."

"I'm at Tre and Davion's t-ball game. And I had to leave work because you didn't come get them like you were supposed to."

"Can't you leave for a second?"

"I don't have any money, Cody. I won't be able to pay your fine."

*Melissa's Point Of View*

I could hear Jackson's conversation with Elaine.

"I promise I'll pay you back," the boy said. He paused. "C'mon, Elaine. I didn't mean to." His right side was facing me. "A month? But that's-" He was quiet for a moment. "Two?"

Elaine spoke.

"No. Two's good."

I figured that this was how long Jackson was being grounded for.

He continued. "Can you come get me?" He was getting frustrated as the woman talked. "D***it, Elaine! Just come get me!" After a minute of Elaine's yelling, which I could here, Jackson sighed, hanging his head and closing his eyes. "Yes, ma'am." He rubbed his forehead. "Yes, ma'am. Bye." He put the phone on the hook and cursed. He took a seat next to me.

"Is she coming?"

His voice was quiet. "No."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Stay here, I guess."

"Overnight?"

He just shrugged.

"Jackson?"

"What else am I gonna do, Mel? I have no other choice."

*Jackson's Point Of View*

I sat on the bottom bunk of the bed, my elbows on my knees, my hands holding up my head as I looked down.

Melissa's probably left by now. It's been about an hour.

I sighed.

"Hey?" an inmate said. He was standing in front of me. "What you in for, man?"

I didn't lift my head.

"Yo, I'm talkin' to you."

I kept to myself, hoping he'd go away. But I knew that he wouldn't. I didn't know what he was in for, and he'd probably think I was weak to get locked up for street racing. And that would make him feel like he had the right to mess with me. Plus, I'm younger, which doesn't help my case. And those glares that I use to get people to back off--they don't work in here. I'd learned that pretty quickly the first time I was thrown in juvie.

"Hey! Answer me!" Before I had time to react, he grabbed the collar of my jumpsuit, yanking me to my feet. He push me a bit until my back hit the bar of the top bunk. His fists bared into my chest. "Hey, Geoffrey?" he called over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving mine. "Sounds like someone's asking to get his a** kicked."

Another teen--this one much taller--stepped behind the guy that had a hold of me. A smirked played on his face.