Prologue
I'm not perfect. No one is, but I have made many more mistakes than the average teenager. I am Karl Collins. I am a sixteen year old freshman. Yeah I know what you're thinking, sixteen, and a freshman? Yeah, school is one of those mistakes I have made in my life. I failed my freshman year last year, and now I am re-taking ninth grade classes again this year, which sucks!
I attend Mayberry High School in the good 'ole state of South Carolina. I don't play any sports at all. I am no genius, like I already told you. I am definitely not the best looking guy. I have really light skin, brown eyes, freckles, acne covers my face, and I am skinny as a toothpick. Girls don't pay me much attention, but I'm not interested in having a girlfriend now.
I am the kid that sits in class that doesn't ever say a word. I am the kid that no one ever speaks to, ever! I am that kid that always has a sad look on his face. I am that kid that you all know, but don't ever notice me. I am that kid.
Chapter 1
I was racing down the road, running. I was sprinting and not looking back, because I was being chased. Police sirens echoed the streets of downtown Camden. None of the police cars had spotted me yet, but were for sure to catch up pretty soon.
It was an average temperature day in Camden. Thursday, January 19, around four o'clock I was hiding. I messed up big time. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, it seems like everyday I make a million mistakes. However, this mistake could cost me. This one could send me to jail. I had been warned enough time and time again by the cops. This one could cost me.
Like I said, I messed up big time. Earlier, about two hours before I was ditching school to come home. I was on my through the student parking lot when I saw a pair of scissors lying on the ground. I was right next to Ronnie Williams's car. I picked up the old, rusted looking scissors and stabbed them into the front tire.
Ronnie was Mr. Bigshot a school. Perfect car, perfect grades, perfect at sports, perfect everything! I couldn't stand Ronnie, he had been one of those guys that is "nice to everyone", when he's not. He would always try and talk to me in English last year. When he was acting like a "friend" he was meaning to do it to be funny and to put on a little show for his buddies.
"Take that Ronnie", I thought to myself as I stabbed the scissors into his tire. Once I was satisfied, I was on my way to my crap-mobile of a car when I noticed his wallet lying right in the front seat of his car.
"Hmmmmm…" I thought. Interesting. Even his window was half down. I was tempted, and it worked, I reached in and grabbed his wallet. I was expecting there to be a twenty or two in the wallet. When I opened it up I realized there were fifteen, twenty dollar bills in his wallet! Three hundred dollars, right there in my hand. I was in heaven.
I then hurried and stuffed it into my pocket and did a speed walk to my car. As I was about to turn on my car and head out, I noticed Ronnie running outside of the school building, probably about one hundred yards away!
I blinked a few times to see if this was real or just my imagination. Nope, he got closer and closer, every second that went by, every step that he took, he got closer.
I turned on my car 'vroomed the engine and took off, leaving Ronnie Williams in the dust.
I was now hiding from the cops in a trashcan in a back alley where a local restaurant was located. I was nervous! I had messed up big time.
My car? Oh you wanna know about my car, well let's just say I forgot to get gas in it this morning before school.
I messed up, big time!
I was poking my head out of the trashcan when a police car came strolling by. I ducked and hoped and prayed to God that he didn't see me.
I heard a car door open, and then slammed closed. I heard footsteps heading in the direction of where I was hiding. I heard a man, coughing, and then clearing his throat. He was nearly five feet away from me! I was holding my breath, and I was even closing my eyes. I then saw a flash of light, he had removed the top of the trashcan.
I then heard the word. It was the word that described my whole entire life. It had described every time I had made a mistake in my sixteen year old life.
"Busted", said the cop, as he was pointing a gun in my face.