Chapter One: The Runner
It was a typical day like any other at Degrassi. Students were scattered around the hallways, talking to each other, rambling through lockers, running to class. Amidst all the chaos were Craig Manning, Manny Santos, and Jimmy Brooks, three of the most popular students there, mostly because of their history.
Craig, Manny, and Jimmy had spent the last two years of high school doing anything they could to make a quick dollar. This included pirating software and music, running bets on sporting events, and drug dealing. In fact, they kind of specialized in the latter. They were three of the biggest dealers in the area, until the number one dealer had enough of it and came after them. They narrowly escaped with their lives.
Jimmy had since gotten out of dealing after being shot in the arm, but still dabbled in piracy and bets. However, his girlfriend Manny and his friend Craig were still going strong in the dealing area.
Manny exclusively dealt drugs. She didn't bother with piracy or betting, it was nonsense to her. She stuck with drugs, and it was making her a fantastic living. She had even managed to move out of her parents' home in a run down area and into a nice apartment.
While Manny and Jimmy both had their areas they liked to stick to, Craig dipped into a little bit of everything, and he was well known for it. Geeks flocked to him for the latest video game. Punk kids ran him down to get the latest bootleg album. He pulled in over five hundred dollars from every single event he bet on. And he couldn't keep any sort of drug on him without having someone want to buy it.
As far as the three students were concerned, life was good. They were much more cautious now, considering what had happened with their nemesis Dean Marin, but life was still good.
"Okay, so..." Craig paused, and looked around for any teachers or the principal. When he was satisfied there were no eavesdroppers, he turned back to Manny. "There's a shipment coming in on Wednesday. It's about twenty pounds of blow."
Manny raised her eyebrows. "Can I ask where from?"
"Columbia. Uncut." Craig replied.
"And how much are we paying for this, exactly?"
"Six thousand." Craig muttered. "But we'll be able to triple our profits."
"I'll have to think about it." Manny replied. "That's a lot of money to plop down, if you know what I mean."
"Manny, it translates to at least eighteen thousand. At least. Come on, please?" Craig asked.
Manny sighed. "Fine. I'll put down half."
"Great, thanks. I gotta go, I've gotta talk to our new guy."
"What's his name again?" Manny asked.
"Jared." Craig replied.
"Okay." Manny replied, shrugging. "I have to go to class. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, I'll catch you before lunch." Craig replied. "Later." With that, Craig took off down the hall.
"So what did Craig want?" Jimmy asked, walking up to Manny and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"He was just telling me about this new shipment that's gonna pull in close to twenty k." Manny replied.
"Cool." Jimmy replied. "So, my parents are out of town tonight, so party at my place. Help me spread the word?"
"You know it." Manny replied. "Okay, I really, really have to go to class. If I walk into Kwan's class late again she's gonna kill me."
"Yeah, okay." Jimmy kissed her softly. "See you after."
Manny smiled up at him. "Bye."
Meanwhile...
Craig waited outside for his new "runner". JT had gotten out of the business a long time ago, ever since he was run over by a few of Dean Marin's boys. This left Craig and Manny scrambling to find another one. Craig had heard about Jared through the grapevine and would be meeting him today.
He saw someone walking through the schoolyard towards him.
"Hey." He said. "You must be Jared."
The kid looked at him. "Yeah, that's me. Jared Marin."
Craig's eyes widened, and his face went white as a sheet. "Oh shit."
"Yeah, that's right. Just returning the favor, Manning." Jared pulled a handgun out of the waistband of his jeans.
Thinking quickly, Craig kicked open the Degrassi double doors just as Jared fired at him. He dove through the doors, kicking them shut.
"Shit shit shit!" he said as Jared fired the gun again. He crawled a few feet, jumped up, and began running down the hall. He headed towards Jimmy's first period, Computer Applications with Mr. Simpson. He flung open the door and everyone in the class looked up, surprised.
"Craig, can I help you?" Mr. Simpson asked.
"Jimmy, we gotta go, and we gotta go now!" Craig yelled.
"Why? What's going on?" Jimmy asked.
"Excuse me! Craig!" Mr. Simpson yelled. Craig ignored him.
"Two words, Jared Marin."
"You mean?" Jimmy asked.
"We gotta get the hell outta here!" Craig replied.
Jimmy got up quickly. "Mr. Simpson, ask your stepdaughter about it, she'll tell you everything." He and Craig quickly ran out of the classroom.
"What the...no you wait! Come back here right now!" Mr. Simpson yelled. Just before he ran out the door, gunshot rang out through the halls. Everyone screamed and dove under their desks.
Jimmy and Craig ran through the hallway, quickly turning around a corner.
"Where are we going?" Craig asked.
"Kwan's. We gotta get Manny." Jimmy replied.
Meanwhile...
"Can anyone give me an example of something that is Kafkaesque?" Mrs. Kwan asked her class. Nobody moved. "Anyone?"
Suddenly, the door swung open, banging against the wall loudly.
"What is the meaning of this, gentlemen?" Mrs. Kwan asked, irritated.
"Manny, we have to go now!" Jimmy yelled.
"What's going on?" Manny asked, standing up.
"Miss Santos, take your seat!" Mrs. Kwan yelled.
"Mrs. Kwan, you don't understand..." Craig began, and was cut off by another gunshot. "Fuck!" he slammed the door.
The entire class began to panic.
"Don't worry about it. He's after us." Jimmy told Mrs. Kwan, who was under her desk like the rest of her class. "Manny, get that window open!"
Manny scrambled to open the lock, but it was too hard for her. Finally, Craig picked up a chair and broke through the glass.
"We'll pay for that." Manny said as she scrambled out the window, quickly followed by Jimmy, then Craig.
"Where the hell are we gonna go?" Manny asked as they ran through the courtyard.
"My car!" Craig yelled.
The three teens made it to Craig's car quickly, hopping in. Craig sped down the road.
"Holy shit, Craig. What the hell did you do behind my back?" Manny asked.
"The guy that's trying to kill us right now? That's our new runner, Manny. Jared Marin." Craig replied.
"Marin? Fuck. Craig, I told you to start doing background checks!" Manny yelled.
"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Jimmy replied. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know, but we've gotta get the hell outta Degrassi." Craig replied.
Manny thought for a second. "I've got an idea. Give me your phone." She told Jimmy.
"Why?" Jimmy asked, handing it to her.
Manny dialed a number and waited for someone to pick up. "Sean? Hey, it's Manny. Um, we have a problem here. Well, Dean's brother is after us."
"Sean? Hell no, Manny. Hang up!" Jimmy yelled.
"That'd be great. Text message me the info, okay? Thanks. Bye." Manny hung up.
"Alright, what the hell was that about?" Craig demanded.
"What do you guys think about New York City?" Manny replied.
It was a typical day like any other at Degrassi. Students were scattered around the hallways, talking to each other, rambling through lockers, running to class. Amidst all the chaos were Craig Manning, Manny Santos, and Jimmy Brooks, three of the most popular students there, mostly because of their history.
Craig, Manny, and Jimmy had spent the last two years of high school doing anything they could to make a quick dollar. This included pirating software and music, running bets on sporting events, and drug dealing. In fact, they kind of specialized in the latter. They were three of the biggest dealers in the area, until the number one dealer had enough of it and came after them. They narrowly escaped with their lives.
Jimmy had since gotten out of dealing after being shot in the arm, but still dabbled in piracy and bets. However, his girlfriend Manny and his friend Craig were still going strong in the dealing area.
Manny exclusively dealt drugs. She didn't bother with piracy or betting, it was nonsense to her. She stuck with drugs, and it was making her a fantastic living. She had even managed to move out of her parents' home in a run down area and into a nice apartment.
While Manny and Jimmy both had their areas they liked to stick to, Craig dipped into a little bit of everything, and he was well known for it. Geeks flocked to him for the latest video game. Punk kids ran him down to get the latest bootleg album. He pulled in over five hundred dollars from every single event he bet on. And he couldn't keep any sort of drug on him without having someone want to buy it.
As far as the three students were concerned, life was good. They were much more cautious now, considering what had happened with their nemesis Dean Marin, but life was still good.
"Okay, so..." Craig paused, and looked around for any teachers or the principal. When he was satisfied there were no eavesdroppers, he turned back to Manny. "There's a shipment coming in on Wednesday. It's about twenty pounds of blow."
Manny raised her eyebrows. "Can I ask where from?"
"Columbia. Uncut." Craig replied.
"And how much are we paying for this, exactly?"
"Six thousand." Craig muttered. "But we'll be able to triple our profits."
"I'll have to think about it." Manny replied. "That's a lot of money to plop down, if you know what I mean."
"Manny, it translates to at least eighteen thousand. At least. Come on, please?" Craig asked.
Manny sighed. "Fine. I'll put down half."
"Great, thanks. I gotta go, I've gotta talk to our new guy."
"What's his name again?" Manny asked.
"Jared." Craig replied.
"Okay." Manny replied, shrugging. "I have to go to class. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, I'll catch you before lunch." Craig replied. "Later." With that, Craig took off down the hall.
"So what did Craig want?" Jimmy asked, walking up to Manny and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"He was just telling me about this new shipment that's gonna pull in close to twenty k." Manny replied.
"Cool." Jimmy replied. "So, my parents are out of town tonight, so party at my place. Help me spread the word?"
"You know it." Manny replied. "Okay, I really, really have to go to class. If I walk into Kwan's class late again she's gonna kill me."
"Yeah, okay." Jimmy kissed her softly. "See you after."
Manny smiled up at him. "Bye."
Meanwhile...
Craig waited outside for his new "runner". JT had gotten out of the business a long time ago, ever since he was run over by a few of Dean Marin's boys. This left Craig and Manny scrambling to find another one. Craig had heard about Jared through the grapevine and would be meeting him today.
He saw someone walking through the schoolyard towards him.
"Hey." He said. "You must be Jared."
The kid looked at him. "Yeah, that's me. Jared Marin."
Craig's eyes widened, and his face went white as a sheet. "Oh shit."
"Yeah, that's right. Just returning the favor, Manning." Jared pulled a handgun out of the waistband of his jeans.
Thinking quickly, Craig kicked open the Degrassi double doors just as Jared fired at him. He dove through the doors, kicking them shut.
"Shit shit shit!" he said as Jared fired the gun again. He crawled a few feet, jumped up, and began running down the hall. He headed towards Jimmy's first period, Computer Applications with Mr. Simpson. He flung open the door and everyone in the class looked up, surprised.
"Craig, can I help you?" Mr. Simpson asked.
"Jimmy, we gotta go, and we gotta go now!" Craig yelled.
"Why? What's going on?" Jimmy asked.
"Excuse me! Craig!" Mr. Simpson yelled. Craig ignored him.
"Two words, Jared Marin."
"You mean?" Jimmy asked.
"We gotta get the hell outta here!" Craig replied.
Jimmy got up quickly. "Mr. Simpson, ask your stepdaughter about it, she'll tell you everything." He and Craig quickly ran out of the classroom.
"What the...no you wait! Come back here right now!" Mr. Simpson yelled. Just before he ran out the door, gunshot rang out through the halls. Everyone screamed and dove under their desks.
Jimmy and Craig ran through the hallway, quickly turning around a corner.
"Where are we going?" Craig asked.
"Kwan's. We gotta get Manny." Jimmy replied.
Meanwhile...
"Can anyone give me an example of something that is Kafkaesque?" Mrs. Kwan asked her class. Nobody moved. "Anyone?"
Suddenly, the door swung open, banging against the wall loudly.
"What is the meaning of this, gentlemen?" Mrs. Kwan asked, irritated.
"Manny, we have to go now!" Jimmy yelled.
"What's going on?" Manny asked, standing up.
"Miss Santos, take your seat!" Mrs. Kwan yelled.
"Mrs. Kwan, you don't understand..." Craig began, and was cut off by another gunshot. "Fuck!" he slammed the door.
The entire class began to panic.
"Don't worry about it. He's after us." Jimmy told Mrs. Kwan, who was under her desk like the rest of her class. "Manny, get that window open!"
Manny scrambled to open the lock, but it was too hard for her. Finally, Craig picked up a chair and broke through the glass.
"We'll pay for that." Manny said as she scrambled out the window, quickly followed by Jimmy, then Craig.
"Where the hell are we gonna go?" Manny asked as they ran through the courtyard.
"My car!" Craig yelled.
The three teens made it to Craig's car quickly, hopping in. Craig sped down the road.
"Holy shit, Craig. What the hell did you do behind my back?" Manny asked.
"The guy that's trying to kill us right now? That's our new runner, Manny. Jared Marin." Craig replied.
"Marin? Fuck. Craig, I told you to start doing background checks!" Manny yelled.
"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Jimmy replied. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know, but we've gotta get the hell outta Degrassi." Craig replied.
Manny thought for a second. "I've got an idea. Give me your phone." She told Jimmy.
"Why?" Jimmy asked, handing it to her.
Manny dialed a number and waited for someone to pick up. "Sean? Hey, it's Manny. Um, we have a problem here. Well, Dean's brother is after us."
"Sean? Hell no, Manny. Hang up!" Jimmy yelled.
"That'd be great. Text message me the info, okay? Thanks. Bye." Manny hung up.
"Alright, what the hell was that about?" Craig demanded.
"What do you guys think about New York City?" Manny replied.