As I walked, I heard a loud bang from nearby. I assumed it was just some other kids who were ditching, like me. I heard shouting that sounded like Dylan and Sam. I heard footsteps from a nearby alley. There was a girl who was holding her shoulder, which was bleeding. She kept running, but she was slowing down. Just as she collapsed, I caught her. She looked kind of nice, in that homeless kind of way. Her blonde hair was naturally streaked with red and brown, though the brown may have been dirt. She seemed to have a nice tan, though that could be dirt too. Her clothes were pretty dirty and her shoes were pretty beat up.

"Give us the girl," Dylan said, "We need to get back at her for coming into our territory. Her and her little friends."

"No," I said. I threw the girl over my shoulder, she was really light, one-hundred maybe? And she was five-eight. As I started on my way home with the girl so I could help her, a strawberry-blonde kid my age and two younger blondes came out.

"Who are you and why do you have Max?"

"She got shot," I said, "I was going to take her to my house, my mom's a doctor and she could help."

"We'll take care of her," the male blonde said.

"How," I asked, "That gun shot is pretty bad."

"We'll take care of her," he insisted. The strawberry-blonde took her from me. They all had that young but wise look that you get from living on the streets. Even the young, six-year-old girl looked wise beyond her years. She and the younger blonde watched me warily as the other took Max into one of the alleys. They followed him, as did I.

"Iggy," the girl said, "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Iggy turned to the girl after tieing the make-shift bandage onto Max's arm a little tighter, "Yeah Angel, I think she'll be alright. Besides, not only has she survived worse, she's too stubborn to die." (Nevermore reference. Just sayin')

The little girl's name fit her perfect. Even though she was covered in dirt and grime she looked like an Angel. Her hair was a honey blonde and she had big blue eyes that could be so innocent if she hadn't lived on the streets.

Iggy got up as Max stirred. "Don't follow us," he said sternly, "We don't need your pity or your help." Max got up, much easier than I expected her to. She stumbled a bit and leaned on Iggy for a while.

"Are you sure your alright?" Iggy asked quietly.

"Yeah," she said, "Did they get any of you?"

"No," Iggy said.

"REPORT!" Max said loudly.

"Here," Angel, Iggy and Gazzy said together.

"Good," she said while pushing off of Iggy, "Let's blow this joint."

They ran and somehow managed to use some pipes, trash cans and something I didn't even know the purpose of to get on top of a building. Once they were out of sight, I turned and went home.

Okay, that will be chapter two.