It all started on the day I was going to see Lily's new apartment for the first time. I was just walking along, when all of a sudden I heard footsteps run up behind me and grab me.
"Give me all your money, girl." A man's voice hissed, and he was holding me so tightly I felt like I was being strangled. "Give me all you've got, phone, money, everything, and you won't get hurt."
"No!" I shouted, but he muffled me with his hands.
"Right." He said angrily, and his hands began to feel in my bag for the money.
The Burnywood instinct hadn't quite faded from inside me. I had to react, and I knew it very well. My elbow suddenly came crashing backwards into the man's chest, causing him to stumble back. I kicked his knee, causing him to yelp and hop around a little.
"Why you little..." he growled and I saw the shine of a knife.
But all of a sudden I saw am girl grab him out of nowhere, throwing the knife right across the road. The girl was whacking and hitting him.
"Get the fuck out of here you creep." She said, when she was finished. He scrambled away. It was weird, she was most likely half his age and he was running away like a little girl. She turned to me. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for that." I said, brushing myself down.
"You know, you've got some moves, I'm impressed. What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Carmen." I told her, smiling.
"Jenna. Hey…Carmen, can I ask you something?" she bit her lip. "It may seem so fast, but…I'm in a gang, and there are some younger kids, but they don't really know any self defense, do you reckon you could teach them some?"
That's how it all started. At first I was just temporary. But one day, Jenna and the head leader guy, Nate, got me alone.
"Listen, Carmen, you know how at first you were only going to stay for a short time." Jenna said.
"Well, we like you. A lot. In fact, we want you to stay in the gang with us." Nate said.
"Really?!" I said, smiling brightly. I honestly really liked these guys.
"Of course. You're a bright spark, kiddo, and we want you around. But first, we need to change the way you dress and stuff. Jenna and Miranda will help." Nate said, and he ruffled my hair and walked off.
Soon enough, Jenna and Miranda had me in jeans and hoodies and trainers. I let my hair loose and I wore necessary make up and soon enough, there I was. I looked the part, and I already knew how to act the part.
The first time I stayed with them the boy my age, Freddy, explained the rules and stuff. Then he gave me a cigarette. I was twelve years old then, by the way. I took it, I smoked it, and that's when it all began. Soon I was drinking alcohol, smoking, and later on down the line, the moment I hit thirteen, I asked to try the drugs.
Everyone usually took them, except the younger ones, and I was even more curious about that than I had been about anything.
"Can I try some morphine?" I asked, and they glanced at each other.
"Okay." Georgia finally said. "You're 13 now anyway." And she gave me some.
I had never ever felt more alive in my entire life. From there, things were completely different, but not just with the gang…