"'Ey Specs! Henry! Albert! Ya heard Jack!" A boy with an unlit cigar in his hand, Anthony, better known as Racetrack, called to his friends who had started bickering again. "Let's get a move on!" He called as he watched the two boys make it down the fire escape. Not that he'd ever admit it, but watching his crippled friend limp his way down those latters made his stomach twist in knots as all he wanted to do was carry him down himself. He sighed and stuck the cigar back between his teeth.

Another boy, Albert sighed and bumped his arm into Race's. "School sucks the life right outta me. I was havin' the most beautiful dream last night." He sighed, as if he was deep in thought about it.

"Oh!" Race teased. "A pretty girl?" He asked, smiling. But the other boy held out his hands out in front of him as if he was holding something.

"A leg of lamb." He sighed like it was the most precious thing in the world. Race laughed right along with the other boys, even though they all knew they dreamed about things like that too. But just as the boy with curly blond hair was about to stick the cigar back in his mouth, it was snatched right out of his hand.

"Hey! That's my cigar!" Race shouted, getting up in Albert's face as he demanded his possession back. The other kid looked at him and rolled his eyes.

"Go steal another!" He shot back, before Race snatched the cigar right back. But Albert laughed as he knew that is how his friend had gotten his hands on the first one.

"Settle down fellas!" A boy with glasses, Specs called, slinging an arm around both of his friends.

"Hey boys!" Jack greeted as he helped his little brother down from the latter and settled him on his crutch. "Let's go!" And they were off.

The group of boys was lead by Specs and Elmer and at the rear was held up by Jack, Crutchie and Race. Jack stood in the middle of them and was carefully watching Racetrack. He was sure no one missed the bruise forming around the kid's eye.

Race continued walking. He could feel his friends eyes boring into him, watching him carefully, waiting for him to admit he was in pain or anything and eventually he just sighed. "I know what you're thinkin' Jackie boy." He muttered, a sad smile working its way onto his face. He looked at the ground as he spoke. "I just wasn't careful enough this mornin' is all." He explained quickly.

Crutchie glanced over at his friends. "They hurt ya, Race?" He asked in a small voice.

Race smiled and looked over at the boy. "I'm fine Crutch." He assured, not at all prepared for the little bundle of a thirteen year old that came running at him. He ran straight past everyone, giving them high fives and short hugs, making his way to Race who scooped him up off the ground, hoping that no one saw him wince as he did so. Sadly, he discovered he was wrong when he saw Jack's look of worry when he walked on.

"Hey Romeo!" Race greeted, ignoring everything else around him. He smiled, knowing the kid was always good for a laugh. "How's it goin' kiddo?"

"It was fine this mornin'." Romeo shrugged, and that made all the boys happy to hear.

Most of the boys were stuck in homes that didn't want them or only kept them for money. They were very happy that Romeo wasn't one of them. He was in a home where the folks didn't pay too much attention to him but they never laid a hand on him. And all the others were grateful for that.

"I'm glad ta hear that, Rome." Race sighed. He held the boy close as they walked to their schools. "How's Haley?" He asked, chuckling at the kid he was so protective of. He wasn't sure if it was because of how close they'd become or because he was the one who'd found the kid, shivering behind a dumpster in an alleyway.

Originally he'd asked Jack to take him in. And the older boy had done just that. Romeo lived with Crutchie and Jack for about two weeks before the system found him and put him in a home.

"Haley ditched me." Romeo said sadly. Just as Race was about to give his condolence the young brunettes frown melted into a smile. "But Lila comes by everyday to clean our house now." Every one of the boys laughed at that. This kid was definitely something.

As they rounded a corner, a giant building was seen. From the outside, it looked like an ok place. But once inside, every one of Jack's boys doubted they'd ever get to see the sun again. There was an arch as an entrance to the place and in big bold letters it read "The World High School".

Race put Romeo back on the ground and took his hand. "I'll be right back fellas!" He called as he started running with the little kid. "I gotta take Rome ta his school!"

"Don't be late today Race!" Albert yelled after him, his hands cupped around his lips. "I can't take Weasel all by myself!" He joked and laughed when the other boy rolled his eyes before disappearing around the corner.

Jack sat around with his boys on the brick walls that were placed right in front of the schools entrance. He sat with Crutchie on his right, his arm slung over the smaller boy's shoulders. They all just sat before the doors would be shut and they'd be trapped for the next seven hours. Jack let his eyes wander until his eyes fell on something. No not something, someone. A girl... a woman.

Jack was instantly captured by this girl. She looked to be about the same age as Jack. Her beautiful brown hair fell perfectly around her face and down below her shoulders. It was clipped out of her face so he could see her curious, adventurous, brown eyes. Her jeans fit perfectly around her hips and legs and her button up shirt looked adorable with her little tie completing her professional look. On her hands she held a notepad and a pencil.

Crutchie noticed his brother go quiet. All his other friends still laughed and joke around him but he followed Jack's gaze, smirking as he saw where it lead. "She's pretty." He commented, patting his brother on the shoulder.

Jack shook his head, blushing as he looked to the ground, pretending not to know what Crutchie had been talking about. But sadly, Albert had heard the comment.

"Cmon Jack, go talk ta her." He teased shoving his friend forward, off of his seat on the wall. And Jack was on his feet, too proud to turn back to his boys and admit he was afraid of talking to this woman.

"Hey there miss." He smiled, charmingly as he leaned against the fence that lined the whole school. He watched as she looked at him in surprise. "May I interest you in a tour of the Boys World High School?"

She smiled, as if laughing at the boy's request. "Um, no thank you. I'm just leaving." She said, turning around, but Jack's voice stopped her.

"Oh why so soon?" He asked, his flirtatious voice practically begging her to stay.

She laughed. "I've got a little news flash for ya." She held out her hands as if her next words were plastered on some sort of billboard. "Cheeky boy get nothing for his troubles." She joked. Then she turned and walked off, leaving Jack there to watch her leave as he tried to memorize everything about her.

"Oh back ta the bench slugger!" One of the boys, laughed. "You struck out.

"She'll be back Finch." Johnny, or better known as the boy who takes pictures of birds, Finch laughed and put his arm around Jack.

"Sure she will Jack!" The other boy, Peter, also known as Specs due to his iconic glasses, slapped his friend on the back as the met back with their group and made their way into the school. Racetrack only barely made it inside as the ten minute bell rang, before the doors were locked and any late kids would be sent through the front office for a detention slip.

"Alright step aside!" Race, Crutchie, Albert and Jack all groaned as they heard the voice of one Oscar Delancy echoing through the hallway as the five minute bell rang. They stood at their lockers which were right next to each other, gathering their books for their first class when the school's two star baseball player came strolling down the halls of The World. Before Jack could shut up his young friend Racetrack, who had such a big mouth, the boy was already talking.

"Dear me, what is that unpleasant aroma?" The cocky sixteen year old waved his hand in front of his nose, his face crumbling up in disgust. "I fear the sewer may have backed up durin' the night." He joked, knowing full well they'd be able to smell that from their crappy school.

"Or could it be...?" Jack sighed as he realized there was no stopping the inevitable now that Crutchie had spoken up.

"The Delancey brother's?" Albert joined in with the other two, yelling the baseball players' names making sure the whole school heard them. Jack started getting nervous at this point. He knew he could take the Delancey's but his brothers didn't quite have that skill mastered yet.

These two boys were not only high school bullies. It's been said they beat people up for gangs around town to earn extra cash. It scared Jack to death to think about them going after one of his boys with a baseball bat.

"Ya know Jack," Oscar started, in a threatening tone, moving closer to the group, giving them the illusion that he was going after Jack before grabbing Racetrack by the collar of his t-shirt and pounding him against the lockers. Albert called out as Race winced, anger rising in all of them as the other boy tried to push Oscar away and was only rewarded with another harsh smack into the metal, the hand on his chest growing heavier. "You should keep a stronger hold on your dogs here before they end up in the pound to be put down." Race growled but made no move to get up, knowing the Delancy was stronger than him.

Morris then walked up to Crutchie, gripping the boy's crutch in his hand. "Ya want some of this too, ya lousy crip?" He pulled out the metal crutch that helped the boy stand from underneath his arm and pushed the boy to the ground, only to be caught by Albert.

Morris stood tall in front of Jack, trying to scare the other boy. Jack simply glared up at him. "Now that's not nice, Morris." He scolded, grabbing his brother's crutch back.

"Five ta one Jack skunks 'im." Race smiled, his drunk father's gambling still evident in him. Oscar just turned to him and held a fist in front of his face in an attempt to shut him up.

"One of these days," Jack stated, walking in between both of the bullies, still holding the metal crutch in his hand. "Ya might find ya have a bum leg of your own. How'd ya like us pickin' on you, huh?" Jack seemed to pause for thought before continuing. "Oh hey! Why don't we find out?" He hit both of the boys in the legs real hard with the metal crutch.

Oscar dropped Race to clutch his injured leg and Morris fell to the ground in pain. "Just wait till I get my hands on you!" Oscar growled, not noticing that Albert had let Crutchie onto his back and they'd all shut their lockers, ready to go to class.

"Ya gotta catch me first!" Jack yelled as he gestured for his brothers to follow. The four laughed as they ran to their first period, hearing the sound of angry yelling behind them.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know by reviewing! :)