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Chapter Three Shay%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
School passed by quickly thankfully and I soon found myself running out of the door. Apparently the football team was having try outs today and I didn't want to be anywhere near the school when that started. All the jocks and wanna be jocks are always flirting with all the girls and it's just disgusting to watch. Besides, I'm hungry and need to go scavenge some food somewhere. I headed towards Middletown's most popular spot. The square. In the Middletown Square there was food companies and restaurants. There was also the cloths store, which I figured I might as well grab some cloths anyways.
Don't go judging me on stealing though. I would get a job but the town won't let river rats work. They always say "they aren't worth anything so they don't get anything," it's very annoying when they say that. Finding a job on the rough side of town was an even worse idea. Unless of course you want to get involved in gangs, drug dealing, selling alcohol, and all that good stuff. I was passing a teenage boy with a bag fool of food. I purposely but slyly stepped in the way and ran into him. While I was saying sorry I swiped a loaf of bread out of the bag.
"Hey! Is that my bread?" The kid asked.
I put my gang face on and turned around. "I don't know what you mean kid but you better keep walking before I mug you," I warned.
The kid ran off and I smiled. "Sucker," I said to myself under my breath. The loaf was big but would most likely only last around a day and a half. I was passing one of the thrift stores on my way back to Johnny's. There was a sale rack up in front. It had a few pairs of boy's pants and baggy T-shirts. I acted casual as I walked around the store. The store keeper eyed me like a hawk, just what I wanted. Right when I stepped outside the storekeeper looked a different way. Definitely my queue that sucker should have know what was coming. I swiped two pairs of pants and a T-shirt.
I heard the shopkeeper yelling for the police and soon enough I heard sirens. I ran down an alley when I heard the sirens. Those cops may think they know the streets but guess what, I know the rooftops! When I got out of sight for one second I threw the cloths and bread on top of a roof. Luckily for me the roofs on the rough side of town are always low, but not too low to be seen. I turned down another alley, running my hand along the wall of the house. I leaped into the air and grabbed the roof edge. Man I am glad I have upper body strength! I heaved myself up and lay on the roof. I heard the sirens pass by and waited another thirty minutes before I jumped down.
I made my way to Johnny's house in the shadows. I am always cautious. It was already getting dark and there was enough bars and drug dealing going on in the rough side of town. I walked through the door of the shack and threw the cloths in the corner.
"Smart Shay, I totally forgot about the cloths," Johnny said, he was laying down on his mattress.
"A little tired there Johnny?" I asked.
"A little bit, hey, Danny and Jay Jay are heading to one of those old drive in movies. Did you want to go?" Johnny asked.
"I don't see why not," I answered, brushing my hair out of my face.
Rafiel walked into the house then. "I'm starving," he said.
'I think we all are. I managed to get a loaf of bread though so lets eat," I said, grabbing the loaf of bread and cutting it. I cut out three medium sized pieces. I gave a piece to Rafiel and threw Johnny's piece at him. He caught it easily and I laughed. Johnny had taught me how to play baseball and now I am one of the best players on the rough side of town. I ate half of my piece then stashed the other half in the cupboard. I planned on eating I later.
There were loud knocks on the door and excited whooping. "Come on in Danny before you give us all a migraine!" Johnny yelled.
Danny came strutting in with Jay Jay behind him. "Are you ready to go cause some trouble?" Danny asked me, giving me his mischievous smile.
"Why wouldn't I! Let's go cause some ruckus boys!" I yelled. Even though Jay Jay was seventeen and was a high school drop out, and Danny was a very immature nineteen year old, still treated me like I was their age. Johnny is the oldest, he's turning twenty this year.
We stalked down the road with excitement. I love causing trouble with these two. They are the gutsy ones of the river rats. I don't know where the others are but I had a pretty good guess. Chica and Taunee were my age and they were twins, they were most likely partying somewhere. J.B and Alex were probably out in fights trying to get all riled up. Dominic was probably with his girlfriend Clara. Clara is a pretty cool girl, she's got a home but she's a definite tomboy.
Soon enough I was drawn from my thoughts when Jay Jay playfully punched me. I punched him back and we began to get rowdy. We snuck under the drive in movie theatre fence and sat on the ground. I love sneaking around, and we barely ever get caught too! Chica and Taunee showed up halfway through the movie with a twelve pack of beer. I downed one beer quickly and went for the other one. It took a lot of beer to get me drunk; I was like immune to it.
"And here come the preps," I whisper to Danny. I heard a whole bunch of cars pull up behind us and turned around. Sure enough all the rich kid's show up. Ben's Mustang was set in front of us and the other foreign cars were probably a part of his jock group too.
