A/N: It's been a year yall! And what a year it has been lol I've been dying to update. I just get so blah every time I start typing. This is a much shorter chapter but I just wanted to get it out there so ya'll know this story will be active again. I hope to update more regularly now.

*Trigger Warning* Very slight hint of drug use.

Ray's POV

"Do you have a charger in here?" I asked, searching through Schwoz's glove box.

"Should be," he responded, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Come on," I muttered. I shuffled through napkins and receipts and various car paperwork sheets but had no luck.

"Anyway you know of a shortcut back home?" I asked.

"Why are you in such a rush all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I want to look for my nephew but my phone is on 3%." I slammed the glove box shut and sunk down as much as I could with a seatbelt on.

"Well the only way to cut the trip short would be to ride through Swellview honestly," he said, shooting me a look. I had to think. Any info on my nephew would still be there in two hours versus one hour so is cutting through the most dangerous city in Superior even worth it?

"Let's do it," I said. I shrugged my shoulders and looked outside at the setting sun. Driving through Swellview during the day is one thing. But driving through at night? "Schwoz. You have cell service just in case though, right?" He laughed and I caught a glimpse of my face in the sideview mirror. I really shouldn't be so afraid. I mean come on. I'm 36 years old. A crooked city of wannabe thugs should only make me laugh. . . right?

"Ray!" Schwoz shouted. "Stop clutching your seatbelt so tightly. It'll be fine. In and out."

"How far away are we from Swellview?" I asked.

"Couple blocks maybe. Can't you tell?" I finally paid attention to the outside and noticed that the light-lined country streets have turned into litter and boarded up houses.

In and out.

"Dammit!" Schwoz shouted. I jumped at the sudden remark. "Sorry. I forgot to get gas. I'll just go to the closest one."

"Are you crazy? Just go to the closest one that's just outside of Swellview!"

"Would you relax? I'll just throw ten dollars in." Before I knew it we were pulling into a nearby Quick-n-Go. "I'll be right out. Like I said before. In and out."

"Are you kidding I'm not staying here by myself," I said. I unbuckled and half ran to catch up to Schwoz. I tried to blend in but looking over my shoulders every two feet totally made me look like a definite outsider.

The door opened with the sound of a ringing bell and we approached the counter.

"10 at bay two please," Schwoz said, handing the man a 20 dollar bill.

"Sure thing." I looked over the aisles of chips and candy and honestly tried to just get ahold of my senses. As I waited for Schwoz to grab his change, a group of teenagers entered the store. They were louder than a group of 5th graders on a school bus field trip.

"Thank you." As soon as I heard Schwoz say those words I headed for the door.

"Yo Stacks, it's your grandpa!" The group erupted in laughter and I turned to see the boy with the hay-colored hair.

"Shut up Ace." The kid stared me down with a slight unimpressed smile on his face. We stood there for a moment, circling around each other, and I wasn't sure if I should pick a stance or head for the car. "Shouldn't you be home in bed?"

"I was thinking the same about you," I retorted. He pushed past me and slammed a bunch of candy, beef jerky, and a case of RedBull on the counter. "You know, that stuff is loaded with sugar."

"Did I ask for your nutrition facts?" He turned his back to me and high fived a few of his cronies. What exactly they were high fiving for was beyond me.

"Careful Stacks, we don't want him to call his girlfriend for backup," one of the teens said.

"Hey he was the girlfriend!" Schwoz butted in, pointing like a preschooler trying to get out of trouble. The group laughed and high fived some more.

I left the store and sat in the car as Schwoz filled up the car. The group of teens was now soliciting outside, deliberately throwing their trash on the ground. Where were these kids' parents? Probably doping up somewhere.

"Ready to go?" Schwoz asked, entering the car.

"One sec." I don't know what came over me, but the next thing I knew I was picking up the trash and shoving it in the kid's pocket. I felt one of the teens jump on my back and the rest as they say is history.

"Will you stop?" Schwoz shouted from the living room window. I shot him a look and continued telling Callie's father about my earlier adventure.

"So what ended up happening?" he asked.

"I kinda blacked out honestly," I admitted. "But according to Schwoz I flipped one kid over my back and pinned another one against the wall and told him to get lost."

"Good Lord Ray. Doesn't sound like you at all!"

"I think my job might be getting to me." I looked down at Lucy who curled up next to my feet. "Well I should probably head in. You have a good night."

I joined Schwoz back in the house and checked to see if my phone had turned back on yet. Seriously, why do these things take forever to turn on when we need them the most? Schwoz had looked for a little bit on his phone but said he couldn't find much. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the little logo finally light up on my phone.

"Finally," I said.

"Wait Ray," Schwoz paused for an excruciatingly long time.

"What?" I tried super hard not to sound like a jerk.

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up Ray," he said.

"I know. I-"

"I care a lot about you," he interrupted. And I don't like seeing you upset."

"Okay."

"And regardless of whether or not you find anything, you still have a pretty decent family right here." As if right on cue, Lucy hopped right onto both of our laps. I took everything Schwoz just spilled out into consideration but all of that was lost as soon as the home screen of my phone flashed. I anxiously typed in my nephew's name and awaited the search results. I swear I could hear my heart beating in my ears. My internet never worked slower. The page never turned slower. A simple search never took so damn long.

When the screen finally loaded my eyes viciously poured over the words.

"Ray?"

I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to feel.

"Did you find anything?"

I clicked the first link and it brought me to a page on Superior's local website. I read the words out loud:

"Henry Hart, 15. Arrested on July 12. Charged with assisting in an armed robbery of a grocery store clerk."

"Wait seriously?" Schwoz asked. I just nodded. You see, the words are fine. Words can mean anything. I can scroll. I can ignore. But it was the picture that scared the shit out of me. The mugshot. It was him. The kid from the gas station. The kid with the Red Bull and junk snacks. The kid with the hay-colored hair. The kid who pushed me and called me his friggin grandpa. You get the idea. He is my goddamn nephew. Henry Hart. Teenage criminal.

Dun dun DUNNNNN. Lol. So there it is. I bet most of you had figured it out by now. Shit's about to get cray in Ray's life! I hope to update with a full-sized chapter very soon!

Also. If you are a reader of my story The Interview, I am updating that shortly too! I've been adding a paragraph here and there for the last couple months but I have MAJOR writer's block and I don't wanna post a crappy chapter ya know?

Review? :)