Thank you to everyone who read my first chapter. Please keep them coming. Apologies for the long wait, I will not keep you waiting any longer!

"You changed your hair." Beat took a sip of his soda with a half smile, his legs dangling over the edge of the roof where he and Yoyo perched.

"Green wasn't working." Yoyo grinned. "Nobody takes you seriously."

Beat had treated him to some fries and he ate them slowing. It had been so long since he had fast food. He could barely afford to eat these days. His mind wandered back to Corn and how he had managed to feed them all. Sure, they sometimes went hungry...but when there were so many mouths to feed...

"I'm not fifteen any more..." Again...that reminder of his age. Why did his brain torment him?

"I know your not kid...you've grown at least six inches." Beat laughed, pulling a pack of lucky strikes from his back pocket. He offered one to Yoyo who declined. He couldn't afford to get addicted now. "So your still in the rudie game? Who'd have thunk?" He pocketed the cigarettes before lighting it with a zippo. The sun's rays bathing them both in glorious golden light.

"I don't know how to do anything else. I've been homeless for ten years." Had it really been so long? He couldn't even remember any more. "Say, have you heard from the others? I hear Corn's a poet."

"Sure. I bought his book, what? A year ago? I read it over and over until the pages fell out. I took the battered thing to that little book store down Chuo to have it signed and you know...he looked right through me. He didn't know it was me...after all this time, you know? And it hurt man." Beat exhaled a cloud of smoke before throwing the filter on the road far below. He starred past the buildings through his dark glasses, pausing for a while. "They were all kind of melancholy." He eventually stated, making Yoyo jump after the extended silence. "Love poems, y'know? About loneliness and heartbreak. Kinda depressing. I think he's an alcoholic."

Yoyo thought for a second. He wished he had taken the smoke, now his fries were finished he needed something to do with his hands. "Do you suppose they were about Gum?" He pondered, playing with the string on his hooded jumper.

"Sure they were!" Beat exclaimed loudly, making the younger rudie jump. "He never loved anyone else, back then." He smiled a little in recollection, or perhaps regret Yoyo thought. Suddenly his brow creased. "She's got a kid now. Got married a while ago. Haven't seen her for a year or more though. I bumped into her at the cinema in Chuo street. You know Jazz still works behind the popcorn counter there?" Yoyo shook his head. He couldn't afford the cinema, although he sometimes took films from the trash in Hikage street and watched them on the old tv back in the garage. "Well we all met by accident. It was kind of sad talking to them. We all lead such different lives now."

This was met with another period of silence. Eventually Yoyo broke the stalemate, he couldn't hold it any longer. He had been thinking for too long about the end of the gang. He needed to know...

"Why did you do it? Why did you leave?" The silence which followed made him regret asking.

Eventually Beat sighed. He had known he would be asked but he still hadn't quite formed the answer in his mind. He took a long drag of his almost-finished cigarette and threw the butt down, watching curiously as it plummeted onto the streets below. He eventually answered. "Boredom?" A slight chuckle, but there was no humour in that little burst of noise. To Yoyo it sounded as though he was being strangled. "Being a rudie was my life when the Rokakku were oppressing us. We had a real cause to fight for...like what being young is all about y'know? Even spraying my tags on those shitty walls down Chuo Street felt like a big thing...like I guess kinda punk? Stormin' the Bastille with bayonets and dragging the Monarchy out kickin' and screaming...that kinda thing." Another strangled laugh.

Yoyo frowned. He wasn't sure of the culture reference...he sometimes felt angry when he didn't quite get things like that. He could read, just about, but he had never made it to seventh grade. He had to remind himself that it wasn't personal...that maybe people didn't realise...but still, the anger remained.

"But when they fell-" Beat continued, fumbling around with his packet of Lucky Strikes, feeling the tips of the sticks between his fingers, debating whether to smoke another...he decided against it and pocketed the soft pack, turning back to Yoyo but never quite meeting the eyes. "Everything we fought for...all those years of struggling and falling down and getting back up again and falling back down but never giving up...all that suddenly went. I mean, life wasn't perfect. We were still starving half the fucking time. You know...I didn't realise how skinny I was, how we all were, until I left and ate properly for a month or two. It's strange, not to have that burning dull sensation of hunger deep down in your gut all the time. Sometimes I miss it, kind of." He had clearly gone off track and was now smiling softly to himself. It would have been nostalgic, almost romantic, had Yoyo not felt that same hunger Beat was referring to deep down in his own gut. Memories were harder to love when you were still living the damn things.

"Anyway, I left." Beat suddenly snapped back to reality and the jolt was almost painful for Yoyo. "It was selfish of me. I was one of the first to go...do you remember? I guess everybody left in the end." His voice wandered off. It was too sad to think of the past. Suddenly, with a grin he exclaimed "But you carried on the name...you little fucking trooper! Corn would be so proud of you if he knew. You could go and see him I guess. I don't know where he lives but I bet someone would...maybe Gum. She gave me the address to her apartment...asked me to come 'round sometimes. I never did, but then I never was any good at keeping promises." A pause. Then "I loved her you know?"

Yoyo shook his head, a little shocked, he didn't know. He guessed it wasn't such a huge stretch, loads of rudies had a crush on Gum, even the other gangs. She had always seemed so mature to him. How old was she exactly? Probably not as old as he had once thought.

"Yeah...I did in my own way. I guess back then I used to be kind of a player right?" This brought a grin to Yoyo's face. He had been pretty close to Beat and he remembered all the girls he would bring back to the Garage, much to Corn's annoyance. "But nah, Gum was different. But she was always Corn's you know? Even before I met them it was clear they had something pretty strong for each other. Sometimes when me and Corn would get in a fight, I'd think about how it would be to have Gum, just to spite him. But I never had the balls I guess." Another grin, this one well humoured and cheeky. "But you could go and see her, ask her about Corn. I bet she would know if anyone. I never kept tabs on everyone. I should have, they were like family for a time. But after I left I never had the nerve. I guess they wouldn't want to see me now."

"That's not true." Yoyo smiled, turning to face Beat. "Everyone had their reasons for leaving. You're no different. If I find Corn, I'll come and tell you okay? We could...I don't know...meet up." He thought this was a pretty slim chance. He was usually an optimistic person but the last few months had left him wondering...left him feeling empty. Even if he could find Corn, what were the chances that he would want to see him? He didn't have the heart to tell Beat...who seemed to proud of him for carrying on the G Gs name, that he wanted to disband the group. How could he? He let out a long sigh and carefully stood up, backing away from the ledge of the roof and waiting for Beat to join him.

"I had better go back to the Garage...see if we have anything to eat." He smiled at the other man, sadly. "You are welcome to come any time you know? You remember where it is?" Beat nodded slowly. "I know you wont." Yoyo grinned. "But the offer is there. If I find Corn...I'll come and find you. Okay?"

"Okay." Beat sighed, giving in. "I'll give you that address."

Thank you for reading. I am writing chapter 3 straight away so not long to wait! Please Review!