Jimmy was laying down on his bed with his head buried into his pillow hoping he would suffocate and die. He was grounded for causing such a ruckus earlier that afternoon. Usually he would sneak out the window and run down the fire escape until he was free just to prove a point to his mother. But today was different. He didn't feel like moving around. He could barely lift up his head to see who had entered his room when he heard the door creak.
"Jimmy?" said a small fragile voice.
Jimmy smiled at the voice and reach over to turn on the lamp that was on his bedside table. When the light flickered on, he saw her holding a stuffed dinosaur and saw her beautiful blue eyes sparkle at the sight of Jimmy.
"Crystal, what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked, smiling.
"Just checking on you!" she replied with a smile.
Jimmy chuckled. "How about sitting with me for a bit?" He patted on the bed next to where he was sitting. Crystal ran and jumped onto the bed, accepting the offer.
"Yes!" She cried out in glee.
Jimmy couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. He loved Crystal more than anything. She had the warmest smile and the bluest eyes Jimmy had ever seen (excluding his own). She was very hyper and had many extravagant ideas considering she was 12. Most girls her age were obsessing over clothes and boys. But Crystal was too smart for that.
"Jimmy?" Crystal asked, wrapping herself in a blanket that had been lying on the bed.
"Yes my blanket burrito?" Jimmy replied, bringing a smile onto Crystal's face.
"You love me, don't you?"
Jimmy gave her an 'Are you kidding me look' and said "Of course! How could I not?"
Crystal didn't immediately respond but when she did she caught Jimmy off guard.
"Do you love me more than drugs?"
Jimmy froze. Aware that he was unable to say anything, Crystal continued.
"You're always out doing them. You always make sure you have some. And you seem to like hanging out with those drug people. Sometimes I feel second best because I feel like you'd do anything for drugs but not for me."
Guilt spread through Jimmy like a wild fire. He couldn't believe his little sister had just asked that. He couldn't hold back the tears and Crystal gasped in amazement when he let the first tear fall since she had never seen him cry before. She unwrapped herself from the blankets and sat directly in front of Jimmy, patiently waiting for his response.
Jimmy grabbed her hands and looked her right in the eye.
"I'm so sorry I've ever made you feel that way. You are so much more important to me than drugs. Drugs are an addiction and its my fault I'm on them. But you are the best sister any brother could ever ask for. I love you so much and I want you to remember that forever. Okay?"
Crystal smiled and tackled Jimmy with a big bear hug. Jimmy held her tight and let his last tear fall into her hair.
Suddenly, with a huge crash, the door flew open causing several of his posters to fall off the wall. It was their mother.
"Crystal, I thought I put you to bed." she stated calmly as she kept her eyes locked on Jimmy.
"I'm not tired mom." Crystal protested.
"Bed. Now."
Crystal gave one last hug to Jimmy and skipped down the hall and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Jimmy noticed his mother keeping a close eye on him.
"What do you want?" he asked.
She looked around the room and left without a word.
He sensed something was wrong but didn't really give a fuck to ask. Jimmy resumed his position by stuffing his head in his pillow once more. But he found it hard to find the comfortable position he was in earlier. Giving up, he walked to his window and lifted the latch. Cold night air came sweeping in as he propped the window open. Leaning on the window sill, he looked down at the dark alley that lead right to the main road. He ran his hands through the half of his head that still had hair and wondered whether to go to Miguel's place. He knew that even though he worked for Theo, he liked him plenty. But what if Theo was there tonight? He might make another attempt to murder him. Jimmy scratched the idea and climbed out of the window onto the fire escape. Just as he did, four figures walked into the alley. Jimmy squinted his eyes as he tried to make out who the figures were.
"How are we gonna get our money, Theo?"
Jimmy froze. He didn't move a muscle hoping not to make any noise and listened intently to the voices of the newcomers.
"We'll get the money from that worthless piece of shit. And when we do, I will rip every bone out of that motherfuckers little body!" Said a voice that Jimmy immediately recognized as Theo. Jimmy started towards the window but just as he was about to reach it, the window slammed back down, barely missing Jimmy's fingers, and latched itself closed from the inside.
"Who's there?" Theo yelled. Suddenly a beam of light shined on Jimmy's face making it hard to see anything.
"It's Jimmy!" yelled a voice that Jimmy couldn't quite recognize, though he had a hunch it was Brian. Jimmy heard footsteps running up the fire escape. He pulled at the window with all his might but he couldn't open it in time. Two sets of hands grabbed him and dragged him down to the floor.
"Where do you think you're going saint?" snickered the man on the right. The light momentarily crossed his face revealing that his capturers were Ben & Van. They simultaneously grabbed his shoulders and his arms and lead him down the steps to Theo. Jimmy pulled away with all his might but failed to set himself free. He had never been a strong person.
When they reached ground level, Ben and Van threw him on the floor right before Theo. Jimmy looked up at Theo feeling hopeless and he knew Theo could sense it. Theo leaned down and snickered, "You used to be the guy to beat. The king. Well now I'm the King of Fuck!" Theo kicked Jimmy right in the face causing blood to run down from his nose. As Jimmy wiped the blood from his face, Theo produced his pocket knife from his pocket. Jimmy tried to crawl away from Theo but Van kicked him in the back, foiling his plan for escaping. The blade still had some blood on it from earlier that afternoon. His left arm began to sting almost as if it remembered the pain the weapon had caused it.
"So where was I before we were rudely interrupted?" Theo asked.
Van & Ben pinned Jimmy down to the floor leaving his injured arm exposed. Brian kept the flashlight steady on Jimmy and Theo made his way in for the kill.
"THE COPS ARE HERE!" a voice yelled from the other end of the alley. Theo threw his knife back into his pocket and kicked Jimmy several times in the face.
"Let's get out of here." Theo said running towards the main street. Brian, Van & Ben ran after him.
Jimmy cried into his hands and felt the blood rush out from the gash Theo had made under his eye. He was so in pain that he didn't even flinch when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Jimmy? Jimmy, talk to me!" a voice insisted. Jimmy removed his hands from his eyes to see Miguel and Gerard staring down at him with concerned looks on their faces. Miguel grabbed his right shoulder and began to sit Jimmy up. Gerard grabbed the other one but let go when Jimmy let out a muffled scream.
"Gerard! You idiot! That's his hurt shoulder." Miguel said.
"God, sorry! I forgot!" Gerard replied.
When Jimmy was finally seated, Miguel placed one arm under Jimmy's legs and the other around his waist.
Gerard helped Miguel stand and carry Jimmy out of the alley and down the main road to a small apartment complex. Jimmy could see headlights and streetlights but soon they all began to blur. Before he knew it, the whole world went black.

Jimmy awoke to the sounds of metal clashing onto tile. He was confused as to where he was until his eyes adjusted themselves to the sunlight that was beaming onto his face. He looked around and realized he was at Miguel's apartment.
"Gerard! What the fuck was that?" a voice yelled from down the hallway.
"Nothing!" Gerard yelled back from the kitchen. Jimmy lifted his head and saw Miguel walking towards him with a big bandaid. Jimmy realized he had scratched his wound on his arm open. Miguel slapped the bandaid on Jimmy's arm, causing him to scream in pain.
"Sorry." Miguel stated, "You should probably get that checked by a doctor. It could get infected." Gerard came out with a three beers in his hands and handed one to Jimmy and Miguel.
"What if Theo shows-"
"Theo isn't coming around here for a while." Miguel stated before taking a big gulp of beer. "The police were here earlier."
Jimmy sighed in relief but looked out the window just to make sure Theo's truck wasn't outside.
"The police had a message for you." Gerard said, almost whispering as if afraid to anger his friend.
Jimmy placed his unopened beer onto the coffee table. "What is it?" he asked, bracing himself for the news.
Gerard looked to Miguel and nodded his head. Miguel nodded back in reply and sighed before speaking.
"You father was arrested earlier today."
Jimmy shrugged it off. "Not that big of surprise. I figured he'd be caught at one point."
Miguel didn't reply but looked at him sympathetically, something Jimmy had never seen him do. Gerard turned and retraced his steps back into the kitchen.
"Jimmy," Miguel said. Once he got Jimmy's attention he continued.
"Your mother no longer has custody over Crystal. They're taking her away."