The city of Detroit, a city that once thrived with endless jobs and was known as the car manufacturing capital of the country, was now a barren wasteland of the American Dream that was crushed by corruption and poverty. Even living in the suburbs of the city, one would witness that lost hope. But living there won’t save anyone from all the crime and killings. At any given moment, people’s lives could come to an end, whether it was gang related, family, crossfire, or not even minding their own business.

Jack was just a little boy who knew very little of the city’s awful nature. The only reason why he knew such horrid things was either through the news or the internet, but even then it seemed as if nobody was doing anything about it.

Jack always wondered about that: safety. At times, he would ask himself, “Am I safe living in this nice, big, high class home? Am I really?”

The only people who knew that answer were his father and mother. They both grew up in Detroit, but Jack’s father had it the roughest. He grew up poor in the worst neighborhoods, the ones people thought that were typical stereotypes or exaggerations. They are actually true, in reality.

Jack’s mother, on the other hand, had everything handed to her. She was raised by rich corrupt politicians, and grew up in a neighborhood better than what they lived in now. To normal people these types of high class people were known as the elites, the people above the rich. Funnily enough, they somehow ended up with each other, breaking all stereotypes and going against their parents’ selfish wills, especially Jack’s mother. However, Jack couldn’t understand how or why, but when he would get older, he hoped to understand someday.

Jack’s dad was a senior manager at a car manufacturing company, while his mom stayed at home to take care of Jack. Jack’s dad made enough money to care for the both of them, but his mom still intended to help him because she felt guilty knowing he worked his butt off to keep the lovely house over their heads. Jack’s mother tried her best to help his father out financially, but when Jack got older, she couldn’t figure out what to do with all the extra time she had, so she decided to write a novel to help out. It definitely helped with something, because Jack helped out by buying her first book with his own allowance.

It’s almost my 11th birthday, so I’m getting really excited! But to be honest, I couldn’t ask for more. I have everything a kid could ask for; a big home, a huge allowance, and loving parents. I get just about anything I want, well, only if I get good grades of course.

Though my parents are all that I need, I don’t need toys, a phone, or anything else. Just their presence alone is enough to fill my selfishness! I don’t know what I’d do without them. They’re my role models, my heroes, but most importantly, they’re my entire existence.

Jack’s mother usually opened his door early in the morning and made sure to wake him up or else he’d oversleep. With a smile on her face she dragged her hand towards the light switch, preparing to turn it on.

“Get up, it’s time for school. You’ll be late!” his mother said calmly as she switched the lights on.

Letting out a huge yawn, Jack stretched his arms out as far as he could and rubbed his eyes. “Okay Mom, let me get dressed.”

His mom walked to his bedside and kissed him on the cheek, “Alright sweetheart, and don’t you dare go back to sleep on me. I’ll be making breakfast downstairs as you get ready.” She rubs his head, giggles, and then leaves the room.

Jack groaned a bit, still feeling the effects of fatigue. “I hate school,” he quietly mumbled as he rose out of bed.

Even though Jack knew he was supposed to go to school so he could be successful someday, he felt like it was such a waste of time. Jack wanted to be successful without school, to prove to anyone that you don’t need school, like his father, or other famous celebrities, but they weren’t who Jack looked up to.

Jack brushed his teeth, put his clothes on, and grabbed his bookbag, then headed downstairs. In the air, there was a sweet aroma of deliciousness. It made Jack drool all over himself, so he headed to the kitchen where his mom was cooking breakfast. The smell of his mother’s home cooking was unbearable. Out of his own excitement, Jack tried to grab a piece of bacon, but she quickly stopped him.

“Nuh uh, remember to pack your lunch mister.”

Jack sighed. “Okay Mom.” He grabbed the bag she prepared for him and before putting it in his bag, he looked inside his lunchbox and saw that she packed him some chips, juice, and his favorite sandwich.

Jack grabbed it and observed its glory. It had such precision, elegance, the king of all sandwiches! “PB & J?! Thanks Mom!”

Jack ran up to his mom and gave her a big hug. His mother smiled and hugged him too. After releasing her, he packed his lunch, put it in his bag, then sat on the table, waiting for the awesome breakfast to be served.

Jack loved his mom so much. She was so sweet and amazing, not to mention how much he loved her cooking. She was always there for Jack when he needed her and she always advised him about what’s right or wrong, teaching Jack’s young curious mind on how to avoid certain situations. She would say things like how he shouldn’t talk to strangers, get too close to the bad neighborhood where crime was rampant, or be influenced by delinquents who break the law.

Jack noticed someone else missing from the table. “Where’s Dad?”

Still cooking and finishing breakfast, his mother replied, “I’m not so sure sweetie.”

Jack sighed deeply. “Oh… okay then.”

Noticing the worry in her son's voice, she also said, “He’s probably still asleep. He did work pretty late, you know.”

Jack may love his mom, but when it came to the person he looked up to the most, his father took the cake. He was Jack’s Superman! He was extremely brave, talented, and had accomplished so much by becoming successful on his own. Most importantly, he was awesome in Jack’s eyes.

Mom served Jack’s food, which was that bacon he tried desperately to grab before. However, it was now in front of him and its crispy nature taunted his taste buds.

I’ll show that piece of meat who’s boss!

However, it would have to wait for Jack. “I’d rather wait for my Dad so we can all eat together.”

Damn you, yo-you delicious villain! Along with your servants of peppered eggs and toasted bread smeared with glistening butter!

“Remember, the bus will arrive in twenty minutes,” she reminded Jack, who was staring at his food like a begging puppy.

Having his thoughts disrupted by her words, Jack quickly glanced up at her and slammed his hands on the table. “Twenty minutes?!” he shouted in confusion. “I had no idea time went by that quickly!”

Jack shovelled the food into his mouth, destroying that built up temptation. Even though his poor taste buds never had the chance to experience the glory of his mother’s cooking, his mom always reminded him not to eat like a slob. She was right because Jack started choking on his food. As instincts quickly took over, Jack grabbed the glass of water beside his plate and rinsed it down.

His mom took a seat. “So, doing better in school? Or are your grades getting worse? If that’s the case we can cut your allowance by half.”

“Uh-oh!” Jack whispered. He gulped nervously and answered her with a quick lie. “Oh! They’re good… for now.”

She looked at Jack and sighed, knowing he wasn’t a good liar. “Tell me the truth Jack,” she said seriously.

Jack began to sweat a little, but she continued staring at him with what he liked to call the look. It was when she crossed her arms and stared at him with great intensity and a raised eyebrow.

Jack was about to answer her, but the bus arrived and saved his troubled butt. It honked and distracted Jack’s mother enough to stop their discussion.

“Well, the bus is here! Talk to you later, Mom!” Jack got up from his chair, kissed her on the cheek, and headed to the door.

“You better behave and pay attention in class, Mister!” she shouted at Jack as he left, with her arms crossed over her chest.

Jack looked back. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

She headed towards him and kissed him on the cheek.“If you keep lying about your grades I’ll punish you, especially your father.”

Jack quickly gasped and pleaded, “Please! I’ll do better, I promise!”

She laughed and gave him a hug, then made sure his clothes weren’t wrinkled, and that his hair wasn’t a mess.

Jack opened the door and made his way towards the bus. When he was about to enter the bus his mother reminded him one last time, “Be good at school, okay sweetie? OH! And please pay more attention in class.” She waved at him and stood there smiling on the front porch.

Jack looked back, nervously. “Okay Mom… you know I will!” he said sarcastically.

She gave Jack the look again. He forgot that she could tell when he was being sarcastic. He quickly got on the bus while she continued giving him that look.

“Oh boy,” Jack whispered to himself in fear. “She’s going to kill me!” He sat at his favorite seat, rolled down the window, and shouted, “I love you, Mom!”

Her face quickly transformed into happiness. “I love you too son!”

The bus started and was on the way to school. During this time, Jack liked to daydream when he was looking out the window, and it was mostly about being a detective. His dreams were to solve crimes and catch the bad guys. Of course, Jack still needed to go to school to do that, if that was a sacrifice he had to endure, then so be it. BUT! Jack wanted to do it without school and to prove that anyone could accomplish anything without it.

While looking out the window, Jack always reminded himself how much of a difference there was between his neighborhood and the rest of the city. It kinda saddened Jack that the people in charge wouldn’t do anything to fix the problem. Corruption, childish good for nothing politicians who wouldn’t do a damn thing but cater to their own selfishness, but more importantly, the endless miles of bloodstains on the streets. That was why Jack wanted to be a detective, so he could clean up the streets and get rid of all the bad guys, not only on the streets but those who were also in power too to make the city safer.

The bus arrived at the private school Jack’s parents enrolled him in. Jack really didn’t know for sure what public schools were like. Maybe it was due to the fact that they knew he’d be safer in a private school than a public one because from what his mother told him, the same illegal activities that took place in the streets had crept their way into schools.

While getting off the bus, Jack spotted his friends and headed towards them. On the way, Jack bumped into someone by accident. He tried to apologize, but when that person turned around, it was Jack’s frenemy, Danny. Jack didn’t really consider him as a real friend. That was why he prefered to acknowledge him as a frenemy since they treated each other like rivals. Jack didn’t know why, but Danny always got on his nerves and Jack knew he got on his, too.

He looked dead in Jack’s eyes. “Hey, watch where you’re walking!” Danny’s face had a usual I hate the world type of face with baggy eyes and a slightly twitched lip that never stopped twitching.

Jack responded with a forceful, angry tone. “Maybe if you weren’t in my way, I wouldn’t have bumped into you!”

Danny opened his arms out, seeming like he was ready for a tussle. He gestured at Jack. “You wanna go Jack?”

Jack raised a brow out of confusion and laughed. “I don’t have time to mess around!” He started walking away and raised a hand, angering Danny even more. “I’ll see ya later.”

Danny smacked his lips and walked the other way as Jack continued to meet up with his friends like he was originally going to and greet them.

Finally reaching them, he said, “Hey Sarah! Hey Veronica!”

As Jack greeted them, he felt someone’s arms around his neck and from the feel of it… he assumed it was Annabelle. Jack turned around and he was right. It was her, his dear childhood friend. They’d known each other since they were just babies, mostly from their mom’s being good friends, even though Jack despised her mom.

Annabelle was really tough for a girl and acted more like a guy. She hated it when Jack told her that, but man was she pretty. A wow type of pretty, a “oh my god” pretty. Every time Jack was around her he felt fuzzy inside, but he quickly ignored that feeling when it popped up. Jack enjoyed mocking her about the whole acting like a guy thing the most out of anything.

However, Jack’s second friend Sarah is a bit mysterious. They’d only known each other for a year. She was very shy and wore weird necklaces with strange symbols, but once Jack got to properly know and talk to her, she was very funny. She could really make someone laugh, especially Jack.

Jack’s final friend Veronica was his second best friend. They both had a great bond, and they talked all the time, sharing everything, and playing all sorts of fun activities. Most importantly, she was super smart, maybe too smart. He couldn’t even tell what she was saying most of the time, but Jack thought she did it on purpose to make him feel dumb.

“Hey Jack! Sorry to surprise you!” Anna said, waving at the others. “Hey Sarah! Hey Veronica!”

Jack looked at Anna and greeted her also. “Hey Anna. Oh! That reminds me, please don’t do that again. It feels like someone was trying to choke me!” He imitated her action and played dead.

She giggled and picked Jack back up. “What? I was just trying to be sneaky, or perhaps you want me to choke the life out of you?” Anna giggled even more and playfully punched his arm.

Jack rubbed the spot she punched. “Says the girl who likes to play with balls more than dolls!” He smiled, chuckling out of his own childish nature.

Her face turned red out of embarrassment. “HEY! Why did you say it in such a nasty way? You jerk! So what? I like to play basketball. You don’t have to say it in such a gross way.”

Jack liked messing with her and to see how far he could push her. What angered her more was when Jack called her by her real name. She thought it was too girly. So when he did call her Annabelle instead of Anna, she would usually give him the meanest face. Jack found it cute when she did that, which is why he could get away with it most of the time. Now, if someone else outside their group called her by her real name, someone like Danny… she would probably annihilate that poor soul.

“Hey Annabelle! What’s the plan for tonight!” Jack said sarcastically.

Anna got furious and punched his arm again, this time in a meaningful way. “You better STOP!” she shouted. “It’s ANNA! Not Annabelle, you dummy!”

Veronica and Sarah both looked at each other and laughed at the two as they continued having their petty argument.

Sarah looked at Veronica. “Um… what are they talking about?”

“They usually do this.” Veronica placed a fingertip on her chin and continued to smile at Sarah, who seemed completely emotionless. “Now that I think about it, they’ve always argued, but it’s always nothing serious.”

Sarah looked back at the other two as they continued arguing. “Oh… well I figured that was the case, but isn’t this how couples act?”

Anna overheard Sarah’s statement and was immediately embarrassed. Veronica had a shocked look on her face as well and started muttering words beneath her breath. “Coco-couples!”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-WHAT!” both Anna and Veronica said in unison.

Sarah chuckled. “I’m just joking. It’s okay, relax you two.”

Jack, on the other hand, didn’t get the joke so he just shrugged it off. Jack cared about all his friends, even if Annabelle did piss him off sometimes, but he guessed that was what made their friendship special.

“Hey… I’m not wrong though. I can see the two of you getting married in the future!” Sarah said, then continued chuckling.

Jack lifted an eyebrow and looked at Anna. “Married… What’s that?”

Everyone’s faces turned white, almost as if their souls had left their bodies. All three gave Jack the look of someone who was full of hopelessness. Then they all laughed together and for some reason, that really pissed him off.

The school bell rang, Jack apologized to Anna for teasing her and gave her an “I’m sorry” playful punch to her shoulder. She smiled and gave him a punch as well. They all said their goodbyes for the day and parted ways.

While Jack walked to class, he looked up at the sky and thought about how great his life is, but also questioned if it would stay this way? Or would the world choose an unforgivable fate for him? The only person who knew that answer… was God. Jack closed his eyes and thought that if anything could happen in a city like Detroit, then anything could happen, especially the bad things.

Jack got to class and spotted Danny, who didn’t look too happy. Jack walked to his desk and sat down. “What’s up?” he asked, but Danny ignored him. Jack just shrugged and quietly chuckled to himself.

The teacher arrived and immediately began the day’s lesson. She started writing on the board as the whole class watched. “Okay class! Today we’re learning about nature and the causes of her destructive power.”

Danny leaned towards the desk next to him and whispered to his neighbor, “Only thing destructive here is her breath!” They both covered their mouths and quietly chuckled.

The teacher heard their little joke, so she stopped her lesson and looked at them with eyes filled with annoyance. “What’s so funny Daniel?” she asked, slamming the marker on her hand repeatedly.

Danny started looking nervous. His eyes were erratic while he tried playing it cool. “Oh! Um… Nothing Ms. Mill.”

She gave him a dirty look and went back to teaching, but as soon as she started again, she stopped to look at Danny because he started chuckling again.

“Okay then, Mr. Daniel! Answer the question I asked during your little comedy show!” She slapped her palm on the board loudly, waking up any students who were either half asleep or not paying attention.

Sweat dripped from Danny’s forehead as he fiddled with his fingers. He couldn’t bear her wretched eyes staring at him. “Uh… Wh-What question?”

He had a distressed look on his face, yet Jack couldn’t help but chuckle too.

“Looks like someone hasn’t been paying attention! Have they?” She then turned her attention to Jack. “Jack! If you think it’s funny too, then what’s this called? And what causes it?” she asked, pointing to the diagram on the board.

Jack looked at the board and easily identified it. “It’s called a tornado, and what causes it is the warm and humid conditions in the lower… sk-sky?” He slowly raised his shoulders from his own hesitation.

She smiled and nodded. “Close enough, but at least you were paying attention, not like some degenerates.”

Danny looked at Jack and gave him a death glare. Jack ignored him and continued his class work, like how he had promised his mother.

When class ended for the day and it was time to go home, while Jack was packing his belongings, Danny came up to him with his chest puffed out.

“You think you’re better than me right?” he snapped, angrily raising his voice.

Jack chuckled. “We’ll see about that when we play video games at your place.”

Danny smirked. “Not today, I’m going to visit some relatives out of town. So maybe some other time.”

“Oh, okay, see ya later then.” They both shook hands to set the challenge in stone for another time.

Danny left with a smirk and the rest of class was beginning to leave also. One by one they got up, leaving the class alongside friends or alone until Jack was the last to leave. The hallways were crowded. Laughter and waves of voices erupted in the air. Leaving the classroom and bumping his way out of these crowded halls, Jack was finally outside. While heading to the bus, Jack spotted Veronica along the way.

“Hey Jack!” Veronica came up and tried to hug him, but she quickly denied herself from doing it.

“Oh, hey Veronica! How was class today?”

“Really easy as usual. I mean, I am the smartest girl in my grade. I think I deserve to go to middle school with you next year, don’t cha think!”

“Hmm, Well, you do help me with my homework sometimes, even though you’re in 4th grade.”

She loved to brag about how smart she was. It annoyed Jack sometimes, but that’s what made her cool in his eyes, not to mention that she was one of his closest friends. Veronica had won spelling bees, math tournaments, as well as chess tournaments, so maybe she was Albert Einstein reincarnated. They both held hands and made their way to the bus lanes.

“How about you Jack? How was your day?” she asked while they swung their hands together.

“Well… I know the forces of nature now. Also what causes a natural disaster too.”

She giggled. “Oh, that sounds fun. I wish I was in your class. Sounds more fun and normal.”

Jack furrowed his brows and tilted his head. “What? Yours isn’t normal?”

She sighed. “Nah! It gets boring really fast. Sometimes I wish I was in your grade. Especially a class we both could… well, um… be together?” Her face turned a bit red, then she turned her attention to the sky.

Jack also stared at the beautiful sky. “I see! I think that would be cool too.” She looked back at him and smiled.

They both got to the bus lanes, and Jack escorted Veronica to her bus like how he usually did. As they were about to get to her bus, Danny came out of nowhere and shouted, “HEY VV!” He then noticed their hands were held together and he immediately pushed Jack away.

With his hands clenched, he raised a fist at Jack. “What the heck do you think you’re doing Jack?!”

“Whoa! Calm down their buddy. No need to get so violent!”

Veronica looked really irritated, and she pushed Danny. “What’s your problem? You know I hate violence! You should apologize to Jack.”

“Not to him,” Danny exclaimed as some kids started to gather. He set his sights on Veronica and smiled. “But I will apologize to you.”

After apologizing, Danny left and softly waved to her, however, he stopped for a second to take one last look at Jack and stick his tongue out. Jack didn’t say anything and Danny finally walked off.

One kid shouted, “Oooo.”

And another said, “Wussy!”

Veronica ignored their behavior and sighed. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I’m not sure what got into him. He’s usually so nice to me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack said, ignoring everyone watching them, and grabbed her hand again. “Forget about these weirdos too, let’s just go back to your bus.”

A couple of kids said, “Who are you calling weirdo?” in unison as both Jack and Veronica headed towards her bus.

Before entering her bus, Veronica still had more to say. “So, what are you doing later, Jack?”

“Mmm, I’m going with my dad to the park today! That’s what he told me yesterday. He’s been busy a lot with work lately but he’s managed to free his schedule today just for me! It’s gonna be fun!”

Veronica looked upset when Jack mentioned his father, but then she smiled a little. “Cool!” she said, and stayed silent for a moment. “Wish I could go with my dad or you… but… I gotta study for my test instead.”

Right away, Jack could tell she was a little upset about the thought of him and his dad spending time together, so he tried to cheer her up by patting her arm. “That’s okay. Maybe next time we can go together!”

She blushed and almost seemed like she was about to cry with joy. She hugged him really tight. “REALLY! Just the two of us?”

Jack was rather surprised by the hug, but he didn’t mind. “Yeah, sure.”

She noticed how she was holding him and freaked out, then let go. “I’m sorry for being overly excited. It’s just… that made me feel super happy. That’s all.”

Jack smiled and grabbed her hands. “Yup, it should be super fun! I’ll make sure of it. You are one of my best friends after all.”

She hugged him again and held Jack tightly. “You promise?”

Jack grinned. “I promise!”

Everyone in her bus started making smoochie faces. Jack was left confused by what they meant, but she, on the other hand, turned really red.

Why is she all red now? Jack wondered.

“See you tomorrow, Veronica. Have a good rest of your day.”

She nodded with that bright smile of hers. “You too, Jack. Have fun with your dad!” Veronica got on her bus and Jack got on his, and at last, it was time to go home.

When the bus arrived at his home, Jack got off and said goodbye to the driver, then headed towards his front door. Before he went to open the door, he noticed a beautiful rose in one of the bushes. Curious, Jack went to check on it and noticed that it had fully blossomed. It was a beautiful, bright red color. Knowing his mom would love it, Jack grabbed the rose and carried it inside.

“I’m home!” Jack shouted while closing the door behind him. “Hey Mom! Look what I found! A red rose!”

“I’m in the kitchen,” Jack’s mom shouted. He could hear the sound of pots clanking and water boiling while she prepared tonight’s dinner. It smelled good.

Jack put down his backpack and headed to the kitchen. When he walked in… the aroma of her food exploded into his nose. Everything smelled so captivating. So much so that Jack began to drool like a starving hyena. He just couldn’t help it though. Her cooking was amazing!

Jack’s mom greeted him and stopped chopping vegetables for a moment.

“Hey sweetie!” She kissed him on the cheek and gave her son a welcoming hug, then took the rose from his hand for a closer look. “Oh my! It’s beautiful! Where did you find it?”

A huge smile widened on her face. Jack forgot how much she loved flowers.

“I found it outside on one of the bushes in the front yard. You know, the one closest to our porch?”

She continued twirling it around, observing its beauty thoroughly. “Is that so? How was your day then?”

“Pretty fun, but at the same time, boring as usual.”

She looked at him with a displeased look on her face. “Remember what I told you earlier today? About your grades my handsome little man!” she said in a babyish voice while pinching his cheek.

She’s right though! As much as I hate to admit it.

Jack sighed and grabbed her hand. “I know! But I wanna be like Dad. He didn’t have to go to school to be successful.”

“Dad had his reasons to stop going to college, which is far from where you’re at now. You’re too young to have thoughts about dropping out.” She grabbed a nearby vase and placed the rose in it.

Jack didn’t want this topic to slide, he wanted to know more about his dad’s reasons, but knowing his mom, she would probably get more upset. Yet his kid brain couldn’t help itself from being so curious, so he asked, “Mom, why did Dad stop going if schools are really important?”

In saying that, Jack thought that he was saying too much because she began to look upset. “Like I said sweetie, Dad had to go through some tough roads to get where he’s at now, my love. You might think about school differently later down in life, you never know. That’s all you need to know for now.”

Jack felt bad, so he hugged her to make her feel better. “Oh okay, then I’ll stop asking. So where’s Dad? He said he was going to take me to the park today.”

Jack’s mom smiled. “He should be back any moment now. Get ready, but do your homework first, okay?”

He grunted and moaned. “Okay Mom, I’ll do my homework.”

Jack was still conflicted about this, he really wanted to know how Dad got to where he was at now, but even someone as young as him could tell she didn’t like talking about his past. Jack thought about asking his dad when he would take him to the park later.

However, Jack listened to his mother and headed upstairs to his bedroom to do his homework. While sitting at his desk, Jack started doing his homework, but instead of focusing on the task he thought about Veronica’s face turning red from those kids making weird faces. He wondered what those kids meant? He wanted to ask his mom later about it. Maybe she would know the answer.

After an hour had passed, Jack finally finished his dreaded homework. As he was putting away his homework, he heard a car pull up into the driveway.

“It’s Dad!!” Jack shouted and dashed out the room, making his way down the stairs in a hurry.

Jack’s dad walked inside and went into the kitchen to greet his mom. “Babe I’m home!” he called out, then went up to Jack’s mom and held her from behind.

Jack arrived too, but decided to stay hidden and overhear their conversation closeby. His curiosity was swelling up and he felt intrigued about the conversation they were about to have.

She quickly turned round and embraced him. “Welcome home honey! I missed you!” She kissed him on the lips.

Jack’s dad let go of his wife and took a seat at the dining table. “So, how’s my boy doing in school? Did his grades improve?”

She hesitated for a second, then her face quickly changed to someone who was hiding something. Jack’s father had his own look and glared at her with his look.

She sighed. “He’s… trying his best, somewhat.”

Jack’s dad chuckled and stretched. “At least he’s trying, no need to be so worried. I mean, he’s still in elementary school. It’s not like he’s in highschool yet.”

“So, how was work honey?” Jack’s mom asked with a cute smile.

His dad groaned with frustration. “Tough! I had to lay off more workers. It really broke me.” He slammed his fists on the table, startling her. “Damn company! Forcing me to lay off hard working people that need to feed their families!”

Jack’s mother gasped. “That’s terrible! Why would they do something so heartless? What’s worse is the fact they’re forcing you to do their dirty work! How gutless of your superiors!” She went to the table and poured him a mug of coffee.

He sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just talk about something else… It’s been a long day and I’m really in no mood to talk about it right now.”

Jack’s mom set the mug of coffee aside on the kitchen bench and approached him with her arms crossed. “Are you sure? Holding in too much might be bad for your overworked mind.”

“What matters most is that I get to come home to you guys with a roof over your head, and us being as far away from crime as much as possible.”

Jack’s mom walked beside his father and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re right, but aren’t you forgetting something?”

Jack’s dad’s face looked rather confused for a moment, then he quickly remembered. “Oh yeah! Son, come down here!”

Since Jack was already there, he chose to stay hidden so he could be a little nosy. “DAD!!” Jack shouted with joy and jumped up on him. He got up from his seat and swung him around as they both laughed. His mom laughed along with them.

He gently poked Jack’s nose. “Hey champ! Ready to go to the park?”

Jack looked up at him and gave him a huge smile. “Oh heck yeah, I am!”

He smiled back and patted Jack’s head. “Alright! Get in the car then. The sooner we get there, the more time we have for excitement.”

As Jack raced towards the front door, his mom quickly stopped him from stepping any further. “Wait right there, young man! Did you do your homework?” she questioned with her hands on her hips.

Feeling her stare, Jack slowly turned around and saw her narrowed eyes and mouth slightly slanted to one side. “I did my homework, Mom!”

She didn’t believe him at first, but she smiled and let out a sigh of relief. “Good! Now go enjoy the park with your father!”

Jack ran back to his mom and gave her a hug before heading out. “Will do! Come on Dad, let’s go!”

His dad then looked at him. Just by looking back at him too, Jack could tell he was a bit exhausted, but at the same time, a gleam of excitement was in his eyes.

“Alright champ, just give me a second. Dad’s gotta change his clothes first, right? Don’t wanna go to the park looking like some douchey businessman.”

Jack took a quick glance at his father’s outfit and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Dad.”

Without waiting for his dad, Jack headed out the front door and hopped inside the car like some reckless toddler. His mom also came outside and packed a bag of goodies for them in the backseat.

After anxiously waiting for a few minutes, Jack looked out the window and spotted his parents holding each other and… put their lips together.

“Ew!” Jack said loudly. “I still don’t understand why people do that. It must be what Moms and Dads do.”

Five minutes later, his dad finally got in and Jack’s mom waved at them as they drove away, shouting goodbye. They both waved back.

As they headed towards the park, Jack looked out the windshield and noticed they were about to pass Veronica’s house. He gripped his father’s shirt and said, “We’re about to pass my friend’s house!”

While passing by, they saw flashing lights and an ambulance accompanied by police vehicles outside her home. Jack saw hospital workers put someone in the back of the vehicle, and he spotted Veronica as well. Her face was white with fright, stunned with such unmeasurable shock. Her eyes widened with vast emptiness, the look of devastation was apparent.

I wonder what’s going on?

His dad slowed down to observe the scene and looked nervous as well for some reason. He began to sweat a little from worry.

Just what the heck was happening at her place?

Jack turned his attention back to the scene. “What’s going on?” he asked.

His dad didn’t answer him for a moment, but shortly after, he said, “I’m not too sure myself.” He picked up speed so they could get to the park sooner, which left that worried look of curiosity on his face.

Jack looked back one last time and saw sadness trickle down Veronica’s broken face. It left him wondering what had happened at her place, but more importantly, why his father chose not to answer his question. Jack wondered why his dad left him hanging like that, to Jack’s young mind it didn’t make much sense, even glancing at his father for a second it undoubtedly made him question more about the situation with his friend. The boy looked forward again, the curiosity on his face dissipated, and a frown overtook it’s place. Jack was left utterly, confused.