Chapter 1

"Mom, I'm going to the movies with my friends," said the trouble making brand new teenager John.

"Just be back before 11," replied his mother.

Under his breath John whispered as he walked away, "Yeah right." Today was his thirteenth birthday and he was going to an R-rated movie that ran late to 1 in the morning. But that wasn't the best of it; his friends said they'd surprise him with an extra special birthday present. Tonight was going to be the best night of his young life.

He bolted out the door, ran down the steps, grabbed his bike that was leaning against the tree, and road off into the night.

* * *

As he road down Main Street, John thought he saw something like a big bird come soaring straight up into the night sky, but when he saw his friends his mind quickly became occupied by what his present was going to be.

When he stopped right in front of the spray painted wall that belonged to the store called Zack's Firework Store, his best friend Larry pulled out a brown paper bag from behind him and handed it to John.

"What is it?" eagerly asked John.

"Look in it and find out," replied Larry.

John's heart rate was speeding, his lungs pumping, his eyes bulging out of his head from the excitement. He looked inside the bag; it was crystal meth. John's mouth dropped wide open; he was friends with meth dealers.

"Are you nuts!!!!" screamed John at the top of his lungs.

"Well if you don't except it," said Larry as Greg, Lindsey, Joe, and Crystal cracked their knuckles, "Then you don't get to remember it." All five of them came closer and closer until Larry punched him in the nose. All went black.

* * *

The front door creaked open as John fell through it spraying blood all over the carpet. His mother was going to yell at him for being home so late, but the sight of her son on the floor with cuts as big as her arm made her think twice.

She ran to his side and lifted his head up.

"Son," she said half crying, "Who did this to you?"

It was hard to speak with his broken rib cage, jaw, and bruised lungs, but he managed to mutter, "Larry ahhhh,” screamed John from the pain, “Is a … meth dealer.” And all went black again.

* * *

John awoke in a room that was full of white. His first thought was heaven but he realized he was in a hospital. There was muttering but John couldn’t understand it due to his bandaged ear, and drifted to sleep…