Forgetting Boundaries | Teen Ink

Forgetting Boundaries

June 28, 2013
By JYLee, Seoul, Other
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JYLee, Seoul, Other
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Author's note: I want people to know that you might have that one person you hate with all your guts, but it really isn't worth it. Hating people, i mean. So just, try to look past their faulty personality or your jealous heart and just accept. It's much better than hating. Also a quote from Emilie Autumn inspired me. “It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for; I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill.”

I forgot to do my homework. I first realized the moment I walked into school, dripping with rainwater and chilly from the morning air. Deciding to leave it until later, I wordlessly entered the classroom before finding my way to my seat. The classroom was colored in a gray shade as the overcast sky shone through the paned windows of the prison people call school. The desks were neatly arranged in rows like crops in a field, placed exactly where they were wanted and not expected to change. The students blindly filed in and out, following their own internal schedule whilst holding onto the schedule that was forced upon them by society.
"HEY! Chris Cortez or should I say Chrissy." A tall, muscular upperclassman strutted up next to the lone boy's seat. "Why don't you fight back, Chrissy? I know you want to.” The male spat in the younger’s face while swinging his brown bangs out of his face. “Just come at me. Only once." The brunet started shoving Chrissy to try and provoke him.
Chris sighed as he looked up to his aggressor. "Go away, Brent. I'm not in the mood." Brent scoffed, but Chris rolled his eyes before laying his head on the wooden desk and turning away.
At Wintrest High, there are two known gangs or ‘groups,’ The Street Boys and the Chosen. The Chosen remains to be mirroring an Italian mafia. There are people with brain and people with brawn. They separated into two sub-groups named the Brain… and the Brawn, yet they still work along side each other. Me? I’m in the Brain, yet I feel like I could do better in Brawn.
The Street Boys run around creating havoc everywhere they go while us, the Chosen, choose to be pretty... dormant, at least at the Brain side. People wonder why we are even considered a gang rather than a group of friends. We have reasons... it's just that we choose not to flaunt it.
These two groups are known to have a bad relationship with each other, which is partially true. No one knows why, but they guess it's because of the top high school gang status they want, even though some don't seem to care. And that... is not true.
Brent stared at Chris. "You're telling me you're not in the mood?" Brent put on a mocking pout. "How sad, little girly!" Brent leaned over and pinched the annoyed boy's cheeks.
Off in the corner of the classroom, I sat glaring at the scene. ‘Should I go and defend Chris?’ I thought. ‘But that'll just create unnecessary commotion...’ I shook my head. ‘But he is part of the Chosen with me... But I'm so lazy! Anyways... the teacher should be here soon.’
I convinced myself out of helping my fellow gang member and turned to face the window. The beads of water were racing down the window as if they all wanted to be the first one to give the grass its needed hydration. ‘Why do they even pick on us? We don't bother them and I think we could be pretty close...’ I sighed, thinking about the Street Boys. ‘They don't even know what we can do...’
The teacher’s high heels clacked against the tile floor as she entered the classroom. She turned to the class and slammed her books onto the front desk to get their attention. "Brent, to your seat. Kai, face the front. Jessie, spit out your gum." I slowly turned to face the front, but quickly got distracted when everyone glanced at Jessie, who refused to get up from her seat and chose to look sadly at the teacher, hoping to soften her heart, yet the teacher slowly froze Jessie with her icy stare. "NOW." The teacher ordered and Jessie immediately scurried to the trashcan and spit her gum away with no love. Once Jessie sat down at her seat again, the teacher smiled. School has officially begun.
Throughout the school day, members from the Chosen swayed in and out of my personal schedule while they followed theirs and to my 'happiness', members from the Street Boys also held a place in my day.
It finally was the last period of the day, Study Hall. Depending where you live, when one says Study Hall, you might think of a room where you are forced to sit and study... or you might think of a room where you can goof off all you want and the teacher doesn't care at all. Well, at Wintrest High, it's the latter. Thank the heavens for that.
"Students." Our teacher, Mr. Lowe, lazily voiced. "Students!" Again, he failed to catch our attention, nevertheless, our respect. "Everyone shut your puny little mouths or I'll murder you in your sleep!" Mr. Lowe angrily whispered, but that whisper was so full of his unknown power that it shut us up immediately. Mr. Lowe gave us a reassuring eye-smile that might have been to tell us that he was joking, but sent a chill down our spines instead. "We have a transfer student coming in today." He started. "He used to be in the art class, but he switched to us in the business and economics. Please welcome, Matt Kim."
‘Wait... did he just say...’ I snapped my head up to the front of the class.
A seemingly scrawny male with a fierce, yet baby-like face walked in. I immediately looked down and hid myself. "Matt, you can go sit next to Kai in the back. He's the one-"
"I know who he is, Mr. Lowe." Matt interrupted and I looked up, only to see Matt smirking at me.
"Okay, so today, I have some appointments with parents, therefore I can't look over you guys... don't burn the school down." Mr. Lowe instructed before taking his belongings and leaving the room.
Matt nonchalantly waltzed up to his new assigned seat. "Nice to see you again, Kai." Matt smirked as he took his place in the adjacent chair.
I looked down at my homework before murmuring a small, "Matthew."
"Are you afraid of me?" Matt whispered into my ear.
I scoffed before pushing him away, "In your dreams."
"What, am I not good enough?" Matt complained and I finally looked at Matt directly. Matt looked offended and I had no idea why. "Am I not gansta enough?" Matt initiated multiple seemingly 'gangsta' movements before looking to me for approval.
I held in my confusion on Matt's behavior. "Ask yourself."
Matt stood up infuriated. He clenched his hands into fists then punched me square in the nose. Pain erupted from the bridge of my nose and I felt a warm trickle start flowing from inside. "Is that gangster enough for you?" Matt yelled, gaining the undivided attention of the rest of the students.
"Dude, what's your problem?" My hands immediately fled to my nose, feeling the thick liquid that was flowing out.
"You are." Matt snatched his backpack before leaving the room.
I only stared in shock. ‘What the heck did I do?’

"So he just flips out and punches me in the face! And I'm like lying there with a bloody nose thinking, ‘what the hell did I do? All I said was ask yourself.’ If I said ‘you're Asian! of course you aren't “gangsta.”’ maybe I'd understand, but like Matthew, buddy boy, you are confusing." I ranted before giving up.
"Kai, why do you even care that much. It's the Street Boys you're talking about." A blond rolled his eyes
Currently, the Brains were having a nice, little dinner at a nice, little restaurant in their nice, little neighborhood on a nice, little night.
"HEY! WAITER! TWO MORE PLATTERS!" The blond called out from his seat at the small plastic table. He projected his voice so much that it was most likely heard from Matt’s little hometown in Asia.
"UNGRATEFUL BRAT, AT LEAST SAY PLEASE!" The storeowner spat at the blond before placing the two ordered platters on the table.
"Thank you!" The blond cooed politely before digging into his food. "Chris, do you want some?" The blond asked.
"Ah, no thanks. I'm good." Chris replied.
"OH! AND THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER THING!" I unintentionally yelled. "Why didn't you stand up for yourself…” I looked at Chris.
"I was lazy." Chris deadpanned.
"It makes us seem like p***ies!" I complained even more.
"We are supposed to be the brains." The blond interjected.
"Shut up, Zack! We still can be strong!" I sighed.
"Maybe you sound be in Brawn." Our leader voiced.
"EXACTLY! Chris, You and I should switch with the three lacking individuals in Brawn." I groaned.
"What about Conner?" Zack asked.
"You haven't gotten on his bad side." Our leader whimpered, then there was silence.
.
.
.
"Why can't we just do what we can? You know we are stronger and more powerful than them." I whispered.
"Because it isn't right. We'd have the advantage and we don't want that." Our leader answered.
"Fine. I gotta go." I stood up and said my goodbyes before exiting the small plastic tent of a restaurant and entering the streets of the ghetto.
A man pushed passed me and walked into the street. I opened my mouth to yell at him, but before a single note could exit my mouth, a car rammed into the man.
"Oh my god!" I sprinted up to him. As I looked at his face, there was a tingle at the back of my head. As if I should know him, but I don’t remember where. ‘Is he breathing? Yes. Is he conscious? No.’
I took his phone out to call the police, but knowing that we are currently in the ghetto and the police don't care about what happens here, I tuck it back into his pocket. The nearest hospital is about 5 miles away, so I gently balanced him on my back before running.
In no more than an hour, I was inside the familiar stranger's hospital room getting ready to leave. As I approached the door, the stranger’s cellphone rang loudly, filling the empty room with powerful rap music. I hesitantly took the phone in my hand before answering. "Hello?"
"WHERE ARE YOU?" The man on the other side of the line yelled.
"Umm... who is this?" I asked.
"Dylan, seriously. This is no time for jokes." Dylan, the Street Boys. That's why he's so familiar...
"Umm, I'm not joking." I honestly said.
"This is Matt. Matt Kim? You remember me, idiot? Now where are you?"
"Dylan's in the hospital." I quickly uttered.
"dylan's in th- WHO ARE YUO THEN?" Matt yelled once again.
"No one important. Come quick." I replied before hanging up.
I quickly gathered my belongings before exiting the hospital room, not knowing that Dylan was awake and watching me.
As I exited the hospital, I saw the Street Boys running up to the entrance. I quickly flipped my hood up and lowered my head as they passed. I grinned when they didn't notice me and looked backwards to see them at the front desk.
Since I wasn’t looking, I bumped, head first, into another person. "Oh, sorry!" I apologized before turning to see who I bumped into.
"Sorry? That's all?" I was met by large, burly men; showing off tattoos that were covering their arms and necks. The Black Diamond.
The Black Diamond was known to have the record of the most arrests per lifetime and the most escapes too. They are known to congregate around multiple ghettos, but never around the one they were at now.
"Do you recognize us, little stick?" The man teased me and my build.
"Uhh... oops?" I chuckled. My mind isn’t functioning at all. Inwardly, I facepalmed myself at my stupidity. ‘Yep, I should be in the Brawn.’
"Wrong." The man pulled his fist back for a punch, but by then, I was already sprinting off in the opposite direction. "Come back here you little Turd!" The man yelled, but who was he kidding? Of course I wouldn't stop. "WE'LL FIND YOU!"
I sprinted back to the restaurant to find my friends still sitting and eating. "Kai! You've returned!" Zack joyfully called before pulling up another plastic chair.
"Guys, you're going to hate me." I announced the moment I sat down.
"Jeez, you don't even say hello anymore." Zack said with a fake disappointed look on his face.
"We already hate you, please continue." Our leader muttered and I couldn’t help, but to glare in his direction.
"I met Black Diamond." I announced.
"And?" Chris pushed me to continue, obviously more interested in eating than listening.
"They want to kill me."

"THEY WANT TO WHAT?!" Everyone screamed before going off on their own motherly lecture about getting myself and others into trouble.
"SHUT UP LITTLE BRATS!" The storeowner called from the kitchen. "Why do I even let them in here anymore..."
"How did this even happen?" Chris asked.
"I bumped into them and instead of saying sorry or anything I said 'Oops'." I briefly explained.
"That's it! Kai is officially switching places with a Brawn, I say James!" Our leader decided.
"What about Rachel?" Zack questioned.
"Rachel?" Our leader gave an 'are-you-serious?' look to Zack. "That kid ain't in her right mind. She’s tough, yes, but a thinker… not in ways that we need."
"So... what should we do?" I questioned.
"I don't know. Avoid them? Just don't go out alone." Zack said. "Now I'm going to go home and tell my parents I love them."

It's been a week since Dylan went to the hospital and he nor any of the Street Boys have come to school, additionally, The Black Diamond has yet to appear, so it's been a good week for me.
At the end of the school day, the Brains were heading out to their weekly dinner meeting at the cheap restaurant in the ghetto.
"LOOK WHO DECIDED TO COME! YOU REMEMBER US?" A loud voice echoed from the school gate, catching my attention. I looked up and saw the Black Diamond looming at the gate. "You have friends too!" The supposed leader said with fake enthusiasm before ordering his gang members to get us.
The gang ran onto school grounds and we immediately started sprinting to the side gate.
"Aye... running... isn't... my... thing..." Zack groaned as he pumped his fists.
"Shut up, You'll waste your breath." Chris mumbled before grabbing onto Zack's wrist and pulling him faster.
Outside the school, the group took multiple lefts and rights, hearing the pounding of their hearts and the thumping of their assailants' footsteps behind them. They turned once again and found themselves at a dead end.
"Whoop! No where to go." A voice from Black Diamond erupted from behind them before the sound of a gun's magazine entering the gun was heard.
"Dude, it's not like your life will end because you lost one-" The door on the side of one building opened, revealing Dylan. He analyzed the scene. The Brains of the Chosen were standing against the dead end and the Black Diamond was standing opposite of them, holding guns. "HIDE!" He yelled and as if he were a captain, everyone scurried behind garbage bins and crates.
Matt stayed in the building and quietly took out guns.
"How the hell does he have guns." I whispered to Chris as he hid behind a trash can.
Dylan slid the guns across the ground to multiple people spread across the end. From behind a crate, Matt slid a gun across the ground to Chris and I. "Are you serious?" I gaped. "I don't know how to use a gun?"
"Just point and shoot?" Matt answered, not sounding sure himself.
"No, give it to me." Chris murmured while grabbing the gun.
"WHAT? ARE YOU GUYS TO SCARED TO FACE US?" The leader of the Black Diamond yelled. "LITTLE WUSSES!”
Chris loaded the gun while the leader was yelling to mask the sound. "Based on his voice, he is standing approximately 20 feet away, slightly so the left. There is a slight wind blowing towards them..." Lay calculated. In seconds, he held the gun facing straight up and shot into the sky.
"You missed us, idiots." The leader said, sounding joyful.
Chris looked at me, before counting down. "5...4...3...2..."
“AH-“ The faint sound of a body falling to the ground was heard.
"WHO DID THAT?" The leader yelled.
"I really shouldn't be in the brains..." I whispered while grinning at Chris.
"THAT'S IT!" Everyone heard the click-clack of a gun being loaded, almost immediately they heard the sound of it being fired. In front of him, Tao saw splinters of wood flying everywhere before a spray of red erupted from the side of Matt's head.
Everyone was silent, looking at Matt's dead body on the ground, allowing the anger and will for revenge take over their body.
"FOR MATTHEW!" Dylan yelled before everyone joined in to create a chorus of chaotic voices. I swear I heard a faint 'This is Sparta!' amongst them, but I can't be sure.
The night was quickly filled with gunshots and yelling as the massacre went on. I blindly held out my gun and shot nonstop. In my peripheral vision, I could see his allies falling one by one; dead.
Dylan.
Zack.
Chris.
James.
Brent.
Our leader, Ian.
The two gangs fell as one, the group of young student were quickly being defeated.
No. This isn't how it's supposed to be.
I dropped my gun and closed my eyes, blocking out all of the outside world and digging into the innermost parts of my energy...

It was the last period of the day, Study Hall. The class I dreaded the most because of one person, Matt. I never thought I could despise a person this much, but I was wrong. I saw Matt rush into the room, somehow afraid of being late to class. A study hall of all classes too. Immediately, Matt locked eyes with me and started to head to his seat.
"Kai-"
"You can be gangster if you want to be." I interrupted, not wanting any drama at the end of the day.
"No." Matt sighed, gaining my attention. "I want to say thank you. For Dylan. He was awake and saw you. He could've died."
At the word 'died' flashes of guns, blood, and a dead Matt appeared in my mind. They seemed all too familiar to be my imagination, but I knew that they could never have happened.
"No problem." I simply stated. "Buddy."
Matt smiled before turning to the front, waiting for role call.



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