Marcus

        At first, I was very defensive, I came from the hood, living in the streets, got kicked out by my mother’s house. She don’t like me because I looked like my dad. I lived with my gang. When I was a kid I had a buddy. Clive was my boy. He had my back plenty of times.

        Me and him was like one fist. One army. Clive pulls a gun out of a paper bag and accidentally shoots himself. Then the police came and they took me to Juvenile hall. First night was the scariest. Inmates banging on the walls, throwing up gang signs, yelling out who they were and where they from. I cried my first night. I never let anybody know that. Everyday I worry.

        And now I go to school and shows no interest. I was so defensive to all the people in school. But when Ms. G let us read the Diary of Anne Frank and inspired us for change, I started to move back to my Mom and quitting the gang. I changed myself into a better person.