KianThe hot sun fried the sparsely covered lawn, turning the grass a murky shade of brown. I wiped my sweat-coated brow with the back of my hand, then continued to push the lawnmower over the raised tufts of grass. This part-time gardening job may have made me a hit with the stay-at-home moms, but at sixteen years of age, it was still a case of “look all you want but keep your cougar paws to yourselves”. I was still a minor in the eyes of the law."Kian, do you want a cold glass of lemonade?" Mrs. Banks asked while pausing in the doorway and taking a good old look at all my hard work and effort.Since her heart attack six years ago, I had been keeping a closer eye on her and took on all of her strenuous chores. It was Mom's drug dealers who had caused her sudden attack. The shock of them kicking down my front door and barging their way through my house caused Mrs. B to act impulsively in defense of my mother. From what I was told, they had given her a bad scare, and after they left,

KianThe boys were hanging around the lockers when I arrived, some half-dressed and some walking around in towels. One of the guys scrubbed a hand against my buzzed hair as I passed while another tossed me a bottle of shower gel."You're so gonna get laid after this," another crooned, making a riding bull gesture.I grinned, rolling my eyes as I stripped to my skin and palmed the metal push-tap. There was a brief blast of cold water, then the temperature heated against my skin. I dipped my head under the faucet and let the flow cascade down my body. Time ran away with me while I stayed under there, hitting the tap to keep up the constant flow. The laughter of the boys started to fade away as I became lost in my thoughts, replaying the whole game from start to finish in my mind. Whether it was on the playing field or inside the Cage, the euphoric feeling of victory was still the same. I needed to win. I had to chase the feeling like an addict needing a fix.The scent of testosterone,

Kian“As we commit their bodies to the ground, we pray to our spiritual mother that she grants our brother and sister eternal peace, and may her gracious Goddess rest their souls.” Earl, our clan leader, conducted the service, ending the ritual by lowering the joint coffin into the ground.I was completely numb with grief, barely hearing a word being spoken. It was only when the words “bless the Goddess” were spoken that it shook me out of my stupor, and I muttered the words a millisecond after everyone else, my defeated voice sounding lifeless and bereft.“Do you need a moment alone?” Mrs. Banks asked gently, the frailty in her voice reminding me that she would be the next to leave me.I didn’t answer her; I couldn’t bring myself to speak, look in her direction, or do anything but stare straight ahead at the people who had come to pay their last respects by scattering handfuls of dirt onto my parents’ coffin.I requested that they were to be buried in the same casket. I knew they had

Kian“I’m grateful that you’re here with me, keeping my mind occupied and all,” I replied, gearing myself ready to blast back with the “all due respect” retaliation speech, but the waitress walked out of the kitchen with our food.It saved the day and provided us with pleasant silence while we ate. Even afterward, nothing more got brought up about my future. Not even after we tipped the waitress and left, the walk home was all about sports and Jax trying to talk me into trading in my Capri for a motorcycle. It took my mind away from Charlie and whether he’d manage to persuade Mrs. B to go with him back to Whitevale.Jax stayed with me for a couple of extra nights before his duties called him back to the clubhouse. I had showered once all week, then spent every day shuffling between Mrs. B’s place and mine. The grief seemed to worsen whenever I found myself alone. I found it easier to box things away, pulling all the framed photographs down off the walls and packing them carefully. I p

Viper City Residential Institution.Gia Current Age: 12.My heart rattled inside my chest as I paced the room, anxiously waiting for Sarah, my social worker, to open the crumpled envelope."Gia, for goodness’ sake." She chuckled. "Take a seat. You're going to wear a hole in the carpet.""This is huge," I expressed, my words spluttering from my lips in a fluster. "I can't believe you kept this from me all this time."I trusted Sarah. Despite me being bounced from foster home to foster home, she had been the only consistency in my life. She wasn't like the others who were full of false empathy. I could tell that she was fond of me. I had been here the longest. She got to hold me when I was barely an hour old. Sarah was always telling me that if I worked hard, I could make something of myself. My shitty situation didn't define who I was. I could be whoever I wanted to be."I'm sorry." Sarah's blue eyes flinched with remorse, worried that she had let me down.Of course, she hadn't. She h