by Katrina Cope
Watching him with a pleased smile, Avando asked, “Do you have any friends about your age who are also living on the streets?”
Jayden swallowed his mouthful. “Kind of. I don’t always hang around with them, but we probably see each other about once a week.”
Avando’s forehead creased. “That’s odd.”
“What is?” Jayden asked, shoveling some another cookie into his mouth.
“Well, I would’ve thought that young people on the street would stay together. With all the dangers and the lonely, tough life you are living, why weren’t you all sticking together?”
“Well, I tried. But the others started doing weird things that just didn’t seem right to me, so I stayed away from them most of the time.”
Avando’s eyebrows rose. “Like what?”
Jayden felt embarrassed and began to squirm in his seat. He wanted to disappear into the generous layers of leather.
He swallowed the lump rising in his throat. “I don’t want to squeal on my friends and make them look bad.”
Avando said again, “You can tell me.”
“Well,” he said. “They started doing really bad things.”
“Like what?”
“I know what they were doing was bad—but in a way, I understand. Life on the street is tough. Even though I also found it hard, I didn’t want to live the way they were starting to live,” he stammered.
“It’s great you were strong like that, but you still haven’t told me exactly what they were doing,” Avando said. “I won’t criticize them. I just want to know before I go and possibly offer them a place at the school.”
“Well,” Jayden began. He felt a little more comfortable, but still hesitant. “At first they were just trying—like me—to find enough food to survive. But after a while, the reality of life on the streets set in. An older guy gave one of the boys named Ben a pill and said it would help take away the pain of being homeless.”
Avando’s eyes filled with concern. He remained silent and fiddled with his cane as Jayden continued.
“Ben took the pill because he hoped that it would make him happy. He was happy for a short time, but it wore off soon. He was desperate for the feeling to last and went in search of another.”
“He’s extremely lucky that he didn’t die or suffer serious consequences from the pill,” Avando said.
Jayden nodded and looked at him. He didn’t see any disapproval, so he continued. “He had to pay for the pill from then on. Ben was distraught. Hunger was no longer his main priority—getting another pill was. To raise the money needed he started to do all sorts of bad things, like stealing handbags from old ladies. He did this until his addiction got worse. Then he started to mug people in the alleyways for their cash and valuables, and also breaking into houses and pawning the stolen goods for money.”
“Dependency on drugs can change you. So what did the others do that was so bad?”
“Taylor and Declan found Ben’s stash of pills and decided to try it just for fun.”
“Didn’t they see what it did to Ben?” Avando asked.
“This was before Ben got really bad with his dependency, and they hadn’t seen the bad things he was doing to get the drugs. When they tried the pills, they felt so good, and Taylor wanted to impress Jessica ’cause he had a crush on her. She tried the pills, too, which also started a vicious cycle for them. The only difference was that Jessica didn’t want to mug people, so she found other, inappropriate ways to raise money. I don’t think they wanted to take the pills anymore, but they were so hooked on them that they couldn’t get off them without help.”
“Oh, my. How old are your friends?” asked Avando.
“I think most are thirteen, but Taylor is fourteen.”
“Where do they stay?”
“They’re on Delton Street, about five blocks from where I was—but I wouldn’t be pulling up to find them in this car, let alone walk around searching the shadows.”
Ignoring Jayden’s warnings, Avando pressed the intercom button. “Charlie—Delton Street, please.”
“Yes, Avando,” Charlie’s voice sounded over the intercom.
Jayden turned in his seat to look directly at Avando. “Look, it’s really not a good idea for you to go there in this car, and you obviously need a cane to walk. So I really wouldn’t recommend going there unless you have protection.” He scratched his leg nervously. “Do you have anyone you can maybe pick up on the way?”
“I’ll be fine, Jayden,” Avando replied in a no-nonsense tone, but Jayden was still not convinced.
Panic churned his stomach. He was going to lose the person who was about to give him good food and shelter. It was inevitable that he’d be badly injured—and maybe even hospitalized.
Desperate, he tried again. “No, really—don’t go unless you have some protection.”
He could see that Avando’s mind was unchanged. He began to wonder if Avando was kind of crazy. With bad judgment like this, he wondered how Avando had made it big in the business world. He racked his brain until he finally thought of a solution.
“I know! They won’t attack me, or try to mug me in their alley because they know me and realize I don’t have any money. I’ll go and speak to them for you.” He smiled proudly at his idea, confident that Avando would accept the proposal.
“Thanks for your offer. I can see your point—however, I’d rather do it and see for myself what kind of life they lead,” Avando said. Jayden’s jaw dropped. He was convinced that he was sitting near to a crazy person.
“Are you mad?” He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Did you not listen to the story I just told you about them, and how in the alleys they mug people to get valuables and money—something you obviously have? You have a target placed on your head. If you walk or drive in, they will notice you.”
Avando smiled and responded in a calm voice. “I will be fine. Just wait and see.”
Jayden slumped his shoulders in defeat. “Well, thanks for thinking of me and all. It was good to know that someone was willing to help. It’s just a shame it won’t be lasting long.” He let out a big sigh.
“Don’t get all melodramatic on me. Honestly, I’ll be fine. Just relax.” Avando put a hand on his shoulder.
Jayden remained in a sulky mood and looked out the tinted windows. He sighed when he noticed that Delton Street was getting closer. I’ll be back to my cold street again soon and without a proper meal. How depressing, he thought.
As the car turned a corner, he looked up to see a street sign with the words Delton Street written on it. Here we go, he thought. The car started to pull over.
“Are you sure I can’t go for you?” Jayden asked again.
“I’m sure. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” Avando ruffled Jayden’s hair before getting out of the car. Jayden cringed as he watched him slowly limp down the street, looking, again, into the dark shadows.
- Chapter Two -
Don’t Judge Books by Their Covers
Anxiety settled in as Jayden stared out the car window into the darkness of Delton Street. He knew Avando had told him not to worry and that he’d be fine, but he wasn’t comforted. He’d seen these kids in action. They might only be young teens, but desperation had given them whole new personalities.
Five minutes had passed since he’d seen Avando. He started tapping his foot.
Charlie opened the internal barrier of the limousine and said, “Relax, kid. Keep the tapping down. You’re starting to make me jittery, and I know he’ll be fine.”
Reluctantly, Jayden did as asked. Ten minutes passed. Something caught Jayden’s eye in the dim glow of the streetlight. He glanced over quickly to have a better look, only to be disappointed. It was only an owl flying up from the road to the rooftops. He started to chew his nails while he waited. Fifteen minutes. He looked harder down into the dark street, craning his neck to see any movement in the shadows. Nothing. He groaned. The waiting was starting to become too much. He undid his seat belt.
Silently, he chewed his nails some more. Twenty minutes passed, and still there was no sign of him.
“I can’t stand this anymore, Charlie. I’m gonna find him and see if I can help. The guys won’t do anything to me.”
Before Charlie could respond, Jayden was out of the car. He walked quickly down the well-lit parts of the street but slowed down in the darker areas. Nervously, he peered into all the shadows. He expected to see Avando sprawled out on the ground in some dark corner, unconscious, beaten, and robbed of all valuables, but he didn’t find him.
“This is a long street,” Jayden muttered to himself. “There are plenty of other dark places up ahead.”
He pushed onward. The cold air pierced his raggedy clothes, so he pulled them tightly around him. There was a light patch just up ahead. He studied the immediate dark patches. There was still no sign of Avando. He hoped Ben and his group hadn’t dragged him up some side alley. He kept walking.
A car pulled down the street, and its headlights lit the path ahead. In the brief flash of light, Jayden thought he saw a limping figure ahead. He started to walk faster, still looking in the shadows in case his eyes had tricked him. Faster, still faster, he went. Another set of headlights scanned the street. This time, Jayden was sure it was Avando ahead. He broke into a run. The tension melted away knowing that Avando hadn’t yet found Jayden’s friends.
I should’ve gone with him in the first place, he thought. Charlie and Avando are seriously crazy to think that he’s safe on his own. Avando didn’t even get very far in the twenty minutes he went ahead of me.
Jayden stopped, horrified. He was still quite some distance from Avando, but he could see him fairly clearly. Three people who looked to be males circled around Avando, closing in on him. A fourth person—a female—with matted blonde hair hovered hesitantly in the background. From their silhouettes, Jayden knew that they were Ben, Taylor, Declan, and Jessica.
Jayden started to sprint while yelling, “Hey, guys!” After getting no reaction, he yelled louder, “Hey, guys!” They didn’t seem to hear him. He continued to sprint as fast as he could, but it wasn’t fast enough. The stance of his friends became aggressive. He was out of breath, but he kept going. Not too much farther, he told himself.
He saw one of his friends of a stockier build and dark, matted hair get close to Avando. Jayden recognized him as Ben and watched as he took a swipe at Avando.
Adrenaline pushed him harder. Jayden was certain they were going to hurt Avando before he reached them.
The next movement stopped Jayden dead in his tracks. Avando blocked Ben’s attack with his walking stick. Whoa, thought Jayden; that was a quick defense from an old guy with a cane.
He started to run again. Even though the attack had been fended off, he wasn’t going to take any chances. There were four of them, and only one Avando.
Ben’s posture changed from shock to aggression. As Jayden expected, Ben was ready to attack again, but this time he was not alone. Taylor stepped forward, ready to also attack—together with or separate from Ben, Jayden wasn’t sure. Taylor was larger than Ben. As he sized up Avando, he brushed the tangled, dirty, mousy-brown hair from his eyes. Jayden’s heart jumped violently in his chest from anticipation and exertion.
Taylor jumped out, grabbing Avando in a bear hug from behind, while Ben stepped in to attack from the front. Shock registered on the teenagers as this somewhat crippled man pushed out with his arms, weakening Taylor’s grip, and ducked. While Taylor’s grip was flimsier around him, Avando then elbowed him in the ribs, causing Taylor to let go. Avando then turned and did a sidekick into Ben’s stomach. It sent Ben flying backward while clutching his stomach in pain.
Seeing this, Jayden slowed again but still kept walking steadily toward Avando and his friends. Jayden had more confidence in him now, and it was only then that he understood why Charlie had told him not to worry. He watched, amused, as his drug-reliant friends were still too busy trying to get some of Avando’s money or possessions for their next fix to realize that this man could fight them off.
Three guys could be a challenge, however. Seeing his two friends fail, Declan decided to help them out. He positioned himself in attack mode. Apprehensively, he stood close to Avando. Flicking the dirt-streaked blond hair from his eyes, he stood ready while waiting for his friends to regroup.
Ben was back on his feet, and the boys were closing in on Avando from all sides. Avando stood in the middle, looking surprisingly calm, Jayden thought, considering his position. Going behind Avando’s back, Ben grabbed his shoulders, firmly holding him in place for the others to attack. Avando spun around, raised his arm, and flipped it over both of Ben’s outstretched arms. He wrapped them together and punched straight up into Ben’s armpits with his free hand. This attack disabled Ben’s arms.
Seeing his friend defeated, Declan charged in to defend him, letting out a loud growl. Before Jayden’s eyes could register what he was seeing, Avando did a double kick with his good leg—one to Declan’s stomach and the other to his jaw—while bracing the ground with his bad leg and cane. Declan flew backward, clutching at his wounded areas. It was then that a click of metal sounded. Jayden looked in the direction of the sound and saw a silver switchblade in Taylor’s hand. “No!” Jayden yelled, but Taylor didn’t listen.
Jayden watched in horror as Taylor charged at Avando with the knife held high. He thought Avando was a goner for sure now. When Taylor was within striking distance, Avando raised his arms and blocked Taylor’s knife. Before Jayden could blink, Avando quickly tripped Taylor backward while managing to avoid the blade. Taylor’s body froze as he braced himself for the inevitable fall. The sheer force of the impact caused him to drop the knife. Avando reached down and picked up the knife just as Jayden got to them.
Barely out of breath, Avando straightened and asked the boys, “Now, have you finished?” He gazed at each one of them separately. “Are you willing to listen to me now? As I said before, I can offer you more than a quick fix—or perhaps the meager amount of food that you might’ve received by robbing me just now. Judging by that pitiful performance, you wouldn't have been capable of actually doing that.” He dusted off his suit as he waited for a response.
Jayden looked at his friends who were lying on the ground. They weren’t badly beaten, but he could tell that their pride was hurt. An old, partly crippled man had defeated them.
“I did tell you that you didn’t have a chance against me, but you wouldn’t listen,” said Avando. He glanced at Jayden and smiled. “Even the one who was just worried about my safety didn’t listen.” Jayden felt his face turning warm and sheepishly smiled back.
“What would an old man wanna say to us that’d make a difference? And why’d he even wanna say anythink at all?” spat Ben. “I’ve been on these streets for over a year, and no one wants to speak to us, no one wants to help us, and no one has shown any care. So why’d ya wanna be any different?” He shook his arms still trying to rid the numbness from Avando’s attack.
Avando looked sincere. “I understand that you’ve had a tough life. I understand that people have shown you no care or attention in the past. But as I have already explained to Jayden, I’ve done well over the years and have had no one with whom to share my success. I have no family or children and, because of this, my wish is to find some young people like you, whom I can help.”
Jessica had slowly moved in toward the group. Her dull, blue eyes surveyed the newcomer, and her dirty, pale face was full of suspicion. “Oh yeah! And what do ya expect back? A few special favors, I s’pose?” She did a little street dance that she normally performed for her potential clients.
After seeing her do this, Avando’s face filled with sadness. “No, nothing like that—but I do expect you to earn it.”
“Oh, great,” Taylor exclaimed. “He’s gonna sell us as child labor, and we’ll probably work in som
e of them sweatshops, we heard ’bout.” He stretched his legs out and propped his body up by placing his hands behind him.
Avando shook his head and passed the knife to his cane hand. “No. Besides providing for your food, clothing, shelter—and, in your case, detox—I will also provide you with the best teachers and tutors available. In return, all that I ask is for you to achieve a ninety percent average.”
“Ha? Are ya kiddin’ yourself? Do we look like brain scientists to ya? If we’re smart enough to get that grade at some fancy school, do ye really think that we’d have ended up out here?” Declan scoffed.
A stern look passed over Avando’s face. “Young man, just because you’re living on the streets doesn’t make you stupid—only unfortunate. Now, as for your education, to enable you to get those sorts of grades—I’d be providing you with the best tutors, who’ll devote their time to you. With the quality of help I will provide, your grades should only reflect the amount of effort you make, or the lack of it.”
“I’m still not sold. It sounds like you’re spreadin’ empty hope an’ tormentin’ kids like us,” spat Ben.
“Why would you think that? Are you scared?” Avando asked. Jayden saw a glimmer in Avando’s eye. “What do you have to lose? Where’s the harm in giving it a try?”
“The harm is teasin’ us with betta surroundin’s, and then if we fail, we’d be shoved back to the streets. That’s where the harm is,” Taylor said.
“You won’t be put back on the streets if I can help it,” said Avando. “I’d look for other accommodation for you if it came to that. On the other hand, you could be getting a world-class education for free. It should help you to live a better life and take advantage of good opportunities in the future.”
“I’m going with him, guys,” Jayden said. “I’m sick of always being hungry, cold and smelly, dressed in rags and getting dirty looks from people who don’t know or care about why I’m on the streets. I think it would be worth trying—and in return, we get looked after.”