A New Chance – Chapter I

Trouble

Chance Bell knew he was in over his head. The situation had escalated so high though he didn’t think there was any way out. But that was life for him. Just a series of falling in at the wrong place or wrong time and being overcome with consequences. If there was a different way to live life he would love to live it. Every day seemed to bring him a new obstacle to figure out how to out maneuver. Why would tonight be any different?

The late August moon had risen and thankfully was full. That provided some light for him to make his way down the dark alley. He would have preferred a bit more light to see by. Of course there were no street lamps above. In this part of town, they had all been broken any time they were replaced. Eventually, they stopped being replaced.

Chance was not comfortable in the area but if he backed out the consequences would be severe. This was his second initiation into a gang. If he would have been able to choose, he would be getting ready for another year of school. Not slinking his way down an alley just to join a gang he didn’t really want to join. But he had moved to the point of desperation.

Back in June, before he left for his last day of 10^th grade, his mom told him to skip it. She was tired of the area and ready for a change. He knew that meant her and her current boyfriend had either broken up or that their moving was the signal to her deadbeat boyfriend that they were breaking up. Either way, she determined it was time to move on. That was her style any time life became difficult for her. She packed up her and Chance and left. Except now that Chance was getting older, he didn’t like moving so often.

He pleaded with her to wait until he got home from school. There was an award assembly and he was going to get an award for the first time in his life. It was for ‘Most Improvement’ and he was excited. This was the longest they had stayed in one area and he had been able to stay in school long enough to find out he was pretty good at it. Not only that, he kind of liked it. Not the other kids or most of the teachers. But the learning. He liked the structure of learning.

It took all morning but he thought he had convinced his mom to wait until after school before they left. What was another 6 more hours?

Apparently, a lot. When he arrived home the place was cleared out. His mom had left him. Her boyfriend had come by a couple of times but when he finally understood she was gone, he stopped coming by. Chance was glad when he stopped dropping in. It was just awkward for the two of them to be in the house. Chance picked up double shifts at work and managed to pay the bills and keep the place until the beginning of August. Then his landlord discovered there was no adult living in the place. He probably would have let Chance stay as long as the rent was being paid but when his wife found out about the situation, she made her husband threaten to turn Chance over to social services. So, Chance left before that could happen.

Chance kept his job and slept under an overpass. But with the end of summer coming he had to face a few hard facts. One, he had to accept his mom was gone. He hoped she would come back to get him. Now that he had also left the apartment, she wouldn’t be able to find him even if she did return. Two, he felt disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to both work and attend school. He was going to have to drop out of school. This added a layer of anger for his mom. If she did come back he might be able to eventually forgive her for leaving him alone. But he wasn’t sure if he could forgive her for disrupting his schooling. And third, he needed a warm place to sleep. Under the overpass was okay during the warm summer months but the nights were getting cooler and would only get more so with the changing of the seasons.

One night while listening to the sounds of traffic over his head, he was alarmed to find a visitor. That’s when he met Rooster. Even though it was quite dark under the overpass, Chance could make out the outline of his visitor. When Rooster turned on a small lantern, Chance noticed his obviously normally black hair was dyed bright pink and covered his eyes. He wore an old-fashioned cowboy’s duster jacket with the sleeves missing. He brought with him a few cans of paint. At first, Chance was just going to remain quiet and hide while Rooster did his artwork vandalism. But he changed his mind. He was going to face this fear head on so he spoke. When Rooster turned to look at him and Chance could see his full size which seemed extra massive because of the shadows cast by the small light, he instantly regretted making his presence known. But Rooster only smiled at him.

“Hey kid,” he said. “Sorry to wake you.”

Chance was irritated that Rooster called him a kid when he appeared to only be a year or two older. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Didn’t know I was barging into anyone’s private domain. But this is how I make the world make sense,” Rooster said and turned back to his painting.

Chance laid back down and listened to the spraying of the cans. He wondered if Rooster would kill him when he was through painting.

After about 15 minutes, the hissing of the cans stopped and the light dimmed. He could hear the cans being kicked down the ditch to the creek. “I’ll get out of your house now, kid,” Rooster said.

Again with the condescending kid reference.

“Hey kid,” Rooster said. “I’m Rooster.”

“Chance.”

“Is that your real name?” Rooster asked.

That seemed a little odd coming from someone named Rooster. “Did your mom name you Rooster?” Chance asked.

Rooster tilted his head back and laughed. It faded into a cock-a-doodle-doo when he finished, he looked around. “You live down here by yourself?”

Chance thought how he should answer that. If he said yes, would that prompt Rooster to take some violent action out on him? “What does it matter?” he asked trying to force his voice to sound low and brave.

“Nothing really,” Rooster said jumping up on the wall next to Chance. “Except it’s not comfortable. It’s getting colder out. And that creek really stinks.”

Chance agreed with that whole assessment.

“If you want a place to sleep, you should come with me. It’s not a fancy place or anything but it’s better than sleeping next to a stinky old creek.”

What’s the catch? Chance didn’t answer.

“Think about it, kid,” Rooster jumped off the wall. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.” And then he was gone.

He didn’t come back the next night. Or even the night after that. But a week later, he returned with more cans of paint.

In the meantime, Chance had looked for a place to live without luck. No landlord would rent a place to a minor. There was no way he wanted to end up in the system and he knew that would happen if he tried to get some help. After adding his few options up, he determined if the young graffiti artist did return, Chance wouldn’t ask too many questions. He would sign up with whatever Rooster offered.

When Rooster finally returned, Chance found out his salvation was going to be a gang. He wasn’t happy about it but it beat the alternative of picking out decor for his current dwellings on the bank of the creek.

Rooster took him to his gang’s hangout spot and introduced him to the alphas. Chance would be allowed to stay and join if he passed three initiations. The first one was to vandalize some city property. With a can of spray paint loaned to him by Rooster, he visited a city park. He passed that first test with flying colors. Literally.

The second initiation involved stealing. He had to contribute to the gang’s communal pot they kept in the middle of the floor of their hangout. That’s what brought him to the dark alley on this particular night. He was going to rob Ol’ Man Cooper’s grocery store. Rooster tried to get him to do this during the day when the store was open. That would really prove to the others that Chance was serious about joining. But Chance couldn’t imagine looking Mr. Cooper in the eye and demanding money and threatening him. The thought of it made him sick.

Not that this was much better but he kept telling himself that Mr. Cooper would understand. This was about survival it wasn’t a personal attack. He could feel his stomach twist in knots as he inched closer with a metal pipe in his hand. This wasn’t personal, the thought raced through his mind non-stop, this was survival.

Finally, he was at the store’s door. The pipe in his hand felt heavy and he switched hands for a second so he could wipe his palm on his pants. He grasped it firmly with his right hand and took a couple of deep breaths. It wasn’t too late to back out.

No, his stomach reminded him how hungry he was. It was too late. He swung the pipe and let it go right into the store window. Loud piercing alarms rang out but he knew the cops wouldn’t be anywhere near this area.

He was wrong. A floodlight came on and he heard shouts and other commotion.

“Get down on your knees,” someone commanded him. “GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES NOW!”

He dropped to his knees. He was confused by the police presence in the alley. Why were they even here? They are never here.

“We been waiting for you, boy,” an officer said as he pulled Chance up off the ground. He could feel the handcuffs slapped around his wrist.

As his rights were given to him Chance only had one thought. What do you mean waiting?