1 Gangsta's Paradise Part 1

"When I die, I don't want people to be upset. Be glad that I lived life."

It is something that my brother used to say to my mother before he went out at night to help us out financially. He told us this all the time, I thought that I could be glad for him.

Tears run down Jonathan Jones' dark skinned face, "I can't help but feel sad."

As the casket was lowered into the ground, everyone began to cry harder. My mother fell to the ground, reaching for the casket and wailing, "Not my baby, not my Bobby. Please God! Bring back my baby Robert! Give him back! He didn't deserve this! Please!"

This sudden outcry caused everyone else by her that tried to comfort her cry even harder than before. Throughout the whole funeral, I couldn't bare to stand next to my mother, her crying was too much for me. However when the casket was finally lowered, and the men began piling the dirt on the coffin. I finally came next to my mother, knelt next to her and hugged her.

"Mom," I said with a slight whimper in my tone, "We have to be strong. I'm going to find the one who took Robert from us. I'll make sure we get our justice." I felt a sense of confidence and determination rise from my despair.

That's right. I will find my brother's killer, no matter what.

[1 Month after the funeral of Robert Jones.]

Jonathan Jones sits in his last period classroom, the last bell of the school year was close to ringing. Everyone in his class stood around, laughing and planning for their summer vacation. As their teacher laid back in her swivel chair wiping off the sweat on her forehead. Likely due to her summer freedom from these high school students.

On any other last day of school, Jon would be hopping around being as boisterous as the the other teenagers were. However he had a goal in mind for himself today.

*BRRR! BRRR!*

The bell had finally rung, everyone but Jon rushed out of the room. Once everyone in his class had left except for the teacher, he stood up grabbing his bag and pushing his chair back. He breathed in and began walking out of the class.

"Jon, before you leave I have to talk to you about something," his teacher said, grabbing him by his shoulder. "What is it, Mrs. K?"

^Maybe she is going to ask you to do some of those forbidden things you have heard about on the news.

A whisper echoes in Jon's head, but he ignores it as though he had experienced the whisper before.

"You have improved a lot academically over the last month," she hands him his report card. In the first quarter he had mostly B's and a few C's, second and third he roughly had about the same of mostly B's and one or two C's and the one rare A. As Jon scanned it, he knew that he did as well as he could, but he was surprised in the fourth quarter and a wave of happiness hit his heart.

Straight A's.

"I'm guessing that you are pretty happy about your grade."

Jon nods his head, hiding his smile behind his report card.

"Well, this is kind of hard to say, but I am sorry for the loss of your brother. His loss must have propelled you to working harder than ever for your grades. Most kids would have dropped out. I'm just trying to say, don't do anything rash over the summer, keep up your studying and prepare for college. If you do that I believe that you can make your brother and mother proud."

Jon's smile had disappeared from the mention of his brother. He lowers his head, "Thank you Mrs. K, I will remember that. Have a good summer." Jon turns around, running out of the classroom and walks down the hallway of his school. It was filled with ripped up papers and books thrown away on the floor.

He walks past most of it, but becomes irritated and picks some papers up, throwing them away in the trashcan a few feet away from the huge mess. "These niggas really don't clean up after themselves. Disrespecting everything around them. A place of learning should be respected!" After cleaning up his fellow classmates mess he walks out of school.

Some people were still running around or loitering about the school. Jon looks around looking for any familiar faces, he sighs realizing that they must have rushed home. It's become a regular thing now for someone to get shot in this area. Ever since the death of Robert Jones, which has sparked a movement from parents to stop the gun violence, three more young males were shot.

"I should get home too," Jon says starting his journey back home.

It isn't long after reaching his block that he sees his best friends playing basketball in their driveway. Usually, Jon would have walked past them going straight home and studying. However today he decided to ask them if he could shoot a couple hoops.

Jon was not particularly good, but he was on the athletic side so he could keep up with his more skilled friends. After a good couple hours of playing he and his three other best friends sat on the driveway. They laughed together and told of many stories.

"Hey Jon! What did you get on your report card," 16 year old Nathan Gold says.

"Oh I got straight A's," Jon replied unfolding his report card from his pocket and showing it off to his friends.

"Bullshit, you must have cheated or something, no way you could have gotten those grades man," 17 year old Terrell Thompson says with disbelief written all over his face.

"Yah! No way! What's your secret!" 15 year old Darnell Thompson says.

Jon laughs, "I really don't have one, just study and you'll be fine."

Jon laughs again, I actually do have a secret, Jon thinks. It's all thanks to what my brother called, a stand!