Sergio

'Get off me! Leave me alone', squealed a middle school kid, being bullied by seniors behind his school building.

Parked in my convertible, I could see everything. They took off his shoes and grabbed a laptop from his bag. At this time, I was eighteen, a little older than the bullies, and meaner.

The ruddy kid tried to fight back, but they overpowered him, threw him to the ground, and kicked his stomach until I couldn't watch anymore.

'Hey!' I jumped out, straps behind my leather jacket, 'you heard the kid'.

'Are you his chauffeur?' scoffed one of the seniors.

'Just get lost!' I seethed. The kids ran away with his shoes but dropped the boy's laptop. 'You alright, kid?'

'Yeah', the boy sobbed, bagging his damaged laptop, and barefoot. On his forehead and palms were sore bruises, clothes roughed up. For a middle-school kid, he was tall, almost my height. 'What shoe-size are you?'

'Nine'.

'Here. Take my shoes'. I unstrapped my trainers and handed it to him, 'now they aren't fancy like those shoes you had, but it'll do'.

'Thank you'.

'What's your name, big man?'

'Michael'.

Six years Later...

'Our boy is so stubborn!' Michael's mother complained to me, 'we offered so many times to pay for his home-schooling, or at least a private school, but he wanted to go to a state school!'

When I told them about my rough past, she treated me like her second son. Michael hated it.

Michael's self-made millionaire parents were so grateful for my friendship with Michael over the years, especially as his streetwise mentor, that they paid my full college tuition to study law.

Enrolled into Bluebridge City Law School, we would begin the wildest of times. Our campus apartment was paid for by Michael's mother, who also prompted me to keep a close eye on him, a job she always entrusted me to.

One day we strolled through the city garden, encompassed by tall trees, just to be met with more... trouble.

'Mike, brother', a young man with a durag and puffer jacket approached him, a pretentious grin on his face. Behind him was a crew of two. We were outnumbered. 'Remember me? From high school?'

'Trepp', Michael whispered, disappointed, 'I'm not your brother'.

'You know what I mean, man. You're black. I'm black'.

'I don't have money to give you', Michael asserted. Trepp laughed, then grabbed Michael by the collar.

'Leave him alone!' I butted in.

'I don't take orders from no white boy'.

'What?!' I flared, 'can you repeat that?' Trepp dropped Michael's collar and turned his attention to me.

'I SAID, I don't take no orders –' before he finished, I pulled out my gun, pointing to Trepp's forehead. Like a sissy, he squirmed and jumped backwards.

'Sergio!' Michael shouted.

'What?!' by this time, Trepp and his gang skittered off.

'Are – you – trippin'?!' he grunted, 'why do you have a gun?!'

'Because' I rolled my eyes, 'because the second amendment'.

'You told me you left that – life behind you'.

'Behind my jacket, yeah'.

'Why the heck are you even studying law if gun violence is what you stand for?'

The Present:

'It's all happening so fast', I remarked, as I helped Michael unpack into his new house.

'Yeah'. Selena strode around the house with her six-month pregnant belly, eating a popsicle, while we did all the men's jobs. In than moment Michael got a phone call.

'Its... a family friend', he explained, 'something serious came up with my case in New York'. Selena frowned. Now trying to play the role of the good wife, Michael's frequent absence was the misfortune that made it harder to do that.

'It's okay Mike', she kissed him, 'go do your job. I'll be fine'. Michael caressed her stomach. Then he came to me.

'Thank you', he patted me on the shoulder, after I agreed to make sure every need of his pregnant wife was met while he was gone.

A year into college (The Past) 

Month after month, it seemed like every test I failed, Michael passed with flying colours. No wonder he was envied.

'It must be nice, being above average. Above average grades, above average height and physique, Above average income', I mumbled beneath my breath.

'What was that?' Michael uttered, paying no attention to anything but his cafeteria food.

'Nothing'. I eyed the big fat F on my latest assignment. I scrunched it up and aimed for the bin. Missed.

'Hey man, why?'

'You were right. Guess I'm not cut out for law'.

'Are you kidding me? After one failed assignment?', Michael scoffed, 'remember this is just year one'. I rolled my eyes.

'Excuse me, are you Michael?' Two fascinated girls came over to meet him. They were twins, one with braids, the other with an afro. Surprised at their greeting, Michael stood, 'oh my god – we're fans of your parents business'.

'Yeah – and it's so cool to meet you in person!' said the girl with braids, 'can we get a picture?'

'Errr', Michael glanced at me helplessly.

'He charges per picture', I told them.

'No – no! I do not. Sergio!' The girls pulled out a DSLR camera.

'Can you take one for us?' they requested of me.

'Sure'. I held the camera up towards Michael and the twins, both of them kissing him on the cheek. I snapped two photographs and handed the camera back to them. Michael felt elated.

'Would you stop complaining for one second?'

'But I wanna know your secret, Mike. How do you get everyone to like you? The nice girls, the teachers. Is it your family business?'

'Everyone doesn't like me – and most people don't even know about my family business', he objected, 'besides, I'd rather not have friends only because of my parent's money'. We stood by the coffee counter, being served coffee by a beautiful, Latino girl.

'Two black coffees, right up', she called.

'Thank you... Maria', Michael took the time to read her name tag. And just like that, they were off to a conversation.

'I'm so interested in abduction cases – by the way have you heard on the news; the royal baby was kidnapped! I think it was, you know...' Maria leaned into Michael, 'child traffickers'.

'Hey, Mike', I tapped his shoulder, having to interrupt, 'look who's approaching'.

'Oh-oh', he stammered. A flawless blonde girl, and her gentlemen friends. The guys that studied criminal defence. Also the student committee reps that felt they ran the whole show.

'Hey guys', the blonde girl greeted us with a smile, 'my friend and I are organising an end of year party on the sky terrace this month, you're invited to come', she handed us her leaflets.

'Michael! I've heard great things about you. I'm William Sniper – people call me Will', the guys shook Michael's hand. An arrogant, vampire-ish rich kid. Michael nodded, keeping conservative as usual, 'and my girlfriend, Priscilla'.