Locked Away

Chapter 2

Dennis walked into the kitchen quickly picking up some toast out the toaster.

"Morning. I put your lunch in your backpack already," his father said turning to him, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Thanks," Dennis said, taking a bite of toast, before he got a bottle of water, putting it in his backpack sleeve.

"Welcome. You better hurry, school starts in about an hour," his father told him looking at a clock on the wall.

"Alright see you after school," Dennis said swinging his backpack over his shoulder and heading out the door beginning his walk to school.

As he walked someone called his name, making him turn around. Two of his friends, Lucas and Carl came running up to him. "How ya doing?" they asked as they approached.

"Fine. What's bringing you guys over here? Ain't this a bit too close to the other side of town?" Dennis asked.

"Yeah usually, but we ain't wearing any easy identifiers," Carl answered. "So we should be fine."

"Alright. Well what's up," Dennis said as he continued walking, now with his friends.

"Well nothing much. Just was talking about someone we knew as he's turning 18 today," Lucas said.

"Really? Who?" Dennis asked, looking at him.

"Some guy who ran with us a few years ago. Got caught and sent off. Drug possession. Luckily he got it off easy and sent to a juvenile facility," Lucas explained.

"But he sent me a letter saying he's gonna be transferred to an adult one. It's honeslty stupid. You're put away long enough to see yourself grow up and then get sent to a place that you are barely eligible to go to. Then you spend the next half away," Carl spoke through lightly gritted teeth.

"Yeah sounds stupid. But it was only drug possession. I wouldn't think that he'd be sent away for long," Dennis though aloud.

"Yeah but he got caught on school grounds. So he got it worse. Especially since the jury was basically only white people," Lucas added.

"Damn that's rough," Dennis responded, as he looked forward, seeing the school come into view.

"Finally a place I ain't gonna be looking over my shoulder," Carl chuckled as they walked through the main gate.

Lucas chuckled with him looking around, his eyes locking with Officer Jones as they walked. After a few seconds Lucas broke the contact. "Damn I really hate being watched by him."

"Who Jones? Yeah he never knows when to get his sights off us," Carl said, taking a glance at Jones before returning his sights to his front.

"I mean isn't that like his job?" Dennis asked.

"His job is to protect the school and help students in need. Not watch people he's suspicious of. If not make it obvious. Some might get the wrong idea," Carl retorted.

"I guess," Dennis said looking around. "Hey I will talk with you guys at lunch okay? I needa get to class."

"Aight see ya man," Lucas said as Dennis broke off and went to class. Over the next few hours he'd go through his normal classes until the lunch bell rang. As he walked out his class he pulled up his backpack causing it to shake. As it shook a loud bang rang into his ears, followed by a few more. Dennis felt his backpack jump from the shots while he heard screams of students nearby grow loud. He almost fell from how hard his pack jumped on. He quickly took off his backpack, dropping it so he didn't fall over.

Lucas and Carl came running around the corner of the hall as Dennis ran into the middle of the hall panting out of fear. They looked at each other then the back pack seeing smoking holes in the floor.

"Dennis what was that?" Lucas asked, running up.

"I don't know! I just was fixing my backpack and then it started jumping and loud noises started happening. People are screaming," he replied in a very panicked voice.

"Yeah yeah calm down. Let's try and get out of here," Carl said as he began to softly pushed Dennis through the now amassing crowd as people run past them

Dennis held onto Lucas as they walked, rattled by the event.

As they walked some yelled at them. "Stop right there!"

Lucas turned to see Officer Jones aiming a gun at them. "I knew you three would be up to this. On the ground now, hands where I can see them!"