Five Of Us

About the book/ Chapter 1

About the Book

Martin’s Apartment Complex is a housing apartment building located in Brooklyn, New

York, in the Crown Heights area, also known as “The Block.” This is where most of the main

characters live. The neighborhood is filled with crime, gangs, and, now possibly, a new threat. The

events start off on the first day of school. This story features five characters. Richard, a high

school genius; Terrence, a jock who plays basketball for his high school;

and Jacob, a neighborhood slickster/thug, have been living in the Martin’s Apartment Complex all of

their lives. The other two main characters are Marcus and Will. Marcus is from Memphis, Tennessee,

and wants to play football for his school. Will is from New York but lived the high life before his

family went bankrupt and had to move into one of the housing apartments. In this book, you will see

how five teenagers deal with a threat that can possibly destroy them, the planet, and even their

friendship. They all deal with difficult decisions about life, death, and the use of power.

Chapter 1

Life Before This

September 3, 2012

The Block

Martin Apartments

7:51 AM

All Jacob could do right now was breathe heavy in his small room and panic, watching the

clock, waiting for the cops to break down his mom’s door, wake her and his sister up before she went to school.

"Cops get me if I'm lucky," he said in his mind repeatedly. He had flashbacks of last night:

the loud music, girls everywhere dancing, having a good time.

"We was all having a good time. Everybody! Then all of sudden. BAM!" Jacob stopped talking to

himself and pushed away from the sink. He then put his head between his legs, trying to think,

trying to scheme, and looking for a way out.

"Should I run? Yeah, run, take what I got and bounce. Nah, they will find me. I’ll just go to

school and act normal."

Richard lived two floors up. He’s 6'6" with dark skin. He was smart and a senior. He had dreams of

working for NASA one day and going on space explorations. He didn’t care if he was the pilot,

co­pilot, or janitor on the ship. He just wanted to travel into outer space. He lived with his

father and baby brother Reggie, who had been overly emotional since their mother went missing a

year ago. No kidnapping, no body found, just gone. While at the breakfast table, all three were

eating in a semi­silent state.

"Ready for your first day of school, Rich?" "Yeah, Pop."

"How about you, Reggie? Are you all set and excited?" "I guess," he said with his head down at the

bowl.

Their father didn't see—or acted like he didn't see—a little tear running down Reggie's cheek.