Five is a crowd

27-making it to the finish!

Corey hesitated. "I don't want to mess with him."

"Corey fear shouldn't stop you from that when someone hurts you you let the world know if you must! Don't drop charges because you're afraid."

Corey looked over at Officer Heart, there was something innocent in his eyes as if all his life he wanted help but couldn't find it. "You mean if I press charges you will back me up even if it puts the boys at risk?" He asked.

"Yes Corey, because life is more precious than anything. Now no one else knows who's been hurting you but me and the boys, the choice is yours."

"You mean if I pull through you'll give me a second chance if I don't press charges?"

"Corey I will give you a second chance even if you do, but there's only so many times a man can give you a second chance."

"If I press charges," Began Corey. "I'll be found guilty as well." Officer Heart nodded his head. "I'll go to jail."

"I'm not asking you to run away from punishment, that's no reason to drop charges. Orson Luz agreed to leave us alone, I'm going to trust him. Because of that we all get a second chance."

Corey looked thoughtful. "I-I want a second chance, but what if I die? I want to drop charges."

Officer Heart saw the tears forming in poor Corey's eyes. "That choice is yours then. You still have a second chance with God but that's only on till you die."

***

Brooks watched how Agustin and Isla talked in the kitchen that morning. How could they say they didn't like each other? Is all they did was smile when they were together. "Hey, Brooks!" Said, Dylan, as he came down the steps. Brooks was sitting on the last one feeling rather depressed.

"Hi."

"Everything okay?" Asked Dylan.

"I don't want to leave, what are you doing today?" Asked Brooks.

"I have work then I'm going out with Brighton."

"What makes Brighton yours?"

Dylan gave the top of Brooks' head a rub. "She picked me, Brooks, wait for a girl your age."

"I don't think another girl will like me now." Said Brooks.

"I highly doubt that Brooks, you have charm know one really understands. Well, I see the two love birds are perching in the kitchen." Chuckled Dylan. "Hang in there Brooks, things will turn up."

***

Dylan met with Brighton at Starbucks during their break, that whole thing had been so exciting to him, he told his Mama everything he knew about her. But there was something different that day, she seemed upset or sad and Dylan wondered if he was the source of that. They both sat down, smiles on their faces.

"Okay?" Asked Dylan hoping to ease her from whatever was bothering her.

She looked up at him with a smile yet he could tell she was faking it. "I'm fine." She briefly replied.

Dylan hesitated to ask her further questions but he didn't like the feel of things that day. "So sad." He said. Brighton was hesitating, she looked out that same window they always sat beside. Dylan saw some tears in her eyes so took her hand from across the table. "What?" He asked her having so much more to say only he couldn't do it in English.

"Corey is my Hermano." She plainly said. Dylan wasn't sure he heard that right, did she mean Corey Aaron the boy from Aman's gang?! She must have realized his confusion because she took his hand in her own now. "I didn't know about Aman being in the gang." She said.