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“Blake the Snake,” Tom bellowed down the hallway. 

Tom was known as the neighborhood dope dealer. He'd been my friend for a while but I usually didn't involve myself in 

his side activities

“Yes-,” I moaned irritatedly, turning on my right foot.

“You going to the dance?”  

“Yeah—need a ride?”

“Mr. Baldwin!”

My spine stiffened.   Principle Aziz—his strained voice echoing—called to me from his office.

The principle 

“A moment, please?”

I lugged my feet nervously towards Aziz’s office, not knowing what to expect. I sat on the edge of a cracked leather 

chair.

“Have you spoken to your brother today?”

“I saw him this morning—briefly.”

“We found another student’s iPod in his locker.   I wanted to speak with you—it’s unlike him.

I left Aziz’s office shocked and angry.   My little brother, Gabriel, had stolen an iPod.   Gabriel, who still spoke with a lisp 

and watched Saturday-morning cartoons, about to be suspended for stealing a kid’s $40 iPod.  

Walking to my car, I passed Michael, my brother’s neighbourhood friend.  

Micheal had been pals with my brother for years. They used to hang out as kids and intertwine with 

mischief together.   We lived in a small town, Auburn in Northern Washington.   We didn’t really have 

to worry about “big city” problems, but there's nothing to do in this town.   Micheal and my brother 

recently had a falling out. I have a feeling Michael has something to do with this

In the past Michael has been a bad influence on Gabriel in the past. Which is why   I don't like the 

idea of them hanging out again.   Micheal and Gabriel were bored so they had picked up some weed 

from Tom. Tom was nice enough to let me know about what they did. They slipped into the forest 

behind the old pawn shop and lit up. Little did they know that a police officer had been doing his 

rounds. The officer immediately recognized the pungent smell and investigated. Micheal shoveled all 

of the blame on Micheal. Luckily, Gabriel only escaped with a slap on the wrist.

Michael was sharing a cigarette with the girl I had heard Gabriel talking about so much. The mascara 

around one of her eyes was spoiled; it made me think she had been crying.   I left the lot and kept 

thinking about Gabriel and that damned iPod. Forty bucks—what is that? Besides it was only two 

weeks before Christmas, he could have just asked for one. 

I arrived at the front steps of my house when I noticed Gabriel sitting on the bench on our porch. I walked 

towards him without hesitation and confronted him with a harsh tone.

“Why’d you do it?” I asked, getting straight to the point.

“Aziz told you?”

“Yeah, so I’ll ask again, why’d you do it? Did you need an iPod? ‘cause you could have just asked for one for 

Christmas.”

“Well the truth is it wasn’t for the iPod itself it was for money.”

“Why do you need money? And how much did you think you were actually going to make from stealing a 

measly iPod.”

“Well it wasn’t just the iPod, Michael said that if I stole it he would give me $50. He dared me.”

It was Michael, I was right. However, I thought to myself, what role does he play in all of this. Why would he 

want Gabriel to steal the iPod and instead of getting a cut of the profit, he gives Gabriel $50? This doesn’t 

sound right.

“Why would Michael give you $50 for stealing an iPod?” I asked.

“Well I suppose he doesn’t like the kid and him losing his iPod was worth $50 for Michael.”

“I don't think that's why, but forget Michael. Why did you need money?”

“Well there's this girl, Catherine, I asked her out to the dance and she said yes. I told her I would take her to 

dinner after the dance but I had no money. That’s why I was convinced that this would be a good idea and that I 

wouldn’t get caught. I don’t know how Aziz found out in the first place.”

Catherine, the girl who was sharing a smoke with Michael, that’s the reason why Gabriel did all of this? I have to 

speak with Michael I thought.

“You know you should have asked if you needed money rather then stealing. Next time don’t be to quick to act.”

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