• I looked around the corner of the dark streets of the loud city. My older brother, Jack, was running down the sidewalk before me. He didn't know I was behind him. Quietly, I came with him. He spun around and found me.
    His eyes got larger and he started shaking his head, "No, Tyler, go home! You're only 16! You're not supposed to be out here."
    I shrugged, "What's the problem?"
    He squinted at me, bit his lip, and put his hand on his forehead, "Do you know what I-... These streets are like at night! Go home!"
    I stared at his arm was pointing in the direction of our old, yellow, apartment. I could tell how much he cared and how worried he was as he told me every two seconds, 'Go home, Tyler, go home.'
    "Come on, Jack!" I pleaded.
    "No, I'm worried about your safety, here. It's not the best place to be at night."
    "But, Ja-"
    Bullets were fired at Jack and I. We both ducked and Jack pushed me into the alley where I was hiding before. I couldn't see anything from where I was. I heard gun shots, then others, echoing it. The echoing shots sounded closer to me.
    I peeked over the corner. Jack was hiding behind a mail box, shooting with a hand gun. He put his hand on his shaved head and ran towards me.
    "What's going on!" I shreiked.
    "Just run, Tyler!" Jack screamed.
    Both of us were running. We heard a few gun shots fire and the cackling of people.
    We approached the yellow buidling; Our home.
    "What was THAT, Jack?" I yelled, pacing back and fourth.
    "I told you to go home, but did you listen? NO! You decided to come with me to a place you were NOT welcome to!" He shouted.
    "You could've got killed, too!" I pointed at him.
    "Yeah, Well, you've got a full life to live while I-," Jack stopped when he noticed the sad overcoming that had dawned on me when he was telling me this, "Listen, I'm just more concerned about you, then I am, myself. I want you to grow up better than I did."
    I looked up a little and stared at his pale, white skin the almost lit up the night.
    "Hey, get inside. I'll be in right behind you." He smiled.
    I smiled back and started to turn around.
    "Tyler," Jack put his arm around my chest and started giving me a noogie, "You're still my little brother and I just wanted to keep you safe."
    I pushed him off of me, playfully, and marched inside laughing.
    "Where's your brother?" My mom coughed, laying on the couch.
    "He's outside. He'll be right in." I smiled.
    She half smiled, "Okay."
    I ran into mine and Jack's room. I sat on my bed and looked around on the walls that were plastered in rock poster after band poster. I came upon one thing. It was done by me when I was 7. I had given it to Jack when he was 11. He kept it these long 9 years.
    Jack came in, just at that moment, "Hey, man, What's up?"
    I sat up straight in bed, "How old are you, now?"
    He looked over his shoulder, "I'm 20, Ty, why?"
    "No reason. Hey, why were you outside?"
    Jack looked at me and chuckled a little while shaking his head, "Just th-"
    "Toby?" I interrupted.
    "No, People I hang out with."
    "Oh." I looked down at his boots that were neatly placed by the side of his bed.
    He plopped down on his bed, "I might have to go to prison, Tyler."
    "What?!" I shouted.
    "Hey, DOn't you worry. I'll make it fine and so will you and Mom and Kathy."
    "Why?"
    I saw the tears in his eyes, but he just chuckled it off as if everything was okay, "For.... Things, Tyler. I don't want you to know."
    "Tell me," I almost started crying as well, "Please."
    "Tyler, No! That's final! Don't you worry about it! I'll probablly be leaving tomorrow."
    "Jack....... No, I-" I cried. I couldn't stop the tears from falling.
    He came over to my bed and put his arm around me, "Hey, I'll be okay."
    "How long." I demanded.
    "3 years." He sighed.
    I cried harder, "You're not leaving for 3 years! What are we going to do! How are we going to make it?"
    "You'll be able to do it. I'm su-"
    "Does mom and Kathy know?" I shouted.
    He nodded slowly.
    "So, we lose dad and now we're losing you!" I screamed.
    "Hey, hey, hey! Who said anything about losing me?"
    "For 3 years, Jack, That's a DAMN long time!"
    "I know it is, but you'll just have to calm down. I know we'll make it. I know you'll make it." He sounded so serious. He just acted strong so I would be strong... It wasn't working.
    "Can I visit you?"
    "I'd rather nobody visits me. It just makes it harder for me and you."
    I nodded. I watched Jack's bald head turn to the clock on my stand.
    "Will they make you shave your beard?" I sniffled.
    Jack chuckled as he turned to me, crying, "I don't think so, bud, I don't think so."
    We laughed and cried. Jack hugged me and I hugged him. We just didn't want to stay strong anymore. Forget it. We just wanted it to stay now forever.
    "Well, buddy, I think you should get to bed. It's two in the morning. You need rest." He choked.
    "Are you going to bed, too?" I sounded so much like a child, It wasn't funny.
    "Yeah, I better," He ruffled my hair up and walked over to his bed, "Night, Ty."
    "Night, Jack." I felt the tears in my eyes, again.
    The lights went off and I let the tears fall. 3 years without Jack would be so rough. The hardest part was just knowing that he might be gone tomorrow before I wake up. I don't think Jack would go without saying goodbye. Maybe, It wouldn't be as hard. Whatever it was, I knew, I was going to miss Jack. My brother, My protector, My idol.