“What are you doing with that on ya snake?” Luke saw Ron with a pair of new Air Max on, Ron laughed “what’s it to you?” Ron was just joking around when he said that. The other night he had rolled some guy who was new to the area. The guy wasn’t going to give up his shoes easily. A good hit to the jaw changed that and Ron put the new shoes on right in front of him. The guy cried and ran off with some of Ron’s mates giving him a swift kick up the backside for good measure. The shoes were a little tight around the toes but Ron could easily ignore that because they looked great. Who needed a job when you could steal. It was too easy. Ron and his mates knew this only too well. Anyone you didn’t know was simply a walking mannequin sporting goods. School was boring, you really had to make your own entertainment to get by. Nobody could care less about you unless you were wearing some decent clothes. School was just uniforms, information you didn’t care about and teachers hassling you. All the while the rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. The teachers couldn’t help you. They had been in the teaching profession for years and couldn’t come to your home and get your Mum off hard drugs. Your Dad was sitting in prison. At least he was ambitious enough to try and steal more. Caught driving off with a van load of cigarettes from a break and enter. Not just once but twice when he had a lenient judge who considered his drug habit as the main catalyst for his crimes. It’s a bloody mess mate. You never chose this life. You were simply handed it. You just had to try and not get jabbed by needles at home. “Mum! Can you bloody stop leaving your used needles in the couch! Dumb bitch.” Nobody would ever ask you how you felt. The obvious reply being ‘like shit’ because it didn’t matter. As long as people were not in your way who cares? Everyone kept out of your way, or at least tried to unless they were stuck with you. You would be partners in crime. If someone was stupid enough to come looking for you they were probably just lost.