Chapter 1: The Beginning

Right now, it has been 30 minutes since the dismissal bell for Jody’s school. Jody is at his locker getting set to leave.

“Sigh, time to see what Terrance is up to.” Ahaaaa, somebody help me! Out of nowhere, I heard a scream that sounded serious. I went to check it out. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Some desperate fools were trying to rape one of my classmates. “Ay yo, you got any sense y’all let her go. Or else they’re gonna have to call the police force to hold me.” There were three of them, and they came to attack me. Just like every fight I get into, I tightened my black Air Forces to get ready. “Alright”, I said, “LETS GO!” Knowing me, I knocked them down so fast that I felt like Sonic the Hedgehog. I went over to help her out of the chair. Before I got to take the tape off from around her mouth, the principle and the two school administrators ordered me to get away from her slowly. I tried to explain to them that I was actually helping her from the boys that I knocked out. “Wait a minute, I just saved her virginity cuz’, no need to get tight.” The two administrators then grabbed me by the shoulders to hold me while the principle helped the girl out. When he took the tape off, she told the principle frantically the opposite of what happened. “Get him away from me! Those 3 on the floor tried to stop him from raping me. If y’all didn’t come in time, I could’ve gotten raped by now.” I-I couldn’t believe this, I helped her and she’s telling opposites? Then I saw it. When the principle and his goons were looking at me, I saw her mouthing this to me with a grin, “We’ve got you now, Jody.” I just got set up.

While the principle contacted my mom to get down to the school immediately, I text Terrance the same message. A few minutes rolled by while my mom and the principle were shouting at me. I couldn’t tell what they were saying because I was chillin’ (relaxing). Terrance finally came in and asked what the problem was. While the principle was saying that I tried to rape my classmate, I was saying the opposite. The principle proposed since I kept getting into situations where I should be sent to jail, Terrance gave the principle and idea that really pissed me off. “Well if this is true, why not get him to change himself. You know, give him a fresh new start, or in this case, a new record. I got it… a foreign exchange program.” “What, what the hell, are you out of your raggedy mind man?” The principle seemed interested in this little plan. And my mom, she has a close relationship to him like I have since the day my father died. She seemed interested in this plan too. The principle asked Terrance if there’s a specific place for me to go. So then Terrance said with confidence “Why not give him a place where he, or any of us, wouldn’t understand its culture, Tokyo.” “God you gotta be kidding me. Tokyo?! Why not send me to France or London?!” Both the principle and my mom shook heads. The principle then said, “Pack your bags Jody, you are out of here.” I was mad and I was pissed.

Terrance and I had a little talk that night…

“What the Hell? You’re supposed to be my boy, and you make a suggestion like that? Do you know what’s about to happen? Me, your best friend, leader of Rogue Squad, is going to be shipped off to Tokyo Friday morning!

“Chill, Jody. Trust me, you’ll know in due time why I’m doing this.”

“What does that mean man? You’re forgetting one thing. I can’t leave my squad like this. What’ll they say to me? They’ll thing I’m flagging yellow now because I’m making a scary move.”

“Jody, if I didn’t come up with the Tokyo suggestion, you would’ve been on lockdown by now. You feel me? At least now you don’t have a criminal record.”

“I’m a gangsta; I’m supposed to have a criminal record sometime before I reach 21.”

“Yeah, but now, you’ll not only be the youngest gang leader of all time, but the only gang leader to not have been on lockdown. Besides, who knows, you’ll not only be the youngest to control the ATL territory, but overseas territory as well.”

“Yeah, YEAH! You right. I can set up a Tokyo chapter of Rogue Squad. Then people will know who the greatest gang anywhere is. I know my father will be proud of me. I think.”

I spent the next 3 days prepping for my trip. Now it’s time for me to leave the states. Trust me. Just give me a year and I’ll make sure that everyone over there knows who Rogue Squad is. While I was about to board the plain, some people came to say goodbye. The principle gave me a warning not to go crazy over there. My mom, quite the opposite, gave me a kiss-on-the-cheek goodbye and told me to behave myself. She also said that she’s going to miss me, like I could believe that. Terrance, on the other hand, brought the best gangsters we have in our gang. They told me that no matter what happens, they know that Rogue Squad will ride with me till the end. Ha, how sweet of them. I boarded the plain and was off.

Here’s some math for you: Jody left Atlanta that Thursday morning at 2am. On average, a flight to Tokyo from Atlanta (or anywhere else) is 20 hours. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Jody just arrived in Tokyo around 8pm and is now getting of the plane.

I’m getting pissed now. If these people don’t get out of my way, I’m gonna turn “beast mode”. I got the bags and headed to the nearest hotel, if I can find it. You’re probably wondering how I can afford all of this. Trust me, if you knew how much money I’ve earned “trafficking”, I would’ve been in jail for life by now. Anyway, I got my stuff and headed out. All I packed was black, white, and red tees, black and red Dickies, my white Air Forces, the black Air Forces I’m wearing and my black bandana that I’m also wearing. Trust me, I got money. I went to look for somebody that knows English and his way around Tokyo. The person I found looked reliable. “Ay yo, wuz’ happening man. Can you help me get to the nearest 'teley' round here?” “Huh, excuse me?” Looks like I got to show em how we talk over in the “A”. “My name is Jody Riley. I’m from “Atlanta, Georgia. Can you help me find a hotel around here? And I mean one of those fancy ones man.” “Oh, why didn’t you say that before? Follow me.” Why didn’t I say that before? I thought I did. Anyway, this dude and I got to talk a little…

“So what’s your name homeboy?”

“My name is Miroto. Actually before you found me, I was actually walking around thinking about something.”

“Anything I can help you with. I’m actually in a foreign exchange program so I’ll be staying here for a while.”

“Thanks, um, Jody is it? (“Yeah”) But, it’s kind of personal actually. Anyway, what gave you a choice to participate in the program?”

“Can you actually keep a secret? I’m actually a gangsta here to change my life around. Don’t get me wrong, I am in the foreign exchange program, but it was this or jail.”

“Really? Wow, I bet your life was exciting before you came here. What, you had guns to protect you and all?”

“I did use guns. I did it like the army. I had my .45, 12 Pump Gauge (Shotgun) and an AR-10. But I relied on my fighting style to protect me (that’s right, I have my own fighting style, but I’ll let you know later in this chapter).”

“Wow, out of everyone I know, you must be the most interesting person I’ve ever met Jody.”

“Heh thanks, um, you mind if I called you ‘Ro’?”

“Really?”

“Sure, were friends right (wow, I actually called him my friend)?”

“I guess your right.”

I can’t believe that an hour rolled by till we got to the hotel. I guess I was having fun talking to him. I thanked him and told him that I will see him at school Monday. Don’t worry, I’m already enrolled, but I’m not going to my exchange family, bet you that. I went to check in and set my stuff down. I thought to myself, “It’s Friday, it’s 9 o’clock, and I’m bored. I should go find something fun to do. Maybe “explore” a little.

So I did, right now I’m walking around the city. I can’t believe there are so much people that walk rather than drive. I’m about to lose my damn mind if I bump into another person. Sooner and later, the crowed died down. I must be in a neighborhood district or something because I’m by myself now. The next thing you know, I heard a scream. I was like “naw, it couldn’t be.” I was curious and ran in that direction. All of a sudden, I felt a terrible feeling in my veins. I saw one girl about to be raped, and now I see another girl about to be raped. Only this time, it doesn’t look like their acting. This time, it was actually five dudes now. “Ahaaaa let me go! Please, please leave me alone!” Then one said, “Shut up girl! Hold still!” I couldn’t believe it. Dude gave her a pimp slap. I tightened my Forces; you know what time it is. “Tsk, Tsk. You wussies are so desperate. Shouldn’t you guys supposed to be looking for girls your type? Why don’t you let her go, and I promise that I’ll let you walk off without any of you bleeding.” The boss-like dude felt cocky. So he gave his men and order, “What is this kid, serious? You guys take him out for me; I don’t want blood on my hands.”

All right, so here’s the situation. One came at me ready to punch me. Here’s when my fighting style comes to play. I call my style “Breakdown”. That’s right, break-dancing mixed with street brawling. Anyway, the guy throws his arm out ready to punch me in the face. I stepped to the side and punch him in the gut. The next guy comes out and throws a series of punches at me. I grabbed his right arm with my left, pull it over the back of my head, and hit him on the back of his neck with my right elbow. While I wasn’t looking, the third guy tried to tackle me. I jumped backward (not a back flip), land on my back, and rolled back and at the same time kicked him in the stomach. The fourth guy actually knocked me to the ground. I got back up and tripped him up, knocking him out at the same time by spinning my legs in the air just like the break-dancers do. The boss got so pissed that he came at me with a knife. I pulled off something that I called the “double helix”. I jumped on his arm with the knife and did a back flip kick to the chin. While I was coming down, I gave him another back flip kick, landing on my hands. You can’t tell me that my style isn’t great.

All of them are now on the ground, knocked out cold. I went over to check on the girl. I asked her if she’s okay. She replied, “Yes, thank you. I really appreciate it.” I turned around and saw that the alphabet squad was here (police). “I believe they heard me a couple of minutes before you came.” I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice the police were behind me the whole time I was fighting. Then again there were only 2 cars. The police asked for my name. I told them, “I’m Jody, wuz’ happening’.” Then he replied. “Well Jody, I’m Chief Komoto. That’s right, the head of the Tokyo police department (what, he’s a star or something). Listen, I like how you fought those punks. We did hear about 5 guys raping girls in this area. Luckily you did our jobs for us. Here’s my card. I’ll be looking forward to talking to you very soon.” The cops took the guys and left us behind. I asked the girl if she needed help getting home. She responded, “That’s very nice of you Jody. By the way, I’m Kari Katanami."

We reached her house around 10pm, so her parents invited me in. Her parents thanked me emotionally and said that they were glad that both of us crossed paths. Her father asked me where I was staying. I told him that I was at a hotel, that I’m in the foreign exchange program, and that I was not going to my exchange family (I do not associate with people I never met). The parents insisted that I stayed with them; since I just moved here in Tokyo and that I just saved their daughter from being raped by those thugs. I couldn’t refuse. The father got the guestroom ready for me. I went in and relaxed on the bed until I felt sleepy.

Just before I went to bed, Kari came in to talk to me:

“Um, Jody. Can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure Kari. What it is?”

“Not that it’s important or anything, but what made you come in and save me from those guys?”

“To tell you the truth, it’s a code I live by: If someone’s in need of distress, help them no matter what. In return, you will gain more respect that you have now.”

“That makes sense, (except for the respect part).”

“That’s because I’m a gangster, Kari. I was sent here not only to participate in a foreign exchange program, but to change my life around.”

“Really? But you didn’t act like one back in that ally.”

“Trust me. Where I’m from, you have to fight to save yourself, or someone important. Actually, I guess that was the main reason why I stepped up.”

“You thought I was, important? Normally when I see somebody needing help, no one is there to help. Actually, I’m glad that you came and help me Jody.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, I do. You know what else. I think your changing already. Goodnight Jody.”

She gave me a long hug and left. I started to think. Am I really changing?