About 10 mins south of downtown LA there lives a 5’10, curly brown hair, green eyed, 17 year old boy by the name of Alex. Alex lives in a small white house, with broken windows and beaten up wood. His house is right off of the freeway, so cars zoom past by all day and all night. There are big buildings that surround alex and his home, almost as if they were big giants invading a small village home. For the most part, the weather is always nice. Sunny, 75 degrees and sometimes partly cloudy most days. The downside of living in this small suburban house, is the city has many many different smells. These smells from the city lurk in and out of Alex’s home all the time, leaving a stench in the home. Alex doesn't mind living in the city, in his 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms house.

 The problem Alex has is following the rules. Alex likes to do what he wants to do when he wants to do. He lives with his mom, dad and his two younger brothers, one brother is 7 and his name is Joe. Joe is a very energetic kid, who plays hockey and does not ever sit down and take a break. The other is 2, and his name is Troy. Troy is still a baby, and has to have everything done for him. He is a cute loving baby, but screams and has an unbearable sound that is hard to withstand. Both brothers are blond hair blue eyes they look completely different than alex looks. There are a lot of people in such a small house. 

Alex tends to do good in school and get what he has to get done for the most part. Although when his parents tell him no, he tries to work around it and have them say yes, even though he knows it is not the right thing to do. He feels that if he does not do what he wants to do, he is missing out on something “big”. Alex is a very loving kid who cares for others, and cares what people think about him, to the point where it is a little too much. He also suffers from anxiety and overthinking, he gets scared that if he can not please someone the way they want to be pleased then, they will not like being around him anymore or that he will hurt them.

 All alex really do is want to have fun, he does want to work and get stuff done, but at the same time he would rather be out having fun with his friends. Alex’s parents tell him all the time “what you do now can affect what you do in the future.” He never really thinks about it until something happens to him and he gets into trouble. 

On a cloudless, humid Tuesday night, Alex and his friends planned on going out to see a movie. Alex had just got his license, but had no car he had been driving his father’s car. On weekdays alex had a curfew which was be home by 10pm. The movie did not start until 9pm, he also had to pick up all of his friends. Alex thought about it and thought about,the thoughts of what could happen racing through his head as if it was a marathon. Grounded and no driving placed first in the race of his thoughts. He knew it was the wrong decision to go, but it was what he wanted to do despite what his parents rules were. So he decided to do it anyways.

 He got home from school and waited for his dad to get off of work which was around 5:30, then left for about an hour and a half later to go pick up his friends. They stopped to eat at their favorite fast food restaurant Culver's. 7:30 pm hits, Alex is not really worried because he thinks there is a possible chance of getting home on time. Alex and his 2 other best friends finally arrive at the movies around 8:55 pm. This is when alex knew it was a bad idea to go but he doesn't care. Getting a warm heavy feeling in his chest and stomach ache, as if he was at an amusement park on a loopy roller coaster instead. He ignores the sickness feeling because he just wants to have a good time and explain to his parents on why he was late later when he gets home. 

 The movie ends at 11:05, frightened, nervous, and trembling with fear. Alex knew his decision he made earlier on that day was not the greatest decision to make, now knowing the consequences he might face.  As the movie came to an end, alex along with his friends dart out of the movies as if they were shot out of a cannon. Ducking, swerving, jumping, they finally exit the movies and hop right into the dark grey toyota matrix with no hubcaps. Alex begins to drive as if he was in a race, “VROOOOM” the sound of the car as it left the parking lot. The grey toyota matrix is like a bat at night no one can see it because of it’s fast quick movements in the night. 

The streets are empty. The thoughts of Alex’s punishments continue to race through his head. One friend is dropped off, then another, and another. Alone, the white Air Force Ones press down on the skinny black gas pedal. 11:45 has rolled around, Alex is driving motionless as if he knows there is nothing left for him after this night.  He arrives home, he pulls into the grey, cracked concrete driveway. Fear shoots into his body, his hands are sweating and legs are trembling. As alex walks into his home, he sets the keys down on the black marble counter right next to the fridge. “Why are you so late?” Alex’s dad asks him. Alex stands there in silence he knows he can not make an excuse up this time because he was in the wrong. Alex’s mom and dad start to explain to him as to why he gets in trouble and why he is in the situations he is in. “What you do know affects what you do in the future, if we can’t trust you know what makes you think we can trust you in the future,” Alex’s mom exclaimed. This hit alex as if Mike Tyson just punched him in the stomach. Alex did not get in trouble, he realized and learned a lesson... That if you decide to care what other people think of you and your rules, and decide to go against what was told of you, your life will be more difficult and the trust will no longer be there. 

 After talking to his parent’s for about 45 mins, alex walks up his wooden crackly stairs to his room, closing his door softly and sitting down at his desk. Writing in small black words with his plastic ballpoint black pen, on a white striped sheet of paper, “what you do now can affect what you do in the future.” This is a lesson alex has learned and something that truly hit home with him. He thought to himself,  “Not a punishment, but a lesson I will learn and grow from.” Alex with lays down in bed with the harsh reality that he can’t do whatever he wants when he wants. The guilt and regret circle through alex’s head as if someone was spinning him rapidly in a chair. This was a lesson that stuck deep within him, as if a knife was lodged into him and would not come out.