Jess had been acting strange lately—distant, flaky. Then the rumors started swirling around Jayville. People whispered when we walked by in the school hallway. On our block, they’d go inside as soon as they saw us coming.  

"Jess is a Glitter Pop," they said.  

I couldn’t believe it. At first, I dismissed it, telling everyone to stop spreading lies. Jess hated gangs, especially after everything that happened with his mom. He wanted more, just like me. He wanted out of Jayville.  

At least, that’s what I thought.  

But one day, on my way home from school, I saw him in GP territory. He was handing something off—a brown bag—to a man in a hoodie. My stomach dropped.  

That couldn’t be Jess.  

But when he turned around, I knew it was him.  

"Jess!" I called out.  

He froze, eyes wide, surprised to see me. The first words out of his mouth were, "It’s not what it looks like." Then, "James, what are you doing here?"  

"I could ask you the same thing," I shot back. "But from the looks of it... YOU’RE DEALING DRUGS?"  

Jess grabbed my arm and pulled me behind a wall where no one could see us. "Keep your voice down," he hissed.  

"Why are you doing this, Jess?"  

"You don’t understand," he said. His voice cracked, and for the first time, he looked... defeated. "I had to. They’re cutting back my mom’s hours, and the bills are piling up. She says not to worry, but I can’t stop thinking she’s gonna go back to drugs because of all this stress. I’m just trying to help."  

"How is selling drugs helping?" I asked, my voice trembling. "You’re better than this, Jess."  

"Better than this?" He shook his head. "James, from where I’m standing, I don’t see any other way out. Not for me. Not for anyone in Jayville."  

I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that there had to be another way. But was there? I couldn’t think of one.  

---

A week later, the truth was out.  

Jess had been with the Glitter Pops for a while. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was confirmed today at lunch. Logan—a loudmouth everyone hated—shouted across the cafeteria, "Hey, Jess! Still got that two-for-one deal on dime bags?"  

The room went silent. Jess glared at him, fists clenched.  

Logan smirked. "What? Don’t act like I didn’t buy from you three days ago. Everyone knows you’re with GP. Just like your mom."  

The next thing I knew, Jess was sprinting across the room.  

"Say it again!" Jess shouted, his voice raw with anger.  

"You’re just another thug with GP," Logan sneered. "Just like your mom. I guess it runs in the fam—"  

Logan didn’t get to finish. Jess’s fist slammed into his mouth, cutting him off.  

The cafeteria erupted in chaos. It took two lunch staff to pull Jess off Logan, but we all knew who won. Logan’s nose was leaking blood, maybe broken.  

Jess was suspended for two weeks.  

---

I went to see him a few days later, bringing his homework. Teto, his little brother, let me in.  

"He doesn’t want visitors," Teto said.  

"I’m not a visitor," I told him. "I’m family."  

I found Jess in his room. "Hey," I said. "You okay?"  

He didn’t answer. Instead, he started yelling, his words spilling out like a dam had broken.  

"Am I okay?" he shouted. "No! Everyone knows! My mom is furious! The school thinks I’m selling on school grounds, and they’re gonna be watching me every day when I go back! And Logan? He’s telling everyone I’m the next kingpin of Jayville!"  

"Stop," I said firmly. "That’s not going to happen. You’re my best friend. I won’t let it."  

Jess’s voice cracked. "I was just trying to help my family."  

"I know," I said. "And we’re going to figure this out. You, me, and Teto. We’ve got this."  

For the first time in weeks, Jess smiled. "Thanks, man."