The night was colder than usual, and Levi felt a pit in his stomach. John, Don, and Mia had cornered him earlier, their smirks hiding a dangerous plan. “Come on, Levi,” John had said, “just watch out for us. It’s easy. You don’t even have to touch anything.”

Levi hesitated. He didn’t want to be involved. He knew Suzanne’s warnings, remembered her gentle but firm voice: “Not everyone who smiles at you is a friend, Levi.” But the pressure was overwhelming. He was young, eager to belong, and their words cut deeper than he realized.

By nightfall, Levi had snuck out of the house. His hands trembled as he walked through the quiet streets, the shadows of streetlights stretching long across the pavement. He stayed near the corner, watching while John, Don, and Mia entered the shop and began to steal.

At first, Levi simply observed. But curiosity drew him inside the shop. He wandered cautiously, his footsteps echoing softly against the wooden floor. Then he saw it—the owner’s office, slightly ajar. He entered quietly, eyes scanning the room.

On the desk lay a diary. He picked it up and read, the words cutting through his heart: “Need money for my wife’s cancer treatment…”

Levi’s stomach twisted. The people he had been helping were not wealthy criminals—they were desperate. He wanted to shout, to tell the others to stop, to make things right. But when he turned, the three were gone. They had already ditched him, leaving him alone.

Moments later, the police arrived. Panic swept over him as he realized the truth—the money had been partially left behind, but the others had spun a lie. Levi had been painted as the mastermind, while John, Don, and Mia warned him to stop just enough to cover themselves.

Betrayal wrapped around him like a vice. His heart ached, knowing he had been used, and worse, that he had failed to listen to Suzanne’s warnings.

At court, the judge’s voice was cold and final: five years in juvenile detention. Levi’s head bowed, tears burning his eyes. He knew he was at fault. Not the three older kids, not the circumstances—he hadn’t listened, he hadn’t resisted.

When Suzanne arrived at the court, her hands trembling, she saw the weight of the world on Levi’s small shoulders. Her voice broke as she cried, holding him tight. “Oh, Levi… oh, my poor boy…”

Levi felt a strange mixture of shame and determination. He had accepted the punishment, but in his heart, he vowed that one day, he would make things right—not just for himself, but for everyone who had been hurt, including the shop owner.