5 years later

Marshall looked up at the big high school in front of him. The big brick building with a tall chainlink fence around it, that made it look like a prison. He was nervous. It was his first day here, and he didnt know anyone in Detriot. Not since the last time that he moved. He was going into his first year of highschool, 9th grade would be hard.

Part of him was excited, the other part was scared and wanted to run home and ditch school that day. He started to think, what if he saw some of his old friends, like maybe Dom. His oldest friend in detriot, it would be awesome if he could be friends with Dom again. But who knows? Dom could have moved away, changed schools, got kept back, theres a million reasons why he might not see Dom that day, but he had a good feeling.

Kids pushed past him, filing into the building mindlessly. No one really stood out to him, no one looked familiar. He sighed and started walking, but stopped when he saw a girl, leaning against the side of the building talking to a few other girls. she was about 30 feet away from him, and just barely visable through the crowd.

She was tall and thin, with thick blonde hair that fell down around her shoulders. She had big, thick lips and a small nose. Her eyes were green and sparkley and she wore clothes that showed off alot of skin. She didnt look over at him at all, instead followed her friends into the building and dissapearing into the school.

He stared at the place she had been standing, as if mezmorized. She was hot. He shook the image of her that replayed itself in his mind, and continued walking up the steps of the school, venturing inside.

The halls were grey and bowing, crowded and smelled like paper. He sighed, this was school. He walked down the hall, glancing at people, looking for his locker. He looked down at his hand where had scrawled the number earlier this morning. 117.

He looked up at the lockers, the people crowding around them, talking, laughing, a few kids making out, scattered the hallways. Finally he saw his locker, and made his way towards it. He weaved his way through a few kids, the big jock types. They seemed to surround his locker, and he squeezed between them, turning the combination dial.

He got his locker open, and put his jacket inside on the hook. He didnt have any books or anything to put in there yet, becuase it was just his first morning. He slammed the locker closed, and listened as it echoed slightly, but was soon drowned out by the sound of kids laughing and talking with their friends. He moved away from the locker and into the middle of the hallway, but walked into someone, and caused them to drop a book.

"What the-Watch where the fuck your going!" The tall kid yelled, bending over and picking up his book. Marshall watched as he straightened up and gave Marshall a funny look. "WHAT?"

A wave a of familiarity hit him, he knew who this kid was. "Dom!" Marshall exclaimed in surprise, but happiness. The kid stared down at him for a second, and then squinted.

"Marshall Mathers?" He asked unsurely.

Marshall nodded and Dom grinned.

"What the fuck is up man?!" Dom asked, reaching out to give Marshall a pound. Marshall returned it, grinning broadly.

"I havent seen you since 4th grade!" He said, excitement rushing through him; glad that he knew someone here. Someone who was as good a friend as Dom had been to him in elementary school.

"What happened to you?" Dom asked.

"We moved back here last week." Marshall laughed. "From Missouri."

"Damn. Never expected to see you again." Dom shook his head.

"Me either." Marshall replied quietly. "You know, you look almost exactly the same? Except taller." Marshall looked up at him, he was almost 2 inches taller than Marshall.

"You sound the same." Dom teased, as they started walking down the hallway.

"Oh, funny funny." Marshall couldnt help but laugh. It felt good to know someone, and even better that it was Dom.

"Naw, but really, you look a little different, your hair is black now. It WAS red. But your nose and eyes are exactly the same, thats how I knew it was you."

"Yeah. So how you been?" Marshall asked.

"Good, really good. You?"

"Could be better..." Marshall trailed off as he thought about the last few years. Ronnie had killed himself, he had moved aorund alot more than he liked to think about, and he felt depressed lately. But it was good to see Dom again. Someone from his childhood, before things got so crazy. Someone that brang back memories of a better time.

"Sorry man." Dom said, looking around.

"Dont worry about it." Marshall said quietly.

"Dom!" A voice from behind them yelled, and Dom turned around to see who had called his name. Marshall looked around to, and stared up at a tall kid with huge muscles on his chest and arms.

"Hey! D'Angelo!" Dom grinned and they slapped each other five. Marshalls smile faded. This wasnt the same D'Angelo that had beat the shit out of him when he was 8, was it?

"Whos this?" D'Angelo looked down at Marshall and looked him up and down quickly. trying to figure out who he was.

"You remember Marshall Mathers? Went to school with us a while back." Dom said. Marshall cringed. This WAS D'Angelo Bailey. The bully that hated his guts.

"Oh yeah! Lil boy came back eh? Y'all grown up Mathers. Not such a runt anymore eh?" D'Angelo teased.

Marshall said nothing, and just stared up at D'Angelo, letting his comments roll off him as if they were nothing. Deep down it tormented him, reminding him of those days, the days when D'Angelo would chase him home from school, and try and beat the shit out of him. What he didnt understand was how D'Angelo and Dom became friends, after all, D'Angelo was not very nice to Dom either.

"Dom, what you want to hang around this shit for? C'mon, we skipping first period gym." D'Angelo laughed. Dom glanced at Marshall and then back at D'Angelo and shrugged.

"Aight." Dom said, following D'Angelo in the opposite direction, not even bothering to say bye to Marshall, just leaving him standing alone in the hallway, surrounded by a sea of strangers.

Marshall sighed. He had been stupid to think that Dom would want to talk to him again, when he had D'Angelo. D'Angelo probably ruled the whole fucking school, probably had everyone under the tip of his finger, telling them what to do and who was who, and he was ready to bet that D'Angelo was going to do all he could to make the rest of Marshalls high school years utterly miserable. He was dissapointed. His old best friend had just walked off with his worst enemy, and left him. He didnt know what the fuck he was gonna do now, except keep walking.

He tried not to let it get to him, and he set off down the hallway again. He saw a few kids that looked somewhat familiar, but he didnt know their names or anything, and they didnt seem to know him either.

That whole day was spent mostly alone, no one talked to him in class or at lunch, and only 1 person had come up to him in the hallway, and that was just another 9th grader asking where a classroom was, except he didnt know how to get there either so he couldnt help them. It was everyday treatment, so nothing really bothered him, and he was just glad that he could go home soon.

Finally the bell rang and people ran into the hallways of the building, and Marshall headed towards his locker to get his jacket. He hadnt seen Dom at all that day besides that morning, and he almost didnt care. But a part of him really wanted to be friends with Dom again, the other part told him to lte him go fuck himself, and that he didnt need anybody.

After he had his jacket he left the school. He was glad that he could finally go home. It was Friday afternoon, so he could have all weekend to just do whatever he wanted. He pushed the big swinging door open and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Kids were everywhere, and most of them were going towards their cars or their friends.

He walked alone, on his way home. He wasnt going to take the bus today, because he didnt have any change. Turning around the corner to the school he saw 2 girls, and a boy standing around on the side of a curb. One of the girls was a blonde, and she looked familiar. As he got a little closer he realized that she was the girl he had seen earlier today before school started. His heart jumped a little bit, she was SO hot. He started walking slowly, he was still a good 15 feet away from them.

"Yeah right. You meant to trip me at lunch today." The blonde said. The other girl standing in front of her had her hands on her hips, her lips pursed together and her eyebrows raised. The boy was standing next to them both, looking between the two.

"I did NOT Kim." The other girl said, exhaling loudly. She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. "It was an accident. But it was worth it to see you fall flat on your ass!"

"Okay, you know what?" Kim said, standing over the girl. "Your a bitch. Im gonna remember this."

"An elephant never forgets." The girl smirked.

"UGH! You are SUCH a stupid BITCH!" Kim screamed.

"Ohhh WOW! For a second there, I almost cared." The girl smirked. The boy kept looking between them nerovusly, as if he knew that something bad was about to happen.

"You scrub, wanna fight with me?" Kim said, stepping forward challengingly.

"Thats what you want isnt it?"

"Yeah, I wanna kick your fucking ass!"

"Okay girls," The boy interrupted. "C'mon, Kim leave us alone. She aint mean to trip you, and plus we have to go now or we going to miss the bus."

"Shut up DESHAUN!" She emphasized his name, mocking him. He rolled his eyes at her and she sighed. "Fine. I have to catch a bus to. Dont think your getting off easy bitch." Kim pushed the other girl lightly, but just enough to piss her off.

Marshall continued walking slowly, as Kim turned around and walked towards him, giving him a funny look as she did. She shook her head and kept walking down the street. He turned his head and watched her walk as he shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking.

"Goddamn Lataya." DeShaun chuckled. Marshall stopped short, Lataya? He knew a Lataya. Way back in third grade. But, this couldnt possibly be the Lataya he had known. She was, more grown up, and sort of, pretty. DeShaun sighed and Lataya laughed as they started walking again. Marshall walked in back of them, about 5 feet away.

"What? So, I did mean to trip her today, but she deserved it. Her and her friend Amanda. They are such bitches." Lataya shook her head.

"So? You gonna fucking start a fight, thats the last thing we need." DeShaun laughed.

"Oh please. You love watching people fight." Lataya said, walking sideways into him playfully.

"Not when its you. Besides, Kims pretty strong."

"I can take her." Lataya shrugged it off.

Marshall couldnt believe this. This was Lataya Woodson, from 4th grade. The last time he saw her was...She was crying at the playground, Dom had done that. He really regretted not doing anything about it, he felt bad now. And her friend, DeShaun, seemed familiar too. But he didnt know that name. He stared at the back of them as they walked, talking and laughing and joking around about things, until finally he realized that DeShaun was in his Science class. He was in shock.

"We missed the bus." DeShaun groaned. "That means we can wait, 50 minutes for another one, or risk getting ourselves fucked up like last week." He laughed. "I dont know which is more dangerous!"

"Ah, lets just walk. We can take the back alleys, no one will bother us there." Lataya shrugged. DeShaun nodded, and Lataya grinned and turned around. They started walking back the opposite direction, probably going to find a small sidestreet to cut through, when Lataya gasped and stopped walking.

She stared at Marshall for a second, and Marshall also stopped walking, staring back at her. Her mouth was wide open, and her eyes were wide. She recognized him immediatly, and had flashbacks to that last day that she had seen him. She never expected to see him again, and much less for him to stare at her. She guessed it was only fair, since she was staring at him. But damn, to actually see Marshall Mathers. And she remembered him too. How could she not? She liked him alot, well, as much as a 4th grader could like anyone. And him and Dom had been so mean to her. She didnt know how she felt about seeing him. Part of her wanted to scream and jump up and down, the other part wanted to hit him.

DeShaun looked at Lataya, and then at the kid she was staring at. He was staring back at her. DeShaun tilted his head to the side. This was the new kid in his science class. He remembered him, Marshall Mathers. But, what was with him and Lataya looking at each other like they had seen a ghost? He looked to Lataya, and then at Marshall, and then scratched the back of his head, deep in thought.

"Marshall, Mathers?" Lataya said blankly, walking towards him, inspecting him, and walking in a circle around him. He followed her with his eyes and slowly nodded.

"Yeah. Lataya Woodson?" He asked. She stopped and just stared at him.

"You, you remember me?" She asked, surprised that he knew who she was, without her having to tell him.

"Uh huh." He said, taking a deep breath. She stood back a little and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing back in Detriot?"

"I moved back here tuesday." He replied.

"Your in my science class." DeShaun said, feeling sort of left out.

Lataya laughed. "Yeah, Deshaun, this is MARSHALL MATHERS!" She looked at DeShaun as if he was supposed to know who he was.

"Uhm..."

"Okay, I know him from like, elementary school!" Lataya exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Kay." DeShaun said carefully.

Marshall shifted uncomfortably. She was making a huge deal out of this, it was making him kind of nervous. He stared at her as she yelled at DeShaun about how she knew him.

"Where do you live?" She turned to Marshall suddenly.

"Im not telling you. You STALKED me in 4th grade! You think Im giving my address to you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Asshole. Fine. We wont give you advice on the best way to get home. C'mon DeShaun, guess he hasnt changed. He will always be a dick." She turned and walked past him. DeShaun shrugged and followed.

"You know," He started, Lataya turned around immediatly and looked at him expectantly. "Im sorry about acting like a jerk to you back then."

"Mhmm." She smirked. "What made you apologize?"

"I just fucking wanted too, okay?" He asked defensively.

"Uh, ok." Lataya said slowly. DeShaun was silent, waiting for Lataya to start walking again. "So do you want to walk home with us, or not? Or are you afraid I might, STALK you again? Dont you think thats kind of cocky?"

"Nevermind." Marshall rolled his eyes and kept walking, away from Lataya and DeShaun. What was the point? He apologized to her, and she got all bitchy at him. But at least he could say that he apologized to her, even though now, after she had been such a bitch to him, he didnt feel as bad as he had back then.

Lataya watched him start walking away, and she glanced at DeShaun, who was standing, waiting impateintly for her to start walking. She looked back at Marshall. She felt kinda bad. He had apologized and it was like she had just thrown it back in his face. She groaned as she thought, thats something that Kim would do.

Kim Scott, hated Lataya. They got into fight every day, and every day Kim tried to start a physical fight. Kim was the kind of person who would love nothing more than for someone to put their hands on her. Lataya never did though. She knew that Kim was too lazy to start a fight herself, and as long as she didnt hit her first, there would be no bloodshed.

"Hey, wait." Lataya called to him. Marshall sighed and turned around, a miserable look on his face.

"What?" He asked, annoyed.

"I was just fucking with you. C'mon, you can walk with us, this way would probably be a little safer anyways." Lataya said.

Marshall shrugged and turned around to follow Lataya and DeShaun.