West Chester High School is known for its juggernaut basketball teams, its high security school, and its juvenile students. Gangs flood its court yards and lunch areas with violence, drug dealing, and gambling when there’s a big basketball game coming up. A small percentage of the students get their diplomas and go to college. They have police officers’ roaming the halls in case of a fight breaks out in a nearby room. The students aren’t given any food utensils to use while they eat lunch. Whatever they have for lunch is usually wrapped in plastic. Most students bring in their own lunches or don’t even eat lunch at all.

No matter how good the basketball team is, how many juvenile students there are, or what people think about its high security school, it will be closing its doors… for GOOD!!!!!!!!
**

Jaiwan Marz is a 15 year old boy who doesn’t care that much about school. Although he wants to drop out of school after he turns 16, his parents won’t let him. They want him to be the first person in his family to graduate and go to college. His girlfriend, Shatelle Denice who is 14, thinks that he should do whatever he wants to do instead of listening to his parents.
**

DING!!! The school bell rings to start the day. Jaiwan walks into his homeroom and sits by his friends Darelle, 17, and Kywazaki, 15. “Yo, why does Mr. D look so depressed today?” , says Jaiwan.

“I don’t know”, replies Darelle.

They continue to talk and the first period bell rings. Since Darelle and Jaiwan have the same gym class, they walk there together. As they walked by the coach’s office, they heard their coach yelling at the superintendent, Mr. Sanders. “Why are they going to shut us down?”

“I don’t know. We have to try and stop the government, but a lawyer is too much to pay for. Sorry, I tried my best”, Mr. Sanders said.

They keep walking and head into the locker room.
**

They get changed and start to head into the gym, when out of the corner of their eyes they see… Chance Belem. Darelle walks up behind him. “Isn’t he supposed to be in jail still”, he says.

“I guess he got out early”, Jaiwan says.

“This ought to be good”, Darelle replies back.

As they line up to get ready to play dodge ball, coach and Chance walk into the gym. Chance gives Jaiwan and Darelle a stare as he goes and sits up in the bleachers. Before they started playing, coach had them circle up so he could talk to them. “I was talking to the superintendent, and he had told me that after this year, the government will be closing our doors for good!” The coach says to the class.

All the kids in the class were quite.

“Now, stop being all emotional, and let’s play a game of dodge ball”, he continued to say.

Jaiwan walked out of the gym and went into the locker room. Coach followed right behind.

“Why the heck would they shut our school down, man?” Jaiwan says.

“I don’t know. The government can do what the government can do. Our school hasn’t passed any health codes in a couple months.” Coach replies back to Jaiwan.

“Then what is going to happen to all of us?” Jaiwan asks coach.

“Well they told us that we are going to be combining schools with St. Kennedys and become a bigger school. I wouldn’t be mad; I mean we get to play basketball teams from Ne2w York, Florida, Ohio, and big schools like that.” Coach tells Jaiwan.

“Well, I guess that is a good thing.”

“See. Now let’s talk about this later, and let’s go play dodge ball.”

“Okay. That sounds good.” Jaiwan exclaims to coach.

They walk back into the gym like nothing had happened and play dodge ball. Then the bell rings.
**

Jaiwan and Darelle were walking to their next class when Chance Belem stopped them in the hall. “What do you want?” Darelle says as he tries to stare down Chance.
“I have come to apologize for what I have done in the pass. I am sorry for getting in a fight with you over that girl there… what’s her name?”
“Jaquelle Smith?”, Jaiwan says.
“Yes, her!” Chance replies back to him.
“She doesn’t come to this school any more. She moved to Los Angeles about five years ago.” He says back to him.
“Well it has been nice talking to you again Jaiwan and you too Darelle.”Chance says to them as he walks towards his third period class.
“Well, I guess we better get to class before Mrs. Carmichael yells at us again.” He says to Darelle.
**

The end of the day bell rings and all of Jaiwan’s friends meet up with him.” I think the school is being stupid about letting the government shut our school down for good. I mean why do we have to join with St. Kennedy’s? Out of all the schools in the surrounding districts, it has to be St. Kennedy’s?? What the Heck!!!!! They are the worst school in the district. Oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!”, yelled Kywazaki.

“I have a great idea! What if were to ask the principal, Mr. Jackson, if we can go to the governor and see if they could keep our school open so that we don’t have to go and join St. Kennedy’s. Isn’t that a great idea?” suggested Darelle to the rest of the group.

“I think it is, but I don’t think that the governor would listen to a bunch of gangster kids off the streets outside of Los Angeles.”

“Well let’s go and ask the principal then.”
**

The next day Jaiwan, Darelle, Kywazaki, and Chance all walked into Mr. Jackson’s office. “What do you hoodlums want?’’, Mr. Jackson says as they walk into his office.

“We want to get your permission to go to the government to keep this school open?”, proclaimed Jaiwan.

“Yeah right! The government won’t let you. You guys are hoodlums off the street. Why would they say yes to you? Ha ha ha, that’s funny!”, answered Mr. Jackson. “Go ahead and try, but they will say no. Ha ha ha. Good luck!”, exclaimed Mr. Jackson as he kept laughing as they left his room.

**

A week later, they all went to the government. They got the vote and the school would remain open and would be rebuilt a couple years later. Mr. Jackson was fired as the principal. The basketball team would go on and win their second consecutive state championship. A few years later, Jaiwan became the best point guard in school history and led them to another state championship.