Graffiti Star

Blake Kingstone

Description

Juan is a troubled teenager living and growing up in the “ruff ” parts of Los Angeles who realizes he has to help support his family. While working in a wrecking yard to make ends meet, Juan is also trying to fit in at his “hard-core” City school among his many different classmates and avoid being constantly tormented by the school bully. He struggles to pull himself out of his economic problems by utilizing his artistic ability learned from his graffiti street knowledge. When Juan discovers there is going to be The First Annual Graffiti Art Contest coming up, he realizes that winning may just get him out of the tough times.

Sujets

• Science Fiction
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 04 juin 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781499030297
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Copyright © 2014 by BLAKE KINGSTONE. 635351

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.


Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com


ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4990-3031-0
EBook 978-1-4990-3029-7



Rev. date: 01/27/2023
“GRAFFITI STAR”
It was a hard-core high school that was run down beyond imagination. Juan and Eddy are talking in a classroom during class hours, and some teens are passing notes and paper folding artwork back and forth. The middle-aged teacher, by the name of Mr. De Leon, thinks and acts like he knows it all; he’s walking around like he’s going to make a difference at this school. Eddy and Juan, are sitting side by side in class. Eddy is daydreaming, his fingers drumming on the desk, his eyes focused out the window and beyond. Juan is pencil-drawing a beautiful piece of artwork on stationery notebook paper concealed inside his book. It is a magnificent profile drawing of a 1950s automobile that would have taken any other artist all day long to draw. “Hey, Juan,” Eddy whispers. “Let me see that car.” Suddenly, a wooden ruler slams on Eddy’s and Juan’s desks, and their teacher snarls, “Dammit!, you two. Don’t you have anything better to occupy your time? I am sending you both to the detention center.”

Eddy said, “Aw—do we have to?” Mr. De Leon snapped, “Right now, you two.” Everyone in the class had their eyes on Eddy and Juan.
There were school bullies in the back of the class, angrily looking at them, with a trace of jealousy. A teen by the name of Silvia turned to her friend, Jazmin, and said, “Ooh—they got busted. Ha ha ha” Jazmin asked, “Who’s the one drawing the artwork?” Another friend named Isabel said, “I think his name is Juan.” Jazmin whispered to her, “Hmm . . . he’s kind of cute,” with a giggle. Isabel hissed back, What about your boyfriend, Ernie? He’s not going to like that” Jazmin replied, “You know I’m just playing,” still Ernie which was one of the tuff-school bullies as well as Jazmin’s boyfriend couldn’t over help noticing his girlfriend eyeing Juan with her perky eyes in class. That’s when Ernie blew a fuse and said, “walked up to Juan’s desk pushing it, and yelled, “Quit looking at my girlfriend punk!” Eddy said to the teacher, “Mr. De Leon, we only have five more minutes of class left, can’t you just give us a break?” The teacher yelled back at him, “I have given you so many breaks, if I gave you anymore, it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the class.” Eddy pleaded, “But Mr. De Leon . . .” “Right this instant! You two get your stuff, clear your desks off, and head down to the detention center.” Juan and Eddy quietly cleared their desks, grabbed their back packs, and headed down the hall to the detention center. A little while later, Juan and Eddy were in the detention room. All you could see is Juan, sitting and looking down at his desk, counting the seconds, just twittering his thumbs and tapping his fingers against the desk, bored out of his mind. Poor old Eddy had been assigned to write “I will not daydream in class” one-hundred times. It seems like hours go by, burning daylight. Tick-tock, tick-tock, the clock is working in slow motion. Finally a voice said, “Okay, you’re both free to go.” You would think that’s part of their routine or something. Eddy and Juan aren’t bad kids; they were just brought up in a rough area under tough conditions. Eddy and Juan were walking down the halls when Eddy grabbed a flyer that was taped on the wall and began to read. It said in big letters, “The First Annual Graffiti Art Contest. Enter now for a chance to win a 0,000 cash prize and a six-figure-a-year contract.” Amazed, Eddy turned to Juan and said, “Do you know what this means? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now is your chance to show everybody what you can do.” “There’s just one problem, Eddy. There’s a fifty-dollar entrance fee and I’m already paying every cent for my school supplies.” “You’re right,” lamented Eddy, “where are you going to come up with that kind of money?” Juan put the flier in his back pack. On the way back home, Eddy and Juan were
walking through a run-down alley. The alley had tall brick retaining walls on either side and was filled with trash cans, old abandoned couches, and overhead telephone wires.

Eddy looked at Juan and said, “I can’t believe Mr. De Leon, why does he have to be so strict? Can’t he see—we’re doing our school work?” “I guess they want to see better grades,” replied Juan. Eddy said, “Like we’re not trying hard enough?” Juan said, “Well, we’re free at last.” Just then Eddy said, “Hey, Juan, check out what I’ve got,” opening up his school backpack. Juan looked over and in Eddy’s backpack, there just happened to be a good selection of colored spray cans clinging around. Eddy broke out a fresh can of spray paint and Juan said nervously, “What are you doing, Eddy? “You’ll see, check this out.” “Look, Eddy,” Juan said with a very worried look on his face. “I’ve never done this type of activity before. I have a funny feeling about this.” Eddy said, “Just paint it, whatever comes to mind,” smiling and handing a spray paint can to Juan. Juan said. “No, we can’t paint out here. Put this can back in your backpack, Eddy, we’re going to get into trouble.” Eddy warned him, “Don’t chicken out on me
Juan. Just take the can,” putting the spray can into Juan’s hand. Holding the can, Eddy shook it. Cling clang cling. He got ready to hit the wall. Then, as he took aim, “You’ll see, check this out.” He got ready to hit the wall. Juan grabbed the can and said, “Let me help you out Eddy.” That’s when Eddy said to Juan, “Just spray it man, whatever comes to mind.” Juan finally builds up the nerve to spray paint, they both start laughing. The first two timers acted like two teens doing something wrong for the first time. Juan say’s to Eddy, “Quick give me that can of spray paint?” continuing with laughter. “I hope you know what you’re doing Juan?” I think I got this says Juan.” Minutes are going by. Eddy says, “Looks like you got this piece all by yourself, chief, this is all you.” Just then a vato and crew about fifty feet away quietly walking up on them. They approached them.

“Hey! w hat the hell are you two doing? You’re on our territory!” came a shout. It was too late for Eddy and Juan to run; they were clearly outnumbered, cornered in a dead-end in the alleyway. Eddy turned to Juan. “Oh no, what do