Got-to-get-some-more-alcohol.

I slurred as I glanced around at the empty green bottles. I felt around the
wooden ground, and finally touched something cold with multiple edges. I
grabbed it. I struggled up, stumbling ungainly towards the rusty metal gate,
then grappled the padlock as I sloppily forced the key into it. Click. Turning
the door handle, I hastily shoved the metal gate open and traipsed towards
the lift.

"Hello Lionel! A short, stubby girl called Lehana waved zealously at me. Hi,
I coldly replied. I brushed past her and pressed the close button. The lift
doors shut. Lehana started ominously, "So, I heard you dropped out of school
last week." She began to list all my offences from last month, and the
tsunami of her words gradually rose above my tolerance limit with her. "Shut
up, I hissed fiercely. Lehana's hazel brown eyes bulged in astonishment, her
lips quivered slightly as she stupefyingly apologised. "Whatever, I scoffed.

My phone began juddering in my hand. I swapped my thumb across the

screen, and then put it against my right ear. "What's up, Lenz? Okay. So,
7.p.m.? Block 573? Got it. I stuffed my phone into my pocket. "First storey,
a robotic voice echoed tonelessly in the lift.

I was about to get out of the lift but a firm hand seized my shoulders. Lionel,
go back to school. You once said you want to be doctor, don't.. This was the
last straw. "Get lost! I snarled in annoyance, thrusting her aside. I could see
a few tears quivering in her eyes, the tears that seemed to be forcibly held
back, but I only stared straight past Lehana and went out of the lift.

I eyed at my watch restlessly. Fifteen more minutes to seven o' clock. Argh. I
looked at the road, then, back to my watch, then, to the road again, then, to
my watch. I cursed and sweared under my breath as I checked for the bus for
the tenth time. At last, a long cuboid bus, with a few cracks and scratches on
its window panes, stopped. Swiftly, I hopped into the bus.

When I saw a moldy building, I pressed the bell and dashed out of the bus.
"Hey, Lionel! How's life? A huge guy, with a deep red scar running down his
left eye, made his way towards me. He strapped his arms around my

shoulders. I glanced around relaxedly. There was the bunch of guys clad in
black T-shirts, etched with scars on all parts of their bodies, and with similar
green dragon tattoos on their right arms. I turned back to face Lenz. Grinning,
I replied, Okay. How's Green Dragon Clan doing, Lenz?

Great..great! Especially since today's gonna be such a fight.. Lenz started

cachinnating madly. The other guys began shaking violently too, and the
whole alley was then flooded with deep, menacing rumbles.

A burly man came. Slowly, there were more and more men. They all had the
same eagle tattoo on their left arms, a clear indication of Green Dragon
Clan's rival gang, the Eagles. It was then when I felt cold drips lining my
forehead and my palms sweaty as I held the parang trembly. Is it the right
thing to do? What's wrong? I could hear Lenz's concerned voice. My throat
was dry, and all I could managed to cough out were just some
incomprehensible sounds. Lenz's eyebrows furrowed fervently.Lionel, I
thought you want to prove you're worthy enough to join the gang. I felt
Lenz's hand patting against my trembling back as he reassured
me,Everything is going to be alright..

Still, my heart chattered ferociously.

A glass bottle was thrown across the air. It shattered. Someone started
waving his parang dangerously. Shouts, screams and parang clashes soon
pulsated raucously through the night. Before long, the ground beneath me
shuddered. Light cowered away in fright as a gigantic man stormed in front of
me. A parang was lunged towards me, making a "Ching!" noise as it swung
through the air. It was so close, barely sweeping past the hairs on my arm. All
I could see was it, the blade of the huge parang, silver and malicious. It made
me feared for my life. Again, it swooped in for a second attack, driving my
senses wild and erratic. Terror engulfed my soul, enkindling a fury of
adrenaline through all veins in my body. A solitary drop of perspiration
slithered down my forehead. I struck his parang with all the strength I had.
Clank. The parang landed on the concrete ground, just a few centimetres
from my left foot. Seeing my chance, I quickly kicked away the parang.

"Watch out, Lionel! I felt someone's body slammed against my back. I turned

over. Colours began draining off my face. Lehana? I saw Lehana slowly
sinking to the ground. A few men looked pale, and they began staggering
away. The cacophony slowly died down. I tried to catch Lehana. My hands
touched something warm and sticky. I looked at my left hand. It was smeared
in red. It was blood. A million invisible arms were leashed across my heart,
strangling it. My heart stopped. My legs became wobbly and weak. My knees
dropped to the ground. "How.. Why, Lehana? Why did you.. save me? My
vision began to pixilate.

Lehana smiled feebly, I.. heard.. you..in.. the lift...I.. I want.. to.. give you..
this.. Her fingers began signaling weakly to a white squarish box with a
bright red ribbon tied around it. Rivers of hot tears began pouring down my
eyes profusely. "You.. don't.. want.. it? She asked worriedly. I shook my head,
forcing a smile, No, no, I want it. I want it.

A smile grew across her face, tears dribbling down her cheeks as she
murmured faintly, for the last time, Happy.. Birthday.. Lionel.. Be.. A..
Doctor..

Then, her eyes were closed forever.

"Ding..dong.." The tower clock chimed as its hands pointed to an eight and a
twelve.

I sauntered past the sea of students, with a brown bag slung against my
shoulders. A chubby guy plodded heavily towards me. He slapped his arms
around my shoulders. "So how did you do that, Lionel? From a high school
dropout to one of the best medical students in our university! Care to share
your secrets? Slowly, a smile unfurled across my face, as images of Lehana
scrolled through my mind. "Well, there was a special person..

Life is like a sine graph. It is full of ups and downs, and twists and turns.
Sometimes, as we slump deeper and deeper into the darkness, we need
something to catch us, to be our trampoline and to turn our lives to the right
direction. For me, my trampoline had been the day when Lehana saved me.

1st edit- there might be grammar errors....