Are You A Man or a Mouse?

James stared at Billy in disbelief of what he had just said. 

"Kill? You want me to kill Harry?"

"Yeah, if you want to be in our gang."

"I don't know man."

"C'mon dude, you chicken or something?"

"No, it's just..."

"Dude, Harry's a nobody, no one's gonna miss him."

"True, but..."

"James, if you don't do this you're out. You will be an outcast at school. Do you really want that?"

"No."

"Then just go to Harry's house and pull the trigger. Easy." 

"What if I get caught?"

"You won't. This gun is untraceable, just make sure you wear gloves, and no one will suspect you have a problem with Harry to want to kill him. It's the perfect crime."

"Well if you're sure...."

"I am, good luck," Billy handed James a pair of latex gloves, which James put on. Billy then handed him a small pistol. 

James walked to Harry's apartment. He was nervous and every little sound made him jump. Finally he reached his apartment, he jumped up the fire escape and climbed the stairs to get to Harry's apartment. He climbed through the open window. He tiptoed his way to the other room  where he heard the tv. He saw Harry sitting in the chair in front of the tv. James walked up to Harry. When Harry saw him he gasped.

"What are you doing here?" James didn't respond, but raised the gun. "Wait, why are you doing this?"

"I'm sorry," James said before he started to pull the trigger, but stopped when he saw Harry's scared face. He couldn't go through with it. He slowly lowered the gun.

"What is with you man?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry," was all James could say.

"Do you really hate me that much?"

"No, it was a gang initiation." James broke the number one rule of the gang by telling Harry that, but he didn't care anymore.

"What's going to happen to you now?"

"I don't know, and I don't really care," James turned to go. 

"Hey," he turned back. "Thanks man."

"You're welcome," James turned back and went back down the fire escape. He knew what his life was to be like now. He would have no friends in school, and the rest of the gang would call him a chicken. James knew, however, that he was anything but a chicken. He had stood up against peer pressure and had done the right thing. He was a man.