Exposition: Nathan Escobar Jaco, nicknamed "Esco", is a 16 year old boy who lives in a rough neighborhood in Queensbridge, and also is the protagonist of the story. His parents, both Sunni Muslims, also raised Nathan to be a Muslim boy. Nathan's parents work full-time jobs, so they don't have the time to spend with their son. Furthermore, they don't have a huge impact on Nathan's life. The neighborhood that Nathan lives in consists mainly of athiests, gangsters and lots of wrongdoers. Therefore, Nathan does not have many friends that he can confide in, as all of his friends are gangsters and killers. His friends try to turn him towards the crimes of these streets, by trying to introduce him to drugs and murder. Throughout the story, he struggles between keeping his faith with his religion and God, and falling into the peer pressure of these gangs, trying to fit in and build his reputation. The antagonist of the story is himself and his struggle for stability.
Inciting Incident: Nathan meets Tyrone Williams at his school. He tells him that he knows a way to be cool, and to make lots of friends. He suggests joining a gang with him and his friends. Promising himself he'll only use it as a way to make friends and not to let it change him as a person, he accepts the request. Tyrone hands him an orange bandana that all the gangsters wear as a symbol of their gang. He soon meets a lot of these gangsters and becomes acquainted with them. They start out as using him as a cocaine dealer, and give him a fair portion of the profit. He makes sure to keep away from the drugs, but uses the money he receives from the deals to buy luxurious items. His parents don't notice him slowly purchasing these new accessories and items, as they're either at work, or at home sleeping from exhaustion. After awhile of being a part of this gang, the gang begins to give him bigger tasks to accomplish.
Rising Action: Tyrone, being the new leader of the gang since the recruitment of Nathan (who is now referred to as "Esco"), approaches Nathan one day at their meeting area atop a building. He tells him that the rival gang leader was seen with his crew down at the liquor store. He hands Nathan a loaded gun and tells him that he will receive a very high amount of money and respect from his gang if he gets rid of this man. If he fails to complete the task the task however, Tyrone deems him as a witness and promises that bad things will happen to him, since the police could get involved. Before Nathan can reply, Tyrone leaves him to be left alone on the cold and windy rooftop.
Climax: As Nathan slowly walks towards the liquor store, he has a flashback of his father telling him about keeping his faith in God, and to never sin. He tries to forget the memory, but the guilt of his disobedience and greed causes him to have a growing pain in his stomach. He approaches the liquor store and finds a good spot where he sees the rival gang leader. He is standing by himself outside of the liquor store on his cellphone, while his gang is inside buying alcohol. Nathan turns the safety off his gun and slowly raises the gun, but the pain in his stomach becomes so unbearable that he drops the gun. He realizes what he has become and that the broke his promise that he made when he had joined the gang. He picks up the gun and stores it in his pocket and begins to walk away. He pulls off his orange bandana, but unfortunately, the leader across the street spots the orange bandana and starts to shout something. In fear, Nathan runs as fast as he can, until he reaches the project apartment that he lives in. He safely enters and as usual, his parents are not there.
Falling Action: Nathan begins to hear his cell phone vibrate. He looks at the caller I.D. and sees it is Tyrone. He watches as Tyrone calls over and over again until he has 7 missed calls. Nathan begins to wonder about what he has become, and starts to cry. He wishes he could go back and end all that he had begun, but realizes that it is far too late to do anything. He wants to call his parents so that he can explain everything, but he fears his father will neglect him after hearing the things he has done and the ignorance he has showed to his religion. All of a sudden, he hears a van pull up on his block, 4 stories down. He glances out the window to see what it is. He spots about 6 or so orange headed figures who walk into his building. He sees the blurred face of Tyrone. He begins to panic and wonder what they wanted. A flashback reoccurs in his head of what Tyrone told him when he ordered him to kill the gang leader. Sweating and unsure of what to do, he reaches around the place as if he is trying to find something. His hand shaking, he feels something metal and heavy in his pocket. He pulls out the loaded gun and turns off the safety. Footsteps become louder out in the hall.
Resolution: Nathan, his hands shaking and his face wet with tears, holds the gun in his hands and looks at his bookshelf, where he briefly glances at an enormous book he remembers as the Qu'ran, or the holy book of Islam. He shamefully cocks back his pistol. The footsteps outside the hall get even closer. Nathan places the pistol right next to his head, so that the muzzle is facing his scalp. He begins to hear a loud knocking noise at his door along with the muffled sound of Tyrone's voice. Nathan looks up, as if he can see through his ceiling into the sky and into the clouds. He whispers to himself, "Hustler for death, no heaven for a gangster" and pulls the trigger. A loud crack is heard from the pistol, and Nathan falls over onto his carpet, motionless.
Denouement: Nathan kills himself, as he feels it is a sense of purification for himself. It is actually the opposite, as suicide is very critical and frowned upon in his religion. He ends his misery, and his inner conflict is, in some fashion, resolved. What happens to Tyrone and his gang, and his parents are unknown. The orange bandana in the story symbolizes the absence of Nathan's conscience. When he is wearing it, he is like any other criminal in his gang. In the end, as he removes his bandana, it symbolizes his reconnection with God, and his conscience comes back into his character.
