Some people want nothing but trouble.

Anders' foster parents and brother Kade had raised him since he was a baby. Being adopted at such a tender age, Anders had no recollection of his birth parents. His foster parents were all that he knew, and his brother, Kade - their son. 

Since Anders was adopted, Kade was jealous of him. According to Kade, Anders got all the attention in school and even more when they returned home. Kade's blood boiled every time the family would celebrate one of Anders' achievements or mention one of his aspirations at the family dinner. Kade was ten years older than Anders but far less appreciated at home.

After Highschool their brotherly relationship went even more downhill. Kade had gotten involved with the buying and selling of drugs. He had made friends with people who owned drugs and guns and knew how to get what they wanted when they wanted. Kade also made some powerful enemies. Despite Anders' contempt for his brother, he never rooted him out. They'd made a pact - they'd go down together, for better or for worse.  

Nothing in life had come to Anders quickly. After an unusually peaceful childhood, his brother's lifestyle took a turn for the worst. People are always looking for ways to escape their reality. But every bit of a world that people try to construct will have its flaws. Kade quickly dragged Anders into his mess, and their parents disowned them both. While Anders was down Jacques' throat about cigarettes, he was involved in much messier games.

"I'll cover you!" Anders had stressed to his brother while he counted some cash one evening in their old apartment.

Kade had eyed him warningly, "You better. No turning back now."

What started as a brotherly effort ended in a song of betrayal. Now that Kade was back on his feet with the money he'd made, he treated Anders like any one of his enemies. 

There is a version of life that only some people know. A chosen few - whether they are born into it or willingly seek it.  It accepts those who seek it with open arms.

That wasn't all. Then, there was Carmen.

Anders had met Carmen at a nearby bar four months after the guys and girls had moved into the apartment complex. She had fallen for him because he was devilishly handsome, as anyone with eyes could see. 

"Come here often?" he swung his leg over a barstool and gave her a wicked smile.

Carmen flipped her brunette locks over her shoulder and giggled.

"Nearly every day."

Carmen hadn't a clue of what was in store for her. Choosing to love Anders also meant dealing with his and his brother's mess. It popped up every so often, like a stubborn pimple, and when it left, it gave a false sense of security. And not only that but also his temper.

That's why she left.

On that fateful day, a group of men broke into Anders' apartment for the second time. Luckily, Carmen wasn't home while they had messed around and turned the place upside down. But the moment she arrived and noticed what had happened, she decided that it was the final straw. That neighbourhood was the sort of place where trouble hung high in the air, and those clouds didn't rain until the time was right.

Now, the time was right for her to leave.

Anders had always told Carmen that these break-ins often occurred as scare tactics due to Kade's messy work. Everywhere Anders went, he kept an eye out, without mentioning it to any of his friends. Not even Jacques.

Carmen wondered what her next step would be. She wasn't very close with anybody else on the complex. Their relationships never advanced further than the occasional "hey" or "how are you?". She used that as her advantage - there wasn't much reason to hold on.

While in the bathroom, Carmen looked at the mirror above the sink and shifted her top a little. Her exposed collarbone revealed a small burn mark that Anders had caused the night before. Carmen had refused to sleep with him, and his possessive nature had taken over. He had taken the cigarette he was smoking and burned her near her shoulder. Afterward, he had pleaded that it was an accident, but she had had enough.

Carmen knew what she was going to do.

The break-in was her perfect opportunity. She packed her things in a hurry and, a few moments later, left the apartment. Before she had left the complex, she had run into Odin. She had paused in her tracks, thinking that he would sell her out, but he said nothing. As she moved closer to the gate, Odin stepped out of her way.

Carmen said to him, "Just going for a walk." She clutched her bag of belongings closer to her body.

He trailed his eyes down to the bag and gave her an unsurprised look. Then, she put her fingers to her lips.

"Don't tell a soul you saw me," she warned him.

Odin put a cigarette to his mouth and winked, "Good luck."

When Anders returned home later that evening, he was nothing short of mortified. The apartment was in a complete mess. Most of all, there was no Carmen. 

Anders was livid.

Everyone had been awake to hear all the confusion it had caused. Panic ensued as Anders searched the apartment for a hint to where she had gone. His hysteria only lasted a few hours as he discovered what she'd left behind.

On his dresser, Anders found the same cigarette he had burned Carmen with the night before. He cursed himself profusely. When he overturned the small dresser, a loud crash sounded throughout the complex. That's when he had growled, "I knew this would happen!"

The past two months before Carmen had left, nothing but drama had consumed her and Anders' lives. Anders knew that she would reach her breaking point eventually.

And, quite frankly, so did everybody else.