The First

The Project

Derek Rodman was a young teenager that wanted to know what his role in life is. He wanted to know what his late grandfather once told him when he was young:" Everybody has a role in life. Everybody will know what their role will be someday, some too early, and some too late. But everyone will know their role, and when they do, they will fine their treasure in life."

Derek is 16 years old. He grew up with only his mother and his older brother and sister. Derek's mother, Jennifer, divorced her husband, David, after she found out that he was cheating on her. David and Jennifer is divorced for 8 years, when Derek was only 8. His big brother , Johnny, is 31 years old, and is a Chief Officer in NYPD. His sister , Luci, is 27 years old, and is a mother for 3 boys. Kevin is the oldest, Chris is the second and Jason is the third.

Derek was eager to know his role in life. So he wondered his own mind. His own life, trying to figure out what is his role. At school Derek was a bit different from his classmates. While Derek wanted the best for him, his classmates didn't show any support or love for his idea. Derek was down. He started writing. Derek loved music alot and he also used to play basketball for couple of years. So Derek started to write songs. At first, he only expressed his feelings by rhyming. After couple of months, Derek joined a youth club called "The Hood". The manager, Sam Brown, was managing the club for 8 years. The club was for Youngers who wanted to change their future to a better future, to a better life. Sam and Derek got connected alot, they bonded. Sam started showing and teaching Derek how to find out his role in life. Derek was thrilled, but deep down he knew something is wrong with him.

Derek started with himself. Started listening to old music and analyze them. Started writing poems in metaphoric ways. He developed his writing and improved. Yet he wasn't convinced that that's his role or his way to improve himself. By that time, his classmates started treating Derek with mocking and disrespect. Until his classmates decided to boycott him. They had a ban on him. Derek took it very hard.

Derek decided to commit suicide. He left a note saying:" Everyone, I'm sorry I didn't find my role in life. You deserve better. I hope that whoever finds this note will help you all find your inner treasure that has been always hidden inside of us. For this I'm ending my life, I'm not the one to make it better."

Derek called the day of his suicide "Project 17", he wanted to end his life a week after his 17th birthday. He saw himself as an unused weight on the world, a burden on his own life and his own family's life. He stole his brother's gun. Stood alone in his room. Put the gun in his mouth, but couldn't pull the trigger, while the tears came down on his cheeks, he couldn't pull the trigger. He was devastated. He was ruined.

He took a notebook and started to write everything he felt. Everything he has been through. He promised himself, that he wouldn't stay like this. He promised himself to be different from his father, classmates and even himself and surroundings. Three months later, Derek went on a trip with his uncle and cousins. His uncle, Jeremy, was a bit suspicions on Derek's condition. He knew something is wrong with him, but he didn't say anything. On that trip he saw a young girl from his school, Khloe Johnson, she was 15 years old. She caught Derek's eye. But he knew that in his condition he wouldn't be able to talk to her.

Derek finished the trip. He came back home, and immediately started writing on how to approach to her. How to talk to her.