Cross-out

17-year-old Jaime “Kimo” Flores is weeks away from graduation at Chavez High in Bell Gardens.

Jaime has his foot in three worlds: he’s a talented art student; he’s a promising future cop in a Police Explorer program; and, as “Kimo,” he’s the informal leader of a crew of graffiti writers.

A drive-by shooting results in the death of a gang member just released from jail.

Things heat up when Posse leaders, determined to protect their turf and underlying interests, demand retribution for the death of their man. Using coercion and violence, they are intent on first identifying, then hunting down the occupants of the drive-by vehicle.

In this small community in southeastern Los Angeles, the continuation high school is considered one of the best in the state. Families work hard to earn a living. The police in town try to keep the streets safe, but these positives camouflage deadly and vindictive forces in the community. Nothing is quite what it seems.

A cross-out symbolically is the worst kind of disrespect in the world of graffiti crews and street gangs. This story reveals a rare look into these subcultures through Jaime’s eyes as he struggles to stay ahead of the malevolence that is cutting down those closest to him.

Jaime’s worlds can no longer be separated. He must choose before others choose for him.