My story, constructive criticism please -

No title for it.. yet >.>

Mark’s feet pounded on the pavement as he ran. He leaped over a discarded shopping cart in an alley and came out in an empty lot; the sounds of his pursuers were gone. He stopped to take a breath, then walked home, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. It was just another day living in the bad parts of town.
Flinging open the front door and hearing it slam behind him, he stopped to take a glass of milk from the fridge before getting out food for him and his brother. He set his backpack down and ate a sandwich, then went to his room, which would have been shared between him and his brother just months ago.
The front door opened again an hour later, as he knew it would, to signal his mother coming in from work. She smiled at him as she walked by his door.
“Hey Mark, how was school?” She asked.
“It was fine, Tom stayed behind to do extra credit, one of his friends is walking home with him” He responded, not taking his eyes off the current paper he was working on. His mother left his room. Time passed. Mark finished his math homework and went on to English. It was important, his mother would say, for him and his brothers to do well in school, his father had always wanted the best for them.
Mark’s older brother, Eric, had gone to college on a scholarship that made their mother proud. They were spending almost all their money, even with the scholarship, to keep Eric in college. Although he knew nothing would make his mother happier, Mark knew that he would never be able to get a scholarship like his brother; Eric had been active in extracurricular activities, and a well-liked person. Mark preferred to keep to himself.
He was interrupted from his studying, when his little brother, Tom, came barreling through his door.
“Mark! Guess what!” Tom bounced on his bed like a eager puppy.
“What?” Mark hardly glanced up from his paper, Tom was always excited about something.
“Mr. Evans told me I was one of his best students!”
“Mr. Evans? Really?” Mark had never had Mr. Evans as one of his teachers, but the teacher was infamous at their school for his criteria, which was nothing less than perfect.
“Yeah! It was after school.” Tom, at thirteen years old, had an optimistic attitude and was almost always happy. Mark smiled and reached for the spot where he kept a chocolate bar reserved for this type of occasion. He broke a piece off and handed it to Tom, who gulped it down, smiling even wider.
“Keep it up and you’ll go to where Eric is,” Mark said. Tom went off to tell their mom, who would no doubt be delighted to hear that he was doing well.
The next morning Mark waited for his friends, DeWayne, Calvin and William, before setting off to school with Tom. It was normal to see groups of kids walking together to school from the worse-off neighborhoods, gangs regularly patrolled the streets and kids who walked alone were likely to be jumped.
At school, DeWayne asked Mark if he wanted to go to the movies with William and Calvin. Mark accepted, saying he had to walk Tom home first though. At the end of school, however, Dwayne impatiently said to Mark
“Come on, we have to go, Tom can walk home by himself”.
“He can’t walk home by himself, he’ll get jumped, I’m walking him home,” Mark replied. DeWayme’s grey eyes flashed in anger. DeWayne was the type of kid who you automatically stayed away from, he had the look of the streets in his eyes. Calvin stepped forward.
“Mark, the movie is going to start without us, just let him go by himself, he’ll be okay. It’s not like he’ll die or anything,” Mark was about to reply when Tom said
“Hey Mark, it’s alright, I’ll go home by myself, I can tell mom where you went, have fun.” Before Mark could protest, Tom was walking, practically running, away from them.
Dewayne watched him go, and then turned to walk to the movie theater. Calvin followed him immediately; William flashed Mark an apologetic smile before catching up with the others. Mark took one last glance at where his brother had left, then turned to go with the others.
The movie at the theater was interesting, and soon Mark forgot all about his brother. DeWayne had bought them snacks and they had a fun time, joking around with each other. It was one of those carefree moments that you don’t even realize it’s happening, until it’s gone.
“Hey Mark, want to go drop by the seven eleven and get some food?” Calvin asked. Mark turned to find DeWayne looking at him. This wasn’t just to see if he wanted to go, it was a test. If Mark didn’t want to go, if he had said “No thanks, maybe later” then he would be on the schools hit list because of DeWayne. Mark noted that it was getting late, the twilight peering through buildings, usually he would be home by now but who would miss him for another hour or so?
“Sure, let’s go.” He replied. Mark led the way, DeWayne quietly following in his lead as Calvin and William glanced at each other. They had noticed how DeWayne and Mark had looked at one another, DeWayne with his calculating stare and Mark with his defiant attitude.
By the time they arrived at the seven eleven, it was almost nighttime. They got their food and talked about general stuff, until Mark announced he had to go home. DeWayne said nothing, Mark had passed the test.
Mark forgot that he would be walking home alone tonight. Usually he and Tom would walk together from school, discouraging any would-be-jumpers. Although Mark had seen and been chased by them a few times, they generally left him alone.
As soon as Mark entered his house, he knew something was wrong. It was too quiet, usually Tom was watching T.V. in his room, which could be heard throughout the house. It was eerily silent as his mother came into view.
“Mark! Where have you been? Where’s Tom??” she asked.
“What do you mean? He came home right after school, I was out with some friends” He said, a pit of fear growing in his stomach
“You left him to walk home alone?? You know how dangerous those streets can be!! Where is he?!”
“I don’t know, have you heard anything? Gunshots?” as soon as he asked, Mark knew it was the wrong thing to say. His mothers face grew ashen.
“oh dear lord, no. No gunshots. But they could have knifed him, like they did. To your father….” Marks mother slumped against the wall, her eyes closed. Mark hurridly went over to help support her.
“I’m sure he’s fine, ma. He might’ve just went to the store or something after coming from school” But Mark knew it wasn’t true. His brother always either told Mark where he was going to be, or came home.
“I’ll go out and look for him.. he can’ have gone far, even if.. something did happen to him.” Mark hurriedly ran out the door, not even pausing to grab his coat.
Once outside, Mark realized he didn’t know where to search. He decided to start at the school, and work his way from there. The school was teeming with life just hours beforehand. Now, in the darkness of the night, it looked forbidding. Mark took the street that him and Tom always went home on, looking down dark alleyways and peering into abandoned buildings.
“What are you doing here?” The voice made Mark jump, he turned to see DeWayne casually leaning against a fence.
“Whatever I want to. What are you doing here?” Mark snapped back, suddenly suspicious, although he had no reason to be, DeWayne was well known for prowling the streets, it wasn’t uncommon to find him in the most unlikely place.
“If you’re wondering where he is, he’s at 43rd street. The old warehouse, you can’t miss it.” Dewayne said suddenly, looking at Mark with his grey-green eyes.
“How did you know Tom is missing? Who are they? What do you have to do with all this?” Mark started forward towards Dewayne, as if to hold him in place until he had gotten the answers, but Dewayne smiled a lazy cat-like grin and slipped away from Mark before he could reach him. Mark stood there, alone in the street. He grit his teeth. If, no, when he found Tom he would have to talk to Dewayne.
Mark ran towards 43rd street. The “old warehouse” was well-known, its walls were freshly graffiti zed almost everyday, and rumors were that it was a gang hideout. Mark hoped Tom was alright. When Mark arrived at the warehouse, it was silent for all he could tell. A paper fluttered down the street, blown by the wind.
He entered it cautiously, aware of every sound he made. “Tom?” he called out softly. There was a crash from where he had entered, he turned around to see one of Toms legs going out the door, being dragged by someone. He ran towards it, out into the night. There! Ahead of him, going around a corner was a guy in a black mask. A glint from his hand told Mark that he had a gun.
Mark ran, faster than he had ever run in his life, but by the time he had gotten to where he had last seen the kidnapper, they were gone. There was a shot in the distance. Mark fell to his knees.

Yeahh...I kinda rushed it at the end so I didn't really think it out too much. This is the rough draft of an English Project. If you must flame me please do so through the PM system =P