I think about all of our memories as I stare at the pictures of my dad hung up in the corner of my room. Ever since my pop’s passed, me and my mother has been struggling. One of her daily quotes that I always remember is “Comply with the cops no matter what. This world wasn’t built for people like me and you baby.” Even though she’s depressed on the inside she always puts a smile on her face because she knows that she is my only inspiration. I quickly jumped out of bed and got dressed. I was already late for school so I figured I would buy a BLT on my way. I kissed my mother's forehead as I said goodbye, and rushed out the house. 

As I got to the front of the deli I heard noises behind.

“YERRRRRRRRR,” I heard Malaki yelling from a distance.

“Yooo,” Punga said as he walked in the store.

“Wassup dude,” Benjamin said as he ran up to me.

We quickly went in the store, got what we needed and went back out. 

“Just had to grab myself a pack of gum, ya digg,” Punga said.

I looked from the gum to his face multiple times until I was able to realize he hadn’t paid for it. 

“We out,” Malaki said.

As we all ran down the block to get to school, the police pulled up right on the curb. They said the store owner had called that we were stealing.

“Put your hands up” an officer yelled at the four of us. I had nothing I could do. 

“I didnt-” I murmured as the officer threw me to the floor hooking my hands up with cuffs.I looked to the side and saw that all of us were thrown to the ground except Benjamin.

They pulled us up and pushed us into the backseat of the car as they called us “Charcoal” with disgust in their voice.

“What?” I managed to say.

“Shut up,” they yelled at me

“Ay you gotta ignore em,” Benjamin said, “they’re trying to get under your skin.”

I glared at him.

That's when it hit me… my mother… what would she say to me… Is this what she warned me about… who would take care of her if they took me away. A couple tears fell from my eyes slowly dripping down my cheeks, but I couldn’t do anything. I was trapped. 

We had finally gotten to the station where they removed the cuffs from my hand. I opened and closed my hands as I stared at the visible bruise around my wrist. I saw my mother coming in from the side of my eye with her lips curled down, I stood up and ran into her arms crying. All I wanted to do in life was to make my mother happy because I know everything she has gone through. 

The whole ride home was quiet, but when we got home I couldn’t hold it in anymore I told her everything. I cried in her arms again like a baby. Her baby. 

The next morning I woke up to find my mother sitting at the end of the bed.

“Sudais,” she said calmly, “they’ve been fired”

I was quite confused because I had no idea what she was talking about. I slowly sat all the way up to listen to what she was saying.

“Who?”I asked with a little bit of curiosity in my voice.

“The officers,” she responded in a low voice, “For excessive force.”

Wow I thought in shock. I never would've thought this incident would get them to this level.

“The eyewitnesses that recorded had a problem about how you and the 2 other Black kids were handled against the white one,” she continued.

“Benjamin?” I asked.

“Yes that one,” she responded.

I hugged my mother tight and layed my back against my bed with a huge sigh of relief. I figured “friends” weren't the one for me anymore because they were my key to my downfalls.