Love Thy Neighbor ~ Part 1

Remember When Our Boys Became Men?

Shaka, Mazzi and I run down the stairs.
Shaka: "Can we have some money for a new PlayStation?"
Y/n: "The Switch is getting boring."
Moz: "Sure."
Jeb: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. They ask for money, you give it to them?"
Shaka: "It's our system. It works for us."
Moz: "How much is it?"
Shaka: "Uh, a measly $400."
M'Dear: "You guys are so spoiled. Do you know how hard your father had to work for his fortune?"
Mazzi: "Yes. And we're glad he did so now we don't have to."
Cocoa: "Wait wait. Moz, your parents have a point."
Shaka: "Oh, Mazzi, they flipped Mom."
Cocoa: "Look, if you guys find a way to earn half of the $400, we'll give you the other half."
We all groan.
Jeb: "Listen, you guys know how I made money when I was your age?"
Y/n: "Wrestling dinosaurs?"
He leans in my face and I lean backwards.
Jeb: "Why do you think they're extinct?"
The boys' eyes widen.
Jeb: "As I was saying, I made money cutting yards with my dad's mower."
Shaka: "Mm. Sounds like hard but honest work."
Y/n: "We'll pass."
Jeb: "A little hard work will do you some good, and I'll loan you my mower."
Shaka: "What do you think we could get if we sell his mower?"
Jeb: "Left out of my will."
~The Next Day~
Shaka was pushing the mower.
Mazzi: "I can't believe we already made 50 bucks. Keep this up, we won't need any money from Mom and Dad."
Shaka: "Whoa, whoa, whoa."
Y/n: "They're excited about giving us half."
Shaka: "Let's not steal their joy."
They fist bump. Elvis pulls up on a red lawn mower.
Shaka: "Oh, what's up, Elvis?"
He says as we walk towards him.
Elvis: "We got a problem."
Y/n: "What?"
Elvis: "I went by Sister Caroline's house—"
Mazzi: "We just cut her yard."
Elvis: "That's the problem. How you gonna poach a brother's clientele?"
Mazzi: "Clientele?"
Elvis pulls a card from his overall pocket and Shaka takes it.
Shaka: " 'Elvis Maybury Landscaping'?"
Elvis: "Yep. I trim trees, cut grass, and... I'm a certified chicken whisperer."
I laugh.
Shaka: "Sorry man. We're just trying to make so money to buy a Play Station."
Elvis: "Hmm. Why don't we join forces and start our first family business?"
Y/n: "Family?"
Elvis: "Y'all know I'm gonna end up with Jade-"
Y/n: "Still wouldn't be related to y'all."
Shaka: "Says who?"
He says with a smirk. I elbow him.
Elvis: "We can make a commercial right now."
He starts dancing.
Elvis: 🎶If you got high grass Or your tree's to tall Pick up the phone And call the Brothers-In-Law🎶 So, what do you think?"
Y/n: "I think you just proved that not all black people can dance."
~Time Skip~
We just got home. Mazzi left the mower by the garage.
Mazzi: "We made even more than we needed. What do you guys think we should do with all the extra money?"
Elvis: "Let's invest it into our business."
Shaka: "Or we can go to the Waffle House and eat till we pass out."
Elvis: "I'd invest in that."
Y/n: "Me too."
They try to open the door but it's locked.
Shaka: "Of, we're locked out."
Y/n: "Offff course."
Mazzi: "M'Dear has a spare key out here somewhere."
We all start looking for the key.
??: "Freeze! Feet on the ground now!"
Elvis drops to his knees.
Elvis: "Get down, y'all, get down!"
We walk down the stairs with our hands up. The police were pointing their guns at us.
Mazzi: "What's going on?"
Police: "I said down now."
Shaka and I get on our knees.
Shaka: "Do what he says Mazzi."
Mazzi: "Okay."
I start to cry.
Y/n: "Please don't shoot us."
Police looks around the house. They cuffed us and took our money.
Shaka: "Y/n, it's gonna be ok. Just do what he says."
Y/n: "But what if he-"
Shaka: "No, don't think like that. Don't cry..."
Police: "Be quiet."
Eventually Moz and Cocoa come back.
Cocoa: "You know, but I gotta—Oh my god."
Mazzi: "Mommy!"
Shaka looks down.
Cocoa: "Shaka! Mazzi! Y/n!"
Police: "Back up ma'am. Let us do our job."
Moz: "What the hell is going on?"
Police: "We got a call some suspicious men were roaming the neighborhood trying to break into houses."
Cocoa: "What? Men? These are little boys. Let alone Y/n, she's a girl."
Moz: "We live here."
Police: "Can I see some ID?"
Moz pulls out his ID and hands it to the policeman."
Moz: "It's okay guys. We're here now."
Police: "Moses McKellan? I'm a big fan."
Moz snatched the card back.
Moz: "Since you know who I am, release my kids."
The police officer bends down and opens the cuffs.
Mazzi gets out first.
Cocoa: "Come here baby. You're safe now."
He unlocks Shaka and I. We go over to the adults.
Mazzi and I were crying.
Cocoa: "You're safe, it's okay. Guys let's go inside."
We walk inside. Shaka sits on the couch and opens his arms for me. I sit on his lap and lay on him still crying.
Shaka: "It's ok."
He hugged me tight.
~Time Skip~
We had showered and everything. We were just upstairs quiet. Nobody said anything. We all decided to come downstairs.
M'Dear: "Oh there are my brave babies. You deserve some ice cream."
She says hugging us. I shake my head.
Mazzi: "I'm not hungry."
Shaka: "Me either."
Jade: "Come on, ice cream always makes you feel better."
Mazzi: "I can't stop thinking about how scary it was."
He said walking towards a bench.
Mazzi: "Shaka just told me to stay calm and do what they said."
Shaka sat beside him.
Shaka: "I just remember what Dad told me if I ever got stopped by the cops."
Mazzi: "I thought the police are supposed to protect us from bad guys. Why did they think we were the bad guys?"
Jade: "Because we're black."
Mazzi: "Why does that matter?"
I sit on the couch.
Cocoa: "Sweetie...I thought you were too young to have this talk....but I am kicking myself that we didn't have it sooner."