The Love You Give

Black in America

Ezra had walked to the other end of the nearby streets before turning around to head back. She was on the sidewalk in front of the house when she heard Barry growling. Ezra turned around to see a cop car creeping up towards her. The officers parked right in front of her before stepping out. "What are you doing in front of this house, young lady?" The taller officer asked. He had black hair and a thick mustache that made him look like a caricature. His name was Officer Davies. The other was lanky in stature with dirty blond hair and a receding hair line. His name was Officer Matthews. "I live here," Ezra answered calmly. She could feel her anxiety starting to build, but thought back to the things her father told her if she were ever to be stopped by a cop. "You live here?" Officer Davies said with a chuckle.

Ezra wanted to get angry, but she knew what the outcome of that would be if she did. "I live with the Scott family. I just moved in." It was apparent the officers weren't listening as they eyed her. Barry was standing protectively in front of her. "We received a call about someone suspicious walking around the houses in this neighborhood. Were you looking to steal from these people?" Ezra looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious? I just said I live here." The officer moved his hand to his weapon and the final moments of Philando Castile, George Floyd, Sandra Bland and countless others flashed in her mind.

"Are you becoming belligerent with me?" Officer Davies asked, his hand still hovering above his weapon. "No. I'll telling you that I live here." She responded calmly though her body was shaking like a leaf. Officer Matthews walked towards her causing Barry to growl menacingly. "Drop the leash," he ordered as he brought out handcuffs. "I didn't do anything. Why are you arresting me?" Ezra called out as Officer Matthews removed the leash from her hands and roughly dragged her to the ground. He knelt on her back as he handcuffed her and all Ezra could do was cry.

Jackson noticed that Ezra hadn't come back and looked outside his father's window. "What the fuck?!" He yelled running out of the office and down the stairs. They all looked outside before following him. "Stop fidgeting," Officer Davies said angrily as he held onto the butt of his gun. "I'm not! Please let go you're hurting me," Ezra cried as tears streamed down her face. "What the actual fuck is going on here?" Jansen bellowed as he ran over to them with Celeste and the boys hot on his heels. "Mr. Scott," Officer Davies smiled. "We got a call that this woman was walking the streets of the neighborhood possibly casing the area, so we're going to take her in." Jansen's nose flared in anger.

"You will unhand my daughter this instant or I will have your badge and gun turned into the Chief of Police in less than an hour." The facial expressions on the officers' faces would have been comical if the boys weren't so focused on a crying and hyperventilating Ezra on the ground. "Your daughter?" Officer Matthews repeated removing his knee. "Yes. I'm sure she told you she lived here, am I right?" Officer Matthews nodded as he gently stood Ezra up, while Officer Davies tried to smile. "We assumed she was lying." Jansen interjected. "Why is that? Why would you assume my teenage daughter was lying about where she lived? I take it if Allison Blake down the block was walking her dog like Ezra here was you wouldn't even think twice about it." Jansen stepped closer to the officer. "Why is that Officer Davies?"

The moment Ezra was uncuffed Jackson was in front of her. "This was just a misunderstanding," Officer Davies tried to smile, but it was apparent he knew he messed with the wrong kid. Jackson pulled Ezra further away from the officers. "Baby girl, look at me. You're okay now." He was trying to reach her but the tears weren't stopping and she was shaking so much her teeth clattered. Her breathing was rapid and startling. Jackson picked her up bridal style and took her into the house, while Jacob followed and Jace remained with their parents outside. "I think she's having a panic attack," Jacob said as they made their way into Jackson's room. Jackson placed her in his lap as he sat on the bed and held her. "I need you to breathe in as slowly and deeply as you can through your nose, baby girl." He instructed gently. "That's it, baby, and out through your mouth."

Ezra closed her eyes and focused on her breathing like so many times before. It settled her and the tears stopped, while her shaking lessened. "That's it, baby girl." Jackson whispered as he rubbed her arm. "I'm going to run her a bath," Jacob offered up before heading into the bathroom. The two of them heard the water running and it seemed to further calm her. Jackson was beyond livid. He had witnessed times where Xavier, Jonesy and other minority friends were harassed or pulled over by cops in Hartford or neighboring cities due to racial profiling and it enraged him. But seeing his girl go through such a traumatic experience was maddening. He was going to make sure his father did something about those two cops come hell or high water.

"It wasn't a misunderstanding," Jansen responded to the officer. "I guarantee you I see things pretty clearly." Jansen looked over their names and badge numbers and smiled. "I'm pretty sure Sherriff Moore will see things as clearly as I do as well." It was Jansen's turn to smile as the color drained from the officers' faces. "Get the fuck off my property." Jansen snapped as he grabbed Celeste's hand and walked her and Jace back into the house where Barry Allen waited by the steps with his leash still attached. "You have to do something, Jansen." Celeste cried the tears welling in her eyes. "Did you see what they did to her? He was kneeling on her back!" Celeste was borderline hysterical. "I know, babe, I saw it. I'm going to call a meeting with Moore right now." Jansen headed up to his office.

"I need to check on her," Celeste said, but Jace stopped her. "If I'm right she was having a panic attack when Jackson took her inside. I'm sure they're trying to calm her down. We should let her breathe a little for the time being." Celeste bit her bottom lip but relented. "I'm going to go and call Marjorie. I want to know who the hell called the cops on my Ezra." She marched up to her office with the vengeance of seven mothers. Jace didn't want to crowd Ezra. He knew Jackson was better equipped to handle something like this anyway. He was the diversified one out of the bunch followed by Jacob. He didn't pride himself on not having many minority friends, but Clarkson wasn't a diverse place. Hartford wasn't a diverse place. He had read the news articles and watched the documentaries, but seeing racial profiling and police brutality up close and on his very own girlfriend was jarring.

Jace walked up to their hallway and could hear his brothers whispering in Jackson's room. He wanted to see Ezra, but he didn't want to push her. She'd been tried too much that night as it was. Barry cried at his feet wanting to go in, but he shook his head. "Come on, boy. You can pester her later." They walked into his room where Jace took off his leash and let the Pitbull sniff around. It was the first time he had willingly let the dog in his room. He wasn't a fan, but Barry liked Ezra almost as much as he did and that was something they could bond over. He lay on his couch trying to get the image of his girlfriend crying and shaking out of his head. She looked at them with eyes so full of fear it wrecked him. He vowed in that moment that he would do whatever it took to make sure Ezra always felt safe and cared for.