Love My Color

Chapter 4 (Justin)

We got arrested later that night.

My friends failed to tell me we could be sent to juvey for vandilism. Apparently "tagging" isn't all it's cracked up to be, spraying graffiti on walls. It's why we have the Groundies. It was about 4 in the morning when we got caught. An old white man caught us and turned us in to the Fuzz. No big deal we'll get out sometime.

As for now we are currently sitting in Cops HQ waiting for them to finish up the paperwork on us. I sat in a cold plastic pull out chair tapping my foot irritable needing a smoke.

"Dude could you quit with the foot tapping," Jessie said ovbiously peaved. "You're driving me nuts!"

" Don't start it with me Jess," I said as calm as possible, "I'm stressed and need a smoke."

Finally i grew sick of waiting and pulled out a half cig from my pocket and match, striking the match against my shoe i lit my cig and took a long drag from it and blew rings into the air. One ogf Jess's friends looked at me in shock.

"What are you doing man?" He whispered voilently. "You can't smoke in HQ."

"What are you my mother?" i replied back and inhaled the nicotin. One large cop approached me and put his fist on his hips, staring down at me.

"And what do you think you're doing?" he said in a challenging tone. I stood up, avoid his personal space, and flicked the ashes of my cigarette.

"Just having an innocent smoke," I said taking a hit from it again. I blew towards the floor and the officer took a step towards me.

"No smoking in HQ." he said slowing in a harsh tone. Shrugging i headed towards the doors to smoke outside when his hand grabbed my shoulder stoppping me.

"WHere do you think you're going?" he asked. I looked at his hand still on my shoulder then looked up at him. Before i could answere he stepped closer towards me. "You're not allowed to leave. You havn't been questioned yet." I blew smoke into his face making sure he saw my smile. Oh and did but he wasn't happy. He snatched my cig and stomped on it putting it out. My smile dissapeared from my face and now he was really smiling.

"Now do. Sit. Down." He snapped. I turned around walking back to my seat to fine Jess and his friends looking at me in shock.

"Dude what where you thinkin'?" Jess said hitting my shoulder. I looked down at my shoulder and looked back up at him and he quickly retreated his hand. 

"Oh, man. You really just did that!" One of his friends said in awe, and with that they chatted amungs themselves. 

Not soon after a police officer approached us with his navy blue uniform on about 2 sizes to tight for his more rounder body shape.

"Men," he said in a low voice. We all stood up and he looked down at his clipboard. "Here's how this is going to work. We're going to take you in one by one for questioning. And if stories don't match up there will be a problem so nothing but the truth. If all goes well all you have to do is call you're parents to come take you. We'll start with you." He pointed at Jess and i looked at him with sympathy. He nodded at me with comfirmation and walked away with the cop.

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"Alright lastly, you," The cop came out to the lobby we were sitting at and pointed at me. He came out with one of Jess's friends, who looked a bit shook up, and looked at me.

I stood up and followed him into a private room. The walls were all white and there was literally nothing there but a table, 2 chairs and his pen and paper. I sat down calmly and leaned back in my chair. It was my way of relaxing. The officer took a deep breath and looked at me straight in eyes.

"What were you arrested for?" he asked straight forwardly. I picked lent of my jacket and flicked it off.

"Tagging," i said. He wanted the truth? Here it is.

"Why?"

"Apparently it's illegal." The officer chuckled and shook his head.

"You know what i mean."

"No please, explain."

"Why were you tagging."

"Cause I love painting."

"What happened to pencil and paper?"

"Who's going to see that?"

"What's your name." He seemed to be getting frustrated but kept his composure. I smiled at my witt but he glared at me.

"Justin."

"Justin who?"

"Kathway," He looked at me in a bit of surprise but continued writing. I furrowed my eyebrows but decided not to say anything.

"Kathways huh? Sorry about your father." My facial expression hardened and i looked away from him. I hated when people brought up my father. He was a good man.

"Sure."

"So those people you went tagging with," he said changing the subject. "They're your friends?"

"Only Jessie. The others were his friends. I don't even know their names honestly." I said shrugging.

"How long have you've been tagging?"

"This was my first time." The man raised in eyebrow like he didn't believe me.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"Because son, you're work is a bit too good for a first timer." He complimented me. I gave him a half smile.

"I'm a groundie."

"Figured that much," he wrote down  some more information on his pad. "How can i assure this wasn't vandilism and wasn't some type of revenge plan out on somebodies property?"

"Because, Sir," i said leaning in on the table. "I signed my name on my work. I painted on public property so nbobody owned it and if i knew it was illegal i wouldn't have signed my name on it."

"But you where caught."

"If i signed my name wouldn't the police look me up and catch me eventually?"

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We were off the hook. Our stories matched up and we could go home...

So i thought.

I had nobody to call with my mom being insane and my dad and sister gone. Everybody else had tried to ask their rides to take me out but hey couldn't affored me or they just didn't want to handle me since they already have one problem child on their hands. Once the police had found out i was still their they had to place me in a holding cell until i started my community servace.

Oh yeah. We all caugh community service.

It's okay thought it's only a few weeks of it and we  started in 3 days.

A holding cell for 3 days. Joy.

Being in the last good cell in HQ was nerve racking. It smelled and was uncomfortable as hell. I couldn't concentrate looking at the walls other angry previous cellmates had wrote on. It made me snap back to reality like 'Hey! You've been arrested!'. That thought bothered me a lot.

It was about 9:30 into the new day. I sat on the bench leaning against the wall when i hear my cell door open.

A girl who was being fought by the cops had literally thrown her in the cell and quickly locked the door. She got back up on her feet and ran towards the door bars screaming.

"BUT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING I SWEAR! LET ME OUT!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"You get whats coming to yah!" one of the cops yelled at her. She banged on the bar and turned slowly to look at me.

"Welcome, cell-y," i said with a smirk on my face.