Life As The Enemy

That One Shoelace

There is alot of things Americans get wrong from false information. And years of being taught that way are difficult to unwash. My name is Kevin. I am originally from Minnesota. My father served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. He was Marines and now works full-time as a doctor. My mother is a biomechanical engineer. We now live in Georgia.

"Kevin, do you have you cell phone?" Mom askes as we head out the door

I pat down my pockets. Before I grab my satchel bag and strap it over my shoulder. Its an old leather bag my great-great-grandfather had in World War 1. It was gift from my grandfather for my eighth birthday. I continue to wear it to this day. As usual, mom drops me off at the carpool before I meet up with my friends. Its required we wear uniform, but sometimes the principal will allow us to wear comfortable wear. I have two friends. There is Duncan. He was born in Honduras. The comedian and the hot-head. He used to be mellow then when his puberty started, he was a total rock fan. He would gets us tickets to My Chemical Romance, and Sleeping With Sirens. I couldn't go because my parents thought he was a Satanist. He's not. Then there is Samuel. Born in Wisconsin. Your typical white guy nerd, if it were the 90's. Ha! This is funny. He is a mute. Doesn't talk much, not even to his own parents. He communicates with us with just shrugs or nods. But rarely you will hear him speak. They describe me as peculiar and out of touch. Not in a bad way. It's 2019, we're a few days from graduation. Today, my parents had to work late shifts so I could go over to one of my friends houses and hang out there until they came to pick me up. School had just ended and we were very excited.

"So, graduation is in a few days. What are you doing for the summer?" Duncan says as he dumps his bookbag in the dumpster.

I already knew what I was going to do. Play video games and stay at home. No beaches, no outside, and definitely no summer parties.

"Video games. Video games. And Video game-" I said to Duncan and Samuel, repeating myself before I tripped over my shoelace.

"I told you to tie your shoes. This is why you should heed my warnings!" Duncan says as he chuckles

They wait before I get up and walk down thr sidewalk onto the street where Duncan lived. Suddenly, we saw a police car driving down the road. I kept my head down and kept walking, my heart was beating eventhough I knew the police were good people. Well some.

"Keep your head up." Duncan says under his breathe.

I keep my head up before we hear the car turn around and start to tail us.

"Dude, I am freaking out right now! I don't want to be the next guy who gets shot." I said in panic, my hands trembling

Duncan grabs my shoulder, before stopping as the police car stops on the road. An officier eyes me deathly before walking over and asking

"Do you guys live around here?" He askes with a half smile

I look at the officer with a glimpse as I take one step back. Duncan notices before pinching my elbow and says

"Yeah. We live down this street." He answers before the officers takes a step forward and asked me

"Do you live around here?" He said with a deadly stare

My heart was racing. The thoughts in my head disappeared before I nodded yes. Panic was running in my head before the officier then asked

"What the address?"

I didn't answer before Duncan looked at me then interrupted.

"He is new to this neighborhood. He moved here last week." Duncan said with a smile before officer asked for my license.

I didn't have a license yet as my parents never took me to get my license yet.

"I don't have my license. Yet." I said with sweat in my palms.

The officer then stepped forward and grabbed my arms before turning me around, saying

"You are under arrest for trespassing."

Duncan and Samuel quickly take their phones out and record.

"Why are you arresting my friend?" Dubcan starts to question the officer

"Please move away. This is a police matter." The officier says trying to move them away

"No. Why are you arresting my friend? He lives here and gas done nothing wrong." Dubcan continues to state

The police officer puts me in the back seat with handcuffs on me. I slammed my head on the the glass, with anxiety and fear across me. The officier blocked the view of me before Duncan called my aunt. The officier then grabbed my leather satchel bag and started to check it.

"Why are you going through his belongings?" Duncan continues to ask

The officer pulls out a bottle of my seizing medication and my inhaler before putting them on the trunk. He then walks to the radio and eyes me before going on the radio.

"Dispatch this is 1382. I have a 10-78. Subject is hostile." He says into the radio before clicking the radio.

Duncan and Samuel sit on the sudewalk. As they wait, the officier gets inside and drives to the police department with my stuff in the front passenger seat. I kept silent before he got out the car and opened the backdoor and grabbed me by the arm, squeezing it and put me in a cell. After charging me with "illegal substance and assaulting an officer." It was nightfall before both my parents came and by law I had to wait 24 hours until they could release me. Could, not required. They kept me there, I was fearful that I would get hurt and my inside, my core was shaken. I never had gotten arrested, and I was incriminating. I felt like I was actually a criminal. I stayed in the corner of the cell and sat with my legs under me as I started to meditate. I continue to stare at the grey cement wall, listening to the footsteps that pass me.