Remember Your Worth | Jackson Avery

eleven

"I'm gonna tell Mom and Dad that you kissed Ryan."

"Enough, Jalen!" I shouted.

The turd was annoying me. It was so annoying being in high school with your younger brother. I tried to ditch him but my parents would be livid if he walked home by himself.

"I saw you, so did my friend Mike. Dad's gonna ground you for a month."

"No, he's gonna ground me for a year after I stuff your head down the toilet."

"You're only 17, Sage. Dad won't even let a boy near you without having a fit, no way you're gonna get away with kissing one."

"And you're only 15, Jalen, yet you sound 5." He mushed my head, taking off.

I chased him down the block, yanking him back by his hood. He pushed me off as we burst into a fit of laughter.

A siren whooped, red and blue lights flickered. We turned around to see two white officers exiting their squad car. They put one hand on their guns while they slowly approached us.

"Where are you guys coming from?" The first officer questioned. His name tag read 'Gomez'.

"School, sir. We're just walking home."

"You pass by Randy's Stop Shop on your way home?" Wells, the second officer asked.

"No, sir."

"Let me see some ID." Gomez demanded.

"It's in our pockets."

I reached my hand into my pocket, something I shouldn't have done.

"Let me see your hands!" Gomez suddenly shouted as he and Wells pulled their guns.

"Officers, don't- don't point the gun at her, point it at me."

"Do you have anything that could potentially harm me or my partner?" I shook my head, tears sliding down my cheeks as Jalen verbally told them no.

"Let me see some ID! Slowly, reach your hand in your pocket, keep your other hand visible."

"Okay, okay. I'm gonna reach into my pocket.. you see my hands?"

I sobbed while Officer Wells snatched my ID out my pocket. Jalen held his phone up, slowing reaching in his pocket to get his ID.

He fidgeted, causing his phone to slip out of his hand. As a reflex, he went to catch it, alarming the officer. He squeezed the trigger without thinking.

"Jalen?" I dropped to my knees, shock filling my entire body.

His body dropped to the ground with a thud. Blood poured from the bullet hole in his chest, covering the sidewalk as his body laid still.

"Holy shit, Lawrence." Wells panicked.

Gomez stared at Jalen's body, hands shaking as he lowered the smoking gun. I crawled over to him, lifting his head.

"Please.. tell me you're breathing." I whispered, putting my ear to his nose then chest.

"Is he breathing?" Wells asked.

"Come on, breathe.." I sobbed.

His body didn't move, his eyes blankly staring back at me. I closed his eyes, hoping that this wasn't real.

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just wanted to give you guys a little backstory of what happened to Jalen. hopefully this helps your understanding of certain things..

love you guys!!❤️❤️