Not everyone has the perfect normal lives. Some go through more things than a person should have to experience.
“Get in the car cuz!” said Joseph. My cousin pulled up to my house in a black Mazda with tinted windows while I was just walking in. I had just got home from school and I was exhausted.
“I don’t understand why I have to get in. I’m doing perfectly fine right here.” I had said. He got out and approached me. It seemed as he was bothered by the remark I had said because he had made this ugly face and jerked backed as if he just got shot. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the front seat of his car. My bag was thrown in the back seat and I was forced into the front seat of the car. Joseph got back into the car and drove off. Not knowing where we were headed. I sat down and just went with the flow.
We finally made it to this beat up house in an area I knew I shouldn’t be at. This is the place where you’ll probably get shot or most likely get put in jail. The place smells wired, windows and store have metal bars on them, and there are thugs on each corner waiting for trouble. We walked into a beat up house in a coda sack. The house was bared up, the grass was over grown and every side of the house was sprayed with gang graffiti. I walked in and a group of people invited me to sit down. I knew what my cousin was trying to do. He was trying to get me into the gang. I didn’t know what to do so I did it. They jumped me in. I really wasn’t proud of what I had done but what are you going to do in this situation, run? Not the best idea.
They began to make plans for tonight. I guess it was to see if I was capable to be one of them.
“Hey josh, we have something for you to do tonight but this will be a challenging to test your skills, if you’re going to be one of us.” said one of the members. Later that night I was picked up. Of course I had to sneak out. What parents are going to let their own child out this late to get involved with a gang? I jumped the fence and saw a black car up front. It was my cousin,’s car but someone else was driving. He was wearing all black just like me. I got in and they began to drive around the corner to a general store. It wasn't big and it looked kind of broken down. The driver turned around to me when we were parked an said
“You’re up Jr., we want you to go in there n get us some money.” he said
“Well how am I supposed to do that?” I had asked uncertain of the meaning of what he had just said to me.
“Rob the store smart one.”I stared at him for awhile not knowing if I should say no or jus run out of the car but I finally nodded my head in agreement. I went along with it, thinking that they would have my back if any unexpected situation were to occur. I walked in the general store hesitating with every step I took. Another thing in my life that I wasn’t going to be proud of myself doing, so with my black jacket on and a ski mask over my face I walked in the front doors and prepared myself for anything that could happen. I slid my hand into my right pocket grasping onto an object I wasn't ready to use in my pocket. I walked up to the counter trying to go over what I was about to do. Should I run for it and not do this or should I jus do it knowing then no one will come after me from the gang I had just joined but it was too late. I had reached the counter. I pulled the cold metal thing out of my pocket and while holding it I trembled. While I yelled, GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT!!!!! My hands shook and my palms began to sweat. I had heard from some of the member’s say that I should not look at the person just in case if I had to shoot the guy. They also said if I did look at the guy that would be the last thing I see every night before I go to sleep. So yeah, I don’t think I want to see his scared face every time I closed my eyes to sleep, not to be mean, so I did not look at him one time. As he began to put all the money he had in the bag, I planned my escape. Get in the car and get as far as I can from this place but, all of a sudden I heard sirens and a whole mob of cops pulled up to the store. I ran for the door but I didn’t make it in time. My ride had drove off so fast they were never caught and I was left there to be blamed for something I never had plan to do in my life. As I stood there helpless I thought about my family and what was going to happen to me. Would I be sent to jail or put on probation? I didn’t put a fight with the cops when they were shoving me to the ground and tighten the handcuffs on my wrist because I knew what I had done was wrong. The handcuffs were terribly uncomfortable and every time I would move they would dig into my skin. As the cop had escorted me out side I looked around. The lights of the police cars were so bright that every time I blinked I would see the red and blue lights behind my eyelids. People stood outsides around the scene. I hated the fact that I was being stared at. It felt like they were burning my soul. I could see it in their eyes that they were judging me. Not as if I was a good person but as a criminal. The cop had placed his hand on my head and lowered me into the back seat of the patrol car. I sat there with my head lowered in shame. As I waited there I tried to hold back the tears but I couldn’t. A tear had gotten lose and it streamed down the side of my face. I quickly wiped it away. As the car began to move I watched as the trees as they passed me and the stars in the sky shine. We pulled up to a gray building with bars in every window and guards watching over the place. As I stood in front of the door awaiting my faith I thought to myself. Never again.