To Be Announced ⟡ All American

003

S A G E   C A R T E R
📍 Bel Air, Ca

"I'm going for a run"

My mom stopped me "Where at?" She stared at me for a really long time until I told her the truth, I have a hard time telling the truth knowing my parents won't allow it

"Crenshaw" I sighed and gave up

"That's like a two hour walk from here"

"Mom, two things. One, I need to get in shape for soccer season and two, it's three hours and plus who said I'm walking? I'm running, if anything happens which I doubt, I'll call one of you guys, I promise" I explained but that doesn't reassure her, just because my roots are from Slauson and Oakland, it doesn't mean that there are people who won't hurt me "Mom please. I can take care of myself I promise" 

She stared at me "You better be home before your dad gets back" She let me go and I ran

I put on my work out playlist and the first song that came up was Fallin' In Luv by Lil Yachty, I laughed.

"Good days only"

I made a couple stops to breathe and have a drink. Running for hours is considered crazy but once you have a really athletic family it's considered a norm-  running for three is but since I'm running back home that's four- my dad calls me the driven one but mom says I'm crazy but in a good way

I stopped at a neighborhood, seemed familiar and that's because that's where my dad's grandparents moved to from Slauson. I knew the place, I knew how to get there so I ran some more to see if the house still stood.

I heard noises but I blocked it all out with my headhones, hardly anything goes wrong at 9am in Crenshaw- I've ran this far before, it's nothing.  Then, I  noticed the people shutting their doors and going inside their houses, I pulled my headphones off of my head and stopped to analyze. Just seconds after I heard gunshots not that for of a distance. My heart raced and I got scared, unable to move, not knowing what to do. I froze up.

"Bel Air what the hell-" He pulled me  and we hid at the side of a random person's house

"Are you okay?" We were too close for a couple of people who just met, I nodded "Your heart's beating like crazy, breathe and you'll be fine"  

I nodded again and pressed my head against his chest just trying to take in what just happened "What are you doing out here?"

My head still resting on his chest "Run, I run 3 to 4 hours  from Bel Air to Crenshaw for soccer- I-I do it for practice- it- it helps" I stuttered a lot

"You can't be doing that alone here, especially now. Haven't you heard what's going on?  A new gang's here trynna take over, from ya moms home town" Oakland, Oh Oakland.

I didn't say a word, still processing what happened. It's a lot to take in. The gun shots stopped but resumed as we left that home we were hiding in. We dropped to the ground, hiding and staying low behind the construction truck we were by. Why is peace so hard to come by?  

As soon as it were over we headed to his place in a rush. It was empty, and had unpacked boxes "Not much-"

"Stop saying that. It's a house and it is much, it gives you a place to live a-" I paused and saw a picture, the only one he had; Spencer, Dylan and Darnell were there with their dad playing football.