I leave the house in an excited rush.
My friends are waiting in my driveway,
An older sister behind the wheel
Because we are too young to drive ourselves.
Eager to devour ice cream, to experience the
Pop-up carnival at the community park
On a warm, beautiful July day.

Alarms go off in my head as I see
Not one, but two
Two of my brothers jerk friends round the corner
Appearing to approach my house.
Did I lock the door?
I ask myself anxiously as we pull away.
No one is home.
They will have nothing left to do but leave.

Ice cream!
Home Days!
Best friends!
Summer!
Today is amazing!
Everything is great!
That is, until I answer my prepaid cell phone.

Mom had just gotten home from a movie with my brother
They walked into the house
To a most peculiar smell.
Marijuana!
Pot!
Weed!
Refer!
Wait what?
Then the land line rings.

My neighbor says,
“Two kids just darted from your back door.
Sprinted through the yards.
Did you know this?”
No, of course my mom did not know this.
And then it hit me.

So I go and find
One of my brothers jerk friends
At Solon Home Days
And I hit him.