I used to hang out with all the hood kids who lived behind the school area in the project-like apartments. It was like a block away. It was just on the other side of the school I went to.

I used to fight with them every single day. Get my ass kicked, go home crying, then go back the next day and fight.

But…no one was angry when we fought. It just kept happening.

People were like, “Yo, fight the white kid.” I was known at school for being the kid that fought everyone.

The younger brothers would go tell their older brothers who I was. I could easily beat up the kids in my age range. I was only 7 or 8. But the kids I ended up fighting every day were 11-14 and 2 to 3 times my size. Hence me going home crying every day. But I still went back because I had no friends.

Charles was one of my best friends. He was like 13. I can still picture his face. I also remember he spent the night like 2 times after I begged Aunt Susie if he could and then he stole numerous things from our house including my favorite toys.

It’s sad really how people can just steal from a friend. I felt bad stealing 75 cents from my aunt Susie to buy a magnetized mini Chess Set from the flea market. 75 cents! I still feel bad…RIGHT NOW…while typing this. I fessed up like 10 years ago, but still!

It kinda ruined the entire friendship when my Aunt went over to ask for the things back and his mom called us racist. Yet I was there every day and he spent the night + things came up missing that he later returned lol.

Whatever I think after that situation, it rubbed off on me and now I understand why every friend I have ever had in life was younger than me. They couldn’t pick on me. This allowed me to be the leader instead of the weaker one.

When I was finally tired of getting beat up and not really being able to fit in with all the black kids that were older than me, I went and got myself younger friends so I could be the bigger stronger one. And it’s been like that ever since.