"Why can't I be the cop?" Jeremy asked.
"Because," replied Carlton, "I'm gonna be a cop when I grow up! I need practice!"
"You're 7, how do you know what you're gonna be?"
"'Cause I'm not dumb, Jimmy."
"Hey! Carl, you gotta-"
Jeremy stopped talking when an older kid on skates pushed him off the sidewalk near Carlton's house, and into the street.
"Hey, get back here, Bobby!" Carl yelled, running after him.
The kid and his friends just laughed.
The next day after school, a few boys found their bikes were missing.
"What are we gonna do?" one asked.
"Um...Oh! I've got it!" another exclaimed.
"What?" his three friends asked.
"You know that kid down the street, Carlton?"
"Jimmy's friend?" asked Jimmy's older brother.
"Yeah, the kid who's hair is too neat. He wants to be a cop!"
"We'll give it a try!"
The next day, Saturday, Carlton and Jeremy searched everywhere for the missing bikes. They finally hit the jackpot when an anonymous tip from a voice sounding a lot like Petie Walters told them the bikes were sighted near the favorite hang out of Bobby Walters and his friends.
Sure enough, Carlton found the older boys messing with them near the alley on State Street.
"Stop right there!" he yelled.
"No!" yelled back Bobby.
"Stop it, or else!"
"Or else what?" Bobby asked, approaching him.
"Or else I'll kick your butt!"
Bobby turned to his friends. "Hear this, guys? Little Carl Lassiter says he's gonna kick my butt!"
The group of 10th graders laughed.
"You realize I'm more than twice your age, right kid?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah. You know, Bobby, I thought most people graduated by 18. Seeing as how you'd be lucky to graduate before you can legally drink..."
"Hey, kid, you better shut up!"
"Hey, kid, you better shut up," mocked Carlton, "Or what?"
"Or...or..."
"What, cat got your tongue?"
"That's it, kid! You're done for!"
Carlton dodged the fist that came out him by going under Bobby legs. He then hit the kid below the knees. Bobby came tumbling down.
The police, who Carlton signaled Jeremy to call when he saw a few other stolen objects, arrived then.
"Wow! You find these guys?" one officer asked.
"Yep."
"And you two took him down?"
"Actually, just Carlton did," Jeremy corrected.
"Wow, kid! Ever think about being a cop?"
"Hey, stop right there!"
"Who're you?"
"Officer-In-Training Carlton Lassiter," he replied, pulling out a badge.
"They give you a badge for being a wannabe?"
"I happen to be at the top of my class in the classes I take at the citizen police academy, and this may or may not be from a cereal box."
"Whatever, kid."
"I'm serious! Drop it," Lassiter stated flatly.
"No."
The guy began to walk away from what he thought was a harmless 16-year-old with a plastic badge.
Unfortunately for him, this "harmless" 16-year-old had been training with his "Uncle" Steven for the last 9 years.
He kicked the guy's butt until the guy was so beaten, he couldn't get up.
Then Head Detective Steven Franplick arrested the know criminal.
"Good arrest, Carlton," he commended gruffly.
"No problem, Uncle Steven; that's just how I deal with theives."