They said if you want to tell a story right you have to start at the beginning but this is my story so I start wherever the heck I want. So, we'll begin on the day that's not relevant to the whole story but might've been the start of my first lie, the day I was thrown in jail. Well, almost.
It's two o'clock on a Friday morning, I sat in silence in the cold walls of the town's precinct. With only two working ceiling fans on either side of the tiny room, wet earth and rust filled the chilly air. A few officers in uniform move runabout the small blue walled room.
There were a few tables with stacks of paperwork litter on each top of them. One officer kept yawning trying to shake off his sleepiness while another kept sliding off his chair barely able to keep himself awake.
A group of people passes by throwing curses at each other while a couple of officers try to stop them from hitting. When they disappear from my view, my eyes drifted back at the only blank white wall in front of me, staring at a tiny clock ticking its seconds away. I sighed thinking how many minutes have passed by.
"Hey! Are you listening?" Police Officer Marco tap the table to get my attention.
"Young man, did you hear me? What's your name?" he asks irritably. I turn my head towards him disturbed by the bags under his sleepy eyes.
"I'm a girl," I sighed and rolled my eyes. I got used to people mistaking me for a guy but I am not really in the mood to enlighten the officer who's clearly pissed at me and I don't even know what I did wrong. Sort of.
"And it's Alex... Alex Meyers."
"OK miss..." he chuckled his eyes scanned me from head to toe. What a jerk!
"What were you doing at that coffee shop?" he asks with an eyebrow.
"How many times--ugh..." I sighed in exasperation. "I already told you guys I work there. You can call my manager yourself if you don't believe me."
"I know Catherine pretty well, I know all her employees personally. So, tell me---" I interrupted him midsentence.
"You know Ms. Catherine?"
"Yes, we're..." his eyes darted left to right checking if someone is listening. "We're... I... I just know her."
"Good. Then, you should call her right now. She knows me. I'm her employee she'll tell you everything." I demanded.
"Look, kid, I know all of her employees. I did background checks on them---"
"Isn't that a violation of privacy?"
He scoffed offended. "Uh.. no."
"Now let me finish," he added.
"What were you doing in there in the middle of the night? That shop closes as 9 PM, don't tell me you millenials wanted to make yourself a cup of coffee in the middle of the night?" he chuckled, amused by his sense of humor.
I closed my eyes for a moment trying to keep myself from snapping at him. If he wasn't an officer I'd probably hit his face on the table a dozen times to knock some sense into him but the murderous intent may be from the consequence of trying to fight off sleep for the past two days with caffeine. So instead of getting a life sentence I curled my hand into a fist, compose myself, and let out a long deep breath.
"I was there because I was staying there for the night," I gritted teeth as I try to force a smile. "I'm looking for a new place, I ask Ms. Catherine if I can stay at the restaurant for a while while I look. She said yes, end of the story," I continued.
I already explained to the officers who brought me at the precinct earlier the same thing Officer dumbass is asking. Clearly, they all don't listen very well.
"Right..." Officer Marco said sounding suspicious.
"It says here," he continued looking at a paper I filled out when the arresting officer handed it to me awhile ago.
"You live with your grandmother," both his eyebrows shoot up as he waits for me to explain.
"Yes, I lived..." I emphasize the last word.
"She died a month ago... Our house burned down." I cleared my throat to shove the heat rising up there. This isn't the time to breakdown and cry, I reminded myself.
"So, can I go now?" I thumb the exit as the officer scribbled across the table unconvinced with my explanation.
"Not yet," he said with a pointed finger without looking up.
"I'll need to call Cather-- I mean the manager first then you can go. You can just sit there for the time being," he added and left god knows where. Hopefully in a trash shoot along with his attitude.
I didn't have my phone with me as they confiscated it when they arrested me earlier. I end up staring back at the gloomy clock again. It's already quarter after three in the morning, my shoulders sag at the thought of sleep will no longer be an option.
The only reason I ended up here is because of the stupid essays I forgot in my locker at the campus. I'm a proofreader, so I tell myself. It's more of a passion turn to business kind of venture? Believe me, it's a thriving business if you are in a top league university filled with snobby ego-maniac lazy ass students who aren't rich enough to buy themselves at least average IQs.
If I did not forget that in the first place... if I did not look like I was robbing the store in the middle of the night... and if I did not smack the shiznit of officer-whats-his-name when they searched me... I'd be comfortably lying down on one of the couches in the break room right now. I frown thinking the supposed possibility. After several minutes of excruciating waiting for this night to end. Someone I recognize walked in the precinct with a goofy grin on his face. And the hits just keep on coming.
"Hey, Meyers!" Josh waves his hands smiling at me.
His happy-go-lucky attitude immediately sours my mood. "What the hell are you doing here?" I crossed my arms as he approached me with a smirked on his face amused by my situation.
"The missus said to get you out from jail," he said trying to stop himself from laughing. "So here I am." I kind of knew that they'll send Josh to pick me up since he's the sons' owner and all but can a girl hope for a miracle for just once?
I rolled my eyes at him. He is way too tall for me to conk on the head so I decided to punch his shoulders. He bursts out laughing instead.
"Shut up, dumb dumb" I hissed punching him again a little hard this time. He puts his hands up to surrender then rubs his arms gently as if it's hurt. He giggled trying to contain his amusement. I eyed him ready to slap him this time. He straightens up, drew a line on his lips as if to shut it, and threw away the key for good measure. I rolled my eyes again unamused.
"Hey Josh," Officer Marco arrived holding a file folder looking at Josh.
As if waiting for a reply, Josh flash a smile in return. Officer dumb-dumb turned to me instead, "You are clear to go, miss Meyers. You just need to sign this."
He pointed at a blank space and gave me a pen. I sign it without hesitation. I know I should've read the paper as a lawyer should but I am just so darn tired to bother. I was about to head out when Officer Marco spoke again, "You too, Josh."
He eyed Josh, "You're the witness."
I opened my mouth to say something when Josh signs the paper without any questions. Great, now I owe him as if this night couldn't get any better. Officer Marco handed me back the essays that got me into this mess in the first place and eyed me as if to say he knows what exactly those are. I crinkled my eyes in thanks.
We both headed out of the exit when Officer Marco called out Josh again, "Tell Catherine I said hello," he smiled idiotically and waved goodbye. Josh nods his head forcing a smile.
"What was that all about?" I asked Josh curiously. Josh shrugged letting the question float in the air. Why does it feel like somehow there's something going on there? And I, a person with high intellect can't seem to understand why? Curiouser. Curiouser.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
