Status: So... active for me apparently means years in between, I promise that's not the case this time. I hope.
Right to Choose
Help
I was going insane, I had to be. I don’t know what was going on anymore, I couldn’t tell which way was up when I was around her. I barely slept over at her place these days, only when I had to. I didn’t want to make a move on her too soon. It wasn’t right to tell her. Not yet. I thought she’d react well, I just didn’t want to do anything before I was one hundred percent certain that this was real.
***
December 16th, 2010
“Babe, do you think we should stop and ask that kid if they need help?” A slender hand came into Evans’ line of sight, pointing out the driver’s side window towards a hobbling figure on the side of the road.
Stopped at a set of traffic lights, Evans glanced over to the teenager. They were wearing a large black hoodie, despite the heat outside, couple with a pair of ripped and stained shorts. Bruises and welts could be seen on the back of the teen’s legs, identifying them as a female or a highly effeminate boy. The hood of the jumper was pulled up over a baseball cap, blocking most of the girl’s face from view. A flash of brown hair was seen as the girl turned a corner, limping ever so slightly as she went down a side street.
“Probably, but we’re cutting it close for dinner already…” Evans glanced over at the person sitting in the passenger seat of her car.
“It’s just my brother, babe. He’ll understand. I can’t leave that kid without at least checking on them, and I know that sexy cop in you feels the same,” the hand dropped down out of Evans’ view, falling instead on her thigh.
“Yeah, I suppose…” Evans conceded even as she turned the corner, following the girl down a run-down suburban street. Pulling up alongside of her, Evans wound down the window, “hey, kid, you alright?”
The girl jumped slightly, turning around and taking in the silver Subaru parked next to her.
“I’m fine, and didn’t anyone ever tell you it was creepy to stalk young girls? Weirdo,” the girl tried to act tough, even as the venom was missing from her words.
“You don’t look fine to me,” Evans leaned out the car window slightly to get a better look at the girl. C’mon. I’m a cop. I’ll give you a lift home. What’s your name?”
“A cop? Prove it,” the girl looked up, her hood falling back as she finally looked at the occupants of the car, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Evans?”
“Cass?” Evans stopped searching for her badge, looking up as the girl said her name. With the hood down, the shadow from the cap was diminished, revealing a line of now dried blood running down Cass’s cheek from a gash in her temple, combined with a split lip, “Who did this Cass?”
“No one. I fell,” Cass growled, pulling her hood up again and turning around to keep walking.
“Cass, don’t bullshit me. Who did this?”
“I told you, no one.
“Get in the car, Cass. I’m taking you home.”
“What?” Cass froze, turning to stare at Evans again.
“Get in the car, Cass,” Evans pulled up in front of Cass again, waiting impatiently. Cass hesitated for a moment before finally conceding, opening the door to the Subaru and slipping into the back.
“So what, you follow me now Evans?” Cass tried to joke after a few minutes of silent driving.
“More like you should find a new route to walk. I always seem to get you around here,” Evans glanced over at the woman in the passenger seat, smiling reassuringly, “Cass here likes to get in fights and wander the streets late at night. The amount of times we’ve taken her home…” she shook her head slightly.
“Any reason you like to get into fights, Cass? I’m Sam, by the way,” the woman turned around in her seat slightly to look at the teenager in the back.
“Because I feel like it. What’s it to you? And how do you know Evans anyway?”
“Kate and I have been dating for four years now,” the woman, Sam, smiled wistfully, “and I’m a social worker, particularly with displaced women and youth in trouble,”
“Oh, great. Just what I need,” Cass mumbled to herself.
“What was that?” Evans looked at Cass in the rear view mirror as she took a left onto what she thought was Cass’s street.
“Didn’t know you swung for the ladies there Evans,” Cass quickly deflected, looking out the window and seeing the ornate staircase leading up to Alexis’ front door.
“Sorry, forgot to mention it. Didn’t think I’d be explaining my personal life to someone in my patrol car,” Evans winked at Cass even as she reached over to lightly squeeze Sam’s hand, “anyway, here we are. Try not to get in any more fights today, Cass,” she smiled reassuringly as the teenager reluctantly got out of the car.
“No promises, Evans. Enjoy whatever I just made you late for,” without waiting for a response, Cass turned and trudged up the stairs, pretending to look in her pocket for keys as she heard the car drive off, “fucking pain in the ass…” Cass turned around to leave, just as the front door opened.
“I’m just going for a run, Ryan, I’ll be back –“ Alexis stopped mid-sentence as she walked into the girl outside her front door, “what the… Cass? Shit, Cass, you look like shit!”
“Oh, thanks, love you too,” Cass grumbled at her friend, turning around to walk back down the stairs.
“Wait, hang on, come inside. Let’s clean you up, huh?” Alexis didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing Cass’s hand and pulling her inside the house.
***
December 16th, 2010
“Babe, do you think we should stop and ask that kid if they need help?” A slender hand came into Evans’ line of sight, pointing out the driver’s side window towards a hobbling figure on the side of the road.
Stopped at a set of traffic lights, Evans glanced over to the teenager. They were wearing a large black hoodie, despite the heat outside, couple with a pair of ripped and stained shorts. Bruises and welts could be seen on the back of the teen’s legs, identifying them as a female or a highly effeminate boy. The hood of the jumper was pulled up over a baseball cap, blocking most of the girl’s face from view. A flash of brown hair was seen as the girl turned a corner, limping ever so slightly as she went down a side street.
“Probably, but we’re cutting it close for dinner already…” Evans glanced over at the person sitting in the passenger seat of her car.
“It’s just my brother, babe. He’ll understand. I can’t leave that kid without at least checking on them, and I know that sexy cop in you feels the same,” the hand dropped down out of Evans’ view, falling instead on her thigh.
“Yeah, I suppose…” Evans conceded even as she turned the corner, following the girl down a run-down suburban street. Pulling up alongside of her, Evans wound down the window, “hey, kid, you alright?”
The girl jumped slightly, turning around and taking in the silver Subaru parked next to her.
“I’m fine, and didn’t anyone ever tell you it was creepy to stalk young girls? Weirdo,” the girl tried to act tough, even as the venom was missing from her words.
“You don’t look fine to me,” Evans leaned out the car window slightly to get a better look at the girl. C’mon. I’m a cop. I’ll give you a lift home. What’s your name?”
“A cop? Prove it,” the girl looked up, her hood falling back as she finally looked at the occupants of the car, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Evans?”
“Cass?” Evans stopped searching for her badge, looking up as the girl said her name. With the hood down, the shadow from the cap was diminished, revealing a line of now dried blood running down Cass’s cheek from a gash in her temple, combined with a split lip, “Who did this Cass?”
“No one. I fell,” Cass growled, pulling her hood up again and turning around to keep walking.
“Cass, don’t bullshit me. Who did this?”
“I told you, no one.
“Get in the car, Cass. I’m taking you home.”
“What?” Cass froze, turning to stare at Evans again.
“Get in the car, Cass,” Evans pulled up in front of Cass again, waiting impatiently. Cass hesitated for a moment before finally conceding, opening the door to the Subaru and slipping into the back.
“So what, you follow me now Evans?” Cass tried to joke after a few minutes of silent driving.
“More like you should find a new route to walk. I always seem to get you around here,” Evans glanced over at the woman in the passenger seat, smiling reassuringly, “Cass here likes to get in fights and wander the streets late at night. The amount of times we’ve taken her home…” she shook her head slightly.
“Any reason you like to get into fights, Cass? I’m Sam, by the way,” the woman turned around in her seat slightly to look at the teenager in the back.
“Because I feel like it. What’s it to you? And how do you know Evans anyway?”
“Kate and I have been dating for four years now,” the woman, Sam, smiled wistfully, “and I’m a social worker, particularly with displaced women and youth in trouble,”
“Oh, great. Just what I need,” Cass mumbled to herself.
“What was that?” Evans looked at Cass in the rear view mirror as she took a left onto what she thought was Cass’s street.
“Didn’t know you swung for the ladies there Evans,” Cass quickly deflected, looking out the window and seeing the ornate staircase leading up to Alexis’ front door.
“Sorry, forgot to mention it. Didn’t think I’d be explaining my personal life to someone in my patrol car,” Evans winked at Cass even as she reached over to lightly squeeze Sam’s hand, “anyway, here we are. Try not to get in any more fights today, Cass,” she smiled reassuringly as the teenager reluctantly got out of the car.
“No promises, Evans. Enjoy whatever I just made you late for,” without waiting for a response, Cass turned and trudged up the stairs, pretending to look in her pocket for keys as she heard the car drive off, “fucking pain in the ass…” Cass turned around to leave, just as the front door opened.
“I’m just going for a run, Ryan, I’ll be back –“ Alexis stopped mid-sentence as she walked into the girl outside her front door, “what the… Cass? Shit, Cass, you look like shit!”
“Oh, thanks, love you too,” Cass grumbled at her friend, turning around to walk back down the stairs.
“Wait, hang on, come inside. Let’s clean you up, huh?” Alexis didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing Cass’s hand and pulling her inside the house.