Tate
eleven.
“I’m Officer Norman, you can call me Jack if you would like.” The officer says.
“My name is Tate.” I reply.
“So where are you headed?” He asks while messing with the knobs of his hand radio.
“Um, California, for now.” I answer.
He glances over me. “How old are you?” He asks.
“Sixteen.” I reply, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and a little embarrassed to admit it.
“You’re not running away, are you?” He questions.
“No!” I say a little too forward. “No, I’m on my way to stay with my grandparents for the summer.
He looks over me again, a little more judgingly. “Alright.” He finally says. We sit in silence for the rest of the car ride.
~~~
“Hey, Landon!” Jack says. We approach a man bent over the engine of a car. The man straightens up while wiping his oil covered hands on a rag looped in his belt loop.
“Officer Norman, good to see you.” He says and they shake hands. He looks down at me, and I, up at him. He is a tall man, fairly muscular and a mix of tan and red from the sun. He has long sloppy brown hair and deep brown eyes. “What can I help you with?”
“I picked this one up on the highway; flat tire.” Officer Norman says.
“I can probably fix that.” He says and slams shut the hood of the car he was working on. “Landon.” He says and sticks his hand out towards me. I shake it.
“Tate.” I reply.
“It’s nice to meet you. Tate.” He says with a smile that’s a little too charming.
“Is there a bathroom around here?” I ask nervously.
“Yeah, in the mini mart.” Landon says. I walk over to the mini mart. A middle aged woman with short red hair smiles at me.
“Can I use the restroom?” I ask.
“Sure sweety, it’s going to be straight back, the door on the right.” She says with a warm smile.
“Thank you.” I say and head towards the bathroom. I pee quickly, and wash my hands. I gaze at myself in the slightly cracked mirror. My eyes looked sunken and dark, and my hair was dirty and tangled. I splash some cool water on my face then dry it off with a paper towel. I pull my tangled hair into a messy bun and tie it with a elastic from my wrist. A little better. I head back out, giving the kind woman a slight wave and a smile on my way out.
I approach Landon, who has his back toward me, and is picking out some tools. Officer Norman had stepped away and is talking on his walkie-talkie. I stand still, simply watching Landon dig through tools. After a few moments, Jack approaches me.
“I’ve got to go, duty calls.” He says and chuckles to himself. “But don’t worry. Landon can give you a ride back to your car and get you all situated. Right, bud?”
Landon nods and smiles. “It’ll be no problem.” He says.
“And don’t worry about money, Landon owes me one.” Jack says. “Have a safe trip, and avoid potholes.” Jack says and pats my shoulder.
“Thanks,” I reply and smile. I can’t help but think that Landon must have done something wrong to have to owe a crop a favor, and I wonder what it could be. I watch as Officer Norman turns on his lights, not that it’s really needed, and drives off.
“You ready?” Landon asks.
“Well, it’s not like I’ve really got anything else I need to do.” I reply, a little sarcastically. Landon raises his eyebrows at me, then chuckles.
“Let’s go then.”
“My name is Tate.” I reply.
“So where are you headed?” He asks while messing with the knobs of his hand radio.
“Um, California, for now.” I answer.
He glances over me. “How old are you?” He asks.
“Sixteen.” I reply, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and a little embarrassed to admit it.
“You’re not running away, are you?” He questions.
“No!” I say a little too forward. “No, I’m on my way to stay with my grandparents for the summer.
He looks over me again, a little more judgingly. “Alright.” He finally says. We sit in silence for the rest of the car ride.
~~~
“Hey, Landon!” Jack says. We approach a man bent over the engine of a car. The man straightens up while wiping his oil covered hands on a rag looped in his belt loop.
“Officer Norman, good to see you.” He says and they shake hands. He looks down at me, and I, up at him. He is a tall man, fairly muscular and a mix of tan and red from the sun. He has long sloppy brown hair and deep brown eyes. “What can I help you with?”
“I picked this one up on the highway; flat tire.” Officer Norman says.
“I can probably fix that.” He says and slams shut the hood of the car he was working on. “Landon.” He says and sticks his hand out towards me. I shake it.
“Tate.” I reply.
“It’s nice to meet you. Tate.” He says with a smile that’s a little too charming.
“Is there a bathroom around here?” I ask nervously.
“Yeah, in the mini mart.” Landon says. I walk over to the mini mart. A middle aged woman with short red hair smiles at me.
“Can I use the restroom?” I ask.
“Sure sweety, it’s going to be straight back, the door on the right.” She says with a warm smile.
“Thank you.” I say and head towards the bathroom. I pee quickly, and wash my hands. I gaze at myself in the slightly cracked mirror. My eyes looked sunken and dark, and my hair was dirty and tangled. I splash some cool water on my face then dry it off with a paper towel. I pull my tangled hair into a messy bun and tie it with a elastic from my wrist. A little better. I head back out, giving the kind woman a slight wave and a smile on my way out.
I approach Landon, who has his back toward me, and is picking out some tools. Officer Norman had stepped away and is talking on his walkie-talkie. I stand still, simply watching Landon dig through tools. After a few moments, Jack approaches me.
“I’ve got to go, duty calls.” He says and chuckles to himself. “But don’t worry. Landon can give you a ride back to your car and get you all situated. Right, bud?”
Landon nods and smiles. “It’ll be no problem.” He says.
“And don’t worry about money, Landon owes me one.” Jack says. “Have a safe trip, and avoid potholes.” Jack says and pats my shoulder.
“Thanks,” I reply and smile. I can’t help but think that Landon must have done something wrong to have to owe a crop a favor, and I wonder what it could be. I watch as Officer Norman turns on his lights, not that it’s really needed, and drives off.
“You ready?” Landon asks.
“Well, it’s not like I’ve really got anything else I need to do.” I reply, a little sarcastically. Landon raises his eyebrows at me, then chuckles.
“Let’s go then.”