Falling For Lucy

Pilot - Rookie Day

I woke up extra early today, I was so excited. It was my favorite day of the year, Rookie Day. It had been a rough year for me, but I was ready to start training my new boot.

So I got up at 4:30 to make a protein-heavy breakfast so I could hit the gym and still have time to scope out the new boots before roll call. I had so much energy buzzing under my skin I had to burn it off or I would be jittery in the shop. A new boot meant a fresh lump of clay to mold into another great LAPD officer. And this one would be years of experience culminating into one officer, the perfect rookie. But until I knew who I was assigned all I could do was strategize my game plan.

So that's what I did while I ran 5 miles, lifted weights for a half hour, and did 100 pushups and another 100 crunches before hitting the punching bag for about 45 minutes. I thought of nothing but every possible scenario that could arise this first shift and felt confident by the time I hit the showers and got changed for rookie day.

"I love rookie day," I said walking through the locker room, scoping out the new meat with Officer Willis and Officer Mitchell behind me.

"It's Christmas and the Purge all-in-one." I rested my hands on my hips, looking at the new boot coming in.

He was a young, lanky, black kid who was just a little too perky for his first day on the job.

"There's my first present," I said to Officer Willis with a smirk.

"Morning, Boot," I said sternly.

He smiled back at me. "Good morning sir-"

"Did I say you could talk?" I cut him off and got close to him until he stepped back. "You better pray I'm not your training officer, Boot, cuz I will make your life a living hell."

He still looked cool, calm, and collected. "Sir, I would be thrilled to have you as a T. O. My father raised me to push myself to the edge of my abilities and he would be deeply disappointed if I failed to do so now that I have joined him in service," he said confidently.

I looked down at his uniform and saw the name tag. WEST

"And your father is-" I started.

"Commander West of Internal Affairs, yes, sir," Boot replied.

I wasn't expecting that. I definitely did not want this Boot, he was going to be way too sensitive, his daddy always in his corner to protect him.

"Roll call in 10," I said then left. This one boot wasn't going to rock me. I was solid, he was just a little hiccup. The other two can't be that bad.

I got to roll call early and took my seat near the back. I was definitely going to scope out the other two new rookies to join our ranks this year. They would be sitting in the first row where only rookies sit. So I wasn't surprised when a couple of minutes later two of the three rookies filed in with everyone else and took their seats.

Boot West sat first in the far spot and the new girl sat next to him. She was of Asian descent, small, and pretty and would be the easiest to break. She wasn't tough like Bishop or Lopez was. But she was chatting comfortably with Boot West, I assumed they must have been friends at the academy.

A few minutes later the third rookie still hadn't shown and I was irritated. If that was my rookie I was going to be so pissed. But then at the last minute, he came in and took the last seat at the table and he was old. Like older than me old. For a spilt moment, I prayed to the T.O. gods to stick me with the girl.