It's My Life ~Linstead

Part 8

Erin's POV

E-"I love you too"

Alex pulls back from our hug and runs to catch up with the rest of the group, which has now split into students/teachers and parents. The parent group was heading back our way, and I could see the moms especially were still gawking over me.

R-"And you guys almost beat the shit out of me when I almost slipped up and told her"

J-"Hey Adam..."

R-"yeah?"

J-"Shut up"

Adam just nods seriously and goes back to cleaning out Al's trunk (it was most of his stuff) and Jay and I finish cleaning out the trunk of my car.

The parents, who are in the garage with us but off to one side got quiet as there was a lull in conversation. Antonio, who's car was clean at least 20 minutes ago, walks over to the parents and introduced himself. It takes him less than 2 minutes to have started an engaging conversation with the parents and soon they are all laughing.

D-"Halstead! Lindsay!"

Jay and I look up from my trunk, which is now not only clean but also organized, and Antonio waves us over.

Jay shuts the trunk and we start to walk over.

D-"The name Harrow Ruë ring a bell?"

J-"Yeah. Why?"

D-"Meet the one and only, David Ruë, Horrow's brother"

Jay sticks out his hand to shake it. It becomes apparent that he knows the guy, or his brother, because they have no problem falling into an easy conversation. I decide that I don't need to be here for this conversation, so I turn to go find my coffee and make a mental note to ask Jay how he knows this guys brother later. As I turn around I see Claire walking towards me with a couple of other moms, so instead I turn towards them. We end up standing in a little circle.

E-"Hi"

C-"Hi, I don't know if you remember me, I'm Claire, and this is Kelly, Stacy, Stephanie, Amy, and Grace"

E-"Yes, I remember. It's nice to meet all of you"

I get a chorus of 'nice to meet you, too' s. There's a 10 second pause, maybe, before Amy asks the question I can see most of them are dying to ask

Am(Amy)-"So, does stuff like that happen often?"

Immediately, I know she's referring to me getting stabbed.

E-"If by stuff you mean near death experiences then yes, on almost a daily basis."

They look at me with bewildered expressions.

G-(Grace)-" Then why do you keep doing it? There are plenty of other, safer jobs out there"

I take a moment to consider my answer. I get asked this question a lot, and I always end up answering the same way, but still, I wanna get it right.

E-"What I'm doing here in Chicago everyday is no different than what thousands of people are doing all over America, it's actually closer to what the men and women serving overseas are doing. I know the dangers of my job, I know that everyday I come into work it might be my last, but I don't care because what's more important to me is taking the criminals off these streets that make it their lives mission to harm people-there's more of them than you would think, and I sleep a little better at night knowing my families that much safer because I put one more person away that day." 

They looked impressed but what can I say, it's my job and I meant every  word of it.

K(Kelly)-" I feel like I should give you a hug now"