spirit night

6; sadie

S tanding in the Orange County Sheriff's station was like a Red Bull energy drink for your senses;everything seemed to be amped up. Sniffers were on overdrive from the mix of scents. We had newcarpet in some areas, a few walls had recently been repainted, there was always the smell of leather fromuniforms, polish from fixtures, and sanitizers from the cleaning crew. Noises were louder, and yet youwere able to define them more clearly, the beep of the metal detectors, the ringing from phones, and thechatter from people. 

"Yo, Aiden, a penny for your thoughts, five bucks if they're dirty,"

 Harley whisperedwhen another deputy walked by.

 "No. Stop, no, no, no," Bridget's voice continued to get higher.

 "Baby,you couldn't handle what I'm thinking," Aiden retaliated.

 "Will you stop, Harley? That's my brother."Bridget covered her ears. I cracked up laughing.

 "Can we go? I can't take any more. Plus, tonight is mynight. I get to choose what to do, remember? And if I don't separate the two of them, I think I'm going tovomit."

 "Yes . . . and you need to remember that I'm coming along against my will."

 "It's a movie, for god'ssake, I'm not asking you to sky dive."

 "Sky dive? I totally would do that. What you're asking us to do isworse, you're having us go to a movie theater to see a Disney movie."

 "It's Aladdin, the live version."

"You're missing the point, Bridget. It is Disney, which means kids. I don't do since she wants to interviewfor the motors opening."

 "Well, I'm ready so let's go." Bridget clapped her hands together. We headed outthe back and all piled into Bridget's SUV, which was designed for five people, so we were more packedthan piled. They probably assumed a few of the passengers would be children, not five grown-asswomen. 

"Are you ready for my news?"Bridget asked, practically bouncing.

 "Don't tell me, you're gettingmarried?" I asked. 

"Really? I'd have to find a man first."

 "You're pregnant?" Piper, the only other womanon the motor squad, guessed. Piper was sort of our matriarch, since she was the first female motorcycledeputy. Soon there would be four; I couldn't believe it.

 "Once again, I'd have to find a man," Bridgetreminded her. 

"You've decided to give Aiden to me as a sacrificial offering? Solstice is coming up," Harleyannounced unabashedly.

 "Woman, if you are talking Wic  can shit, don't be talking it around my ma or d a. Good god, Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, nothing like giving an Irish Catholic a heart attack and having herb ring out the rosary."

 We all laughed because whenever Bridget got to talking about her family, herb rogue seemed to come through, even though she claimed to have lost it when she was two. "You just saved three hundred dollars on your car insurance by switching to G E I CO?" Kat asked, which had us all laughing harder.

 "The big news is . . . I just found out today that I got accepted into . . ." Bridget pause d for dramatic effect.

 "The law enforcement academy and that Orange County is paying for it provided I stillwork part time."

 "Holy shit, that's fabulous." Since I was in the back seat, I reached forward and squeezedher shoulder.

 "I can see it now, Bridget, the baddest of the McGuire deputies." Piper fistpumped the air. We all fist pumped in solidarity.