To Protect and Love

Chapter 1: Rookie- Daniel

"I'll take a regular coffee, please."

"Would you like sugar or cream with that?" the barista asked me.

"No, ma'am." I told her, "I'm fine with this."

"M'kay, coming right up." She grabbed a plastic cup from the rack and put it under the espresso machine.

While I waited, my phone received a text in my pocket. It was Ricky, asking if his coffee was ready yet.

First of all, I just walked in here and if he wanted a coffee so bad, he could've just walked in here and got it himself.

I noticed the cafe had a strong smell of cocoa beans as I was looking around. All the customers in line dressed in their winter attire, waiting for coffee and chatting as the jazz music was being exported from the small speakers in the corners.

"Here you go, sir." She said, handing me the foam cup of coffee with steam coming out the top.

"Thank you very much, Beatrice," I told her as I gave her a wink as well.

She blushed and smiled, satisfied by my gesture towards her.

I came outside and wrapped my scarf around my neck as I felt the cold air nipping at me. As soon as I stepped off the curb of the cafe, I was startled by a loud siren blasting its sound towards me. I lost my balance but quickly regained it, holding the coffee by the lid with the tips of my fingers.

To my left, I saw Ricky waving at me from behind the windshield with a grin on his face. A girl looked at me from behind. She turned her head down and kept walking along. Endured by my frustration, I rolled my eyes and walked on to the patrol car. I opened the door and closed it when I got inside, hastily trying not to enable his attitude with my vexation.

I could hear him quietly snickering until he let out a gullible laugh at me.

"Did I scare you?" He said.

"Shut up," I replied with a subtle tone.

"Oh, come on. You can't admit that it wasn't fun getting scared by me."

"It wasn't funny." I handed him the coffee. "Although, I will say that I tolerate you."

"Maybe that's why we're best friends."

"Sure," I started the car. "That's why."

I began to drive down the snow-covered street past all the snow patterned buildings.

"I'm pretty sure you take great pride in my pranks." He told me, his eyes focused on the white path of snow that followed on the road.

"Whatever." I chuckled, feeling slightly in a better mood. I looked at the rearview mirror and see tall buildings that we pass by, most of them covered with snow with bleakly patched frost on the windows.

We came to a stop at a red light intersection and waited for the cars to come by. It wasn't very far from the station as we were only on Carey Avenue. This is where students would take the crosswalk to get to the school across from here.

The light turned green and I proceeded to drive forward and turn right, past the abandoned factory warehouse. We then arrived at the station and headed inside. I saw that the sky was dimming a bit over on the horizon. Clouds formed together, grouping a gray blanket over the town.

When we got inside, it was noticeably warm around the place. The others were silently working at their desks or just chatting with each other.

I saw Chief Malcolm walk into his office with one of the officers.