The Strangers in Apartment 32

Going Out.

"Remember baby, my family kills people,"
His face is so close to mine, I can almost taste him. He backs me slowly towards the open balcony doors, not touching me, but somehow making me move.
"Axel, don't you take another step towards me," I scold him, "I'm serious!" I feel my back run into the railing if the open balcony. The city below me rushes onward, oblivious of me.
"One kiss," he bargains with me. I can see his teeth through the pout of his parted lips. His tongue just below his bottom lip.
"No," I stand my ground.
He makes a giant leap towards me, his arms on either side of me. His nose touches mine.
"I guess I'll just have to hold you over the balcony."
I feel myself lean back, my head dangles from the railing, his hand grabs the small of my back and in short breaths, he asks again.
"Just. One. Tiny. Little. Kis-"
That is of course when gun shots rang throughout the apartment, thus ruining my moment.
_____________________________________________________________________________

10 Months Earlier......

I run up the steps of the police department. Phones are ringing, papers and files blanket the floor, and cops are tackling restless criminals and throwing them into the cage in the far left corner. I pass one of them, the cop: a good looking twenty-something pushing a handcuffed 40-something into the cadge.

"Aw-man, c'mon man, you can't throw me in there with them." The 40-something tried to wriggle away from the cop.

"Oh, why not? Scared they won't take to kindly to wife beaters?" The Cop asked.

"Hey, she had it coming. If that bitc-" The cop grabbed the man by the back of the shirt and turned him around slamming him up against the bars of the cadge. He got eye level with the man holding his hair to make eye contact.

"One more word. I DARE you.."

The guy shut up real quick. The cop smiled at the men inside the cage, "We got a domestic violence call, boys," He threw the man inside and shut the door behind him, "Oh, and his kids were there when it happened. They're 4 and 2."

The cop knew that 40-something was going to be taken care of. I knew the cop, Dominic Parker, who graduated from the academy only 1 year ago, and has been promoted to detective 3 months ago, at the age of 20. My fathers say and I quote- "That boy is one of the best damn cops this city has ever seen." His hair was deep shady chocolate brown and grey eyes. He saw me as I was walking back to my father's office, he smiled shyly and wave placing his hand on his gun holster that went over his shoulders like suspenders. I smiled back and waved.

"Yes Sir," my father was talking on the phone when I walked in. He held his finger up to me and smirked at me.

"Hi daddy," I mouthed, and closed the door silently behind me.

"Yes Sir, right away." He hung up, "Hey baby."

"Hey dad," I go around the desk and hugged him.

"Look, kid, it's not like I'm not happy to see you. But what the hell are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" I say innocently.

"You're grounded, kido. And before you ask you are NOT going out tonight!"

"I didn't wanna go out tonight.." I lie, feeling this burning in my stomach.

"Really? So Violet calling me, was entirely her idea?" He asks.

"Dad, look-"

He stops me, "No you look, Charlie, you are not going out tonight or any night for the next month,"

"Yeah- yeah, narcotics are a serious thing blah-blah-blah," I say.

He stands, "You really don't understand how much trouble you could have gotten into? How many strings I had to pull?!"

"Dad you can make an exception just this once. I mean I have been getting good grades, coming home every night-"

"And you'll continue to do this for the next month, or until I tell you otherwise."

"Dad, that's not fair! I have been locked in that house for months."

"So one more won't kill you."

"You make me so-"

"So? So, what? Angry? Well, you know what makes me angry Charlie, having to pick my daughter up in front of all the people I work within the middle of the night because she's been arrested!"

"It wasn't even my pills, dad!" I say defensively.

"Was that just a confession?" He asks.

"Is this an interrogation?"

"They were going to charge you!" He shouts at me.

"Oh, but they didn't because I'm "Commissioner Evens' Innocent Stuck Up Daughter."

"Did you want me to arrest you?!" He screams.

"I am not a child! Let me live my own life!"

"I am your father! And you are not going out tonight! Period. Discussion over!"

"No, you don't get to end a conversation with me like that!"

"Go Home, Charolette!"

I sigh, "Yes, Dad."

Calmly I walk out of the office, politely closing the door behind me, doing my best to not make a sound. I call Violet, "Hey, meet me at the house in 10 minutes."