oblivion | the rookie (old version)

ONE | pilot

2784 words

2 years, 9 months later...

          "Sof, get up or we're gonna be late!"

          I sat up in bed, brushing my hair out of my face. That was how it had been for the last nine months. Tim tries to let me sleep in nowadays, remembering what it was like when I first stayed with him, but always wakes me with enough time to get ready and eat a decent breakfast before heading to the precinct.

          I know what you're thinking. Why would I, a fifteen year old, be doing at a police precinct when I should be at school? It's because of what happened with Carmine. I'd long stopped calling him my father after he'd been sent to prison for 15 years, though he deserved a lot worse in my opinion. I'd testified against him, adding some years to his original sentence.

          Crawling from beneath the comfort of my covers, I walked over to my closet and picked out my clothes for the day. It was something simple. I slid on my Converse, and put on my necklace. It had once belonged to my mother, before she became a drug addict. It was a gold heart locket. There was a picture of Tim and I in it.

          Despite having lived together for less than a year, the two of us had settled into a routine that worked. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and exchanged my glasses for some contacts before putting on some light make up. I snatched my bag from its hook and walked into the living room.

          Tim and I lived in a single story house relatively close to the precinct. I liked being nearby since I stayed home on some weekends; it made it easier if my anxiety got the better of me. I dropped my bag on the couch and moved to the kitchen where he'd put out a cup of hot cider on the counter for me. I had become a coffee addict not long before Carmine's arrest and had managed to substitute it for cider.

          "Thanks," I told him. He was standing on the other side of the counter, across from me. "So, it's rookie day." I took another sip of my cider. "You gonna pull the Officer Hardass act?"

          The look I received told me everything I needed to know, but he still responded.

          "I have no idea what you're talking about." Ah, playing clueless. Alright then. "And watch your language, kid."

          I let a soft laugh fall from my smile. Even after nine months, he was still calling me that. Living with Tim was completely different from living with Carmine. Where Carmine was a cruel, heartless, drunk addict, Tim was the opposite. Sure, he put up a front of steel, but behind that was a man who showed genuine care for my wellbeing.

          Sometimes I still found myself wondering why he cared, I was just some kid. But I never brought it up.

          "Do you think Grey will let me sit in on roll call today?"