Man In Uniform

The Cell

“Wake up!” calls a loud, masculine voice. I ignore it. “I said wake up!” calls the same voice again a few second later. I chose to ignore it again. “Hey! Shadow!” calls the voice. I open my eyes with a small laugh. “That’s not my actual name,” I comment as my eyes begin to adjust to the lights in the room. “She’s awake, hooray!” laughs Austin. I sit up from the floor. “How long was I asleep for?” I ask. “A few hours I guess,” he answers me.

“Did you bring food?” I ask. Austin shakes his head. “No, but I came to release you,” he informs me. I spring to my feet. “What? How?” I question. Austin sighs. “We don’t have any proof that you were the one who damaged that wall,” he explains. “We will take a fingerprint scan. If you agree to provide us with the information we requested yesterday, you’re good to go,” he explains. I consider his offer for a few seconds.

“Fine,” I answer, feeling sick and tired of this annoying cell. All I need right now is my comfy bed and some hot food. Austin nods happily. “I need your name, date of birth and address,” he tells me. I nod as he sits down by the computer and turns it on. “My name is Jasmine Keyes, I was born on May 17th, 1998, meaning I’m 20 years old and I live in number 2, Millbrook estate,” I tell him. “Now let me go, I have places to be,” I tell him. Austin laughs. “I can’t seem to figure you out,” he tells me. I roll my eyes. “Why would you even bother? I ask him. “You’re never going to see me again anyway,” I add. Austin sighs.

“I’ve never met someone who is so closed off from everyone around them,” he explains. I scoff. “Stop judging me, let me out so I can never see your annoying face again,” I command. The officer doesn’t think twice. He grabs the keys which are stored in the cabinet next to the desk at which he’s sitting at. He unlocks the cell and stands back to let me out. I step out of the cell and put my hand out, palm facing upwards. “Give me my things,” I order. Austin closes the cell behind me and leaves the room. He comes back in a few seconds with a small number of items in his hands. My phone, my house keys with a small chain attached to them. Of course no purse or ID cause who brings that to a crime scene. I take the things, take a small bow and walk out of the building without saying goodbye or looking back.

When I step outside of the police station I take a deep breath. That was close. If there was any CCTV footage, or if Kate hadn’t taken that bag, I’d be in huge trouble. I can’t believe my luck. This is probably the first time in my life where I feel like the universe doesn’t hate me.

I pull out my phone and dial Kate’s number. She doesn’t answer the first time which really frustrates me. I’m stuck at the other end of town with no money for a taxi. I try again and after two rings, she finally answers. “Kate, I need you to send someone here to get me,” I tell her. Kate gasps. “How did you get out?” she asks excitedly. “Did you suck someone off?” she asks me. I scoff. “Kate, stop being a slag and get me my lift! It’s so late, it’s beginning to get bright,” I complain feeling annoyed.

I’m tired, hungry and cold. The worst things a woman can feel. “Yeah, Yeah, I’ll send Steven out to get you now. He should be there in a few minutes,” she informs me. I thank her and hang up. I scan the area. The police station is quite a hike from the town, so I decide to just sit on the cold ground while I wait for Kate’s boyfriend to come and get me. As Kate stated, Steven arrives at the scene within minutes. He’s always been a fast driver, and the two accidents he’s been in don’t stop him from doing so.

“Get in loser!” shouts Steven with a laugh. I roll my eyes and get in the passenger seat of the car. I give Steven an appreciative look. “Thanks for the lift, you saved me,” I admit. Steven raises his eyebrows. “Are you kidding? I’m giving a criminal a lift home, this is unreal!” he jokes making me punch his arm as hard as I can. “I’m not a criminal, I’m an activist!” I say proudly. Steven starts the car and starts to speed down the road. He swirls us in between cars with ease. “What exactly did you paint on that wall?” he questions me. I laugh. “A huge, round, juicy pair of t**s,” I tell him. Steven looks at me in confusion. “Has anyone ever told you you’re weird?” he asks me. Stupid Steven. He never understands my art.

“It’s a statement okay!” I shout at him. This time he rolls his eyes at me. “You wouldn’t understand. It’s about sexualising women,” I explain. Steven keeps his eyes peeled to the road. Those type of conversations make him uncomfortable. “I just think women should be able to breastfeed their children in public without being hassled by people or be able to go to the gym without being stared at,” I explain. Steven shrugs. “I understand that, I agree, but drawing boobs on the wall isn’t going to solve that Jasmine,” says Steven. I sigh loudly. I hate when Steven is right.

We pull into the estate shortly after. When I walk in through the door, I’m immediately bombarded by all of my house mates. “Oh my God! Jasmine you’re such a badass!” shouts Conor. “Jasmine! Tell us what it’s like to spend the night in a cell!” yells his twin brother Kevin. I push past them and tell them to get away from me. I head straight up to my room, where I find Kate sitting on my bed. I look at her and smile. “Why did you tell those idiots downstairs about me?” I ask feeling annoyed. My housemates consist of nerds, virgins and goody-two-shoes who don’t have a worry in their lives. If it was up to me they wouldn’t live here anymore but there’s a huge shortage in student accommodation, so we have to share the apartment with students.

I kick my shoes off and climb into my bed. I burry my face in the pillow, enjoying its softness. I begin to feel myself fall into a more comfortable sleep when Kate shakes me awake. “What’s wrong with you?” she scolds. I look at her annoyed. “Nothing, let me sleep,” I say. Kate jumps further up the bed beside me. “I know you for a few years now Jasmine, I know when there is something wrong,” She growls. I sigh loudly. “Just a stupid police officer,” I groan thinking back to when Austin said I was closed off from everyone around me. Is it true? Do I shut people out of my life simply because of my upbringing? I shrug and force the thought to the back of my mind. So, what if I do? It doesn’t matter. If nobody gets close to me they can’t hurt me.

Kate watches me as I’m deep in thought. “Why waste your energy on a stupid, old cop,” she groans. “He’s got nothing better to do than to arrest people and make their lives boring,” she says, in the attempt to comfort me. I laugh. “He’s not old and stupid,” I explain. “He’s actually quite young,” I add thinking back to his masculine face. Kate looks at me suspiciously. “Did h say something that annoyed you?” she asks me. I shake my head quickly. “No, he’s just different,” I explain, regretting my choice of words immediately. Kate opens her mouth in a large ‘o’ shape.

“You fancy him!” she shouts at the top of her lungs. I slap her arm. “Don’t be stupid. He’s a cop. He’s rude, annoying and frustrating,” I tell her. Kate shuts up and lies down beside me. After a few moments of silence, she shakes me. “I know just what you need,” she begins. I turn to face her and give her a confused look. Sleep and food. That’s what I need.

“You need to go out to a college party and get super drunk to forget all that you’ve been put through in the last 24 hours!” she shouts, clapping her hands together.