loose. The wind hits me out of nowhere and that’s when I realize we’re outside.
Then, I see lights.
Red. Blue. Flashing.
Just as I realize what’s happening, I’m thrown into the back seat of a police cruiser. Not going to lie, the first thought in my mind is that Colton isn’t here to bail me out. Who am I supposed to call now?
18
NICK
It takes about two hours, I think, for me to start feeling like I’m more tipsy than drunk. I sit in the cell with my head resting against the wall wondering what to do next. Who to call? I know any of the guys would come and get me if I asked them to but I hate the idea of asking. I’m surprised I’m the only one here right now. You’d think with the brawl I thought was happening that a bunch of us would get arrested. Maybe I imagined it?
I hear the chatter of two officers from the hall. I get up and walk closer. “Excuse me!” I say, and the way the words leave my mouth tell me there’s still a heck of a lot of alcohol left in my body.
One of the officers walks over and sighs loudly when he reaches me. Oh, I recognize him! “Hi, Officer Smith,” I greet him with a big smile, hoping that earns me brownie points and he lets me out of here.
The other officer leaves the room and then it’s just Smith and me. I guess it was a slow night for crime. “Don’t give me that crap!” he says, and I instantly frown. Why does he sound so upset?
“It was just a stupid fight,” I tell him. “I have no idea how it started. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my fault,” I add, hoping that makes it better somehow.
He shakes his head like my father would. I mean, I recognize the dude but not enough for him to look this pressed about my current situation. “That’s the problem with you,” he says.
“It wasn’t that big a deal,” I tell him.
“Tell that to the kid’s face,” he adds and I hold back a smile. I can’t say I’m not somewhat proud that I did some damage. “And yours,” he adds, and almost as if I couldn’t feel anything till that moment, my face starts to hurt.
He steps away and I feel like I’m losing him. I gotta convince him to let me out. He has before. Usually, he just lets my brother pick me up without me being charged. I need that again. Especially now. My current strategy isn’t working, so let me try something different. “I’m sorry,” I reply, half-meaning it.
He stops in his tracks. “You kids have a whole future ahead of yourselves and here you are wasting it,” he says, sounding like someone who has some regrets.
“I don’t know what got into me today,” I tell him, then every part of me remembers the one thing I wanted to forget. “Actually, I do know…” I start and then wonder if I should mention this at all. Is a random police officer really the first person I want to tell? “I may become a dad,” I tell him, feeling like I have to tell someone.
“Okay,” he says and I realize that wasn’t the clearest way of saying it.
I try again. “A girl I’ve been seeing told me today that she’s pregnant,” I clarify.
“Is it yours?” he asks, and part of me feels some satisfaction at realizing someone else had the same question I did.
I shrug. “She says it is.”
“Do you have any reason to doubt her?” he asks, and the way he asks his question makes me think about it in a different light. Did I believe her when she said it? Not entirely. Do I have a reason to doubt her? Not at all.
I shake my head. “It caught me off guard though,” I tell him, finding this conversation really soothing for some odd reason.
“I get that,” he says. “Do you love her?”
I start coughing. “I’m sorry, what?” What kind of a question is that?
“Do you love her?” Officer Smith asks again. I heard his question the first time around. I just, I’ve never been asked that before.
The officer who left earlier returns. He’s good to go,” the officer says, pointing at me.
I look back and forth between the two of them. “But I didn’t call anyone,” I tell them. Not sure why I’m arguing against leaving. This just wasn’t the way I thought it would happen.
“The