He smiles again and gives me a clipped nod. “Good one.”
“Bruce, Munro,” a voice barks. It startles the two of us, and Tyler promptly spins around to meet the disapproving eyes of a Culver City police officer on the other side of the bars. “Your parents are here.” Our cell companions laugh.
“We’re going to die,” I tell myself quietly as my breathing quickens. I try to swallow the lump in my throat as I will myself to keep it together. “Oh my God. We’re actually going to die.”
“Shut up,” Tyler orders, his voice even quieter than mine, and he fixes me with a stern look as I stand. “Let me do the talking.”
Thankfully, our arresting officer—Officer Sullivan—is no longer around. Perhaps he’s back out on the streets, searching for more Fourth of July celebrators’ nights to ruin. He seemed stubborn that way, like he had a deeply rooted grudge he wanted to take out on everyone else. The second officer is a lot younger and a lot less frightening. His name is Officer Greene, and he unlocks the cell and swings open the barred door for us.
“Follow me,” he commands with a sigh. I trail along behind Tyler through the bustling station as officers brush past us with little respect. Officer Greene leads us out of the main office and into a smaller one, and lo and behold, there are my dad and Ella.
Dad’s hands are on his hips as his scornful eyes fix on the pair of us, and I fear he might pass out. He looks pretty riled up. Ella is angled slightly in front of him, and for the first time, I see her with a completely solemn expression. She firmly presses her lips together, her hands clasped in front of her. Whenever I’ve seen her furious at Tyler, there’s always been a hint of motherly sympathy in her features. But right now, there’s nothing. She has her attorney face on.
“What the hell are you two playing at?” Dad snaps. His face continues to grow a hot red as he huffs, but Ella quickly steps forward to cut in before anyone can muster up a reply.
“Officer…?” She pauses to squint at Officer Greene’s badge.
“Greene,” he finishes for her.
“Officer Greene,” she says. Clearing her throat, she extends her arm to shake his hand. “Can you explain to me why they have been arrested for trespassing? By the way, I’m an attorney.” She arches her brows as she awaits an answer, and Officer Greene shifts his weight from one foot to the other, a little surprised, knowing he can’t bullshit his way around her.
“Trespassing under Penal Code 602,” he states without leaving her eyes, “within Culver City High School. Only the specified areas of the campus were open to the public for this evening’s celebrations, and they were found in a hallway in a closed block.”
“Really?” Ella almost laughs at how pathetic it all sounds, and I’m stunned to see her so in control. She’s normally rather quiet, only ever raising her voice at Tyler. “They stumble into the wrong hallway and you arrest them?”
“Ma’am, I was not the arresting officer,” Greene informs her. “Officer Sullivan doesn’t have much patience, and your son here was showing a bit of attitude when asked to leave. They were given several chances to do so.”
Tyler snorts but quickly stops himself and drops his head to the ground before anyone can call him out. Ella does, however, shoot him a fiery glare.
“I was in that school tonight,” she continues, fixing her attention back on Officer Greene, “and I do recall seeing No Entry signs. But No Entry signs are not the same as signs warning that trespassing is an infraction and, therefore, neither of them were properly informed that they were committing an offense. They cannot be arrested on the grounds of your colleague’s short temper.”
The entire time that Ella is speaking, Dad glowers at me. I can’t quite meet his eyes, and I try to focus anywhere else but on him. To my right, Tyler is biting back laughter as he presses a hand to his mouth. I’d totally kick him in the shin if there weren’t a cop standing next to us. He manages to compose himself, but the second he lifts his head and meets my eyes he starts laughing again. He bites the back of his hand as he stares at the ground.
“How about we save both of us the paperwork and I let this one slide?” I hear Officer Greene say, and immediately my eyes shift to him. He offers his hand to Ella.
“Respectable decision, Officer,” Ella comments, and they shake on the agreement. I see her exchange a brief glance with Dad, and he nods as though they’re telepathic.
“Alright,” Dad says. “You two, out to the car. Right now.”