When I’m flipped around with my hands forcefully held behind my back, I look up to see Alex being yanked off the floor and taken away with his wrists tied together in some kind of plastic handcuff.
My mind races out of control.What will happen now? Am I being arrested? Where are they taking me? I think I’m going to throw up!
I’m rushed to a van where they forcefully lift me up and push me inside with my hands tied together behind my back with what feels like zip ties. The plastic cuts deep into my wrists as tears spill down my face.
Through watery eyes, I look around, blinking to see more clearly. The van is stuffed with people sitting on either side, but I don’t see Alex anywhere. A deep panic sets in, and suddenly, I can’t breathe. I have no idea where Alex is and now I’m sitting in the back of a police van with strangers. I look at each of their faces, searching for any bit of panic or fear, dying to know they feel the same way I do.
Even though I haven’t been read my rights, I’m pretty sure I’m being arrested. The way everyone around me looks either pissed or sad, with their heads sagging down, my feelings are verified.
I’ve been arrested.
But for what?
I haven’t done any drugs or even drank anything tonight. I’m completely sober. I turn to my right to see a girl who looks like she’s rolling high with her head back and her jaw grinding back and forth without a care in the world.
To my left, I catch eyes with a female who looks to be around twenty years old. She looks bored instead of panicked so I ask, “What’s going on?”
She glances at me and her eyes soften when she notices fear written all over my face. “Oh, girl. Don’t stress. Everything will be okay. This happens every once in a while, no big deal.”
“No big deal!” My eyebrows raise and I start to panic more. “Are we being arrested? I could lose my job. I could get kicked out—”
She stops me before a full panic attack sets in. “It’s okay. Breathe.” She takes a deep breath, egging me on to follow her lead. “That’s it, in through the nose…”
I drop my head back against the van wall, focusing on taking deep breaths to calm myself down.
“Don’t worry. You don’t look high. Are you?”
I look at her, and with tears rolling down my face I shake my head.
“And you don’t have any drugs on you?”
I shake my head again.
“Then you’re fine. You’ll get a ticket, maybe. Just for trespassing but I don’t know—” she pauses, looking out at the street through the still open doors “—they got a lot of us this time so that’s a good thing. Just means they’ll have too many to process so as long as there aren’t any warrants or tickets on your record you’ll be set free.” She nudges me with her shoulder, trying to calm me down some more. “Just sucks to ruin our night is all.” Then she winks at me before turning to her friend on the other side.
The slamming of the back doors make me jump, and before I know it, the van is moving but to where, I still don’t know.
When the doors open again, police officers pull us out one by one and we walk into a large room where we’re told to sit and wait for our turn to be called up.
I take my seat against the wall and look up to see Alex staring at me from across the room. My eyes light up but his stay fierce, locked on mine, and he lightly moves his head back and forth while pushing his lips out in a shhh movement. Then he mouths very slowly, making sure I fully understand him.You. Don’t. Know. Me.
My eyebrows clench together, and he can see the confusion written all over my face when he says it again, slower this time, then lightly nods his head and raises his eyebrows in response.
I nod my head just as I’m called up for my turn. I look at the woman waiting for me then back to Alex. After a deep breath, his normally strong features sag and his shoulders slip forward when he mouths,I’m sorrybefore closing his eyes and looking down.
They ask for my ID, and I’ve never been so thankful that I left my purse at home that contains my military ID. All I have on me now is my driver’s license, ATM card along with some cash.
I’m just praying I can keep the military aspect of my life out of this. I point her to where it is in my back pocket and she reaches in to retrieve them.
“Why do you have a Colorado driver’s license?” the booking woman barks out.
Shit!Since I’m in the military I don’t have a California driver’s license, Colorado is technically still my home state. “I, um, I’m—”
“You here on vacation or something?” she asks.
“Yes, um, vacation. I’m visiting my friend who lives here.”
“Well, that’s a shame. Happy vacation to you.” She laughs to herself. “And where’s this friend of yours?”
