Some days I can't stand my job, knowing exactly why it is the least desirable assignment my department had, but most days I actually enjoy it. Being a young man, with only 23 short years on this earth, I was able to adapt better to the social dynamics of the high school drama factory that the older officers detested and failed to grasp. I had gone through the police academy straight out of college, having my BA in Criminal Justice got me in, being a natural athlete helped me excel to the top of my class. They told me I could have my choice of assignments, after I completed the required 6 month probationary period, when I joined my home town police department.
The first month was horrible! I started my first post as the school's liaison officer 3 weeks into a new school year. The teenagers could sense new blood in the water and tried to get away with everything they could think of while I was still wet behind the ears. Most of them didn't realize that I had already spent four long years walking these same halls just a few years ago. Still remembering all of the tricks my friends and I had discovered, I quickly gained a reputation as a no nonsense cop that had a sixth sense for catching delinquents. Able to sniff out an infraction seemingly before any rules were broken. Always waiting in the shadows for a crime to happen, whether it was just a simple student handbook violation or actually breaking a law, pouncing on the offenders without warning and always catching them off guard.
To be honest the simple secret to my success were the many cameras that lined the corridors of the school, that and my ability to easily read body language. Teens normally appear relaxed and comfortable around their friends but when they are up to no good heads are turning constantly, checking for adults on the prowl. They tend to be more hurried in their movements when normally not a single one is in a hurry to get to the next class. Also knowing where all the good hiding spots, the ones not covered by cameras, were located, any group of students headed in the general direction of these areas instantly caught my eye and peeked my curiousity.
My normal routine was to wait for the cigarette to be lit, or the bottle of booze to be sipped from, before announcing my presence. What I really got a kick out of was the look that would plaster itself across the faces of my prey when I pounced, it was always the same expression. A combination of surprise and sheer terror, sometimes followed by tears from those not familiar with being caught breaking the rules.
Besides the weekly fight or two my only excitement, once I established my reputation, was watching the gorgeous young women strut through the halls, flaunting their sexuality to the hormone crazed boys who gawked uncontrollably at their now maturing bodies.
It was close to the two week break for Christmas when I stumbled upon my first felony. I was walking behind the hedgerow that lined the furthest parking lot from the school, referred to as the "stoner's lot" since way before I had been a student here. It had a camera pointed at it, but being mounted on the building over 100 yards away, it was unable to see anything with enough clarity to be used to identify anyone from that distance. The hedgerow planted in the early 90's to help reduce the noise from student's cars, as huge stereo systems became popular, also served to isolate anyone in the lot from the view of those driving by on the other side.
7:45am, students just beginning to arrive, I noticed a young man pull into a spot just feet from my current position. His parents must have been well off because he got out of a brand new Lexus GS F, a very aggressive sedan with more power than some sports cars. He jogged the 20 or so feet to a nearby beater conversion van and hopped in the sliding door on the passenger side. Recognizing a party-mobile when I see one, I waited a few minutes to see what would transpire. I figured he was up to one of two things, both would be obvious from my current location, A-the van would begin rocking as he started fucking some hoebag in the back, or B-smoke would soon start pouring out of the windows that were hinged open in the back.
7:47am, smoke starts to emerge from beneath the darkly tinted windows lining each side. Bingo! I casually walked up beside the van, not concerned with being noticed because I was wearing my own jacket instead of the easily recognizable police issue rag I had been given my first day on the job. Peering in the driver's door window as I walked by I saw that I had been right, on both accounts in fact. The driver and front passenger were passing a joint between themselves while some slut in the back was bobbing her head up and down in preppy boys lap.
*TAP*TAP*TAP*
All four occupants jumping at the sound of my flashlight rapping against the glass.
"I'm going to need all four of you to exit the vehicle please."
The look of utter terror on their young faces was priceless as they started filing out. I noticed the front passenger pop the roach in his mouth and quickly swallow it. Smart kid I thought. I had a feeling that wasn't the only illegal substance in their possession so I wasn't too worried about him destroying the evidence.
"Driver's licenses and school ID's please."
Looking over the documents they handed over I addressed the front passenger first.
"Dave Simpson?"
"Yes sir" he replied
"You wouldn't be Doug's little brother would you?"
"Yes sir."
"Place your hands on the van, you three just take a seat on the curb" after I patted him down, even turning his pockets out to make sure he wasn't hiding anything, I had him take a seat on the curb on the other side of the van preventing any hand to hand transfer they may try.
"Samuel Johnson"
"Yes sir" replied the spoiled teen
"Hands on the van" after a quick frisk to ensure he wasn't holding any narcotics I sent him over to sit beside Dave.
"Twins huh?" I asked staring at the remaining two referring to the same D.O.B. on both licenses.
"Yeah" Jason said quickly glancing at his sister.
"Hands on the van" finishing my search of the siblings without finding anything incriminating I sent them back to their original seat keeping them separate from the other two.
I tried my luck with the interior of vehicle, finding nothing as I poked around under seats and rifled through the little cubbies that lined the inside of the van. It wasn't until I looked inside of the purse that I found a large bag of marijuana. Pinching the corner between my finger and thumb I eyeballed the weight at about an ounce, having quite a bit of experience in my youth at guesstimating weight I was pretty confident in my assessment of the amount in the quart sized Ziploc baggy.
Looking at the two boys watching me from the passenger side curb I held up the bag for them to see. "This belong to either of you two?"
"No sir" they responded in unison.