Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
He kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling, despite hearing the footsteps approaching his cell.
What else was new? Another round of cops asking questions, and treating him like shit. Big surprise.
"Come on, kid. Someone wants to see you," said the dark haired cop, the one that had a less frightening look, he couldn't remember his name.
Since he was arrested, the cop had treated him nicely. Sometimes he even smiled for him. Cabel thought that the guy was creepy.
Not that he didn't like to be treated nicely. It was just that he was so used to be treated like garbage or to be just ignored, that the older man gentle behavior made him uncomfortable.
Rabinowitz. That was the cop's name.
Weird name.
Cabel thought about asking him if he was Jewish, but decided to not do it. The guy could think he was some kind of prejudicial asshole.
They walked through a long corridor, full of closed doors with tags on each one. Some of them got names on, some said department names. Suddenly, Rabinowitz stopped in front of one of the doors with names, and knocked.
"Come in," said a cold female voice.
The cop opened the door, and pulled Cabel on, closing the door behind him without entering. Cabel was alone in the room occupied by a red haired woman seating behind a desk. She looked very serious and business-like. Cabel just stood there, looking at her.
"Sit," the woman said simply.
Cabel took the few steps to the seat in front of her hesitantly. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for about this walk, but it certainly wasn't that. He seat, quietly.
"So, I saw all your records, including the hospital ones. You're making a mess out of your life, kid," she stated, firmly.
"Hum… Yes, ma'am," was the cleaver answer he had to her.
"You will refer me as my title, kid. I'm Captain Fran Komisky. When you talk to me you will call me Captain or sir, do you understand?" she informed him through clenched teeth.
It was a little scaring, honestly.
"Yes," he answered.
"What?" she yelled.
"Sir, yes, sir," he said, in a weak voice.
"That's better. Now, I have a question for you. Do you honestly want to throw your life away, and waste all the good grades that you have, waste the good opportunity you have to go to a nice college, and make something out of your miserable life in order to be a dealer or do you want to be somebody someday?"
"What?" he asked confused.
"I don't have time to play silly games, boy. You heard me. What's the answer?" she asked, menacingly.
Cabel was lost. What this strange woman wanted from him, after all?
She might have read "all his records" as she said, but she didn't know anything about him. She didn't know how messed up his life had been, she didn't know that he had taken a little bit of this or that shit in order to forget how fucked up his existence had been. She didn't know anything. Anything at all.
But she touched some nerve, asking him if he didn't want to be somebody.
Cabel thought for a long time.
"I wanna be somebody, sir," he finally answered.
"Good. Then, I have a proposition for you," she stated, and Cabel saw a shadow of a smile in the corner of her mouth.
He trashed in the cell coat all night, thinking about what the Captain had said to him. It sure wasn't something easy, but it could be his ticket out of the misery he had been living since his mother ran away.
All the things she said could change his life, could change the way people saw him. Could change the way she saw him.
"Get real, Strumheller. She'll never look at you," he yelled with himself in the dark of his tiny cell.
But, as much as he tried, he couldn't suppress that little bit of hope that made his heart accelerate. The mere memory of her warm skin under his palms in those brief moments during that prom night still hunted him. When he was in the hospital, those memories were the only thing that kept him of losing completely.
He spent the whole night battling against his stupid heart that refused to get real, and take this opportunity as what it was: something that could make his life much better. His dumb heart continued to say to him that it was an opportunity to get to know her.
Fucking heart.
By the morning, Cabel had purple circles under his eyes, a major headache, and an answer to the Captain.
"I accept," he informed her, seating on the chair in front of her desk, his head low.
The Captain smiled, dryly.
A/N: I simply loved "Wake". I read the three books in three days. I have to confess that I'm currently suffering of a major crush on Cabel. That's why I'm really sad with the choice of the movie's cast.
I don't have anything against Miley Cirus, but I can't believe that she'll have what it takes to play Janie. (sad sigh).
Anyone knows who they choose to be Cabel?
;)