On The Beat: A Night In The Life Of Officer Wendy Corduroy
A cool breeze blew through the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon as rookie Officer Wendy Corduroy sat in her police cruiser. A cup of lukewarm coffee resided in the center console of the late model Fjord Crown Elizabeth was all that kept the nineteen year old awake as she watched patron after patron enter SkullCrusher's Tavern. On a Friday night, this is where the action was. A long work week was over and the usually buttoned up citizens of the small Pacific Northwestern town decided to let their hair down and let off a little steam. Six months had passed since she was awarded her badge by Chief Clarence Blubs of the newly formed Gravity Falls Police Department. In the wake of Weirdmageddon, word had spread of the supernatural war that had taken place. Although dismissed by most, it still caused the quiet town to experience an influx of curious folks from around both the nation and the world for that matter. Realizing that the service the Roadkill County Sherriff's Office provided wouldn't be sufficient enough to protect the town, Gravity Falls formed its own law enforcement agency. In addition to the creation of the Gravity Falls Police Department, work had begun on the recently re-named Gravity Falls Regional Medical Center.
Wendy let out a big yawn as she fought the urge to fall asleep; her pledge to uphold the law the only thing overriding her desire to rest. Playing a game on her phone, she heard a man shouting. "Ugh!" she sighed as she put the phone back into her pocket and picked up her handset. "Unit One-Seven… Unit One-Seven… Suspected public drunkenness… I'm gonna go investigate…" she announced before unbuckling her seatbelt. Walking across the street, she already had a good idea of what awaited her. The bar was well known among law enforcement for over-serving their patrons and then unleashing them on the town. "Excuse me sir… What seems to be the problem this evening?" she asked in a stern but respectful tone of voice. "T-They said that I-I had enough, a-and I didn't have to go home, b-but I couldn't stay here…" he replied as he leaned up against the brick wall of the bar. "Do you have a ride? I can call a cab for you if you'd like…" she offered as an angered look formed on the taller man. "A-Are you saying I… I can't drive?!" he asked in a bewildered tone. "I'm suggesting that it wouldn't be the wisest choice for you right now…" she dryly retorted. "Just like a woman to nag me…" he chuckled before letting loose a loud belch. "Just advising you on what would be the most law-abiding thing to do sir…" she answered as a loud roar was heard from inside the bar. "Here… Take 'em!" the drunken man said as he tossed his keys towards the officer. Kneeling down to retrieve the keys, she took note that the man seemed to be alright to walk home. "Here Oli… I have a feeling he'll be missing these in the morning…" she said to the bouncer as she passed the large keyring off to the t-shirt clad man. "Yeah… Sorry about that Officer Corduroy…" he apologized. "No problem… It's kinda my job…" she replied before walking into the bar.
Sure enough, yet another brawl had broken out among the patrons. A small man dressed in jeans and a grey t-shirt brandished a broken beer bottle, while his foe waved a pool cue around like a professional wrestler. "Gravity Falls PD! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" she shouted above the roar of both the customers and the loud rock music that blared from the speakers. The man with the cue dropped his implement and placed his hands above his head. Judging by his movements and compliance, Wendy was certain that he was not the initial aggressor. The man with the broken bottle looked around the room; Wendy sure that he was about to flee the scene. Sure enough, he threw the bottle of Dub Light at her feet and brushed past her. "Unit One-Seven! Unit One-Seven! In pursuit of suspect!" she shouted into her shoulder mounted speaker. The heavy belt around her waist bounced up and down as she took off after the drunken man; taking deep breaths as she stepped out into the brisk spring night. The cracked concrete sidewalk passed beneath her boot clad feet as she tried to make up ground on the man who had just attempted to assault her with a glass bottle. Her long auburn hair flowing behind her, she turned the corner onto Evergreen Street as the man began to slow down. Bending down and grasping his knees, he came to a sudden halt; Wendy unsure of what his motives were. Keeping her distance and a firm grasp on her sidearm, she waited for the man to move. Much to her disgust and relief, the man began to vomit onto the grey concrete sidewalk beneath him. "Suspect has tossed his cookies… Repeat, suspect has tossed his cookies…" she said into her microphone; fighting the urge to bust out in laughter.
Still keeping a grip on her department issued gun, she slowly approached the nauseous man. "You okay there bud?" she inquired. "I-I don't feel so goo-" he began to explain before he deposited more vomit onto the sidewalk. "Dispatch… We might need a med unit over here… Twenty-Three Hundred block of Evergreen Street…" she informed her dispatcher. "Ten-Four, Med Unit on the way to Evergreen…" a male voice calmly stated over the radio. "Hey man… I'm gonna need you to get up against that wall" she instructed the suspect. Realizing that he was dead to rights, the man complied with her command. Reaching behind her back, she removed a pair of pink handcuffs from a leather case on her belt and clasped them onto the wrists of the drunken man. "Look… Lady… I-I'm sorry I threw that bottle at you. I-I'm just going through some stuff right now and the last thing I need is to be arrested…" he said with a bit of shame. Looking at the shorter man, she saw the remorse that his eyes displayed. "I'm sorry dude, but I've gotta book you here… I mean, you threw a broken beer bottle at me…" she replied. "I just found out my girlfriend has been cheating on me and I was pissed off. I went to the bar t-to get away from it all… A-and that asshole was there!" the disheveled man, who appeared to be in his early thirties, explained. "Look… That sucks man. But, like, you've gotta just know when to be the bigger man and walk away. You could have really hurt someone… You could have hurt me…" she said to the now seated man. "I-I know… But, do you know what it's like? T-To love someone and have them rip your heart out?" he pleaded with the young officer. "Yes… As a matter of fact, I do…" she replied. "Okay! S-So you get where I'm coming from then!" he said in an optimistic tone as the wail of the ambulance began to be heard. "No… In my case I just missed out on telling them how I felt. You said you were dating this person…" she explained to the seated man as the bright red lights began to light up the street. With the man loaded into the ambulance, she returned to her cruiser, where she hoped to spend the last three hours of her shift.
Author's Note: Honestly, I was kinda buzzed and suffering from writer's block when LivePD came on. I suddenly imagined what a typical night would have been for Officer Wendy Corduroy. The playlist is what I imagine Wendy would have been listening to at the time.
My Playlist For This Chapter:
Three Days Grace – "The Mountain"
H.I.M. – "Heartkiller"
Black Veil Brides – "Fallen Angels"
Motionless In White – "LOUD (F**K It)
Theory Of A Deadman – "Straight Jacket"
Shinedown – "State Of My Head"
All That Remains – "Forever In Your Hands"
In This Moment / Rob Halford – "Black Wedding"
Godsmack – "Bulletproof"
Chevelle – "The Clincher"
The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:
Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel
A Shooting Star Falls
Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story
The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story
The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story