Growing up in Minnesota was the best 8 years of my life, I knew everybody in the small town that we lived in and a lot of people liked me, but there were a few bad sides to it. There was a small gang of my friends who'd go robbing stores night after night just to either get the supplies or the money. And this is probably going to sound really unintelligent, I can't believe that I was friends with them. But it had changed one night completely when Peer Pressure came into play. Though I was strong and resilient to resisting it, this time I didn't. And what did I do. I joined them one night, and I knew step by step I took with them I had the overgrowing doubt that I was going to get put in jail or even prison. Why was I so gullible towards going with them. this is the stage where I always started doubting myself. Why was I in the same grade with them? Why was I friends with them? Why did I got to this school when there was a choice of another school? As I shock off the doubt and questions that I had in my mind before all of my friends stopped
"Well, your going first" One of them said.
"No I'm not, I'll hide 'round the corner, see if the cops are coming" I said, my voice not hiding the fact that I was trembling in fear
"Sure Levi, Sure, you don't want to do it because your a pussy, that's what you are" One of them said to me. "You know what, if your going to define me like that, I hope you get caught, and shot in the head" I said, my voice now hiding the fact that I was scared. Then I realised what I had said, I then ran off, going behind the wall and going up against it before slowly curling up into a ball and crying into my knees "Oh wook, Wevi's a wittle pussy" One of them said before they all laughed. It was only after about 15 minutes that sirens were blaring in the distance. After I had finished crying because of how scared I was, I slowly got up, wiping my eyes on my shirt sleeve I then slowly walked forward to the front of the store. Before I knew it, the local police department had arrived. Before I knew it, I immediately ducked down, and all I could hear was gunshots, loud banging, from both sides, which make me look from under my crouched position. I then saw three of the boys with pistols, trying their hardest to shoot back. And before I knew it I knew it, it was over. The One I knew Casey Tomas, notorious batboy, one of my best friends, the one I had wished bad luck on. Had been shot, but not just anywhere, in the eyebrow but it wasn't just him, all five boys I know knew were lying on the ground. Dead or just trying to survive their final last moments before they did.
Growing up it was very hard to get past that memory, everyone in town knew that I was involved in it, and though I tried to say that I didn't want any part of it, no one except my parents believed me, everybody thought I was the golden child. And that I managed to survive the shooting. I was defined as a Cheater, a liar and a fucking asshole for so many years. It was when I turned 15 that my parents had had enough of both the town and me being in a depression, which I had managed to fall into when I was 14 due to the fact that I had wished bad luck on Casey. So, my parents had made a plan to move to Brooklyn, New York. I must admit though there was a lot of crime, thankfully which we'd never gotten robbed or had any crimes involved with us, the place was amazing in both the day and night.
Having a huge group of friends slowly managed to get me over depression, having people who were open and acceptive of your past was nice, especially when they say that they are there for you in any way and will support you in any way possible. I really did feel comfortable and safe around them, and the good thing was that since we were practically a gang of 6, we went to the same university, but we did different things, apart from two people Jake and Sam. My two non-blood-related brothers. I loved to death like they were family and I knew they felt the same way.
Life
The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
I groaned as I woke up, checking the time. 3:30 am Yep, it was that time again, get up, go to work and return at 1 in the afternoon. As I sluggishly got up out of bed and slowly made my way over to the shower, I could feel the cold atmosphere of my small apartment on my face and as I breathed in and out, fog exhaling out of my mouth. These two months have not been nice for Brooklyn, I mean don't get me wrong, I love the winter, but this winter was harder than last years, that was at least manageable. As I got undressed, slowly turning the shower on, I hopped in, the warm water hitting my feet first, feeling the stinging sensation below my feet as I got in before moving my body under the water, then groaning in pure happiness, finally getting some warmth as I moved from my bed.
It was about 10 minutes later (Five just standing under there trying my best to keep warm) that I finally decided to hop out. After I dried myself off, and put my pants as well as my singlet on, I then took a look in the mirror, looking at myself
"Who knew after all these years, Mister Levi Bates would be a detective?" I said to myself before chuckling and then going off into the kitchen, grabbing myself some breakfast and sitting down, and as I did I opened my MacBook Pro, greeting me with the familiar tune and the apple logo. I then typed in my password and pressed enter, waiting for it to log me in before getting into the home screen after I did, I launched Mail and checked my inbox, an email from some co-workers and about how there was a meeting on at about 12.
After I finished having breakfast, I then put my shirt and jacket on before closing my Mac lid, making the Apple logo light go out before I turned the kitchen light off and then walking out to the stairwell of my apartment. After walking down 6 flights of stairs like I have for the past 4 years I finally reached the entrance of the apartment building to where I had opened the door and let it close, I then pressed the unlock car door on my car keys before opening the door and sitting down in the driver seat and putting all of my stuff in the passenger seat, I then closed the door before starting up my car before driving off and heading to work.
It was about 30 minutes later that I finally managed to get to work, the best about every morning is at about 4:30 in the morning you get to see the sunrise and when it's on the Brooklyn Bridge it looks absolutely beautiful, and the best thing yet. You can speed and go as fast as you want to, the pros of being expected early at work
"Morning Bates" I heard as I snapped out of my daydreaming and thoughts and I looked over as I closed my car door
"Oh, Hey Harraway," I said as I smiled slightly. Jake Harraway. One of my best friends since university, The only problem was, with being a detective, came one problem. You weren't to refer to anyone by their first name, just by their last name and it was that simple. but it wasn't for me because I got so used to calling him by his first name. As Haraway and I walked into the elevator, he pressed the button to go downstairs, and like every morning, I would do the same thing but sometimes run into Jake or Sam, as we both looked around the elevator like we usually did, the elevator doors opened and we then went our separate ways. Left and Right, like usually did for the past two years. I worked in forensics and he worked with the coroner.
After getting settled in my little cubical, I sighed before leaning back on my chair closing my eyes for a quick seconds before I got interrupted
"BATES. What are you doing sleeping on the job? You work as forensics officer, not as a sleeper, can't you get that right for once" my boss said which immediately made me jump or at least fall from my chair which caused a few laughs from the cubicles I was next to
"Oh no sir I wasn't, I had enough sleep, don't worry Sir," I said to my boss
"Well, get more if your sleeping on the job," My boss said
"I do, exactly 9 sirs," I said with a very straight forward yet anxious tone in my voice
" I don't care, Bates, what I want to know is why you were sleeping on the job"
"I...I wasn't, I was just acknowledging the fact I finally got to work"
"Alright, I'll take it this time Bates, but if I dare see you like that again, and I do mean it, you're going to my office got it?"
Making me gulp, I replied very weakly "Yes...Sir"
"Good, now, there was a man. aged around in his Thirties, late to be exact. Homeless, found murdered on 32nd street, go get 'em Bates" My boss said, causing me to get up
"You got it Sir," I said with a slight sigh.
"Bates" Causing me to turn around
"Yes, Sir?" I asked, tensing up a bit
"It's George, not Sir, got it" he replied
"Yes, Bo...I mean George" I said with a slight smile before walking off. going into the elevator and then pressing the ground floor button, after a quick few seconds I got out of the elevator and went into my car, starting it up and driving off toward upper New York, exactly to 32nd Street.
It was about a Forty to Forty-Five minutes later that I finally reached where I needed to go. 42nd Street, with New York being so constantly populated it always took so long to where you needed to go, and as I pulled up as to where the murder was, or at least close to it. One of the cops walked up to my car as I walked out
"Bates, what are you doing here so late? You were supposed to be here over thirty minutes ago" the cop said. Jake Thomas, one of just thirty cops who never did their job yet complained that other people weren't doing it good enough.
"Yeah, well, try going down one of these streets, do you see a secret tunnel to the other end of new York. Possibly Brooklyn?" I said with a heavy tone of sarcasm in my voice. You could literally tell he had shit himself when I asked that, causing him to walk away after a few seconds. That's what happens when you take a course in Criminology, English and advanced literacy.
"Leave him alone Bates, you know better than that" Samuel, How do I know his name you ask? University, been friends ever since I met him in high school and we did the same courses in University, we were literally like brothers, but. you know, without the blood and the family thing, he worked in a department below me. The coroner's office, so of course, I would usually come and visit him due to the fact that if we had a murder, I had to is it him and get information as into what had caused a person to die. The top usual ones for new York were either murder by gunshots or stabbing. The usual as I liked to say, though the start towards this year was very different, a string of murders within a matter of either a month or three.
"Why should I, that guys a twat, I hate 'im," I said. The Brooklyn side coming out in me