Grumbling, Buzz walked to his car. "This way, Mr. Beck," he said as he led Rusty to the black sedan.
"What? You're my drive now? What happened to Sharon?"
"The Captain has to stay here and do her job. She asked me to escort you to St. Joseph's."
"You don't have to, you know. I could get there on my own," Rusty offered as he got in the car.
"Right," Buzz replied, backing out onto the street.
"Seriously, why doesn't anyone trust me to do things?" Rusty huffed.
"You're not really wanting an answer to that, are you?"
"Haven't you noticed she's getting you to babysit me, like all the time? She's treating me like I'm two."
Buzz pursed his lips and said nothing.
"Fine, don't talk," Rusty snorted, not even looking at Buzz to see his reaction.
Silence hung heavily in the car for several blocks until Rusty couldn't stand it anymore. "Why do you just do what she says?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have a job, right? So why do you let her order you around to take care of me."
"She's my boss."
"So, is that, like... some excuse for not being able to think for yourself?"
"No, that's my reason for doing what she asks, and she in return, signs off on my paychecks."
"Well, I'm not going to be like that when I'm an adult. I don't like anyone telling me what to do."
"That seems apparent."
"Do you guys even realize she just orders you to do things she wants?"
"That's what a boss does, Mr. Beck."
"And that's another thing, why do you keep calling me 'Mr. Beck'? No one else around here does that."
"I call you Mr. Beck because you are a material witness to..."
"To a murder, yeah, yeah... I hear that all the time. I wish I hadn't seen that guy so many time."
"I can't blame you for that. I don't like seeing some of the things I see, but at least the damage is done. You witnessed him in the act, twice."
"What kinds of things do you see?" Rusty finally was getting interested in what Buzz had to say.
"I don't know that you need to hear about that, Mr. Beck."
"Okay, dude, we're going to, like... stop that right now. No more 'Mr. Beck'. My name is Rusty, understand? Call me Rusty. Mr. Beck makes me feel old."
"Fine, if that's what you want, but I'm still not describing crime scenes to you."
"Why not? Don't you think I can take it?"
Buzz sighed, and turned to glance at Rusty before he returned his gaze to the traffic in front of them. "I'm sure you would be fine with it."
"Then why not? I see the pictures you guys put up on the board every time there's a murder. I don't get nightmares, you know."
"I'm glad to hear that. Please understand that I'm not at liberty to..."
"Look, I'm not asking you for anything recent. I know you can't talk about the guy this morning. But you've been doing this for a long time. Have you seen anyone decapitated or having his guts spread across the floor?"
"You watch too many movies. Besides, I make it a practice never to talk about the things I've seen on the job."
"Why? You're not the real police. You're the tech guy who aims the camera and watches the computers."
"And gets the coffee," Buzz grumbled under his breath.
"They send you for coffee? Dude. Your job really sucks."
"That's not my job description, that's just something I'm asked to do."
"Then why not say no?" Rusty challenged him.
"Why would I do that?"
"Well, from what I can see, no one respects you, they send you to babysit witnesses and buy lattes, they make you film murders, and you never get credit for anything."
"Wow, Rusty, I wasn't feeling bad enough. Thank you for that." Buzz said sarcastically.
"Sorry, man, but your job really does suck. Why do you do this? Why aren't you making movies like everyone else in this town?"
"Because everyone else in this town is making movies, and I like having a regular paycheck."
"Yeah, I guess. Don't you do anything you enjoy at your work?"
"I like my job, Rusty."
"You like Sharon ordering you around?"
"She's my boss."
"Yeah, you said that, but it gets tired, don't you think?"
"Doing what I'm told? Most of life is following what others want you to do."
"Dude, that is so wrong."
"Well, you follow orders too, you know."
"I know... but that's just Sharon and that's just for now. When I'm on my own, I'll do things my way."
"That's what we all say, but eating becomes a habit."
"Fine, so tell me one thing you like about your job. Just one."
"One thing? Okay, I get to help solve murders."
"How do you do that? They throw ideas back and forth then turn to you and ask for a picture or some piece of footage. They don't ask your opinion."
"Sometimes they do, and I know without me they wouldn't be able to put those clues together."
"You're like, the Butler, dude. You just go behind them picking up the dirt and serve them when they ask."
"That's not always a bad thing, you know. Sometimes it's nice to just be relied upon."
"Like getting coffee and babysitting witnesses?" Rusty smirked.
"Like knowing at the end of the day that I made the detectives' work easier. Here's the school. I'm sure the Captain will send someone to pick you up when you're finished."
"Some other guy she just orders around?"
"Someone who knows how important it is to keep you safe, even if you don't appreciate it."
"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate all of you wanting to help, it's that I feel smothered. I don't even want to be here. No one in this school has done what I've done. I'm never going to fit in."
"Most of us don't fit in, but eventually we find where we do fit, even if it's babysitting witnesses and bringing coffee."
"Whatever, man. I'll see you later?"
"You can count on it."
