Better Than Life
Now, I'm bet your wondering why the title is in this chapter. Well let me explain. Randall's chapters, one ,two and three, happen around the same time this character's does. In a word, this chapter happens in Randall's first chapter. To make it less confusing, this chapter is almost like Randall's first. Make sense? No. Well I tried. Anyhow, this is our second main character. See if you can catch right off the bat what the funny thing is in this chapter. Anyhow, enjoy!
Chapter 1 Robert Gibbs
Robert Gibbs, age 20, is a man with a disturbing life. In the Law Enforcement Business, Robert Gibbs was....below average. He hadn't gotten one case in a year, the ones he had gotten were to just stop speeding motorists......although they sped up once he tries talking to them. So far his boss doesn't even think that traffic control was right for him.
Robert was just your average Joe that went around town. Being part of the NYPD was an accomplishment, but he felt he could do better. He acted like a normal man every time he's on patrol. Robert was just a go and let go kind of guy. He got mugged once and a while, but wasn't hurt. Besides, the only thing that mostly mattered to him was Sue Malone.
Dealing with his boss, job, and occasional confrontation, he'd never been able to talk to her straight. He wasn't the bravest or joke sort. He'd never been able to deal with anything in his life........Until one day........when he got help from someone he'd thought would never come.
*
Robert was up early this morning. He'd hadn't been able to get himself a house, so he stayed in an apartment. A single bed room with a bathroom and kitchen. He was in the bathroom already, checking his hair to make sure he wasn't growing a beard. He had flat black hair that kind swerved of his eyes, a small face with blue and green eyes. He wore his police attire, since it was the summer, he felt no need to use covers, instead he'd sleep in his police attire.
"This is the day Robert, this is the day" He chanted to himself. Robert was always under the delusion that the day would be "that" day when he's life would finally change.
"Ok....your gonna march up to Mr. Rainsford and demand a case.....gonna....rid this city of crime....and finally talk to Sue......I hope" He told himself.....again. He walked out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. Scattered about his room were a couple comics....ones that he'd made himself.
It was a hobby of Robert's to make comics. He'd always make up monsters and creatures that came straight from his head.
Thinking he had time, he picked up one. Apparently it was one of his favorites, including his three characters he mostly liked. He'd always try to focus his own self into the three, which is why he liked them. He mostly liked the lizard, as he wanted to be mostly like him.
"Hmph... I bet that lizard could get anything he wanted...." He said, placing the comic on the dresser next to the bathrooms entrance
Robert had already had his wake up coffee, so he wanted to head down to "Smith's Wine and Dine". Reason was, is that Sue always went their Wednesday morning.
"Ok...." He said, heading to the door that lead outside his apartment. He looked into the mirror that he had placed there. "...Hello Sue......uh...." Robert began, "....So how you doing....great?....Oh that' good....so uh.....can I buy you a pancake or something?" He spoke as if to someone in the mirror. "Uh...come on....You'll find myself at the back of the dinner with a halve eaten sausage and an un-drunken cup of coffee" He told himself.
*
Soon enough he found himself at the back of the dinner with a halve eaten sausage and an un-drunken cup of coffee.
"(Again.....)" He thought, looking over near the dinners entrance. The dinner itself was not far from his apartment. It was your classic 50's dinner, a music box to the back with a phone. Cushioned chairs and round tables, old men and woman who have worked long years in the dinner serving sausage, pancakes, hot buns, bacon, and other breakfast related foods.
Across the dinner to its entrance, was "the table". Sitting with a couple girls was Robert's girl angel. Sue Malone. Beautiful long blonde hair, blue eyes, a face only her boyfriend would love.....
"Great body......lovely hair.....great eyes.....nice attitude.....that's my girl....." Robert whispered to himself. Ever since he saw he wanted to talk to her, but every time he couldn't.
"Hmph....what's the point....might as well head to work early....maybe my boss will surprise me with a case....(but I doubt it...)" He said, lifting himself up and exiting through the back door, he didn't dare to pass his version of his wife and not say anything.
*
"But Mr. Rainsford, I'm telling ya I can take a case just give me one" Robert tried to say. He was in the office of his boss, Mr. Rainsford. A single, slow moving fan hovering over them, a couple open filing cabinets with files hanging out, barely any light coming through the window cracks.
Mr. Rainsford was your all around captain. A coffee stain on his desk, unlooked files in the middle, a cigarette dish with too many used cigarettes in it. Robert always wanted to tell his boss that he'd die because of it, but halve of the time he also felt that he would get a better position if he did.
Rainsford had sharp brown hair, a little puffy, but flat mostly. His eye's were a darkened brown, and his face had one of a newspaper editor that had just about enough to hear with everyone's complaint.
"Now listen Robert, we all can take care of this city's crime and murders, but we can't always help them on the streets" Rainsford said, getting a sly look in his eye that Robert always misses.
"Oh....really?" Robert said, completely fooled. "Of course, we got it all handled, but what you need to handle are those speeders" Rainsford said, taking his "trusty" pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. "But sir I honestly think that stopping speeders is not for me" Robert said.
"Oh really Robert!? What? You think you can take on a murder case?!" Rainsford said, chuckling, clearly mad, but also amused, "Yeah, I trust you with people's lives? The reason I gave you traffic control is because you can't handle the big cases!" Rainsford added.
"But I" Robert began. "Listen Robert, let the professional's handle this, I don't need some fool" Rainsford said. "Maybe if you can catch all the speeders out there I might be impressed! Now just get out there and do your job!" Rainsford said, finishing his cigarette.
".......Yeah fine boss...." Robert said, getting up, he was thinking of saying something else, but just left.
"We need real cops Robert!" Rainsford said, getting up and making sure Jack could hear him. "Real cops!" He said again, but didn't notice his gun drop out of his holster.
(PSSSH!)
Rainsford moved out of the way from the bullet that shot out and went out the window.
(Beep!)
"Mr. Rainsford, you dropped your gun again" A voice from a communication's box on Rainsford's desk came. "I know!" Rainsford replied.
*
After getting some paperwork done, but forgetting to file it, Robert quickly left the department and got in his car, closing the door and waiting a minute to start the car. "You should have said something, you should've...." He said to himself, backing up and looking at the rear-view mirror. "Huh? Whoa!" He said, stopping the car. Like he does everyday, for one matter or another, Robert's car always backs up into Mr. Rainsford's police car, yet everyday he stops himself from hitting it.
"...Phew...".
*
Robert stayed on the side of the road he was on, the one near his apartment building. Since he felt that his chances of a case in the department were slim, he figured he could get home easily. He sad there, taping his hands on the wheel. "Ok....I'm gonna catch one this time" He chanted, as he'd been here for a couple hours and clouds were forming overhead.
Soon enough, he was surprised. He looked at his rear view mirror to see a car coming up the road. He quickly pulled out his radar gun. Knowing the street's speed limit well, Robert knew when a driver went over the limit. The car passed and Robert started the car, and looked at the radar gun, the driver had gone way past the limit. He shifted into gear and placed on the horn.
The driver in the car noticed him and slowed the car to a stop, with Robert's coming up close. Robert stopped the car and got out, approaching the front passenger side of the car instead of the drivers seat.
"(Ok....be fast and be tough...)" He said to himself. He went over and, placing his hands on the opened window, noticed a teenage driver with blond hair and brown eyes inside.
"Sir, I presume you were going over the speed limit for this street" Robert said. "Yeah so? And I presume you have your mitts on my car" the driver said. In response, Robert let go. "I'm sorry sir, but I have to give you a ticket for speeding" Robert began, getting out his ticket book. "And I'm sorry, but I must be going!" the driver replied, putting the drive on the car and speeding up.
"Hey!" Robert yelled, but the driver had already passed the red light, turning left. "....Shoot!" Robert said to himself, throwing down his ticket book. "Dang it!" He said again. Taking a minute, he looked up at the sky. As if on cue, rain started to fall. Robert quickly got in his car and went back home, not wanting to get himself sick again.
*
To Robert, it was yet again a normal day.
He opened the door to his home and got in, closing it behind him with a small kick. he un-tightened his belt, the one that had his gun, and placed it to the side of his bed. He entered his kitchen, which wasn't all that big, and opened the small refrigerator. He hadn't gotten his own place or much of anything for that matter. He knew that Mr. Rainsford paid him just to keep him off the subject of talking about becoming a "real cop".
He found a box of Chicken Strips that he had gotten from a store near the department. He placed 4 of them on a plate and sat them in the microwave to heat them up. Waiting a bit, he plotted himself on his bed, reaching over to turn on the small T.V. set that was to his left, near a window. He didn't both to listen to it. He just stared at three boxes in front of him, which contained some of his comics, set aside near the bathroom.
"In other news, information leading to the murders of Lassie Ferry, Precious White, and Elisa Proud has been at miss with our own New York Police Department. Not suspects, clues, or fingerprints have been found to acquire any information" came the words from the box near Robert. He had over heard it from the rain outside, apparently it was a thunderstorm.
(Ding)
He got up, and went back into the kitchen and opened up the microwave and took out the plate. "Huh?" He said, seeing three golden colored chicken strips. "....Didn't I?.....Ehh...oh well.." He said to himself, walking back over to his bed and laying down.
It had only took Robert a halve and hour of watching T.V. and eating, he had fallen asleep. Only the brushed out words from the T.V. and the drizzle of the rain outside could be heard.......it was almost quite......but it wasn't until a little later, that Robert felt as if someone was with him........but he couldn't tell who....or what it was....until he opened his eyes.....