“Julie, we need talk to you for a moment.”
For the first time ever Julie got pulled out of class by her principal. She was a good kid so she knew it was nothing she had done, at least she thought. Her principal stares into her eyes and asked,
“Do you know why I’ve pulled you out?”
“Ah… (Pause). No?”
“We had K9 dogs search the school parking lot. Your car has been sniffed out, so I’d like you to walk down with me and unlock your car so the police can search it.”
“Alright…” Julie said as she led the way to her car.
Julie was running on three hours of sleep, hair messy, no makeup, outfit didn’t match at all, it had been wake up call that day. Every year the Soccer Captains go to the players’ houses and surprise the girls and take them out for breakfast. If there were any illegal things in her car she would get suspended from not only school but soccer as well; and as a junior, it would harm her chance for a scholarship, and a scholarship is what Julie strived most for.
She dug deep to find the energy for what seemed like forever walking side by side with the Principal through the school. Students’ eyes followed Julie and the principal as they walked through the empty halls; everyone knew she must be getting her car searched. Julie was more shocked than nervous. Feeling worn-out, she questioned herself, if there were drugs that dogs smelled in my car, wouldn’t I be able to smell them too?
“My car.” That was it. This was not her car. She shared the car with both of her brothers, her brothers who are in college, who are revolting and smoke flavored cigars occasionally. Julie sighs with relief, cigars aren’t illegal, and she hoped she wouldn’t get in trouble for something she found disgusting and would never promote. As she and the principal approached her car, two policemen and the athletic coordinator, Mr. Mattson, were standing around the old green Buick.
“Is this your car?” the policeman asked.
“Yeah. No? Well, it’s my parents but my brothers and I share it. (pause)…They’re gone at college so right now I guess it’s my car.”
“So you share the car with your brothers…” the man repeats, “Are you aware of any illegal drugs, or alcohol in your vehicle?”
“No I’m not, but my brother was home this past weekend and he sometimes smoke flavored cigars…so-“
She could see disappointment in Mr. Mattson’s face as she unlocked the car, turning to the principle who also looked worried. Julie was shocked, fatigued, and embarrassed as she looked down at her pink fuzzy slippers, she felt trashy with her un matching out-fit, getting caught in a “drug bust.”
Staring at her slippers her eyes wondered; she could see the pancakes her and her teammates dropped in the parking lot because they had spilled in the car, she chuckled and realized it was not good timing. As she looked up at the police, who stood with a cup full of ashes he found in the back seat ash tray. Sniffing the ashes then continuing searching he said,
“This must be something strong if the dogs smelt it, luckily for you we cannot charge you for ashes.” He tapped the trunk and said, “Pop it.”
Julie did as she was told. Now she was nervous. She didn’t have the slightest clue of ashes being in the back of her car, for she only drove it, she never rode in the back. If there were ashes she didn’t know about there may be something else. Julie is an organized person, and the principal smiled as the trunk popped. In her trunk was a case of water, two soccer balls, and three neatly packed bags, her trunk was clean, but not for long. Julie stood innocently as the Police continued to tear apart her whole trunk, ripping out her clothes in the bags, tossing around her valuables like her iPod, tearing opened the case of water, she soon got upset with having her stuff being treated with such disrespect.
“What are these?” The policeman asked as he held up a plastic baggy filled with pills.
“I fractured my spine, and my Doctor haves me take pills for my muscles.”
“Are they prescription?”
“I don’t know, my doctor gave them to me…here I’ll give you my home phone number, you can talk to my parents if you honestly think those are drugs. I’ve been sick all week I need to go back to class; this is such a waste of time, no offense. I’m really not that type of person.”
“You may go back to class then, the dogs will continue to sniff your car until I find what your hiding.” The Policeman said.
After the short conversation, the Principal escorted Julie back to class and thanked her for being cooperative, and understood how it could be frustrating. Julie was happy to be back in class, but before she knew it her soccer coach and both parents were standing out in the hallway, the Principal asked Julie’s teacher to step out in the hallway, the class silenced and all eyes turned to Julie. She could feel the heat of her toes rise up to the tip of her ears, at that moment she knew she was suspended for something. Her soccer scholarship; down the drain, her parent’s, teacher’s, and friend’s trust; vanished, any second she would be called out into the hall, what’s going to happen? She closed her eyes to hide her tears. What seemed like forever she finally opened her eyes again and the whole class was staring at her and her head rest in a puddle of tears.
“Julie, it’s about time you’ve awakened for class.” Her teacher exclaimed.
