Posted on Sunday, 27 January 2002
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one has taken the most heinous hours at the security desk, when one is sleep deprived, and on a Saturday night, something big will happen and one won't see sleep for a very long time.
Liz Bennett yawned widely as she watched the second hand tick slowly around the clock face. 12:01:43 ... 12:01:44 ... 12:01:45 ... This shift was never going to end. The fact that it had barely started was brushed aside in favor of the nihilistic attitude of "I'm tired, leave me alone."
Being the only person at the security desk, Liz satisfied her need to stay awake by playing several different computer games, often at the same time. When that guise of attention wore thin, she doodled on the scrap paper kept in the second drawer from the top on the left hand side of the desk. She called up to her room to check on her little sister, Lydia, and was slightly surprised to find her conspicuously absent. But then again, Liz's sometimes boyfriend Geoffrey Wickham was probably entertaining the 17 year old by putting the large-screen TV the school had purchased to good use and playing Final Fantasy X.
Rick and Charlotte, the two guards on duty that night, casually strolled by the desk and called to Liz:
"Going on rounds. We've got radios."
She nodded and logged them into the book. Seconds later, the RA, Jane, announced that she was going on rounds as well. Liz patiently wrote that in the log book as well, then momentarily laid her head on the desk and asked herself "Why?" for the millionth time, and answered herself "Because you needed the hours" for the million and first time.
Life continued as such for an hour or so. Then suddenly Liz heard over the radios:
"113 to base ... Please send the RA up to the girls' bathroom on the 5th floor."
"10-4, base clear," Liz said quickly, hoping that it wasn't anything serious.
Minutes later:
"113 to base ... Please call the AOD and 425 and tell them to report immediately to campus."
"10-4, base clear." Sh*t! Liz thought, quickly scribbling down the numbers. She called the Administrator on Duty, Lukas Something-or-Other, she never could get his name right, and 425, the security boss, Cathy DeBerg and relayed the message.
Her mind racing, Liz scribbled down all the pertinent information in the log book. It was 2:30 a.m., and quiet all over campus, even at the security desk. The guards on duty were scrambling around, doing their guard thing, and reporting to Liz anything that needed to be written down.
I'm in the wrong job, Liz thought to herself. I don't even like cops. One smug cop, one Will Darcy, had the audacity to stop her on her way home one night and gave her a warning for going 1 mile over the limit. (Actually, he stopped her to have the chance to talk to her. He had a huge crush on Liz Bennett from the moment he met her. Isn't that ... sweet?) Darcy had also busted Geoff several times for Driving Under the Influence, even when Geoff only blew a 0.02. Liz and Will had exchanged words on quite a few occasions, and the results were less than pretty.
"I just want to sleep!" she moaned out loud. It was now 3:45 a.m., almost an hour after she was supposed to sign out, and the melee was no-where near being done with. The cops were just arriving, and all the people involved were being corralled in the lobby.
"But I gotta pee!" one guy, obviously drunk, shouted after being told he had to stay in the lobby until Cathy or one of the cops said he could leave.
"Shut up, Hurst!" his girlfriend shrieked, hitting his arm.
"Here, Liz, make a copy of all of these, please. Use one sheet," Rick said as he handed her a small stack of I.D.'s.
Jane sidled over to Liz. "So," she smiled sweetly, "Some of those cops are cute. Especially Officer Bingley."
"Yeah. Right. Sure," Liz said distractedly. She had to remember the darn code for the copier. "We all know why you like Officer Bingley. Could it have anything to do with the fact that you two are practically married?"
"We're not even dating!" Jane reddened.
"Only because neither of you has the guts to ask the other out."
"Officer Darcy is kinda cute too," Jane continued, ignoring Liz's comment. "I saw him looking at you an awful lot when he was down here."
"Whatever that pig has to say about me is a dirty, rotten lie," Liz suddenly spat.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Jane gasped. "He's only had the nicest things to say about you, and I know they're true."
"Fine then," Liz blushed. "But what about Geoff? Officer Darcy is a rude, arrogant jerk who busted Geoff lots of times for little things like having an empty wine cooler in his trunk, or for blowing a 0.03 on a breathalizer. Darcy is out to get Geoff."
"Who says?"
"Geoff."
"Did you ever think he might lie to you?" Jane suggested.
"Why should he?" Liz said in a tone that forbade further comment. She was too tired to deal with it.
Officer Darcy came downstairs and asked to use the phone.
"Yeah, I need to obtain a search warrant for room 590, Longbourn University. Suspected narcotics possession."
"That's Geoff's room!" Liz gasped. "You can't be serious."
"I am. If we find what we think we'll find, your boyfriend is in trouble plenty." Liz sighed. Will tipped his hat and left the desk area.
"I had no idea," Liz sighed. Jane rubbed her back. "Do you think he could have lied to me about everything ... the DUIs, MIPs, all of it?"
Jane nodded.
"So Officer Darcy was just doing his job, and Geoff was making him out to be a bad guy. That jerk!"
"So would you give Darcy a chance then?" Jane asked with a mischievous glint in her eye that Liz totally missed because she was so tired.
"Yeah. I would. Now that I know the real truth, anything is possible."
"Good," Jane said simply.
"Oh, my G*d!" Liz's eyes flew open. "Lydia!"
Liz ran to the stairs but was detained by Jane.
"Will and Charlie are up there. She'll be okay."
"I hope you're right."
"I know I am."
A loud crashing was heard from the stairwell. Liz opened the door and watched as Charlie and Will forced a struggling Geoff out of the college and to the police car.
As they passed, Geoff grinned and smirked: "Well, babe, it might be a while before I see you again. How's about a kiss for the road?"
Liz set her jaw and gave him a right hook that nearly broke his nose. Will nodded his approval.
After escorting Geoff Wickham out to the waiting car, Will returned momentarily and leaned on the desk.
"You know," he said, smiling broadly, "My shift ends at nine. Want to go out for a cup of coffee then?"
"Oh, I'd love to," she beamed, "But I'm afraid I've already got a date for 9. I promised my pillow some serious TLC then, and I don't want to go back on my promise."
Will thought for a moment. Then he flashed her a kilowatt smile.
"I've got a brilliant idea, if not a little forward. How about when your shift is over, you go get your pillow and meet me here. We can go back to my place and take a nice, long nap together, and then I can make you breakfast. I promise, no hanky-panky."
It was Liz's turn to think for a moment.
"That sounds good."
"So it's a date?" she asked.
"Yeah. It's a date."
Officers Darcy and Bingley left the school, and the guards started filling out reports, as did Jane. All Liz could do was sit and watch the second hand creep around the face of the clock ... 06:32:55 ... 06:32:56 ... 06:32:57 ...
So what happened to Lydia? She's a smart enough girl. As soon as she figured out what was going on, she went back to Liz's room and fell asleep. Liz called her later that afternoon and told her not to worry, she'd be back soon. How soon that was, we may never know.