Short Story - Traffic Violation

4:00 on the car's clock radio, and the stars shone above in the night. Michael made his way across town from a shadier side than he lived in. Guys like him drove to across town to that house at this time of the night just one reason, and he held it in his pocket burning a hole into his thigh. The red light flew over his head at just about the time he was thinking about how much weight he carried on him. The red lights were following him with sirens, now, and his car came to a jittery stop when he put the cops and his trip and his pocket together in his mind.

High beams shone in his eyes through the mirrors. He couldn't see the stars from here. Registration, insurance, drugs, check. He had everything he needed for getting pulled over. God, was this guy taking a nap back there or was it going to get over with? Michael just wished the cop would make his way up and get the search and arrest over, at least he could get into the cell to sleep sooner. He was tired anyway.

Finally the doors opened from the police care and an officer stepped out, slowly meandering down the side of the road to his car. He rolled down the window, but just about half way, and was ready to hand over his paper work. He couldn't decide if he should keep the seat belt on to show he wore it or take it off to get out for his body search faster. He didn't want to upset the cop before the stash was found. Maybe that would help everything go a little smoother. Search, arrest, jail, and quick, was the best he could hope for.

Shit, came the thoughts, when Michael began to think about the morning after, when he woke up in jail and had no idea what to do. His parents would see he never made it up, and Sarah wouldn't take long to hear about it when he didn't answer her calls. Michael wondered who she would hook up with by the end of the week and what his parents would do with his room. He handed the paperwork over to the police officer, because he knew that's what he was supposed to do, not because of instructions, which he didn't even hear.

Will and hope drained quickly. His heart sank, thinking about all the friends he knew who had been in jail. They all seemed diminished and he felt himself becoming like them already. The cop spoke, and he nodded and made vague responses, but never once was sitting in his car. He was sitting in his jail cell, wondering where he went wrong. He was having an awkward first shower in the joint, while the officer started writing tickets. His food tray was knocked over, when the ticket was passed over and he couldn't bring himself to read it. The officer told him to get some sleep, and he managed to pick that up, but he couldn't sleep with the looks he got from his cellmate. The officer was walking back, and he came back from his fear.

He read the ticket for running the red light, felt like a gaping hole was ripped in his chest, and pulled, slowly, onto the road to get home, sleep, and flush the toilet.