I Got You ~ C.B

TWENTY-FIVE

We eat in the car, heading in the direction of Cabrillo Beach. I pick up where we are when we're close by, and I coo
"Awe, Colby. I haven't been here for about four years."
He states
"Now that you're becoming a big Hollywood actress I thought I'd bring you back to your roots. Where it all began."
I lean over, kissing his cheek. A couple minutes later we pull up at at a parking spot, close to where we pulled up the first time. We walk down the same path, to the same beach, to the same fire pit. The only difference is that this time the sunset makes it look like whole sky is on fire, reflecting off the white wash of the waves. Everything is on fire. It's beautiful. A few people are already there, sat around the bonfire waiting for us. They call when they see us walking to them
"Lady and the emo!"
Brennan hollers. With him is Sam and Kat, Jake and Tara, Elton, Corey and Devyn, Diana, Paris, Tana and her current beau Jake Paul. All sat around the bonfire, some beers in hand and Bob Marley currently playing softly, mingling with the sound of the waves. It's the perfect celebration. Everyone stands to hug me, congratulating me. I ask
"How did you guys know so fast? I only just told Colby."
Colby shrugs
"I knew you would do great. And even if you didn't, I thought getting drunk may help the pain."
I scoff, playfully nudging him with my elbow
"I appreciate it either way."
Kissing him, we settle in on a log next to the fire, blanket over our lap and beers in hand. I tell everyone all about it, the premise of the movie, why I'm being heavily considered. But we're not there for long before Brennan looks over Colby's shoulder, and taps his arm
"Dude Dude."
Everyone turns to look around, eyes landing on two cops walking along the beach towards us. I raise an eyebrow
"Bonfires are legal on this beach right?"
Sam nods, confused before calling out to the officers in Good nature
"Hey, is there something wrong officers?"
They pause next to us, asking
"Do any of you own that yellow Camaro parked up there?"
Everyone looks to me, to I stand up and own it
"Yeah, that's my car."
They look over me, instructing
"Please come with us, ma'am."
I do, leaving my drink with Sam. Not that it makes a difference, everyone begins to follow me. Starting with Colby and the rest of them trailing. We walk back up the beach, leaving our set up around the fire. Their cop car is pulled up behind the Camaro, and they ask me when we get there
"License and registration, please."
I grab the keys off Colby, opening the car and getting everything they need from the glove compartment. They read over it, ensuring
"Alaska Rain?"
I nod
"Yes I am."
The taller and leaner one informs me
"This car was reported stolen about a month an a half ago. Registered to a person of your opposite gender."
Colby steps forward
"I think there's been a mistake- that was a birthday gift. A lot of us chipped in for it."
The shorter and beefier one turns to him
"You would do best to remain silent until spoken to son."
I nod at Colby, telling him I've got this. I ask them
"Could someone have taken it and sold it to us?"
The one who just spoke to Colby addresses me harshly
"Miss, the whole naivety act is cute but isn't helping you right now. Playing dumb isn't the way to go about this."
I shake my head, trying to remain respectful
"All due respect, officers, I didn't steal a car. None of us stole a car."
The tall one explains
"Miss, we have all the evidence we need that suggests otherwise. We're going to need to take you in for questioning."
Next thing I know, the shorter one yanks my arms behind my back and cuffs me. I'm blindsided
"This isn't necessary."
I'm patted down as the other explains
"Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about coming downtown with us."
I'm shoved harshly into the backseats of the wagon, looking at Colby over their shoulder. It's then that I realise he's been recording this whole thing. I yell, calling him out
"It's a prank! You're pranking me!"
Everyone cracks up laughing, Colby rushing up to me still sat in the backseat of a cop car pointing the camera at me
"You've been pranked bro!"
I scoff, shaking my head
"Amazing. Great content, bro. Now get me out of here. I don't want to know what's been on these seats."
The cops help me out the car, uncuffing me and apologising
"I'm so sorry. You're a good sport though."
I shrug, rubbing at my wrists
"I just didn't get what was going on. Like it seemed way too fast. I would know. And you didn't read me my rights, officers."
Jake's eyes flicker
"You would know? How?"
The other tall cop comes back around, handing me my license and registration back. He fills him in
"I just ran a background check on your friend here. Looks like this isn't the first run in with the law she's had. But I'll let her tell you the rest."
We part ways with the cops, Colby identifying as we make our way back down to the fire
"So that's why you weren't freaking out- you've already been arrested!"
I chuckle
"It's a long story that I," now talking directly to the camera "will be happy to tell you behind the scenes."
So after doing an outro, he puts the camera away, and I begin telling the story of my real arrest.
"You guys seen that documentary The Cove?"
A few nod, some are confused. Colby fills the ones who don't know in.
"It's this place in Japan where they slaughter dolphins."
I nod, and proceed
"Well, after I graduated high school- I was eighteen- instead of doing the Aussie 'shoolies' thing, I wanted to travel. So Diana, my other cousin Monica and I went to Japan. But I didn't just go for a holiday. Before we left I had gotten in contact with the Dolphin Project, Ric O'Barry's foundation. I had organised to be a part of something with them. We were only meant to be there a week, but on our third day there I slipped off with the foundation while they were asleep and head into Taji. They had roped in a pod of dolphins in the Cove to slaughter the next day. Long story short I succeeded in cutting their nets and freeing the whole pod. The thing is, as we were on the escape, they did us for trespassing and wilful damage and interfering with business or something. Diana, Monica and I were immediately sent home under Japanese legal supervision. Now I'm banned from the city of Taiji."
I get a lot of mixed responses- some laugh, some clap, some sing the 'Bad Boys' theme song. But all are surprised. I tell them
"There's videos of it. It wasn't an easy arrest. We protested and the people who worked at the Cove were violent. It's online somewhere, I just kind of kept it to myself. Especially since my career was just taking off."
Tana pouts
"Damn, I thought you had just stolen or something. But you saved dolphins."
I shrug
"It was an activism thing."
Colby counts on his fingers
"Trespassing, Wilful damage, Disturbing the Peace... that's three felonies."
I smirk
"That makes two of us."
He chuckles, Brennan commenting from his other side
"Lovebirds And Jailbirds. You two are quite the pair."
"Bonnie and Clyde."
Tara sentiments. Colby nodding
"If Bonnie and Clyde were into activism instead of robbing banks."
I wave it off
"Anyway, there you go. But let's just forget about it now, I kind of don't want it getting out."
Jake comments
"I reckon it would be pretty cool if it did get out. It would probably actually be really good publicity. Like, yeah- three felonies, but you also were doing it in the name of activism and saving the dolphins. People would eat that shit up."
I shrug
"Well, if it happens it happens. Let's just get back to drinking, yeah?"
And that we do. Colby hums next to my ear
"I love that you've been arrested. You little rebel."
I giggle
"Yes, freeing dolphins. I should get a teardrop tattoo next time in the slammer."
He smirks
"What will it be next time- releasing dogs from a pound."
I look up at him, pouted lips showing I'm actually considering it. He pokes me in the side, tickling me
"Don't even think about it, troublemaker."
He laughs
"Only you would get done for freeing dolphins."
I retort
"Only you would get done wearing a Justin Bieber shirt, refuse to eat the sandwich bread because you were keto, and make buds with the alpha dogs on the inside."
He pauses and smiles over my face
"We really are a perfect pair huh?"