"Mr. Rivers?"

Sudden, steady vibrations began processing within his neural framework as the brain rebooted like an old computer. Things had become a bit of a blur once he was put in handcuffs and put in the cop car.

"Mr. Rivers? Do you recognize this woman?"

He recognized that the place they were in was a police station. The man in front of him appeared to be a police officer, and there was a girl next to him.

"Jasmine," he murmured.

"I told you, Michael, he's my lab partner."

That prompted an upturned eyebrow, and a befuddled pause as he looked Caleb up and down again. His dirty blond hair had sunk into a mangled heap on his forehead by the weight of his sweat. His shoulders slouched, and his dreary eyes were intensely locked on Michael's gaze, as if even in cuffs, he was prepared to fight.

"This guy's a student?"

"This guy's a detective?" Caleb hissed back, eliciting a frown from Michael.

"Fine," he conceded, before turning to one of the other officers. "Hey, Jackson, we're letting this one go!"

"What!" an exasperated voice belted out. Caleb searched for where the sound came from. It was only then that he realized that the three muggers were being kept on the other side of the room. One was pointing directly at him. "Officer, but this man assaulted us! He nearly killed us!"

"Yes, but only after you three idiots tried to jump him. Just because you came out of it looking way worse than he did doesn't make him any less innocent and you any less guilty," Jackson chuckled.

"So, we're good then?" said Michael.

"Yeah, we're good," Jackson affirmed.

"Perfect. Well, whaddya say, Mr. Rivers? Why don't I drive you home?"

"Oh, nah, it's fine, I'll just walk."

"Please, I insist. You're a friend and classmate of my girl. I'd like to get to know you."

"Uh..." He shot Jasmine a dirty look, who had her shoulders hoisted above her ears and the guiltiest expression he had ever seen.

"C'mon man, it's no big deal. You don't have to be nervous just because I'm a cop." He helped Caleb to his feet and guided him along with him to the door. The next thing Caleb knew, he was in Michael's car, sitting in the front seat while Jasmine sat fidgeting in the backseat.

She stomped against the back of Caleb's seat as she growled through her teeth, "why the fuck can't you just stay out of trouble?"

As the car pulled out of the parking lot and entered the street, Michael began to chatter, "you know, I know you're not who you say you are."

An icy chill coursed its way through Caleb's body. He wanted to turn around and look at Jasmine, but he felt the back of his head plastered to the headrest. All he could do was listen.

"I haven't been doing this too long, but over the years I've learned that you could tell a lot about someone from their eyes," Michael continued. "When I look in yours I see a person who's had a hard life, one where he's had to fight for everything and not accept help or trust anyone. I know because that was me, believe it or not. We're not so different, Justin. And somehow, you made it. All on your own. You're in a good school, you're getting by. And for this one back here to come running when you called, it means you're a special guy. She thinks you're a special guy. So, don't waste that. Don't risk throwing your life away brawling in an alley with these punks out here that don't have anything going for them. You've got bigger things waiting for you."

Caleb sat back and let out a deep sigh of relief. Michael wasn't onto him in the slightest. He was just some goodie-two-shoes living out his favorite after school special.

Michael slowed the car in front of a building. "This the place?"

"Yep. Thanks," Caleb said as he pushed open the door.

"Hey, make a deal with me, Justin," Michael unrolled the window and called after him. "I wanna see you more often. Will you come over to study with Jasmine every now and then. I don't know what Jasmine's told you but I'm a really good cook. So, every now and then, come around and eat with us and we'll catch up, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess."

"Bye, Justin," Jasmine called from the backseat. Caleb responded with an icy glare sharp enough to carve the meat out of her eye sockets. She took the hint and retreated from the window.

"Yikes," she softly mumbled.

"You sure do have some interesting friends, baby," said Michael as he put the car back in drive and took off.

"You have no idea," she sighed.

He chuckled happily. "Now what's that supposed to mean?"