FIFTEENTH INSTALLMENT

Jeremy and Dave, both carrying two boxes, entered the corridor on the second floor.
"A, C. C? Where the hell is ---?"

"Opposite side, Dave!" Jeremy told his impatient friend.

"Oh. Okay. Hey, so we're across from each other. You were C, right?"

"Yeah." It sounded tired.

"Oh, c'mon man, lighten up. It ain't the end of the world. Hell, it ain't even the end of the hallway!"

Jeremy was easily amused and he followed Dave into room D to deposit Dave's belongings. As they opened the door, they both immediately stopped in their tracks.

"Well, looks like whoever I'm sharin' with is already here," Dave said as he looked at the items that someone had already placed in the room.

"Yeah well, looks like "whoever" took the best bed, Dave!" Jeremy said as he placed the boxes he carried on the vacant bed.

"Ya think?" Dave didn't really care where he slept; he could just about sleep anywhere. He put his boxes down on the bed as well.
"So whaddaya think, Jer? Should we go get your boxes now or should I put my stuff away first?"

"If I were you I'd put my stuff in the closet and lock the thing. Then we can go get my stuff," Jeremy said as he opened the unused closet.
"See, you can stack the boxes in here for now."

The young cadets placed the four boxes inside the closet and locked it. Then they went downstairs again to the parking lot. In the reception hall they exchanged greetings with Kenneth Hutchinson as the three of them passed each other.
Incredibly, there was not one minute that Dave and Kenneth were in their room together that Saturday. Either one of them had been in the parking lot while the other was in the room or when Kenneth was in the room, Dave had been busy helping Jeremy in his room.

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At 11 AM Kenneth locked the door to room D. He had the remainder of the weekend off and he was going to make the most of it.
First he had to find out if John Colby had checked in yet. They had agreed to go out that evening to a sports bar, have a few drinks and maybe shoot some pool. As he walked across the grounds he heard someone calling his name.

"Ken! Kenneth!" It was John Colby.

"Hey, John! When did you get here?" Kenneth smiled and shook hands with John.

"Oh, first thing ten o'clock. No need in wasting time. So, are you done yet?"

"Yes. You?"

"All settled in."

"So, what do you want to do now? Or did you have plans already?"

"No. I figured if we drive downtown now, we'll get there around lunchtime. How about me buying you lunch?" John asked his new friend.

"Never look a gift horse in the mouth I always say!" Kenneth smiled at John. They walked to their respective cars and left the grounds.

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At noon Jeremy and Dave were done with their rooms. Dave first had to go back to the reception desk downstairs because he had forgotten to pick up his key to the room and the person who was sharing his room had locked the door.
Once he opened the door, Dave let out a gasp of disbelief. Whoever was sharing his room had hung what looked like the most unsightly type of multicolored dress or muumuu on one of the walls, at least unsightly to both Dave's and Jeremy's taste.

"Will ya look at that? What the hell is that?" Dave exclaimed.

"Are you sure you're sharing your room with a guy?" Jeremy was not being very helpful with this remark, because Dave began to have doubts about that as well.

"I dunno. I thought it was guys with guys and girls with girls. Hmmm."

Just then Uncle Al entered the doorway to Dave's room. He had asked the duty officer for directions because he had to get back to the garage.
"Listen Dave I gotta get ba---. What the hell is that?"

The young cadets turned around to face Uncle Al.
"I dunno, Uncle Al. But I ain't gonna worry about it before I hafta," Dave said while walking toward his uncle to usher him out.
"C'mon, Jer. Are you all settled in?"

Jeremy nodded at Dave.

"Ok, let's get the hell outta here then."
Dave locked the door and the three of them left for the parking lot to head home.

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Kenneth and John, Dave and Jeremy spent the rest of their Saturday with each other. On Sunday however, each spent their time alone, or with their relatives. They would be seeing enough of each other for the duration of the training.

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The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

SIXTEENTH INSTALLMENT

6.15 AM Monday First day

As his alarm rang, Dave Starsky let out a loud moan from under his blankets.
This ain't natural. No way are human beings supposed to get up at this ungodly hour!

He shut the alarm off with a well directed hit from his hand. Slowly he sat upright.
Man, this sucks.
He got out of bed, staggered over to his dresser and got out his underwear. He had hung his uniform on the bathroom door the night before. As he found his way to his bathroom, he hit his toe against his closet.
"OOOHHHH, oh Goddammit! Jeez. Shit."

He made some more unintelligible grunting sounds and stepped into the shower cabin. He turned the water on. An icy cold stream of water came out of the showerhead.
"Goddammit! What the?---"
Dave had a feeling this was not going to be one of his better days.

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Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Kenneth Hutchinson was already halfway done with his morning run. He had set his alarm at an earlier time so that he could still do his morning routine. This morning however he was running just on grapefruit and orange juice. He had put his blender in storage the night before.

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Dave stood in front of his dressing mirror putting on his uniform. First came the shirt and pants. Then the shoes. Dave hated the shoes. He mostly wore sneakers for every occasion or otherwise went barefoot. He proceeded to put on the jacket. Somehow it all felt a bit too tight.
How come it's so tight? It wasn't so tight when I tried it on over there, was it?
He sighed. He got out the cap that went with the uniform and put it on his head. The cap didn't seem to fit either as it popped up from his curls.
"God, Jesus, what the hell is the matter with this thing?" Dave sputtered in frustration. He decided to leave the cap off and just hold it.
One glance at his alarm clock told him he'd better hurry over to his aunt and uncle's for breakfast and goodbyes. He packed his last personal items in a small bag, took one last look at his studio apartment, locked the door behind him, and drove off in the blue Ford.

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Kenneth was back home at 6.30 AM. He had laid out his uniform on the bed and had already packed the last items he wanted to bring to his dorm room. He dried off. As he walked over to his kitchen area, he put the morning paper he had borrowed from his downstairs neighbor on his dining table. Then he fetched his last three grapefruits, some oranges and lemons to make his juice with. He was going to have his juice, a papaya and a banana for breakfast.
In the bathroom he turned on the shower. When the water had warmed up sufficiently, he stepped under the fresh spray, alternating hot with cold water. After he was done, he shaved, combed his hair and put on his underwear. He made his juice, which he drank, while going over the morning paper.

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At 6.35 AM Dave entered his aunt's kitchen.
One would not have known it was this early in the day, because the kitchen was buzzing with activity. Miss Thelma was sitting at the kitchen table, still in her bathrobe with her nightcap on. Uncle Al was walking around the kitchen in his pants and tank top. Aunt Rosie was busy making breakfast at the kitchen counter.

Miss Thelma's face lit up as soon as she saw Dave coming in.
"Oh, look at you! Don't you look handsome in your uniform! Ooooh baby, you is such a prize!" she chirped.

Uncle Al stood still, looking proud. Aunt Rosie turned around appreciatively going over her handsome nephew's form. The boy's looks were a perfect mix of all the best parts of both his parents.
"Where's your cap?"

A grunt was her answer, as Dave sat down at the kitchen table.

"What was that? What did you say?" Rosie asked.

"It don't fit," Dave mumbled while he began loading his empty plate with pancakes, sausages and scrambled eggs.

"It don't fit?" Uncle Al repeated, while he faced his wife with a bewildered look.

"Don't fit? You tried it on before, didn't you?" Rosie asked her nephew.

Dave nodded, his mouth stuffed with food.

"It's the hair," Miss Thelma said quietly.
"The boy's got too much hair goin' on on that head of his. They are gonna cut your hair today, aren't they?" she asked Dave.

Dave looked a bit more relaxed now and answered his former neighbor with a smile.
"Yeah. You're right, Grandma. I think it'll fit once they cut my hair."

"Of course it will!" she smiled back.

The phone rang and Uncle Al picked it up.
"Yeah, Mancowicz speakin'."
He listened to the other line and began to smile. Then he faced Dave who had just taken a huge bite off one of the sausages and had stuffed half a pancake into his mouth to keep it company.
"Hey Davey, somebody wants to wish you good luck." Al motioned Dave to come to the phone.

"Hmmmm? Mmmmm! Hmmm? Hmm, hmmm."
Dave was trying to chew away the huge amount of food he had stuffed into his mouth and have a conversation at the same time. Finally he swallowed and was able to actually make some intelligible sounds.
"Oh it's fine, just fine. Hmm? No Ma, it ain't. No, it really ain't. Huh? I dunno yet, we kept missin' the guy. No it ain't Jeremy, he's across the hall from me."

Aunt Rosie pointed at the kitchen clock.

"Hey, listen, Ma? I, I gotta go now. No really, I can't be late. What? Hah? Oh yeah, I will. Yes I will. I will Ma, I will! Ma? Ma. MA!!! I lov' ya and I'll call ya, okay? Bye."
Dave hung up the phone and walked back to his seat at the table.
"That was Ma." He continued to devour his breakfast.

"No kidding!" Rosie sputtered while making a face.

"No!" Dave managed through the corner of his stuffed mouth. He made a face back at his aunt, then continued his breakfast.

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Kenneth had finished his breakfast and his morning paper. He washed his glass and cleared his kitchen area for the last time. Then he proceeded to put on his uniform. It was a perfect fit. He looked good enough to model it. He completed the outfit with his cap, picked up his bag and turned to take one last look at his apartment. Then he locked the door and went downstairs to his neighbor's apartment. He knocked on the door. It opened as far as the door chain allowed.

"Morning, Janice." She ran a local shop.

"Ah, good morning, Ken. Wait a minute, I'll open the door."
As she opened the door she stepped forward a bit to take a good look at Kenneth.
"My, that uniform certainly becomes you Mr. Hutchinson! You look very good in it."

Kenneth smiled shyly at his downstairs neighbor.
"Why, thank you, Ms. Silver. Uhm, I've uh, I've come to bring you the key. Oh, and your morning paper. Thank you for letting me read it."

"Oh, that's quite all right. So, we won't be seeing you here for quite a while then?"

"That's right. Twenty weeks to be precise."

"Oh --- Well, I'm sure that young doctor and his wife will take good care of your apartment. They seem like a nice young couple, don't they?"

"Yes, they do."

" I am going to miss you. But it will be great having a cop around this place soon!"

"Well, I'll first have to get through this training!" Kenneth smiled at her.
"Hey, I have to go. I'm sure I'll come by the store again one of these days."
He winked at her, turned and left.

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At 7.00 AM, Dave stood up from the table and so did everyone else in the kitchen, ready for the good byes.
"Hey, I just gotta go to the can!" Dave said, looking as if he feared everyone was going to join him there.

"Well, make it fast! You can't afford to be late," aunt Rosie called after him.
She put some more edibles in a doggy bag, knowing her nephew's stomach mostly resembled a bottomless pit. Miss Thelma had even brought some cold samples of her famous spicy chicken dish to put in there too. Dave loved her soul food.

As Dave returned to the kitchen, he hugged everyone. Armed with his bag of food, he went for the blue Ford, waved one more time and drove off.

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The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

There was absolutely no excuse for reporting late on the first official day at the Police Academy.
So, at 8.00 AM sharp, all the new cadets gathered at the gyms designated to their respective sections for the mandatory haircuts. They entered the gym where the barber chairs stood lined up.

When it was Dave's turn, his luscious, brown curls needed a treatment with scissors before the barber could shave the hair to a length acceptable for the Academy.
Kenneth could see the fluffy curls fall to the ground and the sweet and innocent look on the youth's face disappear with the hair. When it was his turn it didn't take the barber quite as long, since Kenneth wore his hair short already, and in a meticulously kept style at that.

Next, they went to the auditorium for a speech by the commanding officer of the Academy.
The character of the speech was quite different from the introduction speech the week before. The cadets were summoned to think about the responsibilities they were about to take upon themselves and they were told that it might not be the longest educational run they would endure in their life time, but that it would probably be one of the toughest.
Once again, they got the mantra about duty, honor and responsibility above anything else.

Then one of the instructors gave a detailed lecture on the classes and what they would entail. Although they had heard it all before a week ago, somehow it all sounded more intense and real the second time around.
It basically came down to long days, with lots of academics, many pop quizzes, many hours of physical exercise, driving instructions, firearm drills, etcetera, etcetera. The time the training would take was relatively short, but was crammed with so many activities on so many levels in so many areas, that the cadets would really need every single minute they would spend at the academy, to bring the course to a successful completion.

After the speech they went to their "home room", the classroom where they would be spending many hours hearing lectures and doing tests. There the cadets were introduced to their mentor, Captain Branson. He was a stockily built man, with a crew cut and a booming voice. His eyes were such a light shade of blue, they were almost white and he had a paper thin moustache. The man was a real military type of person with close to no sense of humor.
Because the sergeant who had done the introductory classes the previous week had made a floor plan where all the cadets were signed in with their names, Branson did not order them to reseat themselves in alphabetical order. This meant Dave and Ken were to remain seated next to each other.

Branson didn't waste any time. As soon as all the cadets were seated he began his lecture on drill and ceremony. Another instructor walked into the home room right on cue and was introduced as the drill instructor for Section B. His name was Captain Wellman. The cadets were lectured on the importance of preparing and maintaining clean and pressed uniforms complete with spit-shined shoes. And they were told how their appearance could earn them extra credit or could cost them points in their overall evaluation.

After this first lecture on the very basics, a loud buzz signaled it was time for lunch. The cadets filed into two neat rows and left the home room the way they had just been taught by their drill instructor. Once outside the home room, Captain Wellman walked past the cadets and finally gave them the "at ease" after which they were free to head for the cafeteria.

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In the cafeteria, Dave and Jeremy quickly found each other and went over to the counter to pick up their lunches.
Kenneth scanned the cafeteria for John Colby. Just when he thought he had no luck he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, I see they forgot to cut your hair!" John Colby smiled at Kenneth.

"Well, there wasn't really much to take off now, was there? But you on the other hand ---" Kenneth laughed at the short bristle-like style John's hair had been reduced to.

"Yeah, that's right, have a laugh at your friend's expense!" John laughed along with Kenneth.

They both walked up to the counter to get lunch.
"So. Who did you get for home room?" John asked while filling his lunch tray.

"Uhm, Branson, yeah that's his name. A little, short guy. You know, his hair kind of resembles yours now, thin moustache, spooky eyes."

"Oh, I know, I know. I've seen that guy. Jeez, I don't think I'd be too keen on having him as a mentor."

"Why not?"

"Doesn't he look like an iron-eater to you? Kind of a--- how shall I put it? A little military type guy, power hungry, overbearing little shit."

"Whoa, that's a quick assumption, isn't it? I mean, I know you did psychology and all but--- I have to give the guy a chance, right?"
Kenneth was a little taken aback by John's quick assessments of people's characters.

"Hmmm, yeah, I suppose you could do that. But I'm telling you Ken. I'm right about the little S.O.B." John continued confidently, while filling his tray.

Kenneth decided to not pursue the subject any longer.

Meanwhile, Dave and Jeremy had joined four other cadets from their section at their table. Dave was having a big lunch as usual and so was Jeremy, but he had an excuse, being the size he was.

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The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

After lunch it was back to the home room.
There they received their books, 21 of them. The subject matter of the respective books ranged from federal and state laws and city ordinances, radio communications, firearm conduct and usage, ethics, professional conduct and instructional books on the use of various types of weapons.
There were books on role-playing exercises.
They received "how-to" books -- a lot of them.
How to respond to the scene of a crime or an accident.
How to interview suspects and witnesses.
How to write crime reports.

How to monitor any suspicious activity of ongoing crimes.
How to coordinate vehicular traffic.
How to book suspects. How to collect and process evidence.
How to transport evidence to the appropriate Police Department facilities.
How to respond to citizens’ and visitors’ questions.
How to prepare Daily Field Activity Reports.
And so on and so forth.

Kenneth and Dave looked at each other and at the growing pile of books laid out on a long table at the front of the classroom.

"Man, I'm gonna need me a cart to get that back up to my room!" Dave said.

"No kidding! What did Branson say? 21 books? What's that, a little over one book a week?" Kenneth answered.

"Last time I read a book, I think it took me 21 weeks to get half way through it," Dave said.
He was beginning to get an uncomfortable look on his face.

"And then you were just reading it. Now you have to memorize it!"
Kenneth's reply was not doing Dave's anxiety any good.

"Oh man, I ain't gonna make this. Look at that! Will you look at those piles?! That ain't healthy. No one can read that much in such a short time. Just look at those piles, man! Look!"
Dave's voice went up a few notes as his worry about his chances to complete this training grew larger with each book stacked on to the piles.

Kenneth glanced from Dave to the books and back.
This kid really seems worried he isn't going to make it. I can't say I'm surprised, considering how slim the marks were that got him in here.
Kenneth felt a little sorry for the kid, thinking it might be his big dream to become a policeman, only to find out you had to actually study before being allowed on the street, toting a gun.
"Hey, listen. If you should have any trouble studying for a test or something, you can always knock on my door for help. I could teach you techniques that will make studying much easier, trust me."

Dave, glancing wide-eyed from the books to Kenneth, looked straight into Kenneth's light blue eyes for a while.
"You'd do that?" he asked, sounding like a little boy.

Kenneth had to smile. A five-year age difference could sometimes seem much bigger. In a soft, reassuring tone he answered his wide-eyed neighbor.
"Sure I'd do that! You will just need to apply yourself. I mean, I can give you study tips, but you'll still have to do the studying."

"--- what's so damned much more interesting and educational than what I have to tell all of you, I'm all ears!"

Suddenly the classroom was so quiet they could have heard a pin drop.

"Well?" Branson barked in an annoyed tone.

Heads started to turn toward Dave and Kenneth.
Neither of them had been aware that their conversation had been noticed by their mentor Captain Branson, who by now seemed extremely irritated.

"I said 'well'? Gentlemen in the back? Let me see. Hutchinson and Starky. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Well, sir, first of all---" Dave started.

"GET UP WHEN YOU ARE ADRESSING YOUR INSTRUCTORS!" Branson shouted in a sharp voice.

Kenneth could see Dave's jaw clenching and the same anger flashing up in the kid's eyes that had been directed at him the week before. Kenneth's heart began to race.

Dave got up slowly and straightened up before answering Branson.
"Well, sir. First of all my name is Starsky. With an S. And two, we were talking about the books. Sir."
Dave began to sit down.

"YOU DON'T SIT BACK DOWN UNTIL I TELL YOU IT'S ALL RIGHT FOR YOU TO SIT DOWN!" Branson was still highly annoyed.

Kenneth flinched at the coldness in Branson's voice.
Could John have been right about this man?

"Now. As I have just mentioned, the schedules for the next week's preliminary tests will be handed out to you as well as the schedule for the whole course of academics and when the official tests will take place. You should, however, be fully prepared at all times, as you can and will be tested randomly as well."
Branson picked up a stack of papers and looked at Dave.
"Starky. Over here," he barked at Dave.

Kenneth nervously looked up at Dave, who was still standing. Dave's jaw was clenched with contained anger and his sapphire blue eyes could have frozen a fire. Kenneth knew the kid well enough by now to see it took a supreme effort from Dave to walk over to Branson quietly. Kenneth glanced over to big Jeremy Hendricks and could tell by the look on this cadet's face that he was just as nervous and anxious about what Dave was going to do once he reached Branson.

The classroom was dead quiet. Dave stood next to Branson. As Branson was only a short, stocky man at barely 5 feet 6 inches, the young, lean cadet towered over him, with barely suppressed anger smoldering in his light blue eyes.

Branson looked up at Dave.
"So, Cadet Starky. Do you think you'd be able to pass these instructions out to your fellow cadets? Do you think you can manage that?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

All cadets in the classroom, but especially Kenneth and Jeremy, held their breaths as they could see the struggle within Dave Starsky.

Finally Dave spoke, in a polite tone.
"Yes sir, Captain Bronson, sir," and retrieved the pile of papers. He began to turn to begin his chores.

"That's Branson. Captain Branson, cadet!" Branson snapped.

"Yes sir. And my name is Cadet Starsky. Sir."
Dave turned and began handing out the papers.

Branson at first wanted to answer back to Dave, but as he heard the rest of the class chuckling, he decided not to. Kenneth did, however, notice Branson making a note in his logbook.

After Dave had handed out the papers he wanted to return to his seat.
"Where do you think you're going?" Branson barked at Dave.

"I was just gonna---"

"You're not supposed to just do anything. You're a cadet now. You are told what you are going to do. Did you hear what I just said? GOING TO DO. Those are three words, cadet. Try to speak English from now on."
Branson looked sternly at Dave who was frozen in a posture between standing and sitting down.
"Approach, cadet---" Branson motioned with his hand for Dave to approach the mentor's desk.

Dave walked over to the front of the classroom. Once more, the tension was thick in the room.

As Dave stood next to him once again, Branson first stared straight into Dave's face before going over him from head to toe. He looked at some papers on his desk.
"Cadet Starsky. With an S. Dave Starsky."

Dave stood waiting. He had no idea what would come next but he had the sinking feeling that if this was going to continue for the next 20 weeks, it would take all the fun and idealistic ideas he had about becoming a cop away from him.

"I see you'll be 21 --- three months from now."
Branson looked up at Dave's face.
"I will put your rash behavior down to your immaturity then. But I suggest you do some growing up here, cadet. This academy is not for little boys. Grow up, behave yourself and stick to the rules!" Branson barked, chest out.
"Then things will go much easier for you. You may sit down now."
Branson uttered the last two sentences in a surprisingly soft tone.

Dave looked flabbergasted for an instant.
"Yes, sir."
He turned and returned to his place next to Kenneth.

They both wisely kept quiet until the end of the long day. At four o'clock class was dismissed and all cadets received large boxes to transport their books to either their dorm rooms or their cars.

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The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Dave and Jeremy were walking through the reception hall when they were addressed by some of their classmates. The other cadets were all anxious to get Dave's personal reaction to what had transpired in the homeroom between him and Branson.
Meanwhile, Kenneth took his books up to his dorm room. In passing, he had briefly spoken to John Colby and they had agreed to meet in the hall to go have a look at John's room together, before dinner.

Once in his room, Kenneth placed the box containing his books on the bed and locked the door on his way out. As he was going downstairs, the box tilted over and spilled its contents all over the floor of the dormroom---

Dave and Jeremy finally made it up to their corridor and their rooms.
"Hey, wanna go downstairs to grab somethin' to eat?" Dave asked over his shoulder, while balancing the box with the books on his knee as he searched for the key to his room.

"It's not even 4.30, man. I don't even think the kitchen's open yet!" Jeremy called back at him.

"Yeah, well, I'm starved. I gotta get somethin' to eat. It's still an hour and a half before dinner!"

"I got a chocolate cake from home! Want a piece?" Jeremy offered, while opening his door.

"Man, are ya kiddin'? Sure, be right there!"
Dave entered the room without watching where he was going and stepped on two books that were lying on top of each other. He slipped and as he crashed to the floor the box filled with his books went straight up into the air, losing its contents in the process. He fell on the book-covered floor and one of the thicker books from his own box landed hard on his head before dropping to the floor.
"AAAAAAHHHH GODDAMMIT!!!!!!"

Jeremy came running over as soon as he heard the loud thud.
"Dave! Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

Dave was red from anger, anxiety and just plain bad, bad temper.
He hoisted himself up, with a little help from Jeremy, and looked furiously at the big mess of books on the floor.
"Where the fuck is that goddamned asshole that's sharing this room. If I lay my hands on that bastard ---. Look at this damned mess. Now I gotta, I gotta ---"
Dave was about to explode and he kicked the cardboard box in two.

"Hey man, hold on, hold on now."
Big Jeremy restrained Dave who was lashing out at the poor cardboard box.
"Calm down, buddy! What did that box ever do to you, huh?"
Jeremy held on to Dave until he could feel his muscles relax.

"It's okay. I'm okay, Jer. Sorry 'bout that."
Dave made it clear it was safe for Jeremy to unhand him. He laughed a short, embarrassed laugh.
"Phew. I uh---"
He ran his hand through his short, flattened curls and had to laugh again.
"Man, I must've really looked like an ugly, angry little bugger there!"

Jeremy let out a laugh that was filled with relief. He was glad to see his friend seemed all right again.
"Well, not little. Now Branson, that's another story!" He looked expectantly at Dave.

Dave let out a snort and shook his head.
"Oh man, don't get me started on that asshole. That little pisser's got a problem, I'm tellin' ya."

"Yes, well, I have a feeling he can do pretty nasty stuff, Dave. I wouldn't get under his skin too much if I were you."

"Hey, I ain't interested in buggin' him. He's just got a short fuse, that's all."

Dave and Jeremy looked at each other.
"A short bell chord," Jeremy added.
"Stuck to his little bell."

"Yeah, to his little ding-dong." Dave threw in.
"No pun intended."

The two friends got a fit of the giggles and hung onto each other until the laughter subsided.

"Come on, I'll help you sort out this mess and then we'll head downstairs," Jeremy offered.
He looked a bit worried at Dave who was rubbing his back.
"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just help me get this mess straightened out, will ya? I ain't gonna put his books on the shelf though. He can take care of that himself, the jerk."

The two young men proceeded in clearing the floor.
"Hey, we're still gonna have that chocolate cake though, ain't we?" Dave asked after they'd cleared the mess.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Sure," Jeremy answered.

"Yeah, right, you forgot. You were just gonna keep that thing to yourself!"
Dave pushed Jeremy out of the room after which he locked the door to his room.

Laughing and pushing each other, they went to Jeremy's room. Luckily his roommate was not present, so they helped themselves to a large piece of chocolate cake that Jeremy's mother had baked and had brought along on a visit to her son. After Jeremy put away his books, they went downstairs.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The cafeteria opened for dinner at 6 PM. The cadets who were interns began to trickle into the cafeteria. They had changed into their casual clothes and so the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed now. Groups formed, even outside the bounds of the different sections. Kenneth was sharing a table with John Colby and four other cadets from sections C and D.

Dave, Jeremy and two other cadets from section B were sharing a big table with six cadets from sections A through D. The atmosphere at their table was very relaxed, upbeat and filled with jokes and laughter.

The atmosphere at Kenneth's table was more serious. The men at that table discussed the day's events, the prospects of the academics and the first impressions they had gotten so far from the academy and its instructors.

By 7.30 PM, the cafeteria had pretty much emptied out and the cadets went up to the dorm building. Some remained downstairs for a bit, either in the lounge area or the communal living room. Some ventured out to the library area and still others went to the workout room, to do some exercising.

Dave and Jeremy spent some time watching sports on the communal TV before going upstairs at 8.30 PM. They had their first test try-out tomorrow morning so they decided to hit the books for a while.

Kenneth had already gone up to room D on the second floor, oblivious to what had transpired with his box full of books earlier that afternoon. Dave and Jeremy had put his books neatly back into the box, which they had placed in the center of his bed.
Kenneth placed the books on the shelf over his bed and picked out the right book for tomorrow's try-out test. He seated himself at one of the tables and began to read and make notes.

At 8.35 PM Jeremy and Dave entered the corridor on the second floor.
"Hey, see ya tomorrow. Good studyin'," Dave told Jeremy as he stood outside room D.

"Yes, you too. Dave, remember, if you got any problems, knock on my door, okay?" Jeremy offered.

Dave waved at him.
"Yeah sure, thanks, man. See ya."
He entered the dark room. His roommate wasn't in, but obviously had been there before. He could tell his roomie had already begun studying, from the opened book on one of the tables. Dave contemplated for a minute what he would do first. Study? Or take a shower? It was only a little past 8.30 PM but the days started very early here. So he decided to have a shower first.
He got out his towel and his pajamas, his toothbrush, toothpaste and soap and left the room on his way to the showers. In the corridor, he passed Kenneth Hutchinson, whose hair was still damp from his shower. They said hello and continued on their respective ways.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Just before 9 PM Dave returned to his room. He swung open the door and looked up. His mouth dropped open as he looked at the person who lay stretched out on the other bed in the infamous muumuu, while reading the textbook.

The other cadet looked equally surprised at the figure, who stood like a statue in the doorway, dropping his tube of toothpaste on the floor.

They both stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, but in reality was only a two second period. Then Kenneth William Hutchinson III sat up, adjusted his caftan around his legs, managed a smile and said,
"Hi Dave. Uhm--- Looking for someone?" he was hoping to receive a different answer than the one he feared.

Dave was still in shock. Partially from seeing his roommate was the hoity-toity Kenneth the third and partially because he was shocked to see Kenneth was actually wearing the Godaweful dress he had seen hanging on the wall on Saturday. He could only manage an unintelligible grunt.

"Huh? What was that? I uh, I think your friend Jeremy is across the hall."
Kenneth noticed the expression on the kid's face equaled the one Dave had worn on the very first day they'd bumped into each other, during the speech in the auditorium. That same dimwitted, deadpan expression covered the kid's face now.
"Uhm, you've uh, you've dropped something."

"Huh?" Dave managed, but was still staring in shock at Kenneth.

"You've dropped something."
Kenneth got up from the bed and slowly approached Dave. He noticed the dimwitted expression was beginning to change into another expression he recognized from before. The angry expression.
Kenneth bent over to pick up the tube of toothpaste, but his eyes never left Dave's increasingly annoyed features.
"Here you go." He offered the tube of toothpaste, almost as a peace token.

Dave was visibly undergoing a storm of various emotions now and just stared from the tube of toothpaste into Kenneth's, by now anxious, features and back.
"Huh?" Dave managed once more. He looked at the hand in front of him, holding the tube of toothpaste, as if it were an unidentifiable object.

Kenneth was beginning to get extremely nervous now.
Is this kid going to implode or explode on me?
Inside, Kenneth already realized he and the kid were apparently roommates, but he just wasn't willing to let that truth be definite yet. He was hoping that, as long as he wouldn't actually mention it, that fact would just go away and his real roommate would come knocking at the door and introduce himself.

Unfortunately for Kenneth, instead of his wish coming true, he quickly had to jump aside as the kid began to move forward, further into the room, confirming his fears. He watched the kid carefully and decided not to close the door just yet. If necessary, he wanted to be able to make a quick exit.

Dave walked up to his bed, stood there staring at it for a while, then turned half way around to face Kenneth's bed. It was as if he needed every single second to assess the situation and the truth that was slowly beginning to dawn on him. He looked Kenneth in the eye again, with an extremely annoyed expression on his face. Then he walked up to his closet, causing Kenneth to quickly jump out of the way again since he was still half expecting the kid was going to hit him or something. Dave proceeded to put his soap and toothbrush back into his closet. It was only then that it registered he was missing his toothpaste. He closed the door to his closet and started for the door, making it necessary for Kenneth to jump out of the way for the third time.

"Where are you going?" Kenneth asked before he could help himself.

"Forgot my toothpaste," Dave grunted, his first intelligible words since the beginning of their encounter.

"No, you haven't. It's right here. Look. I uh, I've got it." Kenneth tried to sound light and friendly. He even managed a somewhat nervous smile at Dave, as he held up the toothpaste.

Dave stopped in his tracks. As he turned around, Kenneth flinched. They were now practically nose to nose and Kenneth was almost getting squashed against the wall as Dave stood, in full width, in the doorway. Weakly Kenneth held up the tube of toothpaste, which fitted just between their noses, and smiled a little wider at Dave.
"You uhm, you, you dropped it. Earlier. I uh, I, I just picked it up. Here you go."

Again the kid stared at him with an annoyed look before taking the toothpaste from him. Then he walked over to the closet and put the tube inside. He remained there, facing the closet door. Kenneth was still positioned against the wall, waiting for what was to come.

Then Dave turned around. Kenneth was not sure how to call the expression that covered the kid's face right now.
Is he --- Thinking, maybe?

The kid looked at the floor, frowned, then looked up at Kenneth.
"So this is your ---" Dave cleared his throat.
"This is your room then? Too, I mean. Cos it's my room too."
He looked intensely at Kenneth as if he could hypnotize him and make him believe otherwise.

"Uhm, yes. Looks like it." Kenneth let out a fake chuckle.

Dave looked a little longer into Kenneth's face, with his piercing blue eyes. Another look Kenneth recognized from before. That awkward moment back at the candy machine, last week. That look was practically lethal.

Then Dave threw his hands halfway up into the air before turning towards his bed.
"That's just terrific."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kenneth came out in his own defense.
This kid is going to complain about having ME as a roommate. He is going to complain about ME?? If anyone has the right to complain ---
"Listen, pal---"

"Don't get your skirt all in a knot and I ain't your pal!" Dave said, in a relaxed tone.

A little braver now, because of the surge of adrenaline that was rushing through his blood, Kenneth stepped forward.
"I just don't like the implication of your remark. I know we're not exactly compatible and it might prove to be a challenge to make this situation work. But I feel we should just apply ourselves and at least work out an arrangement which will be satisfactory for us both."
Kenneth looked into the kid's face. Again the kid just stared at him.

"What d'ya have for dinner? A dictionary?" Dave finally said.

"Look, if you'd just---" Kenneth sputtered, as his face was beginning to turn red.

"Hey man, relax. Don't get all defensive on me. I think ya just said I insulted you, right?" Dave asked.

Kenneth looked at Dave for a moment, collecting his thoughts before answering.
"Well, the way you said terrific, had a ring of sarcasm to it."

"Okay, true. I wasn't a happy camper when I walked in here and saw you lying there all relaxed. Truth is, I don't think that whoever put us two together, is very smart. But they'll probably find out soon enough and fix their mistake."

"What does that mean? What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna get my book and I'm gonna do some learnin'."
Dave studied the spines of the books on his shelf, following the row with his index finger. When he found the correct book, he took it off the shelf.

"What are you going to do?" Kenneth repeated. He wanted to know what he was in for. Was this kid going to terrorize his stay in this room until he would get fed up and left voluntarily?

"What are ya, deaf? What's it look like I'm doin'? I think you'd better do some studyin' too. Got a test tomorrow, ya know."
Dave walked over to his table, turned on the light and sat down with the book.

"For the last time: what are you going to do?"

Dave looked up at Kenneth, who had walked up to him and was now bravely leaning over Dave as he sat at the table.
"Do? About what?" He didn't have a clue.

"About getting another roommate."

"What are ya talkin' about? What can I do about that? They all take care of that upstairs, the big shots arrange who's gonna share rooms. Otherwise, Jeremy and me would be sharin' a room."

"But you just implied you were going to make them realize they made a mistake."

"What? Who made a mistake? What are ya talkin' about?" Dave's voice went up.

"You just said, not five minutes ago, that they would soon find out they had made a mistake putting us together in one room!"
Kenneth spoke slowly, deliberately and with a threatening hoarseness to his voice.

Dave just looked up at him, flabbergasted.
This guy is weird. Wearin' a dress and paranoid too. I'm sharin' my room with a nutcase!
"Ain't ya familiar with the English language? That's what I said, yeah! THEY! THEY will soon find out they made a mistake. I ain't gonna do nothin' about it. Let them figure it out. Now, can ya let it go already? I gotta learn for the test."
Dave turned back to his book.

"Hey?" Kenneth just had to make sure the kid wasn't tricking him.

Dave looked up from the book into Kenneth's eyes, with an annoyed but innocent look.
"What now?"

Kenneth assessed the look on Dave's face. He was telling the truth.

"Nothing. Go study." He walked back to his bed.

Dave stared at Kenneth some more, not having a clue what just happened. Then he made a face.
"Duh!" Dave turned back to his book and studied for the next hour in silence.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

At 10.15 PM Kenneth closed his book and put it on the table. He looked at Dave, whose lips were mouthing the words his eyes were reading. They hadn't spoken to each other since their heated exchange, earlier.
Kenneth figured it would be best if they would get some sleep now. After all, classes began at 7.30 AM, at the track field each morning, starting tomorrow. He got up from his bed and put on his bathrobe.
"Dave?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Huh?" The kid never looked up from his book.

"It's after ten. We have to be at the track field by 7.30 tomorrow morning. I heard we're going to get our wake up call at 6.00 AM. Don't you think you should be getting some sleep?"

"Mmmm, just a bit longer. I got two more chapters to cover." Dave frowned as he continued to read. Then he stopped and looked up at Kenneth who was about to go to the bathroom.
"If the light bothers ya, I can finish this in my bed with a flashlight."

Kenneth smiled.
"No, you just finish your chapters. I have to go to the bathroom anyway."
Kenneth turned and left the room.

Dave was frantically trying to memorize the subjects for tomorrow's try-out test. He had never been big on book learning. He always picked up things quicker through the hands-on approach. Theorizing was not his strong suit. He wasn't even halfway through one chapter, when Kenneth returned from the bathroom.
From the corner of his eye he could see Kenneth take off his bathrobe and turn down the blankets. Then he slipped into his bed, in that ridiculous dress of his.

Dave couldn't stand it.
The guy is right. I gotta get me some shut-eye. But I ain't got all the chapters down yet. Dammit.
Dave contemplated what to do next.
Breakfast. I can finish the last two chapters over breakfast. Yeah!
Pleased with his own good idea, Dave shut the book.

Kenneth could see that Dave, despite not having finished his chapters, was smiling to himself. He watched as the kid got up, put on his bathrobe, and sauntered over to the door. He opened it and left the room, only to return half a second later, popping his head through the half-opened door.

"I'm just gonna take a leak," the kid announced, before disappearing again.

Kenneth chuckled at that remark, in spite of himself, and settled into a comfortable position.

Five minutes later the kid walked into the room again. He took off his bathrobe and threw it over the chair. He kicked off his slippers, pulled back the blankets and half jumped into his bed.
Kenneth watched as Dave got comfortable, plumping up his pillow to settle in for the night. With his eyes closed, Dave reached up, found the switch to the overhead light and switched it off.

As he studied Dave, Kenneth couldn't help but think how his roommate could resemble a little boy at times, both in his expressions and his actions. He could see the proof of it right now, as Dave's face was only illuminated by Kenneth's overhead light. The glow gave him an air of innocence and made him look far too young to be attending the police academy.
Just before he shut off his overhead light, Kenneth softly said,
"Goodnight, Dave."

From the sleepdrunk answer he could tell, Dave's response was not much more than a reflex as he heard him murmur,
"Nighty night, see ya --- mornin'."

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

At 6 AM sharp, a loud buzz rang through the entire dorm building.
A shudder went through Kenneth as the loud noise woke him from his sleep.
He looked over to the other bed just in time to catch Dave propelling himself into a sitting position, eyes open wide. Although they had been flattened after the mandatory haircut, his curls were still apparent and all ruffled, from his wild sleeping style.

Dave let out a whine.
"What the hell is that?!"

Kenneth chuckled.
"Good morning, Dave! I think that was our new alarm clock."

Dave seemed startled at the sound of Kenneth's voice, as if he had forgotten he had a roommate. He looked at Kenneth with a flabbergasted expression on his face.
Kenneth jumped out of bed and began laying out his uniform.

Dave looked on from his bed.
"Why are ya takin' your uniform with ya? We start with sports, right?"

Kenneth turned toward Dave.
"No, we start with breakfast. You need to have your breakfast in uniform. Then after breakfast it's straight to the track field. In uniform."

Dave squinted and rubbed his head.
"What kinda nonsense is that? We had dinner in our own clothes ---"

"Yes, but that was after official class hours, your own time. This is the beginning of the lessons. Between the buzz at 6 AM and the buzz at 4 or 4.30 PM, we are supposed to wear our uniforms. Didn't you read the regulations?"
Kenneth was all set to go hit the showers.

"Yeah, once. So we gotta ---"
Dave let out a sigh.
"Okay."
He got out of his bed slowly. His tangled blankets and sheets looked like a war had been fought in his bed.

Kenneth's bed looked like it had hardly been slept in. They both began making their beds.
Kenneth was meticulous in all his actions. He followed a certain private ritual. Everything he did had its own time and purpose. While he was busy making his bed he glanced over to the kid, wondering if and how he would be able to make the bed according to the rules from the regulation book. To his surprise he noticed that Dave's bed looked like it had never been slept in.

Making the bed, military style, was mandatory and each morning the beds would be inspected, according to the regulations. From what knowledge Ken had about this military style, not having served in the army himself, he found to his amazement that the kid seemed to have managed to make his bed exactly in conformity with the army rules.
He watched as the kid went to his closet and retrieved a coin. He threw it onto his bed and it bounced up high, easy for him to catch. Kenneth was dumbfounded. He looked back at his own bed, which looked neat indeed, but he was doubtful if he would be able to bounce a coin on it.

Kenneth cleared his throat. It was 6.15 AM. They would need to take their showers, and have their breakfast before bed inspection in one hour.
"Uhm, Dave?"

Dave was busy fetching his shaving gear from his closet.
"What?"

"Could you uh, could you tell me where you learned to make up your bed like that?"

"In the service."

"The service? The military service?" Kenneth sounded very surprised.

Dave turned back from the closet ready to leave for the showers. He looked at Kenneth with a blank expression.
"Yeah, what else? Didn't you serve?" his eyes found the bed behind Kenneth. He smirked.
"I guess not."

"Could you uh, could you show me how to do that? It costs merits you know, if you don't know how to do it properly and I guess I don't."

Dave was in limbo. He needed to get to the showers quickly, so he could study the last two chapters for the test during breakfast.
"Can I show ya tonite? I still gotta learn two chapters."

Kenneth tried to hide his disappointment. He only half succeeded. He knew he would get his first demerits by 7.15 AM.
Dave felt guilty, but he wanted so badly to do well on his test, that he shut off his guilt, made a quick turn for the door and ran to the showers.

Kenneth looked at his bed. Compared to the kid's bed it looked pathetic. He looked at his watch and knew he didn't have time to improve on his effort, so he, too, collected his things and left for the showers.

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Dave had taken a quick shower and had hurried back to his room to collect his book. He ran downstairs as if there were no tomorrow. As he entered the cafeteria, someone grabbed him by the shoulders from behind. He froze. But then he heard Jeremy's familiar voice, panting,
"Jeez, Dave. Have you got ants up your pants? I called you twice! Where's the fire?" Jeremy gasped.

Dave looked slightly embarrassed at his big friend.
"I gotta do the last two chapters while I eat, that's why."

"You didn't finish yet?" Jeremy asked with an incredulous look on his face.
"Why didn't you tell me, we could have studied together, down in the library!"

Dave was now hastily filling his tray with a wild combination of different foods and beverages. The variety of foods and drinks would not have been considered wild if they hadn't been for breakfast.
"Nah, didn't wanna bother ya. I first gotta see how far I can get on my own, ya know? If I really suck at this book stuff, I'll let ya give me a hand, but I gotta try and figure it out myself first."

"Okay, but the offer holds, man. Just so you know, all right?" Jeremy looked with growing amazement at the amount and selection of edibles on Dave's plate. He had seen Dave eat before, but never had he witnessed what his friend could eat for breakfast. Now he found out and as he did, he thought to himself that Dave was either not a human being, or possessed an iron stomach.

Dave sat down at a table, stuck a napkin into his collar, placed another napkin on his lap and began eating, while his eyes frantically went over the pages of the book.

Jeremy sat quietly and patiently at his side. Every now and then he would glance over to his friend, worried about how he would do on the test.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Kenneth was having breakfast with the same group he'd had dinner with the night before. Some of the cadets sitting at his table were joking about another cadet's way of making his bed.
Kenneth began to get nervous as he thought of the upcoming bed inspection.

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Kenneth was back at his dorm room at 7.12 and, to his shock, he could see Captain Wellman, already standing outside the room's door.
Kenneth first smiled at Wellman --- Oops, bad choice! --- before pasting the most neutral expression he could on his face. He peeped into the room. Dave wasn't there yet.

Dave came running from the bathroom. His uniform jacket was unbuttoned.

Wellman made a face.
"Cadet Starsky, isn't it?" he said in a stern sounding voice.

"Yea--- Yes sir."

"Remember to button your uniform jacket the minute you put it on, and leave it buttoned until you're back in your room after the last buzz!"

"Yes, sir."

Kenneth thought he could detect the hint of a smile at the corner of Wellman's mouth.

Wellman stepped into their room.
"Each of you approach your own bed."

Dave and Kenneth followed Wellman into their tiny room.
It wasn't until he could move forward, passing Wellman, that Kenneth had a good view of his bed. He was so sure he was going to get a lecture on its condition. As he looked at it, however, he could see it had been made up, military style, to perfection. Kenneth's mouth dropped. He turned his head and looked at Dave.

Did the kid do this? Why? When?
Kenneth was taken totally by surprise. He tried to read the kid's expression, but Dave did a pretty good job at hiding his thoughts as he wore his deadpan face again.

Wellman retrieved a coin from his pocket and let it bounce on Kenneth's bed. It bounced up high.
"Excellent, Hutchinson!"

All Ken could do was faintly nod his head and look back at the kid again with a grateful smile.

Wellman had turned to Starsky's bed and repeated the coin bounce.
"Perfect! I'm impressed."

Kenneth could see Wellman smiling at Dave. Then he walked toward the door, turned and said.
"Assembly in five minutes in the courtyard!"
With that, Wellman left for the next room.

Dave got his cap and began to leave the room. Kenneth retrieved his cap and quickly moved toward Dave. Grabbing the kid's shoulder he softly said,
"Thanks for doing that, Dave! When did you do that?"

"Ten minutes ago, no big deal."

"But why didn't you just show me? You could've used that time to learn your chapters."

"Nah, that wouldda taken too long. I told ya I'd show ya tonite!"

"Yes, but, still. Hey, I really appreciate it and I just want to tha---"

"Jeez, man! Enough already!! Ya don't gotta get all mushy just because I made your bed! Whaddaya do when someone does somethin' really terrific for ya? Set off fireworks?"
Dave made a face and ran down the stairs leaving a flabbergasted Kenneth to follow at a much slower pace.

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

At 7.30 AM everyone assembled at the track field in their regulation sports clothes.

"ATTENTION!" Wellman shouted, as he was about to introduce the physical fitness instructor to the cadets.
"Today you are going to learn the first aspects of our mandatory physical fitness training. You'll find out to which demands you should all comply. Now your instructor is this gentleman over here, Captain Robinson. He will instruct you and coach you so that by the time of your first evaluation we can determine which of you new cadets have made the grade and will be able to continue the training. Captain Robinson."
Captain Wellman invited the big, black instructor to take over command.

In a deep voice the spectacularly athletically built man introduced himself.
"My name is Cal Robinson, Captain Robinson to you. I will be your personal torturer for the weeks and months to come. For those of you who have actually read the regulations, it will come as no surprise that this part of the training requires the utmost dedication of all of you. You will need to make the grade to be able to graduate from this academy.
The academic part of this training is very important, but when a perp outruns you on the streets, your 100% test score is not going to get you anywhere.
"Also, we take pride in our job, our service to the community. We are proud of the blue uniform we wear. And we want the public we serve to be proud of us as well. Y'all will agree, there's not much to be proud of if you got an overweight, donut-eating slob walking around smudging the image of our blue uniform. We need to be able to do our jobs 100%. We need the public out there to know they can trust us to keep the streets clean, just by looking at us. We have to maintain an image, but the image must also represent a truth. And that truth is what I'm gonna pound into you all, if that's what it should take, to make you the leanest, fittest, best team on the force. So you better get yourself ready mentally, because you're gonna need it physically. I'll warn you gentlemen up front: you're in for a hard ride."

Wellman took over again, explaining the attention rules. He told them the commands and pointed two cadets out to help him demonstrate the commands and how to respond to them.
For the next 20 minutes Section B was standing on the track field going over all the commands repeatedly.
Attention, at ease, about face etc. etc. Dave remembered them all from when he served his time in the army. As he looked around him, he could tell which of the cadets had some army background, and which didn't. It sure made things easier for him. Compared to boot camp, the academy was a cinch.

Kenneth, however, was not charmed by the militaristic approach. Despite trying out to become a police officer, his character tended to lean toward pacifism. He would like to become a police officer, who would not have to fall back on the use of his weapon too often. His ideal was, to become the kind of cop who could actually start a dialogue between conflicting parties.
To talk a shoplifter out of his bad habit.
To talk a dropout back onto the school benches again.
To convince the junkie his habit was not going to change his life for the better and that there were ways to make his life worth living again.
Oh yes, Kenneth Hutchinson was full of ideals. And if in any way possible, he would be able to reach and fulfil his goals without the use of his gun, he would do so.

The training session lasted until noon. Then they were marched off to the locker rooms. There they had their showers, and put their uniforms back on, after which it was time for lunch.

After lunch, it was back to their homeroom where they would take their first test.

All cadets sat in their places, anxiously awaiting the test forms. Captain Branson had Jeremy Hendricks hand out the test forms as he looked sternly across the room.
Once every cadet had his form, Branson began the introduction.
"Attention! Before you, gentlemen, you now have your first test. I advise you all to read the questions carefully and deliberately, before picking an answer. As you can see, it is a multiple choice type test. Do not automatically assume that this fact will make things easier. We will start the test at 1.30 precisely and you must finish at 3.00 precisely." Branson looked at the clock over the classroom door.
"Gentlemen, you may begin."

The test was not even on real police matters; it was more a test to see how much the cadets were able to absorb on a short notice and reproduce it as best they could. They only had to learn the procedures regarding presentation and attire, the rules concerning their uniform and how it should be kept. It was as if they had to learn the "Police Academy's Manual" and recite it on paper. Still, it would cost them demerits if they failed to reproduce the rules and regulations, by which they were supposed to live from now on, accurately.

Kenneth had answered all the questions within 50 minutes. He did, however, keep his eyes on his paper, as he did not want to attract Captain Branson's attention.
Next to him, Dave was frowning frequently as he read and reread each question and the possible answers more than once.

When Branson signaled the end of the test at 3.00 PM sharp, Dave managed to fill in the last question a split second before Jeremy picked up his paper.
Kenneth noticed that Dave was actually perspiring a bit and felt sorry for the kid.

After their papers were collected, Branson spent the last hour and a half on a lecture on the basics of state law. Before they could leave the class, they again were told there would be a test the next day on the lecture and that they wouldn't have to bother looking it up in their books, but as Branson sarcastically put it,
"You should have been taking notes during my lecture."

The cadets left the classroom looking subdued. Each and every one of them agreed: having Branson as a mentor was just about the worst nightmare of any cadet.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The next few days contained more tests, but everyone in their hearts agreed that the biggest test was to get used to the rules, regulations and routines that the average academy day existed of.
The biggest test was to give oneself over to those rules: to put the "me" at the bottom of the list, in favor of the "we". Each individual was gradually made aware that being a member of the police force meant that the higher goal was to serve the "(comm)unity" of the force they were now part of. The individual was less important than the whole group AND the individual was less important than the team, in those instances where the whole group was divided up in smaller groups ranging from two to six cadets. Each individual learned what his place was in the group or team so he would be able to serve the complete group at his best.

By the end of the week, of the 20 cadets in Section B, one had voluntarily signed out, not being able to comply with the rules for one reason or the other. One cadet was sent home because his medical record showed he would probably not be able to comply with the rigors of the physical part of the training. One last cadet was dismissed because it was discovered he had a criminal record.

So, as the cadets went into their first weekend, there were only 17 of them left in Section B.
And it was no different for the other sections. On average, each section lost between one and four cadets in the first week alone.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Jeremy looked at Dave, who seemed troubled.
"Dave?"

"Hmmm?"

"What do you want to do after dinner? Do you want to hit the books immediately?"

Dave's light blue eyes went over his gentle buddy's face.
"I dunno. I'm afraid---" he stopped suddenly and looked back up at Jeremy as if he wanted to see his friend's reaction to his admission of fear. Jeremy looked as friendly and nonjudgmental as usual.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to remember it all if I start now."

"Well, the point is to start now, and to repeat and repeat, until it sticks. That's why I think, the sooner we start, the sooner things will settle in that thick head of yours!" Jeremy grinned and patted Dave on his head.

Dave gave him a weak smile. Inside he was beginning to doubt his ability to manage with the academic part of this training. They had reached their rooms and agreed to meet down at the cafeteria for dinner at 6 o'clock.

As Dave entered his room, Ken was busy changing into his own clothes.
Dave grinned as he watched his roommate exchange his uniform for a pair of corduroys, a black turtleneck and a pair of brown dress shoes.
Jeez, and he probably calls that casual, he thought.

Kenneth turned and noticed Dave. He immediately felt the younger cadet had an air of anxiety about him.
"Hi, Dave. Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

Dave looked genuinely surprised at Ken.
"Plans?"

"Yes, our first week behind us. Our first weekend. Do you have any plans on how you're going to spend your first weekend?"

Dave looked at the floor for a moment, then walked toward his table and deposited his books.
"Well, I'm gonna cram for Monday's test, I guess." Smiling insecurely, he looked at Ken.

"Oh, come on! You're not going to sit inside for the whole weekend, bent over some books, are you?" Kenneth laughed, but soon stopped as he noticed the expression on Dave's face. The kid was genuinely distraught.
"Hey? Listen, forcing yourself to learn is not going to make the material stick in your memory any better."

"Oh, swell! Just what I needed to hear," Dave grumbled.
Jeez, if the brainiac thinks this is helping ---

"No, no, no. That's not what I meant. What I mean is, listen, I told you before I could give you some tips to help you. There is absolutely no need to sit over a bunch of books for 48 hours! Nobody in their right mind would do that!"

Insulted and annoyed, Dave looked at Kenneth.
"No, I guess that's what people like me with only half a brain would do!"
He slammed one of his books on the table.

Kenneth was startled for a minute. Then in a soothing voice he tried to coax his younger roommate.
"I'm sorry, Dave. That didn't come out right. What I meant to say was, if you don't approach it the right way, the number of hours you put into the studying won't make a difference. It's all a matter of technique. Once you have the right technique down, you will only need a limited amount of time to learn something."

Dave, still annoyed, looked out the window, saying nothing.
Kenneth looked at him, almost pleadingly. Then he softly said,
"I can teach you some techniques I personally used in college? They always worked for me? Hmm? Do you want me to show you?"

After another long moment of silence, Dave finally turned. Not to face Kenneth, but to look at the table again.
"I thought you had plans for the weekend?" he said monotonously.

Kenneth couldn't help but smile. Dave looked like a sulking kid.
"Oh, I think that not all of my 48 hours off are filled yet!" he let out a chuckle.

Dave looked at Kenneth, reading his face. Then a shy smile came across his face.
"Really?"

"Sure!"

Dave's smile grew.
"Okay, so--- whaddaya have in mind? I mean, when should we start?"

"Well, I think it's wise if we just used tonight to unwind. We're going to play some basketball tonight, with a couple of guys from the other sections. Why don't you join us? Then tomorrow, we can start to take a look at what we all have to learn and make a schedule. How does that sound?"

Dave, had listened to Kenneth with wide eyes and open mouth.
"All right I guess. Oh, uhm, would you mind if Jeremy studied with us? I mean, he's a real nice guy and, well, he ain't been doing that good on his tests either. Whaddaya say?"

"Sure! The more, the merrier." Kenneth smiled at Dave.

Dave smiled his full 1000-watt lopsided smile and actually made a tiny jump, while rubbing his hands together.
"All right! I'm gonna tell him right away!"
He quickly made it to the door of their room, all excited again.

Kenneth watched Dave as he left the room, smiling at his enthusiasm. Then the door opened again and Dave popped his head just around it.
"Hey? Thanks, man!" and out he went again, leaving Kenneth to laugh out loud, before he left the room, shaking his head.

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After they had dinner, twelve cadets from various sections met at the indoor basketball court. The group included John Colby, Kenneth Hutchinson, Dave Starsky and Jeremy Hendricks.
Jeremy was easily the biggest of the group, and at 5'7" Pete Greene was the smallest, but to his advantage, he was quick as water.

They first had a toss on which of the cadets could pick the members of each team.
After the teams were picked, one team included John and Jeremy and the other team contained Dave, Kenneth and Pete. Soon they were in the heat of the game and all excited. They yelled, laughed, had their crazy little antics and tricks and just in general had a great time unwinding.

It was amazing how well Kenneth and Dave, who had never played basketball together, could read each other's intentions, and executed perfect plays each time.
John, catching his wind after yet another score by the duo, exclaimed while panting heavily,
"Oh come on, this isn't fair. You two guys must have a basket in that room of yours and practiced up front! This isn't natural!"

"It's always more fun to win against a sore loser!" Kenneth said, while giving John a pat on the back.

They played on. Kenneth frequently couldn't help chuckling at Dave's loud and rowdy enthusiasm during the game. The youngest cadet was all over the court. Seemingly tireless, he would steal the ball from every opposing player. At first John seemed irritated by Dave's behavior. But after a while, even he was charmed by Dave's pleasure in the game.
A hilarious moment came when Dave was just in the middle of a lay up, and Jeremy just caught him mid air, turned him away from the basket and walked in the opposite direction while carrying Dave.
"Hey! Put me down, you big dope!" Dave yelled, before beginning to laugh.

Then Jeremy broke up laughing, which started the whole group.
Jeremy was laughing so hard, he practically collapsed with Dave in his arms and they both ended up on the floor in a mass of arms and legs, convulsing with spasms of laughter. That meant the end of the game as the whole group sat down and laughed for another half hour, without anyone of them really knowing why anymore. They had managed to totally unwind from the first nerve-racking week at the academy.
They vowed they would continue this basketball ritual for as long as they were in training.

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

First Weekend At The Academy
At 7.30 Kenneth's alarm clock went off. He'd brought his own alarm from home, knowing the dorm alarm was not used during the weekends. Being a morning person, Kenneth had never really developed a habit of sleeping in during holidays or weekends. If he woke up at 8 am, it would be late for him.
So, barely one minute after his alarm had sounded, Kenneth was up and standing next to his bed. As he was putting on his slippers, he glanced over at the other bed.

The bed appeared empty, save a large heap of blankets and sheets knotted carelessly on top. It wasn't until one paid closer attention, that one noticed the mountain of material was moving up and down, in the steady rhythm of the breaths Dave Starsky took while sleeping soundly, buried under the pile of blankets his wild sleeping style had created.

Kenneth chuckled. If it weren't for the test on Monday, he would have let Dave sleep in. He walked over to his roomie's bed and began shaking the heap.
"Dave? Wake up. It's Saturday morning and we have a game plan to make for Monday's test."

Nothing.

Kenneth shook the heap a bit harder. Dave let out a moan, but remained asleep.
"Dave? DAVE! Come on, wake up! We have a lot of work to do! Wake up!"

A snorting sound came from under the heap followed by a grunt.

Kenneth shook his head. Raising his voice, he called out in an exaggeratedly cheerful way,
"RISE AND SHINE, SLEEPYHEAD! IT'S 7.30 IN THE MORNING! WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, TIME TO WAKE UP!" and firmly shook the heap and continued to shake it until Dave finally began to move.
First he let out some unintelligible sounds. Then finally Kenneth could make out some of the slurred words.

"--- 7.30 in the mor--- That's the middle of the night! I gotta get some more sleep."

"Oh, no you're not!" Kenneth grabbed hold of most of the blankets and pulled them off the bed, leaving Dave uncovered, lying on his bed in a fetal position wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms.
He cracked one eye open and looked at Kenneth who stood, blankets in his arms, at the foot of Dave's bed.
"Whassamatter with you! This is the weekend ya know! We got no class today!" Dave protested.

"You do have class today, or did you forget? We were going to make a study schedule for Monday's test, remember? You have to hurry up, get a shower, get dressed, we'll have breakfast and then you and I, together with your friend Jeremy, are going to put together a schedule."
Kenneth almost really sounded like a grade school teacher when he explained to Dave how the day was going to evolve but Dave just lay in his bed staring at him, with an increasingly unhappy expression on his face.

"COME ON!!!!!!!!" Kenneth threw the blankets on the foot end of Dave's bed and began pulling Dave by the arm.

"All right, already! Don't have a cow!" Dave muttered. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes, ruffling his short hair, yawning, stretching, coughing, scratching, while Kenneth was whistling a merry tune, alternating the whistle with a hum, as he retrieved his shaving gear from his closet.

"Do you hafta do that?" Dave mumbled in-between two yawns.

"Hmm? What's that? Teedeeedee, taadaadaadaa, mmmm, mmmm." Kenneth answered almost absentmindedly.

"THAT! THAT! Do ya hafta sing? It's the middle of the night for god's sake!" Dave complained.

"Teedeedee, what? Oh, I'm sorry. Well, it's 7.45 AM Dave, hardly the middle of the night. Come on, I'll race you to the showers!" Kenneth exclaimed cheerfully.

Dave looked up at him with one of his patented inexplicable looks. Slowly, he got up from his bed and shuffled toward his closet. Before opening its door, he looked at Kenneth, who stood next to him.
"Did anyone ever tell ya, you got a scary quality to ya?"

Kenneth grinned. He was beginning to find the kid strangely amusing.
"Scary? How so?"

Dave opened his closet and slowly retrieved his shaving gear.
"It ain't natural to be so up and bouncy at this hour!"

"It isn't?"

"Nah, it ain't." Dave had collected all the things he needed for the bathroom.
He looked Kenneth straight in the eyes when he said,
"It's freaky. Human beings ain't supposed to get up this early. That's for animals, like birds and roosters and---"

"A rooster is a bird."

"That's what I said. A rooster gets up before the birds and he crows. Then the birds get up and they chirp. Then the people get up, cos the damned bird's chirpin' is so friggin' annoying they can't sleep anymore! And that's the time when people wake up. Nine-ish, at the earliest."

"Nine? What kind of birds are those? Where I live, birds start at 6.00, 6.30 AM."

"Where I come from, they don't start until Grandma throws out yesterday's leftovers."
Dave opened the door and left the room, heading for the showers.

Kenneth remained in the room a bit longer, going over Dave's train of thought and especially his last remark. He came to the conclusion he didn't have the slightest clue about what his roommate was made off.
He shook his head and followed Dave to the showers.

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After breakfast the unlikely trio -- Kenneth, Jeremy and Dave -- met in the library. There, Kenneth taught the two younger cadets techniques to make studying easier. He showed them to look for key words, to summarize, and to break down paragraphs into manageable chunks and to discover and recognize cross references in different paragraphs. He also told them not to expect to change their D's into A's right away. It would take some practice to make the techniques second nature for them, with matching results.

After two hours of tutoring, Kenneth excused himself and left Jeremy and Dave in the library to try out their newfound wealth of techniques. He went over to John's room and together they went to the gym to have a workout before lunch.

Both duos spent the weekend at the academy quite differently. Jeremy and Dave vigorously and enthusiastically put their newly acquired learning techniques to work on Saturday and Sunday. John's section did not have a test on Monday, so he had no need to study. Besides, he was blessed with a photographic memory and hardly spent any time studying. Kenneth didn't pick up his books for Monday's test, until late Sunday afternoon.

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Work and Play at the Academy: "Just who are you?"
The second week at the academy began with the regulation physical workout, the test they had studied for during the weekend and introductions to two more mandatory classes: firearm drill and driving and handling of an official police vehicle.
To his surprise, Dave managed to read and understand the test much easier than the tests of the first week. The techniques Kenneth had taught both him and Jeremy opened up a whole new world to Dave. It was as if suddenly the texts in the books ceased to be written in a foreign language, which was how they had come across to him up until now. As he wrote down his last answer well within the given time limit, Dave couldn't resist a look at his neighbor.

Kenneth, who had finished five minutes earlier, felt the kid's eyes on him and turned to face Dave. Dave gave him a smile that conveyed to Kenneth that he was optimistic about his results for this test. Kenneth returned Dave's smile with a slight nod of his head.

After lunch the class received its first lecture on firearms. The instructor explained about the types of arms the police used. He explained how to handle and care for one's gun, including how to hold and to clean it. He explained that the use of one's weapon was a last resort thing to do. As was relayed to the cadets in the introductory speeches of the week before, diplomacy and negotiation were the first means by which to try handling a crisis. The use of one's gun only became an option in case of a situation that called for self-defense or protection of other officers and civilians.

The lecture took two hours, and the entire time, the cadets could only see slides of the guns used by the police and a small sample of the guns they would be training with, as demonstrated by the instructor.
Then they were taken out to the shooting range. There they were lectured on firearms for another hour. The instructors concluded their session by treating them to a shooting demonstration. The day ended with a ten-question pop quiz for merits on all they had heard that afternoon concerning the proper use of firearms.

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Their days were crammed with tests, hours and hours of lectures and more hours spent on the driving course and shooting range.
Kenneth may have been a well-rounded athlete but the "Starsky kid" was a natural talent at everything new he tried, as far as the physical part of the training went. All cadets were having a hard time at the shooting range at first, as it was required that each and every one of them should be able to operate their weapons with either hand. Some cadets turned out to be ambidextrous and faired quite well within a short span of time.
Dave, as some others who had also served in the military, already had firearms experience and was an excellent marksman -- with his left hand. He did, however, have a handicap in that he was the only left- handed cadet in his section. Their firearms instructor -- a very unpleasant, impatient, gravel-voiced, right-handed veteran at the academy -- was not able, or willing, to acknowledge Dave's difficulties and tended only to the righties in the section.
The fact that the instructor practically ignored his needs only made Dave more determined to succeed and he began spending many of his free hours on the shooting range for extra practice. Soon he taught himself the skills to be able to shoot with his right hand after which he became the best marksman of the class. On the driving grounds, he was even able to teach the instructor a few new tricks and it soon became clear that he would be a straight A student in both shooting and driving.

Kenneth was doing excellent on the academic part of the training, and even Jeremy and Dave had improved their grades, thanks to Kenneth's help and study advice.

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Kenneth and Dave had slowly begun to form an understanding of each other regarding being roommates. Though their first weeks of sharing a tiny room together had indeed been awkward, they were beginning -- through trials and tribulations -- to get to know and like each other better.

On the one hand, there was the meticulous Kenneth, with his exotic tastes in music, literature and casual clothing, with his vast knowledge of food ranging from macrobiotic nutrition to international haute cuisine, cinema, literature and art, his love for poetry and theatre.

On the other hand there was the volatile Dave. His taste could be called exotic as well, if one counted 10 identical dark blue t-shirts and 2 pairs of identical Adidas sneakers in his closet; his passion for burritos, sauerkraut or even a huge bowl of ice-cream for breakfast and his love for old Bogie movies.

Unlike Kenneth, Dave had never been to a play, other than school plays, had never been exposed to arts like ballet or classical music, debutante balls, or sports like golf or polo.
Dave's background consisted of playing baseball on the streets, being involved in gang-fights, setting old car tires on fire and hanging around on the streets. He would run errands for local small-time hoods for a buck or sneak inside an X-rated movie house at the age of 11, a lost little boy, on a wild trip since his father's death.
Whereas Kenneth had lead a very protected life at the age of 11, Dave grew up fast and learned the wrong things, at the wrong time from the wrong people.

In the year when Dave was 11, he was probably more worldly than Kenneth, then aged 16.
The world Dave knew, was a limited world. It only encompassed a few blocks in his neighborhood, and it was a tough place to maintain oneself. There were practically no outside influences. Each day was a new struggle to get by. Everyone was on his own, fighting for his own survival. The local hoods thankfully made use of the scores of teens and pre-teens who, for one reason or another, were eager to make some money by running errands for them. The only reason Dave was now able to train to become a policeman, lay in the fact that he was still a minor when he did these things plus the fact, that he had never gotten caught.

When Kenneth was 11, he was a clean cut miniature adult, with his hair combed just right, in tweed jacket and pants, a shirt and tie and spit-shined shoes to complete the ensemble. He and his younger sister would give short musical recitals for their parent's guests during dinner parties. He would accompany his little sister's violin playing on the piano and like two good little kids, they would take a bow when they were done and then would retire to their rooms, where Martha -- while pulling an extra night shift -- would get them ready for bed.

So Dave and Kenneth could not have differed more from each other, but they still had to find a way to share the small dormitory room for the duration of the training. They had set up some ground rules during their second week together after an incident in their room one Saturday.
Kenneth had sweet-talked the cafeteria's cook to let him use the blender and let him store his jugs of goat's milk in the cafeteria's fridge, so he could whip up some of his macrobiotic power drinks. These consisted of goat's milk, sea-kelp, black strap molasses, lecithin, desiccated liver and other highly nutritious and wholesome ingredients, which he'd brought along in a special little case with containers for each ingredient.
After he'd finished blending his drink, he brought it up to his and Dave's room, but then was called away to answer a phone call from his attorney. He placed the large mug on his table and ran downstairs to the duty officer's desk to answer the phone.

Meanwhile Dave entered their room and immediately smelled something. The unfamiliar odor made him nauseous and soon he discovered the mug on the table and its murky grey contents. He picked up the mug and sniffed, just to make sure this was the smell that was making him sick and was just in the process of taking the foul smelling substance to the bathrooms to flush it down the toilet when Kenneth returned to their room.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where are you going with that?" Kenneth panted as he walked up to Dave.

"I was gonna throw it out," Dave answered sullenly.

"Throw it out!" Kenneth's voice went up, with rightful indignation.
"That's mine! Why on earth were you going to throw somebody's drink out! And without asking!"

"Well, because it's gone bad, man! Can't ya smell that! I just saved your butt from a stomachache. You oughtta be thankin' me instead of yellin' at me!" Dave exclaimed, just as indignant.

Looking insulted, Kenneth grabbed the mug from Dave, spilling some of its contents on the floor of their room.
"Now look what you did!" they both exclaimed at the exact same time, then angrily looked each other in the eye.

"Oh, that's just terrific!" Dave cried out.
"Now the whole room is gonna smell like somethin' died in here!"

"Oh, for crying out loud, don't exaggerate! The smell's not bad."

"Not bad, NOT BAD???" Dave's voice went up a few notes.
"It smells like a scruffy dog who's been walkin' in the rain too long!"

Kenneth did not even dignify that comparison with an answer and turned his back to Dave, placing the mug back on his table and taking out some tissues to dry their floor as Dave looked on with a grimace on his face.

"You're really gonna drink that stuff?" he asked as Kenneth threw the wet tissues in the waste- bin.

"Of course. It's highly nutritious. Not that that term means anything to you," he snapped.

Dave approached Kenneth, who was now taking his first sip of the concoction. He watched with open mouth and as he saw Kenneth swallow down the grey liquid, he winced.
"What the hell is in it, anyway?" he asked

"Goat's milk, sea-kelp, black strap molasses, lecithin, desiccated liver, trace elements and vitamins."

Dave made a face.
"Why does it smell like crap?"

Now it was Kenneth's turn to make a face.
"You really have a way with words, Dave. It may not smell as sweet as those sugar-bombs you stuff down your throat every five seconds, but then it won't kill you before you're fifty either."

Dave smirked.
"It smells like crap and it looks like fresh cement. How can that be good for ya?"

Kenneth went into his lecture mode.
"These are all pure and natural ingredients. What they do is purify your system, build your stamina and resistance and make sure your organs maintain their functions at the highest level."

Dave listened, mouth open, then watched as Kenneth finished the contents of his mug and then he had enough.
"Well, I'm gonna do some shootin'. Gonna join me at the range?"

"No, thank you. I have other plans."

And thus Dave went out for an extra hour of shooting practice while Kenneth remained in their room.

The bumpy road to Me and Thee

Part two

Getting to know Me and Thee

By Jacqueline © 2000

Upon his return from the shooting range, part two of the incident started. Although it was only 4.00 o'clock in the afternoon, Dave entered a dark room as Kenneth had closed the curtains.
Again, Dave was met by a strange smell. As he was trying to identify the smell, he practically broke his back on his way to the window, tripping over Kenneth who was sitting Lotus-style on the ground.
"Whoa, what the? ---"

"Watch it! Watch where you're going!" Kenneth exclaimed testily.

"Geez, what the hell are ya doin' down there?! And why the hell are the curtains shut?!" Dave ripped open the curtains and looked back at Kenneth who got up, dressed in yet another caftan.

"I thought you were going to practice shooting?"

"Well I did, and I'm done!" Dave answered, then made a face as a whiff of the peculiar smell reached his nostrils again.
"What the hell am I smelling now?!" he asked, looking annoyed at Kenneth.

"Incense." Kenneth answered in a tone that conveyed, at least for him, that was a very normal scent.

"Incense? What the hell is incense?" Dave exclaimed, picking up Kenneth's mug, expecting yet another concoction connected to the smell.

"Incense. You don't know what incense is?" Kenneth asked incredulously.

"Well, I wouldn't hafta ask what it was if I did, would I?" Dave answered testily.

Kenneth held up two thin reeds of incense. Dave got nauseous from the smell.
"Geez, get away from me. What the hell is that?"

"Incense!"

"What the hell is that good for? Turn one's stomach? Make ya wanna barf?"

"It creates an atmosphere," Kenneth declared, as he put out the incense.

Dave, again, looked bewildered at Kenneth.
Why the hell am I stuck in a room with this nutcase? Can't he do nothing normal?
"An atmosphere? For what?"

"To meditate." Kenneth cleared away his incense in yet another special case, took a tape with eastern- sounding music out of his tape recorder and placed it in the case, together with the incense.

"To meditate." Dave repeated in a monotone.

"Yes, meditate. Relax, calm down, de-stress. To meditate."

"I thought that's what the basketball game was for, each Friday?"

"Yes, that too. This serves more to relax the mind. Clear your head completely of all thoughts. Find inner peace, you know?"
Kenneth could tell he'd totally lost Dave.

"Well, I tell ya what don't work for me. It don't work for me that you get all these smelly things in here. I'm tellin' ya, I'm about to barf from that smell. Can't ya go meditate somewhere else? Like outside or somethin'?"

"Too noisy, everybody's outside doing something. Besides, with the sun out, it's too light."

"Yeah well, I really don't dig this smell, man and it's my room, too."

Kenneth wasn't a difficult person.

"You're right. Why don't we compromise, huh? Set up some rules by which to live in our mutual room. What do you say?"

"Like what kinda rules?"

"Well, for instance, that I only meditate while you're out of the room? Huh?"

"Yeah, and ya gotta get the smell out before I return!" Dave added.
"Oh, and ya gotta clean your mug after you had that cement-drink, cos I'm tellin' ya, that stuff smells even worse when it's dried up!"

"Okay, deal. And I'll open the window after I'm done meditating, so the fresh air can come in, how about that?"

"I can live with that!" Dave smiled.

"Now, I have a wish list too." Kenneth said, looking at Dave.

"Okay, shoot."

"Please don't leave your empty candy wrappers on the floor if you've missed the waste-bin and please don't eat your chips or peanuts from the bag when I'm reading. Put them in a bowl first, so you won't make so much noise with the bag! Would you please?"

"I ain't got no bowl."

"I'll BUY you a bowl, just as long as you stop making so much noise when I'm reading!"

"Okay, deal."

"Why don't we put this in writing and hang it on the wall, just so that we know where we stand, huh?" Kenneth got all enthusiastic and got out his legal pad and a pen.

Dave smirked.
"Oh, come on, man! We can remember those things!"

"Well, just to be on the safe side. Come on, it's going to work better this way. Neither of us will be able to wiggle his way out of this. Come on."

So they sat together at their tables and worked on a list of do's and don'ts.
Dave would not eat any more "noisy" foods in their room after nine, nor would he leave his clothes out, just hanging casually over the back of his chair, or flung over his closet door. Like Kenneth he would either hang his clothes out on a hanger, or put them back in the closet.
Kenneth would not burn incense in the room anymore if he meditated while Dave was in the room. On the other hand Dave had to promise to either not be in the room while Kenneth was meditating or -- in case he was present -- not to hum, whistle, eat noisy foods or make smart remarks.
>Kenneth would not play any classical music in the background if they had to study, nor would he automatically wake Dave up during weekends. It was agreed, he would let Dave sleep in, unless they had planned otherwise.

By the end of the first month, their rules had become a routine. Since the routine had been established and perfected, both Dave and Kenneth had fewer problems to cut each other some slack to bend the rules a bit every now and then.
Then, one month into the academy training, the cadets celebrated Jeremy's 22nd birthday. Their weekly basketball games had been instrumental in getting to know at least a small contingent of the cadets better and so the 12 regulars had made Jeremy a nice impromptu birthday bash on the basketball court. Slowly, very slowly, but surely the cadets were beginning to get used to each other's company.

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