Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“Don’t be. We’re both going to be in trouble. I’m going to take you home, okay? And then I’m going to…”
“What?”
My mind is spinning. They’ve definitely called the police, and I am definitely going to be in trouble. But I have to look after Jake first. I’ll worry about what might or might not happen to me later. But if the police are looking for us…
“Let’s go to the water park,” I say.
“What?”
“Yeah.”
I have money. A lot of it. My stalker didn’t confiscate the funds. I can take Jake home at the end of the day and we can both face the music then, but for the rest of today, we’re going to have fun.
And we do. It’s the best day either one of us have had in a very long time. We get cotton candy and we watch it melt in the water like confused raccoons, and we go on rides, and we buy ponchos that don’t do fuck all to stop us from getting wet and for a few hours I forget about all the bad things going on in the world, and to me specifically.
“I am so glad I got kicked out of school!”
“Don’t be,” I say. “You know we’re both… massively screwed.”
Jake laughs. “I don’t care anymore,” he says. “I was starting to feel like nothing good would ever happen, and then you broke the principal’s nose, and we went here to Slippy’s and I know there’re still good things that can happen in the world.”
That’s about the saddest thing I have ever heard. What makes it a bit worse is the fact that I know what he means because I feel the same way. I’ve been having an intense time lately, but calling it good would be a stretch even I can’t make. Today is the first day in ages everything has gone my way, in the sense that I did whatever the hell I wanted and got whatever I wanted.
My phone rings just as a cloud passes over the sun and a cool breeze picks up. It’s been a brilliant day, but it’s coming to an end, and I have to accept that.
“Mom?”
“Where is Jake, and why are the police here?”
Fuck.
“Jake’s with me, Mom. He’s safe. I took him with me. Didn’t want to leave him unattended.”
“Bracken bit one of the officers,” she says. “Can you get back here as soon as possible?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I will.”
“Time to go home, buddy,” I say once Mom has hung up.
“Do we have to go?”
I wish we didn’t. We could buy a shitty car and go on a road trip around the country for years. But that’s kidnapping, and eventually Jake will probably notice.
We get on the bus and we go home. Just like Mom said, there’s a squad car waiting. Jake doesn’t notice, because he’s more worried about what Mom is going to say to him.
“Go on in,” I tell him. “I’ve got to go off to work.”
The cops are nice enough to let me send him on inside before approaching me. I’m just a girl on foot with no vehicle. It’s not like I’m a viable flight risk. They sent two very large officers after me, both big, burly men. One has a mustache. One doesn’t. They’re both middle aged with that kind of dad strength look. The sort of look that triggers a girl whose dad walked out on her.
“Laura?”
“That’s me.”
“We’re arresting you for assault.”
“Is there any evidence I did that?” Hey, I have to at least give not being arrested a chance.
“Yes. The security cameras in the principal’s office were relatively high definition.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. Turn around, please.”
He reads me my rights while he cuffs me. I wonder if Mom is going to come out and help, but she stays indoors. She’s got the other kids to worry about, and I’d put money on her keeping them away from the windows so they don’t have to watch me being arrested.
The police put me in their car, take my stuff, drive me to the station, and I get processed. The whole thing feels like a bad dream. I can’t believe this is happening to me. The principal could at least have sucked it up and not decided to press charges on a girl who hit him.
I’ve made things so much worse for Jake, I bet. Now there’s evidence we’re a violent family. I don’t know how Mom is going to find another school for him.
“Smile.”
The cop behind the camera surprises me by saying that just as he takes my mugshot. I end up smiling just out of reflex.
“Why did you say that?”
“None of this is that serious,” he says. He’s got a cheerful expression and a kindly demeanor that doesn’t really mesh with the whole being a police officer currently putting me behind bars.
“Can I go?”
“No. You’ll have to go before a judge tomorrow.”