At the police station, we were held inside a room, with one of those long mirrors that ran across one side of the wall. I wondered if it were one of those reflective ones where people from a secret room next door could examine our every move. The room was warm, no windows and the only escape was the door, which was no doubt locked and guarded.
I wasn’t sure how much trouble we’d be in and I wasn’t even sure if we’d get special consideration for being underage, especially since both Ryder and Caine were recently considered legal adults. The fact that Caine had a bit to drink was also an issue I dwelled upon. The chairs we were sitting on were extremely uncomfortable, plastic and hard. Tipping my head back, I glanced up at the bright, fluorescent light above and groaned. I stared at the blinding bulb until blinding spots blurred my vision.
The heavy door creaked as it opened. Straightening in my seat, I directed my sight towards the policeman who walked into the room. Spots still covered the image that formed before my eyes, but once my eyes had adjusted, I saw a familiar caterpillar moustache and beer belly.
Officer Brandy.
He waddled into the room, hands on his hips, fingers hooked through his belt. The keys dangling from the compartment on his belt jingled with every step until he fully walked in. Officer Brandy studied us for a moment and when he realised it was us, his eyes widened.
“Fancy seeing you here.” He smiled easily.
That earned him three typical teenage silent-death stares. Sensing his appearance hadn’t exactly made us happy chappies, he grunted, put on a stern face, and held open the door.
“Head outside.”
We stood lazily and shuffled towards the exit. I was sure it was midnight at the latest and wondered when we would be able to go home. A shower and bed sounded amazing at that moment. I really didn’t want to have to deal with all this legal business.
We were led down the hall towards a little reception area where I spotted my sister. I had never been so relieved to see Eve. She was in her maternity pyjamas, leaning against the counter, her nose pressed against the security glass that separated her from the police officer sitting behind it.
“Listen… I have a butterfinger in my bag… What do you say we make a little negotiation? I’ll give you my butterfinger if you give me that taco.”
Eve didn’t seem startled that she was called into the police station in the middle of the night. She was more concerned with feeding herself. I almost teared up seeing her hungry hippo side as she tried anything to get her hands on the taco the policeman had in his hands.
Patrick placed his hands against her stomach, gently pushing her towards him and away from the window. “We’re here because we got a phone call about Nora Montgomery.”
A cool gust of wind blew into the room as the entrance door swung open and Mrs. Collins strutted through the room. Her icy eyes skimmed across the room and she scowled at her surroundings in disgust. Then she spotted us and her death glare was enough to make me spontaneously combust. Her lips pursed and her work heels clicked against the floor as she marched her way over.
“Do you know how embarrassed I was when I received a phone call in the middle of an extremely important conference telling me that my son had gotten into an argument and was now locked up at the police department?” Her tone was as sharp and cold as icicles, every word slicing through painfully.
Ryder lifted a shoulder in nonchalance and kept his voice level as he replied, “I regret nothing.”
Mrs. Collins shot her son a look of disapproval and then tossed me one as well. She didn’t say anything to me though. I guess she didn’t want to start conflict with someone who wasn’t her own flesh and blood right in the middle of a police station. But I knew exactly what her thoughts were: it was all my fault.
And I couldn’t agree more. It was my fault. The only reason Ryder and Caine had gotten into those fights was because of me. Because I had gotten involved with the wrong guy and they were trying to protect me. This burden of heavy truth hung on my shoulders and suffocated me. I felt my stomach drop and my heart sink when the realisation sunk.
Mrs. Wright turned up at that moment, her husband trailing behind. Unlike Mrs. Collins who had greeted her son with dripping venom, she wrapped her arms around her child and held him close, muttering about how worried she was and how happy she was to see that he was okay. Caine, like any gruff teenage guy, tried to awkwardly pry her off, but I could see the affection in his eyes. If we weren’t all handcuffed together, I knew he would have hugged her back, in one of those quick, secretive moments.
I felt really awkward. Between Mrs. Collins’ hate and Mrs. Wright’s warmth, I just stood in the middle of this seriously emotional reunion. I wasn’t sure where to look or what to do. I tried avoiding Ryder’s mum and I didn’t think she’d approve if I looked at her son. I couldn’t just stare at Mrs. Wright either, especially when she was in this really compassionate state. I didn’t want to intrude on their moment. Staring at my hands wasn’t an option either since I was still handcuffed on each wrist to the boys.
Craning my neck and stretching up on my toes, I tried searching for my family. Patrick must have noticed the commotion because he turned from Eve and caught my eye. I saw relief wash over his tired features and he gave me a weak smile, took his girlfriend’s hand in his, and gently steered her away from her taco negotiation.
“Nora!” Eve grinned at me and practically skipped towards me. Well, as close to skipping as you can get when you’re pregnant.
She let go of Patrick’s hand and squeezed through the two other families, embracing me in a weird kind of way. It was hard hugging her when there was a giant ball in between. I was surprised to see her so cheerful, especially considering I was at a police station in the middle of the night. I supposed it was her pregnancy emotions. Realisation would probably sink in by morning.
“We’ve been so worried about you,” Patrick said, reaching over to place his hand on my shoulder. Genuine concern was all over his face.
Eve, on the other hand… looked kind of happy. She held me at arm’s length and grinned at me with pride. “Your first encounter with the law,” she said, sniffling. “You are so ready for university.”
This just left me speechless. She was… proud of me. “You’re not going to tell Mum, right?”
I eyed her carefully. I wasn’t sure if this was an act or if she was truly delighted with me having to go to the police department. Keeping a cautious gaze on my sister, I wondered if she’d suddenly turn ape on me and give me a lecture. But she didn’t. She just dismissed my question and went on about ‘this one time’ in college.
It was weird how all three of our families acted differently. Caine’s parents seemed happy and relieved, smothering their child with affection. Ryder’s mother looked like she was ready to kill someone with her famous death stare. Then there was me, with my sister and her boyfriend. While Patrick reacted normally to this situation with worry and concern, Eve topped the weirdness cake with her honoured response.
Officer Brandy, looking just as startled as I felt, walked over and unlocked the handcuffs chaining Caine and I together. It felt good to have my left wrist breathe again and I shook it, reviving some life into it.
“You kids are allowed to go home, but you do understand that you are going to have to be punished,” he said gruffly. “Nothing serious, considering no permanent or serious damage was done. Just ten hours of community service to complete, but if I see you starting any more fights around town again, the consequences will be severe.”
“We were intimidated!” Caine burst out. “It was personal defence.”
“Look, kid, we have no real evidence of who started what. So we’re just going to be putting all five of you on community service.”
Caine didn’t look completely satisfied but I think the thought of Chris and his friend getting punished as well helped tame him a little. After a few more finalisations, we were released from the police station around two in the morning. We were all tired
and silent by the time we walked out.
As we stepped outside in the night air, I gently touched Caine’s arm. It was a timid gesture. He turned and faced me, looking beaten and sleepy. His parents headed for their car across the car park but he lingered behind.
“Thanks… for defending me and stuff,” I said in a rush. “I mean, Chris was my business and you didn’t have to get involved-”
I stopped because Caine had suddenly gotten hold of my hand. He held it in his, warm fingers wrapping around mine and he smiled at me sleepily. “Don’t mention it.”
He brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed it. I just stared at him. Even when he was beaten up and exhausted, he still was the regular Caine Wright who could charm the ladies with a single smile. His eyes sparkled as he gave me a grin, let go of my hand and raised his hand in one of those half guy-waves.
“Farewell, fair maiden.” He winked and with that, he was off.
I looked up at Ryder, in a what the hell kind of way. He was still watching Caine walk away, expression thoughtful. I sighed and tugged him along. Perhaps the effects of alcohol and fatigue were finally taking its toll on Caine, to a point where he didn’t understand his motives or actions.
Once inside the car, we were silent. The heater was running, Eve was quietly munching on her chocolate bar and Patrick concentrated on driving and not falling asleep at the wheel. My eyes had gotten heavy and I knew I was close to passing out. The day’s events had exhausted me and rest seemed like the most heavenly thing in the world.
Before I knew it, I was resting against Ryder, our handcuffed hands finding each other. His body was warm, his touch was comforting and the feel of his chest moving with every breath made me relax. I knew I should have gotten off, but I felt weak and I wasn’t sure if it was because of tiredness or because I enjoyed the feeling of being close to him to a point where I didn’t have the strength to move. Either way, I stayed there, eyes closing completely.
I was in that hazy state between sleep and consciousness, my imagination right at the edge of my dreams, when I thought I heard him speak.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of my head before I fell into a deep slumber.
Seventeen
As always, sleep was awkwardly positioned and uncomfortable, making my muscles ache with tension. I vaguely remembered falling asleep but as I gradually woke up more, I remembered. Feeling dirty and sticky lying in my bed, I shuffled and tangled myself further into the sheets. I felt the tug of Ryder as he stirred from next to me on the floor.
Glancing over, I saw him sleeping with his brow furrowed, eyes squeezed shut. An animal-like sound erupted from his lips and his body jerked. Pearls of sweat had formed on his forehead, dampening his hairline. Ryder was having a bad dream. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I gently shook.
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s just a nightmare…”
His eyes flew open, searching the room in confusion. His breathing was faster than usual but he tried to control it, running his free hand through his messy hair. He tilted his head to the side and saw me, then cracked a small smile. Ryder ran the same hand down his face and let out a sleepy groan.
“Morning,” he greeted, tone slow and deep. He stretched – well, as much as he could, considering he was still chained to me - and glanced around. “What time is it?” ‘It’s… Crap!” Panic rose in my throat as I glanced at the clock and realised we were beyond late for school. It was already ten in the morning and second period would have been well underway.
On cue, Eve knocked and entered my room. “Oh, good, you’re up now.”
“Why didn’t you wake us?” I burst out, trying to kick the sheets off.
“I knew you guys were tired. It’s fine. I called the school in advance, told them you had an appointment and that you’d be at school around lunch,” Eve explained, waving around a cookie.
“You lied to the school?” I was starting to really freak out. “Aren’t we already in enough trouble with the authorities?”
My sister just rolled her eyes and started backing out of the room. “Calm down, Nora. God. I used to do it all the time. It’s no big deal. Look, I just came up here to tell you that Patrick and I are going to the doctor for an ultrasound.”
“Your baby must be heaps big now, huh?” Ryder said, nodding at Eve’s prized-sized belly.
She placed her hands on her stomach and unconsciously rubbed, something she did whenever someone asked about her baby. I guess it was one of those protective gestures that emphasised the attachment and relationship between mother and child.
“Yeah,” she answered, smiling, “but this ultrasound is for Patrick.”
“Imagine if boys got pregnant.”
Eve walked over and smacked me over the head with her box of chocolate chip cookies. “It’s a soft tissue injury.” The sound of Patrick’s voice drifted up the stairs as he called for my sister. Before leaving, she added, “Have a shower. Both of you. You’re filthy.”
Then with that, she left. Ryder and I exchanged glances and knew we both needed to proceed with our day. We had gotten increasingly better with the whole bathroom situation. When it came to showering, it was still pretty awkward, but anything beyond that, we coped surprisingly well. I supposed we were both just tired and figured the situation of being handcuffed was difficult enough so cooperating sounded like the most suitable way to tackle it all.
From our first awkward bathroom situation, we had fallen into a routine and a set of appropriate rules and guidelines had been silently agreed between us. Things like when Ryder had to go to the bathroom, I didn’t turn into a comedian. And when we were at the sink, we were careful that I didn’t shave off my other eyebrow and that Ryder cleanly shaved off all the stubble that magically grows on his chin every night. Although these aspects of our bathroom routine were good, the thing I hated the most was peeing in front of him.
It was the most awkward and uncomfortable thing ever. As always, while I went on my morning pee break, Ryder had to squat awkwardly so that I could properly place my butt onto the toilet. After, there was the difficult wriggling and one-hand tugging as I tried to get my pants to roll down and then, there was the most awkward part of the entire thing: Me actually peeing.
Now, I’m seriously self-conscious about how I pee. I mean, it’s not exactly a graceful thing to do. I can’t just daintily do my business, particularly when there was a guy squatting awkwardly to the side. Especially a guy like Ryder Collins.
Oh my God… What if I’m peeing too loudly?
The same thought occurred to me and trying to casually block out the sound, I attempted a casual conversation, which was a complete failure, considering that there was nothing casual about having a friendly chat with someone while you’re watering the garden or dropping raisins. And, as always, that morning wasn’t an exception and I again tried talking to Ryder. However, I guess I had just about tried every single topic in the book of conversations so I was at a complete loss and I blurted out the worst possible thing ever.
“So… You have a pretty nice looking butt.” The words were out of my mouth before I could even think about it.
“I have… I have a what?” Ryder asked, almost losing his concentration on maintaining his balance.
I knew there was no backing down now, so I decided to go with it. “You have… a nice butt.”
Ryder shifted uncomfortably. “Thanks?”
“I mean, I’d totally rate it a nine… Possibly a ten. You see, Mel and I have a thing where we rate guys’ butts. In fact, it was the reason why Mrs. Coleman voluntarily picked me to be a part of this demonstration. But yeah. You have a pretty nice butt. It’s really... manly and stuff.” I realised every word was making it worse, but I couldn’t stop.
Ryder laughed softly. My cheeks caught on fire.
My tendency to make awkward situations even more inappropriate and uncomfortable was such a charming characteristic.
~♥♥♥~
We were quiet after
the bathroom incident. After we had exited, we entered the kitchen where Ryder fried some eggs and toast while I stood to the side and tried to distract myself with Biology homework. It wasn’t until there was a knock on the back door that I almost cried of relief. Finally, a real distraction.
Ryder was just about finished cooking breakfast so he switched the stove off, brought the pan off the heat and together we headed for the door. I looked through the glass frame and saw Caine. He grinned and pointed towards the lock. Realising I hadn’t made much of a move to open it, I mentally shook my head and reached for the door.
“Hey, thanks,” he breathed, shrugging off his jacket once he was inside and dropping it onto one of the stools by the counter.
Caine was just the type of person who could enter a stranger’s house and instantly feel comfortable with making himself feel welcome. Although I wasn’t a complete stranger to him, I might as well have considered being one. Prior to the whole handcuff thing, Caine and I had never associated before and now that some chains had imprisoned me with his best friend, he started acting like we had been in each other’s lives since the start of time.
“Oh, breakfast,” Caine said, grinning as he pinched a piece of toast from a plate and took a huge bite. “Man, I’m starved.”
“Aren’t you meant to be at school?” Ryder asked, a little more accusing rather than curious. “How’d you know we were home?”
“After last night? There was no freaking way I was going to wake up at six in the morning and go to school,” he answered around a mouthful of toast. “Hey, did you fry up some eggs with this?”
Ryder just snorted, slid the plate away from Caine and directed it closer to us. “Hey, hands off the food, man.”