Broken

Chapter 7

"...it's more about understanding the assailant's psychology. Trying to get into their heads and discovering what makes them tick."

The professor walked back and forth in the front of the class going on about criminal psychology and behaviour. The entire class had their ears tuned to every word out of his mouth, their eyes fixated on him as he moved from point A to point B. Mac, who was seated at the back of the class as usual, soon lost his voice as it slowly drowned out and was replaced by a ringing in her ears. Her gaze was glued to the front of the class but she wasn't seeing anything because she was lost in her head.

The siren's sounds were muffled but they were right there nonetheless. She tried to push the sounds and the images out of her head but they kept coming in flashes and her grip on her pen tightened as tried to stop the feelings from coming with it. She didn't want to feel any of it, not ever again.

The ambulance, the cops, the hospital and seeing...

"Mac."

Makenna snapped out of her reverie just as her pen snapped in her grip. She looked up at Vanessa, the only person in her class she was on talking terms with. Everyone else was leaving the class which she hadn't known had ended a moment ago.

"Are you alright? You look pale."

"I'm fine." Mac smiled and got up, she dumped her broken pen in her bag and grabbed her books.

They walked out of the class together amongst the others who exited the class. Mac glanced at Vanessa.

"I'd ask why you weren't in class yesterday but I'd say it's none of my business."

Vanessa looked at her with a smile as they walked down the hall heading to their next class. Vanessa had spent enough time with Makenna to know how she was.
"Well, my sister came home after a long time and I spent the day with her."

Vanessa just like Makenna was born and raised in Tacoma and there was a chance the two had crossed paths before without knowing it. They'd talked about it during their first year when they used to study together. Vanessa had been the one to approach her as per Mrs. Kim's suggestions on teaming up with Makenna and helping each other out. They'd both been behind on two different courses and it had taken time for Makenna to come around to the idea of studying together. But then after Mrs. Kim had told her it was a good idea, she'd decided to give it a try.

"Oh, the one that eloped."

Vanessa was from a biracial family, her mother was Mexican and her father was African-American. Vanessa was the perfect mix of both her parents, and Makenna had never told her but, she found it a very unique mix.

Vanessa laughed,
"She didn't elope, she left Tacoma with her boyfriend five years ago."

"Then got married to him last year without your parents' approval." Makenna glanced at her, "Pretty much sums up elopement."

Vanessa had a smile on her face,
"If you say so."

They walked into their next class and sat together behind everyone else.

"Welcome back!" Their professor greeted them before he introduced the new course to the class.

An hour later, Makenna and Vanessa stepped out of the class and headed down the hall out of the Criminal Justice building.

"Nessa."

They both turned as they walked down the stairs and Vanessa smiled and went ahead of her, running into the arms of her boyfriend. Makenna smiled inwardly and walked the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Hey, Mac."

"Jerry."

Jeremy huffed and shook his head tired of correcting her every single time while Vanessa smiled looking up at him like he was her world.
"I don't know why you chose her as your friend."

"Study partner." Makenna corrected,

Vanessa glanced at Makenna,
"Mac doesn't have friends."

"If I did, it wouldn't be you."

"That's because you can't handle me." Vanessa threw back, "You're afraid I'll see through all of that."

"Well, it was nice seeing you, Jerry."

"Jeremy!" He called but she was already gone. "Hey, babe."

"Hi." Vanessa smiled up at him, "I missed you."

"Missed you more." He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead, "C'mon."

Atlas closed his books as the professor reminded the class about the assignment that was due by the end of the week. It gave him something to look forward to and keep him busy instead of trying to find ways to fill his time. Atlas left the class, as it was his last class of the day, he headed down the hallway and out of the Milgard building.

"Hey."

Atlas kept walking not paying attention to the voice that called out because he didn't know anyone and he figured he wasn't the one they were calling out to.

"Hey man."

Atlas stopped when someone came around and stopped in front of him.

"You didn't hear me?"

"I'm sorry, I assumed whoever it was wasn't calling me."

"Ah, that's fine." He put out his hand, "Will."

"Atlas." Atlas shook his hand,

"Like the star?"

Atlas cracked a smile,
"I guess."

"So," They began walking together, "What's your story?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Where are you from?" Will asked, "This is the first time I'm seeing you in my four years here."

"I just transferred from Cambridge."

"Oh, England. Explains the accent."

"Why Tacoma and not Seattle or any of the other locations?"

"My sister got in this one and I wanted to be close to her."

"That is so brotherly of you." Will said, "Well, I'm from Seattle and I chose Tacoma because I needed to get away from the parents, you know how they get."

Atlas didn't know. His parents hadn't been much of anything but he nodded. He'd just met Will and he already liked him, he seemed down to earth and open which meant he was honest.

"Want to get a drink?" Will asked, "Metro Coffee is the best place around here."

"Uhm, sure."

"Great."