Case Reopened

At Fault (Part 1)

When Sophia climbed into the back of Harrison's car, she didn't say anything to either him or Kennedy. She felt Harrison watching her in the rearview mirror but continued to stare out her window.

"Want me to drop you off at your place?" Harrison asked.

"No. I will be coming over to Kennedy's apartment."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sophia saw as Harrison took his gaze off her and turned it to Kennedy. Neither of them spoke, but Sophia felt the weight of the exchange. She knew with that shared look what was to come next and took a breath.

She easily predicted Kennedy's next action and wished that she could avoid it. But growing up with Kennedy she understood at this point the best path to take was to let Kennedy have her say, assure her that what she said or suggested was not necessary, and let that be the end.

But today, already burdened with her own mood, Sophia didn't want to have to deal with Kennedy's.

But before she could formulate a way to head Kennedy off, Kennedy had loosened her seatbelt and twisted around in her seat to look at Sophia.

"Okay, what's the person's name?" Kennedy said. "And what did they do to you?"

Sophia didn't answer right away. She wondered if she could misdirect Kennedy.

"I am normally silent," she said.

"Agreed, but not this type of silent. We know the difference."

At that statement, Sophia wondered if Kennedy and Harrison both cataloged people's silences and organized what meanings were portrayed by each type of silence.

"I'm serious," Kennedy said. "No one gets to hurt you and get away with it."

"No one hurt me," Sophia said.

This was not the whole truth but the hurt she'd caused far outweighed the hurt she'd received, she knew this.

"I don't believe you and I want-"

"Kennedy!" Sophia swallowed and clutched her fists. She counted to five in her head and breathed slowly. "I apologize for yelling. But I would like it if you'd stop asking about the matter. If you find that too hard then I can take the metro home."

"You don't have to do that," Harrison jumped in. He tugged at Kennedy's blazer. "Sit down. You can be as quiet as you want Sophia. We are here if you need to talk but Kenny will be shutting up right now."

Kennedy looked at Harrison, mouth open but he twisted his head to her and she sank back in her seat. Sophia returned to staring out the window. Though she appreciated that Kennedy stopped interrogating her, she now had to sit in the silence of the car.

This silence she knew to be conflicting since Kennedy's silence never felt subtle. Harrison's silence she didn't mind though she knew it was tangled with her own as he kept glancing at the rearview mirror.

When they all entered Kennedy's apartment, Kennedy dropped her silence and moved about loudly.

"Do you want something to eat? I'm hungry," she said, as she turned on music and walked into the kitchen.

"No thank you," Sophia said.

She claimed a spot at the dining table as Harrison joined Kennedy in the kitchen. They discussed what to eat and Sophia relaxed a fraction, knowing she had slipped into the back of their minds for the time being.

Through snacks, and talk of homework before the talk got put into action, Sophia remained in her spot and built a tiny, isolated world for herself with textbooks and notes.