Stallion

Chapter Two • Abstruse Ties

"I've got to go, see you when I get home." I tell my father.

"Alright, see you then."

•••

An officer handed me a cup of hot cocoa and I shivered in my thin parka as Mandy sat beside me. Aunt Claire ventured through the hallways looking at brochures and emergency situation kits. "Thank you." I spoke as she walked away to her office.

"This is the story everyone stuck with, we saw a few guys and as fire erupted, it was too loud and confusing to even see what was going on. Nobody was identified, never seen the guys a day in my life." Amanda spoke with a monotone voice, she looked as if she was running on a frappuccino and three hours of sleep. Hell, everyone should be from last night.

"Why do you guys have a destined story? You want to suborn me?" I inquire.

"Not exactly, Markell knew those guys. I'm not sure how, but he's telling everyone no matter what they saw, to say that we didn't know them." She almost reiterated to me. It was around noon and I felt like my brain was missing half a story, or not properly functioning at all. Markell knew the guys? Stallion must have put on a front, feigning to knowing him. Something was off with this story.

"Who gives a hell who Markell knows? Did he really get people to lie, for what some friends he potentially has?" I now whispered with an edgy voice, still trying to figure out why Stallion didn't tell me he knew Markell. Why wasn't any of this clicking?

"Ms. Banks," A loud feminine voice struck me. I removed leg from underneath my bottom and stood up to follow the woman down the hall. I was taken by surprise when I looked to my left to see Markell and his best friend Jaheem beside him. Markell licked his lips when he saw me. That made me feel so uncomfortable in my own skin, not my usual self.

"You can't speak now?"

"Hi Jah." I mumbled as Markell snickered something to him and Jaheem cackled softly. I took a seat on the further end of the table near the officer and stared at the back of her Dell laptop.

"Ms. Banks, your cousin Amanda Rowling has plead her side of the story. She said she arrived with you, Leroy Hemmings, his two younger brothers Chaston and Eric Hemmings, and Monica Hart. Can you confirm this?" The woman asked peaking above her laptop.

"Yes, that is true."

"She continued to say that before ordering your meals, you went to the bathroom, that you were upset about something. What happened when you noticed the robbery taking place, as you were in the bathroom?"

The tension resided on my side of the room as Jaheem and Markell stared deeply at me, I felt their gazes on my face.

"I don't know who it was, but somebody held my in a headlock. They broke into the bathroom after I locked it." I said, Jaheem and Markell sat back in their seats, I guess they wanted to see if I would snitch. You're welcome Stallion.

The questions died down to none and it was just turned into a conversation of the robbery would turn into an investigation, with unforeseen consequences until they get captive any suspects. Myself, Jaheem, and Markell were dismissed. What a way to spend my Saturday morning.

I wanted to make my way over to Amanda and my aunt as quickly as possible, but Markell caught up to me and rubbed his hands over my shoulders. Turning to face him, he wore his infamous smile and his dark eyes craved my curved lip expression.