melancholy town | h.s

eight

The typical rainy cold England weather begins to start as I am pulled out of the police car. The tall policeman grabs me again and assists me into the station. I can barely take in my surroundings when I am placed in a small overnight cell. All my belongings are taken from me and my handcuffs are finally released. I take a seat on the all too familiar steel bench in the left side corner.

I overhear Alexis' family arrive at the station and then are escorted off into a private room. Of course, she gets interviewed first whilst I sit alone in this cell. My wet hair sticks to my hoodie and I check my wrists for a hair tie. Fortunately, I have one and tie up my hair in my iconic messy bun. My eyes feel heavy so I shut them and try to drown out the sounds of the station.

I don't recall how long I fell asleep for but it feels like a while. I am woken up by another policeman banging on the cell. My eyes adjust to the awfully bright white walls and floors. I stand up and stretch my back before I am put in handcuffs again. I am taken further into the police station. I pass the Graham family who are talking to the police, trying to befriend them. I am taken into a darker room with a desk. The handcuffs are removed from me and I take a seat in the chair the policeman points me to sit in.

A few moments later an older man in his late 40s walks in and excuses the officer. He wears a black suit, a white button down and a navy blue tie. He offers me a cup of water but I just stare at him in response. He chuckles and puts a paper cup full of water in front of me and takes a seat opposing me.

"So Miss Reid." He begins shuffling through papers on the table.

"Carey." I correct him and he ignores me. I roll my eyes.

"I see you have a number of assaults," He says and looks at me then back down at his papers.

"Mmhm." I nod. Sounds about right.

"All of them you have been the first to start the brawl."

"I don't hit someone unless they've pissed me off." I say and shift uncomfortably in the plastic seat.

He takes a sip from his cream-coloured mug. Usually, most people wait until they have a lawyer present due to 'everything you say can and will be held against you' but even the thought of having a lawyer makes me feel super broke. The smell of herbal now lingers in my nose. He looks at me again "So I've just heard Miss Graham's side of his story. I'd like to hear yours now."

"Well I bet she fed you a bunch of lies," I start off boldly. "She said some disrespectful shit about my family and accused me of selling drugs and I punched her in the face to shut her up." I cut it short and straight to the point. I just want to go home. He doesn't even correct me with my use of colourful language.

"Do you mind me asking what kind of things she said?" His accent was posh and definitely not from around here.

"Just shit about my mum not being around cause she doesn't accept me as her daughter or whatever. Just some fucked up lies that I didn't want her to spread around the school. She's been doing this ever since I moved here." I say and the man seems to pity me as if he knows me.

"So it was built up rage?" He asks. I nod knowing full well that it was just because she was being a brat and needed to learn a lesson, Carey style. I will say anything just to get home.

"How did it all go down on Friday night?"

"My brother was hosting a party and I was there because it's my house. Anyways she rocked up, uninvited and started accusing me of selling drugs after I confronted her about entering my house." I take a sip of the water and I continue on, "And then I got so angry my first reflex was to punch her in the face. Then she punched me back then I punched her again and then I got pulled away by my brother's friend." I speed through my last sentence and curl my cold hands into my hoodie sleeves.

Several more idiotic questions later, he tells me that he may be able to drop the charges. He doesn't tell me how much I am being charged for but I know it would be a lot. I fold my arms on the table in front of me and rest my head in my arms and try to fall asleep again, hoping that this was all just a dream.

The man comes back in and I shoot my head back up when I hear the familiar sound of a plastic bag where they store your belongings in. He puts the bag in front of me and announces that the charges have been dropped but it was still going to my criminal record. Or something like that. All I care is that I am free to get out of here. He tells me to phone a family member to pick me up.

I sure as hell was not going to call my mum so I call Ethan. I notice the time is just after 11pm and I hope to God that he is awake because I am not being escorted home in a police car again especially with my mum in town. Within a few rings he picks up.

"Can you get me from the police station?" I ask.

"Shit Care I thought you were staying there all night." Ethan grumbles, tired.

"Well Merry Christmas the charges got dropped." I say, running my hands through my hair.

"I don't have my car."

"Why the fuck not?" I snap angrily. Ethan always has his car on him, what the fuck was he on about?

"I'm at Harry's." He says. I roll my eyes.

"Then just drive his car here or something I don't wanna be escorted home." I say. I can hear Ethan and Harry talking in the background but I can't make out what they're saying. The service is too shit out here.

Ethan says something but I can't hear and the line goes dead. I grab my belongings out of the plastic bag and follow the signs to the exit. I wait outside under the cover for a while. I put my headphones in and wait.

Almost 10 minutes pass and finally I notice Harry's car pulling up right in front of me. The passenger side door opens up revealing Harry inside. I notice him turn the volume down on his radio as he looks straight at me "Get in Reid." He says over the rain. I unwillingly get into the passenger seat, shut the door and turn to look in the back seat to look for my brother.

"Where's Ethan?" I ask pausing my music and take my headphones out.

"At mine." He says bluntly starting the car. I put my seat belt on as I don't trust Harry driving in this rain. I don't say another word although my head bounces with a dozen questions.