Everyone Breaks 3

36. Tears & Truths

"Cat got your tongue, Zo. You pick now to be mute. Tell us if that's your phone" Zac said.

It's almost like I was frozen staring at the phone. What did they want me to say. Did they want me to beg forgiveness. It's not like I was caught making a phone call. If I'm honest with myself, I hadn't truly forgotten about my phone, how could I. It was a thought that was sitting in my mind. It would pop up when I wanted to call my someone, saw them on theirs or wondered where it went, but those thoughts would pass just as quickly as they came. Maybe I just thought it vanished into the bed pillows or something. I never had a safe moment to check.

"Yes, it looks familiar. Ok yes It's mind." I replied. I chose honesty as my only option in this moment.

"And where did it come from? No lying Zo" Zac replied

"I had it when you all brought me here from Utah" I responded

Pav looked at Warren "you didn't search her back then" he asked

Warren looked at him "how was I supposed to know she was hiding a phone. She didn't have pockets, bro. It's not that big a deal."

"See, you missed getting bitched at the other day. This is what dad was saying about not paying attention or dropping our guard. What if she was hiding a weapon on her that day" Pav replied

"She wasn't hiding a fücking weapon. She used the weapon to stab Darik remember. And this is Zo, not some criminal mastermind " Warren replied with a raised voice.

I felt that the more they talked, the angrier they were going to get, so I spoke up. "I'm sorry. I forgot I put it there. It was dead anyway. So no need to worry."

Pav spoke up "We don't like you keeping secrets from us, Zo. And I don't believe you completely forgot about that phone either. Therefore you're lying. You've had months to come clean and you never did. Now we know why you wanted a charger, dont we. First you're hiding alcohol, now a phone? Anything else we should know about."

Damn Dana. I know she ratted me out about a charger way back when I asked her. But they don't know that I know about Dana, so how would they explain that. I wanted to trap them in a lie myself. "I never asked you all for a charger, so why are you saying I did."

"The walls have ears, as far as your concerned. That's not the point. The point is, you didn't come clean and you were probably waiting on your chance to disobey" Zac replied.

"Ok. I'm sorry. I'll never hide a phone again. I didn't break any rules. It was my cellphone that I bought with my own money. You never told me I couldn't have-" I was cut off by Zac.

"Zo. Don't dig yourself into a deeper hole. You know damn well you shouldn't have had it, but the main point is the hiding. Innocent people don't hide things under beds and this shows that you don't respect us enough. "

This was crap. All this bullcrap about respect. They dont deserve it! It's a dang phone, not a bomb or knife. This whole situation is unneeded. I just want out of this uncomfortable meeting. "No, I do respect you all. I'm sorry I kept it. That was before I learned my lesson" I said trying to seem more sorry then I was. Why wasn't Warren saying anything else to help me.

"Maybe you should take off your clothes right now, so we can make sure you're not hiding anything else." Will said, causing me to look at him with spite & hidden panic. My next step when I was done being fussed at, was to go and flush my last plan b pills and put the herbs in the kitchen as though they were just for tea or cooking. That should be believable.

"Ok, I think she gets the point, alright. Zo no more secrets and hiding things. Now let's finish this up." Warren finally spoke up.

"No. I want her to undress right now. In front of us. Let's see if she knows how to obey. Saying she's learned her place is easy. Showing it is another thing" Willem said.