Delinquents Can't Change

Chapter 20

"You're just mad he asked me first. Now excuse me. I got to sort out something first," I said. Will shrugged. He goes back to sleep. I go back inside the office and sat down. Natalie and Jace sat down.

"Frank's gang had been arrested but I'm curious if there are more? I don't want you in any danger but I know you crave information. Michaels is trying to find out who did it. Please stop looking on your own," Natalie said. Jace avoids our eyes.

"Did you have a nasty breakup?" I asked. Jace flinched.

"Something like that. I'll tell you later. I got to teach English," Jace grumbled. He ruffled my hair before leaving. Natalie smiled and once he left her smile dropped.

"Legally I can't help you. I'm not allowed to meddle in the lives of my students so much. I pushed the boundaries already," Natalie said loudly. She goes through her desk and hands me a thick stack of papers, photos, and tapes. "I hope you will be okay," Natalie smiled. a sticky note on it. I grabbed the items.

'It's enough to sentence him to death and everyone else involved :)' I smiled wide after reading the note. I put the stuff on the desk and hobble over to hug her. She hugs me.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"She would have been so proud. Please... Continue. Get justice for you and her. Have a happy holiday," She said. I nod and take the stuff. She helps me out and Will takes the rest of the items. We would have to leave since we are only visitors but now we can go. We have enough to start a case. Once we ransack the second hideout, we have enough to secure the decision. Perhaps this would offer who did this, where's the start because once upon a time we were happy. Once upon a time he loved her and would never lay a hand on me. Once upon a time, the only pain I knew was from scrapping my knee and Frank pouring disinfectant on it. So why the switch?

"What are you thinking about?" Will asked, I forgot he was blindfolded as he stood close. my arm linked with his as he held boxes.

"About the homework... Do you think maybe, just maybe no one was innocent? I mean there's a saying there is no perfect," I said. Will takes a deep breath and yawns.

"If things were perfect, I would have been powerful enough to rule this world. I could have been a god, worshipped among mortals," Will sighed. I giggled, I coughed to cover it up. Will laughed as we walked the halls. The empty halls where graffiti was the only way we could spell, and sex was the only way we could perform mathematics.

"Oh yeah?" I challenged. Will waited when I stopped, I open the door so we could find Mr. Verano. The smoky breathy from the cold, concrete covered in rock salt, while the smell of cigarettes filled the air.

"Yes, Mother Harry told me a story once. I won't tell you the entirety of it. It's beautiful though, one of the few that has ever made me feel. It was the story she'd say on a rainy day to Michael, Lyola, and I. It would get us to stop trying to run outside. The story was of two men, they had a love not allowed by the fates. Very cruel of life I suppose. But she would start the fire and be with, their love belonging on movie screens but no one could ever truly understand such beauty. Achilles and Patroclus. Patroclus was the only man to really get through to the so-called weapon for the Gods. She would touch the tip of our noses and say you may want everything, cry and scream as you might but you won't be able to. Fate wouldn't let you. A famous author wrote one of her favorite books, she read it to us when we were older. She wrote "name one hero who was happy," and Patroclus would think, he'd think about Hercales and his insanity, how he killed his family or Theseus and how he lost his bride and father, Jason's children and new wife being killed or Bellerphon who killed the Chimera but was ripped by the fall from Pegasus' back. And Achilles would say "You can't" Patroclus would say he couldn't. Achilles knew they'd never let you be famous and happy." Will said. His tone was sobering, how calm he sounded. I leaned my head on his shoulder, I wonder if he would ever collapse under the weight.

"You can't have it all, so not even I?" I asked. Will adjust the box in his hands.

"No... try as we might we won't get everything. No one, nothing will ever let you," Will said.

"What was the book called? It sounds interesting," I said. I looked at Will, he gained weight, he was healthy again. He didn't compete with the complexion of snow or a skeleton. His freckles were pale, his hair shined in the sun and his large scar stretching across his face from temple to jaw was tanned. He had a small smile.

"It's a beauty. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Maybe we can stop by the bookshop. When the snow melts," Will said as if it were obvious.

"You realize you're gonna have to see the snow and feel it's cold radiating right?"

"Yes, but not today," Will snickered. I laughed as we go to enter the building I have spent most of my secondary education.

The building is never silent, always filled with talking or arguing. The heating never fixed so it was practically snowing, the lockers dented from temper tantrums and the only thing remotely put together was the large board. There were the pictures of those told they would never make it but graduated and were in jobs they loved. I saw Will's picture, he flipped off the camera but the next picture was him... It was him in a police uniform

"Don't you look dashing," I said. Will looked in my general direction. Blindfold, right.

"What?"

"What happened to that police internship?"

"I didn't want to leave you alone. I was told I could be welcomed back, I said I would be, but with a partner," Will said. I realized how little I knew Will, yet how much in other ways. I knew the different tones of his voice, the fears, and his comforts but not his real name nor his background.

"We need to play that stupid twenty-something questions game. I heard Greg playing it with Lenny," I said.

"And ruin the mystery?"

"Fuck off," I laughed. I figured the classes were in session but from how long we took walking and the amount of talking we did, I'd hope they were on break. When we made it to Jace's classroom, he wasn't teaching but allowing a quiet study session. I guess many students were left behind. I removed Will's blindfold, he blinks a couple of times before we go inside. Jace was talking to Max. That parasite hates me and I barely knew the guy. He looked over when someone points out I'm at the door. He waved me over.

"Hey kid," he sounds so damn tired.

"Hey old man," I smiled, he looked like he needed one. He sat on his desk. He shook his head.

"He's leaving High snow," his voice cracks.

"What?!"