CHAPTER 16
·̩̩̥͙ $ * ☆ •̩̩͙ * ♡︎ * •̩̩͙ ☆ * ˚ $ ·̩̩̥͙
"We've got two girls in 202 who are saying they both have information on the Perez assault," The receptionest at East Highland Police Station spoke into her walkie talkie as she suspiciously eyed the two girls seated in the waiting room. "What are your names?"
"Jules Vaughn," Jules spoke from the chair she was sitting.
The receptionist wrote that on a slip of paper before glancing at the second girl.
"Estrella Rodriguez."
"Their names are Jules Vaughn and Estrella Rodriguez."
Estrella stared at the receptionist as she wrote her name down, then side eyed Jules, noticing that she was staring at her.
Nate never mentioned to either of them that they wouldn't be the only ones giving a statement.
He had everything perfectly planned out and sorted, and everything would go his way if Jules and Estrella just said everything he instructed them to say.
Tyler had turned himself in that morning, and when word got out that it was possible that Nate was innocent, it would be perfect for the only two witnesses to speak up.
Nate told the two girls to go to the police station after school, but forgot to ask them to go at different times.
Estrella went home after school, about to pussy out and just tell her dad about what she was being dragged into, but he wasn't home when she got there.
So Nate was lucky, and Estrella showed up to the police station about half an hour after Jules.
Jules was called to the room first. She spoke to a few officers, telling them what she had seen and all she knew, based off of what Nate told her.
After about half an hour of questioning Jules, it was Estrella's turn.
"Run this by me again," The detective told Estrella as she read over everything she had noted down. "You recognized Tyler as the guy who had sex with Maddy at McKay's party?"
"Yeah," Estrella nodded. "And Maddy was telling me about how he wouldn't stop texting her after, like he was just acting super obsessive and weird."
"But you didn't see him choke her?" The detective asked her.
"No but I know he did it, Maddy told me. The same day this case was opened, at school? Maddy asked me to meet her in the bathroom because she needed someone to talk to, and she was crying because her mom thought it was Nate would had choked her," Estrella explained. "That's when Maddy told me that it was Tyler. He saw her at the carnival and was like, mad because she was with Nate, so he dragged her behind some trailers I guess and they started arguing and he choked her."
Estrella ran through what she and Nate had practiced over the phone in her head, recalling how she would nervously laugh, which would make Nate laugh, and they would just laugh together for a while.
"No Star, you didn't see it actually happen," Nate frustratedly corrected Estrella after she said something wrong.
Estrella was painting her toe nails to match the new set of purple nails she had gotten a few hours ago.
It was 11 pm, and usually she was on Facetime with Fezco at this time if she wasn't with him, but she had been talking to Nate over the phone for almost an hour.
"Okay, my bad," Estrella sighed and waited for the first coat of nail polish to dry to go over them. "I didn't see it happen. So the only way I know that he did it is cause Maddy told me?"
"Yeah," Nate confirmed. "She told you in the bathrooms at school, the Monday after the carnival. Now tell me again what you're gonna tell the police."
"Alright," Estrella nodded and took a bite out of one of the burgers her dad made for her earlier. "The first thing I'm gonna say is that Tyler d–"
"Are you eating?" Nate interrupted after hearing her talk with her mouth slightly full.
"Oh, yeah, my bad," Estrella said, then began laughing.
Nate laughed once hearing her laugh and shook his head, "Come on Star, we need to get this down."
"Just give me a minute," She said in between laughs, which only made Nate laugh a little more.
Their little fit of laughter together was weird as fuck, but in the moment, it was for some reason comforting. And Estrella hated that.
It was only comforting because of the situation she was in, and she had broken Nate out of character so she felt comfortable.
But as soon as she hung up, she felt off again. She felt a pit in her stomach as she reran her conversation with Nate through her head.
She texted Fezco and apologized for lagging, saying she had been caught up doing homework and didn't wanna lose her focus.
She was hoping he would be awake and down to Facetime, she needed some real comfort from him, but he didn't reply.
Fezco was fast asleep in his bed, phone in his hand since he had fallen asleep while waiting on her text back.
That left Estrella alone with her thoughts for the night. She could barely sleep, she laid in her bed all night while she thought about what the fuck she was about to do.
She wasn't worried about lying to the police. She'd done that many times for her and her dad's sake.
Estrella was worried about what would happen if she didn't. She didn't wanna help Nate get away with abusing her best friend. But she didn't have a choice.
And if she didn't go to the police station and tell them what she practice told Nate over 10 times, she would never forgive herself for what he was gonna do.
She would never forgive herself for letting him ruin Fezco's life just because she didn't want him to get away with abusing Maddy, when Maddy clearly didn't even fucking care.
So here Estrella fucking was. Telling her half made up ass story and answering questions.
"You and Madeleine Perez are best friends?" The detective asked after reviewing her notes.
"Yeah," Estrella nodded. "Since like, 6th grade."
"Okay, well why didn't you speak up sooner? Why did you wait until Mister Clarkson confessed?"
"Maddy begged me not to say anything because she was scared of him," Estrella answered.
"She asked you not to say anything in the school bathrooms, after she told you what happened the night of the carnival?" The detective asked.
"Yeah," Estrella nodded as the detective closed her notepad.
"Did anyone coerce you into making this statement today?"
"No."
"And you realize that filing a false police report or making false statements to the police impeding a criminal investigation is a very serious crime, punishable by up to seven years in prison?" The detective asked and looked into Estrella's eyes, in hopes to crack her if she was lying.
"I do now," Estrella said, not breaking the eye contact.
"I'll ask you one more time. Are you telling us the truth?"
"I'm telling the truth," Estrella confirmed.
The detective exchanged looks with her partner, then stood up and stared down at Estrella for a minute.
"Thank for your statement, Miss Rodriguez. You are free to leave."
Estrella was out of the police station in no time, completely forgetting that Jules had also been there until she saw her standing outside the doors, waiting for her.
"Hey," Jules spoke up.
"Hey," Estrella awkwardly said back as Jules started walking with her.
They exchanged looks before they both looked at the ground.
"So, you were a 'witness' too?" Jules asked Estrella, doing air quotes with her fingers as she said witness.
Estrella shrugged, "Something like that."
Jules nodded, looking around as they walked.
Estrella looked up at Jules for a second, "So, what's Nate got on you?" She asked her with a small laugh.
Jules raised an eyebrow and looked at Estrella, staying quiet.
Estrella just laughed again, "Come on. He fucked us both over. I'll go first if it makes you feel better–but you can't tell anyone this first part."
She watched as Jules nodded, not taking her eyes off of her.
"My dad's a drug dealer," Estrella told Jules, causing her to raise her eyebrows. "And like, Nate knows that, he ratted my dad out a few years ago because I didn't wanna fuck him. And he threatened to do it again if I didn't help him out."
"Damn," Jules mumbled. "That's fucked up..."
"I know. And you know Fezco?"
"Yeah, Rue's ginger friend?"
Estrella nodded, "He's my boyfriend, but it's kinda illegal I guess because he's 19 and I'm 17 and Nate has proof that we had sex so he also threatened to get him on a sex offenders list."
Jules laughed, "I don't think Nate should be trying to put anybody on a sex offenders list."
"Nate shouldn't be doing more than half the shit he fucking does."
Jules nodded in agreement before sighing.
"I fucked Nate's dad," She said, making Estrella bust out laughing.
Estrella laughed for a few minutes, trying to control herself but the more she thought about what Jules said, the more she laughed.
"I'm sorry but oh my fucking god," Estrella apologized in between laughs. "Are you for real?"
Jules laughed at Estrella laughing, "Yeah, Star. I'm for real."
"You for real fucked Cal Jacobs?" Estrella asked her.
Jules nodded, then proceeded to explain to Estrella that she met Cal on the same app she met Tyler–who was really Nate–on, and then explained her whole thing with Nate and her nudes.
"So that's what you meant when you told Rue that she was a pro nude photographer?" Estrella asked and laughed a little.
"Yeah," Jules said. "But you have to promise me Star, you won't tell anyone. Like, nobody can know that I fucked Nate's dad."
"Does he know? Nate?"
Jules nodded. "Yeah. And his dad basically begged me not to tell anyone the night of the carnival, so like, please don't tell anyone. Like even if one day we end up hating each other, don't say a thing."
"As long as you don't tell anyone about my dad," Estrella laughed. "No but for real, I got you. I won't say shit. I promise."
Estrella offered Jules her pinky, which made her smile and lock her pinky with Estrella's.
Jules smiled as they held pinkies. "I promise too."
—$—
"You talk to Estrella?" Hector asked Fezco as he counted the money Ashtray had just given him.
"Not for a couple hours," Fez answered as he watched Ashtray filling the bag with their new supply.
He and Estrella had talked on the phone while she got ready for school, and also texted throughout the day until she stopped texting back due to her phone being on 10%.
"Serio? She got outta school two hours ago and she hasn't come home," Hector said, making Fez look up at him. "And she ain't answering my texts and shit."
"She not here?" Fez asked, he thought she was probably in her room.
"If she was here she would probably be over here kissing you and shit," Hector said and glanced up at Fezco from counting his money.
Ashtray glanced up between the two, freezing once they all heard the front door open. "Who the fuck is that?" Ashtray asked.
Hector dropped the stack of money on the table next to the duffel bag and grabbed his gun from the waistband of his long shorts, about to take the safety off when Estrella spoke.
"It danks so bad in here, god," She made a face at the overly strong smell of weed, her voice immediately calming the three in the kitchen.
Hector sighed in relief and dropped his gun on the table as Estrella came into his view.
"What the fuck, princess?" He asked her.
"Oh my bad, I didn't know you were in the middle of somethi–"
"Nah it ain't that, you got outta school like 2 fucking hours ago. Where've you been?" Hector lowered his voice as he stepped closer to her.
"I had to stay after school to get my midterm report card and then Jules asked me to go buy some shit for her Halloween costume with her," Estrella half lied and held up her report card. "Oh and my phone's dead."
Hector shook his head at her as he took the report card from her to look over it, Estrella watching as he walked back to the kitchen with Fez and Ash.
She and Fezco both smiled once they made eye contact, Estrella moving to give him a hug.
"Looking good princess," Hector commented as he read an A next to every class she was taking. "Looking good."
"Looking hella good," Fez mumbled in her ear as he discreetly looked her up and down.
"He's talking about my grades," Estrella whispered.
"But I'm talking bout you," Fez told her and smiled a little, making her laugh and give him a quick kiss.
"So we good?" Ashtray asked Hector, referring to their deal.
"Always, perro," Hector nodded and shook his hand. "Pleasure doin business with you."
Estrella pulled away from her hug with Fezco to grab her phone with only 2% of battery after feeling it buzz in her pocket.
iMessage–Fuck Nate.
Everything is going as planned
so far
iMessage–Fuck Nate.
Pleasure doing business with you.
double update 2day bc this was short lol.
Fuck nate.