TJ's POV
I huffed out a breath as I turned the key in the lock to the dorm, finding it was already unlocked as I dreaded facing my room mates. I was still reeling from everything that had happened with Harry, and I knew that they would have a lot of questions. I was aware that we needed to keep the details of what was going on as quiet as possible, but I also knew that we would need as much help as we could get, and they were the only other people I even remotely trusted.
I knew they'd been just as worried about Harry as I was, and well aware that I'd gone to see him, I just didn't know how I was possibly gonna explain to them what the reason was behind Harry's arrest. I wasn't even sure I could say it out loud, as if the very notion of speaking the lies might somehow make things worse, like the simple belief that it was all gonna go away could be compromised once the words left my mouth.
There was no way in hell I was gonna let Harry go down for something he didn't do, and I knew deep in my gut that everything would get sorted, because there was just no other option. It had to work out, he had to be okay, because if he wasn't I had no idea how I would handle it.
I threw my purse down on the desk in my room as I passed it, making my way down the hallway to find Niall standing in the middle of the living room, shooting me a look as I approached. He widened his eyes, almost as if trying to tell me something without saying it, before he slightly tilted his head toward the kitchen and I turned to see what he was trying to say.
I was met with the eyes of the two men who had come to arrest Harry in the first place, and immediately felt anger rise in me as Liam and Shawn stood behind them looking at me like they didn't know what to do either.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped, not giving a second thought to whether or not it was rude.
"Ms. Tomlinson." Yates nodded in my direction, holding some envelope in his hand. "Nice to see you again."
"I wish I could say the same, but unfortunately I can't." I spat, unable to keep my irritation under wraps, still so angry for the way they'd treated Harry. "So, unless you're here to accuse someone else of something with absolutely no evidence, I suggest you leave."
"We'd like to ask you some questions, if that's alright with you." Rollins smirked, obviously amused at my anger toward them.
"I guess that depends, are you gonna twist every word I say to mean something it doesn't?" I asked. "Actually no, nevermind. I'm not saying a word to you without a school official present."
"This really doesn't need to be that complicated, we just need a statement." Yates sighed.
"Great, then you can get it in a meeting with witnesses from the school board." I said simply. "I'm sure you can both understand the gravity of the situation and how easily things can be misconstrued, so I'd just like to make sure we're all on the same page here."
I could see my roommates exchanging looks out of the corner of my eye, obviously wondering why the hell I was being so difficult, before Yates and Rollins looked at each other and sighed.
"Well, I guess we'll be seeing you shortly then." Yates nodded, and the two of them walked past me and down the hall until they left out the front door.
I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding as soon as I heard the door close behind them, my heart racing in my chest as I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my jaw. Liam rounded the couch to peer down the hallway to make sure they were gone, turning back to look at me before they all decided to speak up.
"Teej, what the fuck is going on?!" Niall snapped, looking at me like he was desperate for answers.
"Why the hell are they coming in here asking us all these weird questions about Styles, wanting to know every little thing he does?" Liam asked as he looked over at me, trying to keep his voice down in case someone overheard.
"Why do I feel like this isn't some kind of mix up anymore?" Shawn asked nervously. "Harry's in deep shit, isn't he?"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, running my hands over my face as I prepared myself to have a conversation that I never in a million years would have imagined, as the three of them watched me carefully with eager eyes. I opened my eyes to look at them, all standing in front of me like three worried puppies, and I just couldn't bring myself to say it.
"Teej..." Niall said slowly. "You're freaking me out."
"I need you guys to tell me exactly what they asked you, and exactly what you told them." I said as clearly as I could, trying not to show them how freaked out I was. "It's important."
They all exchanged looks, almost as if asking each other for permission, before they turned back to me and began to tell me.
"They just kept asking us about the other night, at the pub when you were sick and he brought you home. They wanted to know if we saw him after he left with Brielle, if he got into a fight or anything, or if he was acting weird." Shawn explained.
"But then they started asking us all these questions about whether we'd ever seen him be aggressive or violent, like what kind of guy he was and how he treats chicks." Liam added.
My heart sank at the very idea that they were trying to find evidence of Harry being the monster they thought he was, that they were asking his friends and the people who knew him if he was the kind of person that would be capable of something like that, and all it did was fuel the rage inside of me.
It wasn't as if I didn't know they would be trying to build a case, but it felt like using the people he trusted to do it was just another fucked up thing to add to the already massive pile that the situation had created. It was obviously to me that the boys were all worried they'd said something they shouldn't have, hesitant to tell me and wondering what it would all mean for Harry.
"I dunno about you guys," Niall motioned to Liam and Shawn. "But they were asking me all kinds of questions about Teej, too."
His words caught me by surprise, but I knew from the looks on Shawn and Liam's faces that Niall wasn't the only one who'd been asked.
"What do you mean...?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah, they asked me about you too." Liam sighed. "They asked me if I'd ever seen him be mean or aggressive toward you, if you ever looked uncomfortable or afraid of him."
"You told them no, right?" I said quickly, desperation clear in my voice. "You told them he's always treated me with nothing but respect, that he's never laid a hand on me."
"Laid a hand on you?" Shawn gawped with wide eyes. "Teej...what the fuck?"
"Jesus Christ." Niall sighed, the worry written all over his face. "I told them you two get into it sometimes cause you drive each other crazy, but that it was more playful than anything else. But I didn't-I didn't know why they were asking,...did I-I didn't make it worse did I?"
He swallowed hard as he looked over at me, wringing his hands in front of him as he looked at me for reassurance.
"No...no it's fine." I said, shaking my head as I tried to comfort him. "It's fine. Everything is gonna be fine."
They stood there staring at me, looking even more worried now that they were recapping everything they'd been asked and why that would be. Niall was practically chewing off his fingers while Liam fisted his hair in his hand and Shawn just studied me like he could find the answers on my face.
"I think it's pretty obvious this isn't over some late library book or some shit, Teej. Just tell us what the fuck is going on." Shawn pleaded. "Are they...did they try to say he hurt you or something? Why are they asking if he's violent and makes you uncomfortable?"
I swallowed hard, staring back at them and wondering how I was gonna say it, and before I could respond there was a loud pounding at the front door. The four of us froze, looking around at each other with fear on our faces, but I already knew it was for me.
I took a deep breath as I turned and headed down the hall, the boys following quickly behind me, before I opened the door to find Yates and Rollins standing there.
"Back so soon?" I asked.
"Of course." Rollins smirked. "Only took a phone call. Your wish is our command, Princess."
Yates looked displeased by his sarcasm as he sighed and looked down at me sympathetically.
"As I'm sure you're aware, this is a pressing matter." He began. "We'd like to get this sorted out as soon as possible so that we know if we need to turn this over to the appropriate authorities. There are three members of the school board who are willing to meet with you now and witness your statement, so we need you to come with us."
"Okay." I nodded, doing my best not to sound nervous as I walked over to my bedroom door and reached inside to grab my purse off my desk.
Part of me was eager to give my statement, to tell them who Harry was and give him the alibi he needed to get him out of this mess, but the other part of me was scared at how I would react if they started to say bad things about him or imply that he was guilty. The very thought if it made me want to smash something, but I knew how important it was that I appear impartial. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I tried to remind myself that I wouldn't be of any help to him if I let them paint me as being overly emotional, so I knew I had to keep my cool and just state facts.
"You want us to go with you? We can wait outside." Liam asked sympathetically as the three of them grabbed their jackets, leading me to believe I didn't really have a choice.
I nodded at Yates and we all left the dorm, silently making our way over to the administration building through the freezing December air, Liam clutching my hand as we walked. I was glad he was there, being that he always had a way of keeping me calm, and he seemed to know I needed it. I could feel the anxiety radiating off all three of them, not really knowing what was even going on yet, but I knew from the way they kept looking at me that they were just as worried about me as they were about Harry.
We approached the building went inside, where we were led down a long hallway toward a conference room. Rollins turned to the boys and told them they had to wait outside, and it was obvious that none of them were happy about it.
"We'll be right here, Teej." Shawn said softly, kissing me on the forehead. "Just tell the truth, whatever it is. We're right outside the door if you need us."
I nodded as I hugged each of them, before I walked through the door that Yates was holding open for me. It was pretty obvious that out of the two Yates was the lesser of two evils, making a small effort to make me comfortable while Rollins just kept shooting me smug looks. I took a deep breath as I stepped inside, finding three older men staring at me, and I was slightly relieved when two of them offered me a soft smile.
I took a seat across the table as the five of them sat on the other side, an intimidating situation for any time, but I did my best to keep my breathing steady even though my heart felt like it was gonna beat out of my chest. It was weird to be in that kind of situation alone, and it didn't take me long to realize that it was usually because any time I was scared or anxious I usually had Harry with me.
It was strange, even though I knew that Harry hadn't done anything wrong and I had nothing to hide, it was like I felt guilty somehow. I felt like they were gonna try to make me admit to something, or incriminate him somehow, and I knew I had to be extremely careful. Part of me just wanted to blurt out what had really happened, to just get the whole thing over with, but I'd promised Harry I wouldn't and in some ways he was right. It was none of their business.
"Ms. Tomlinson." Yates started, clearing his throat as he pushed some button on a device in front of him. "We are here to get your statement regarding the accusations that have been made against your roommate, Harry Styles. This conversation will be recorded and possibly used in future court proceedings. Do you consent to the use of this information in a court of law?"
"Y-Yes." I choked out.
"We are just here to get the facts, Ms. Tomlinson. You are not in any trouble here, just take a deep breath and answer the questions." One of the board members said softly, and I nodded.
"Do you know Brielle Winters?" Rollins started, not looking up from the document in front of him.
"Yes." I replied simply.
"How do you know her?"
"She um, I met her in my dorm a little while ago. She had spent the night with Harry." I explained.
"And what was your impression of her?"
"She was nice...very sweet and friendly. She told me how much she liked Harry and that she had enjoyed his company. Every time I saw her after that she was always very happy to see him, and there was no awkwardness whatsoever." I responded.
"So, from your impression of her, do you believe that it would be characteristic of her to make this kind of allegation if not true?"
I swallowed hard, knowing that the truth wouldn't do much to help Harry, but I knew I couldn't lie.
"I only met her a couple of times, and I don't think you can really know someone from a couple of casual conversations." I said. "But from what I know...no, I guess not."
Rollins nodded as he jotted something down, and Yates took over.
"How well would you say you know Mr. Styles?" He asked.
"I'd say I probably know him better than anyone else." I said confidently.
"And why is that?"
"Well I spend all day, every day, with him. We live together, play on the same team, share some of the same classes. We have a lot of things in common, we talk a lot."
"What kinds of things do you talk about?" Yates asked, crossing his hands in front of him as he looked at me.
"Everything, anything. Recently, there's been a lot of things happening for me...and Harry has really been there for me. We both try to look out for each other, I guess we just understand one another."
"Do you ever talk about why he has decided to play here rather than in England?"
I swallowed hard, my conversation with Harry playing in my head when he told me he'd done something they were gonna use against him, and I became acutely aware that they already knew what it was. I knew I had to tread lightly, but it would have been a lot more helpful if I knew what the hell he'd done.
"Well...I think there were a lot of reasons." I said, clearing my throat. "I mean, firstly, hockey isn't that big in England so he has a much better chance at the NHL playing here. I think when he came here he just wanted a fresh start, a new opportunity, and he has worked his ass off to make sure it doesn't go to waste."
"And why do you think he would want a fresh start?" Rollins asked, watching me curiously.
I felt annoyed that he seemed so amused by Harry's situation, that he seemed to like that I was uncomfortable. Even if I did know exactly what had happened before Harry moved here, I wouldn't be eager to share it with a room full of strangers. It was obviously devastating for him, something that he couldn't even bring himself to talk about, so why they would assume I'd tell them even if I knew was beyond me.
"I think a fresh start is good for all of us sometimes." I said, staring him down.
It was obvious in my tone that I wasn't about to discuss Harry's feelings on leaving England, whether I had details of it or not, and Rollins just sighed as he grabbed an envelope out of his bag and placed it down in front of him.
"Have you ever seen Mr. Styles assault someone?" He continued, looking at me like he already knew the answer.
"I guess that depends what you mean by assault." I shot back, sounding a little more aggressive than I wanted to. "He's a hockey player, hitting people is part of the game. So, if you're asking if I've seen him hit someone, then yes. I've seen every member of my team hit someone."
"Have you ever seen him hit someone off the ice?" He asked, leaning back in his chair and smirking at me and I just wanted to slap the smug look off his face.
"Actually, yes. I have." I responded.
"On how many occasions?"
"Twice. Both times he was defending himself. Both times someone else swing at him first, and both times the entire altercation started because he was defending me."
"Defending you?"
"Yes. Defending me." I repeated like he was an idiot. "He stepped in when another guy was being aggressive toward me, to let them know that what they were doing was not okay."
"So, he became violent in situations that had nothing to do with him?" He said, and I immediately became annoyed at him twisting my words.
"No, he became involved when he realized that as a woman I am treated differently and that men purposely try to prey on me because they believe that I am weaker than them. They attempt to use their size to intimidate me and Harry is the kind of guy who has enough respect for me to ensure that I am okay."
"By hitting someone?" He scoffed.
"As I just stated, they threw the first punch." I said, doing my best to keep my annoyance to myself.
Rollins sighed as he picked up the envelope in front of him, tossing it across the table as he motioned for me to open it, and I shot him a look before I hesitantly picked it up. I knew by the look on his face that I wasn't gonna like what was in it, but I was so annoyed with him that I didn't really take time to prepare myself before I opened it and pulled out it's contents.
I felt my breath hitch in my throat as I pulled out the photographs, unsure of what exactly I was looking at, before I did my best to compose myself and not let them know I'd been affected by it. My throat suddenly felt dry as I swallowed hard, my heart starting to race as my mind registered what I was looking at. My stomach was in knots as I laid the photographs on the table, the face of someone who was damn near unrecognizable looking up at me, their entire face bashed in to the point that I could barely make out any of their features. Although I could clearly see how damaged they were, it didn't fully register until I came across a photo of a smiling kid who I could only assume used to be him.
I felt sick.
"Wh-Who is this?" I asked, my voice shaking as I tried not to show any emotion.
"Does the name William Chapman mean anything to you?" Rollins asked, the smirk in his tone so obvious that I didn't even have to look at him to know it was there.
I couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes from the photos, like some kind of bad accident I just couldn't look away from. His face was completely unrecognizable to the point that I wouldn't have even known if it was a boy or a girl, his hair so soaked in blood that I wouldn't have even known what color it was. I felt tears sting the back of my eyes that I desperately tried to keep back, my mind racing with thoughts of what may have happened to him, how painful it must have been, what his family might have felt. I had no idea if he was even alive, or if I was looking at photos of some poor kids dead body, and I knew the image would be seared in my mind forever. I'd never seen anything like he before, someone so damaged and bloody, and it took me a few seconds to piece together why they might be showing it to me.
"What is this?" I asked, feeling multiple emotions all at once. "Why are you showing this to me?"
"I'm gonna take that as a no." Rollins said, looking over at Yates who just shot him a look.
"Ms. Tomlinson, those photos are the result of an assault that took place almost exactly a year ago." Yates started to explain. "William Chapman is the boy in the photos, and those are from the evidence file, along with these."
He pulled out another envelope and tossed it across the table toward me, as I slowly reached over and picked it up. I closed my eyes and tried to keep it together as I opened it, terrified of what I would see inside as the five men across from me watched me carefully for my reaction.
I did my best not to give them one as I pulled out the pictures, my stomach clenching as my heart thudded against my ribcage, taking a minute to look over at Rollins before I actually allowed myself to look down at the photos. It was obvious that he was getting some kind of sick enjoyment out of it all, and it gave me the motivation to focus myself on the task at hand and just get the hell out of there.
I looked down at the photos in my hand, carefully putting them down in front of me as Harry's face stared back at me, his mugshot practically screaming at me from the table. There were multiple photos of him, his hands all cut up and bruised, multiple mugshots and photos from what I could only assume were a crime scene. None of it made any sense to me, how any of it could be connected, because what they were implying somehow seemed impossible.
"Are you...are you saying Harry did this?" I choked.
Not one of them said a single word as I continued to stare down at the scene playing out in front of me in photographs, obviously waiting for me to draw my own conclusions. My brain felt broken, unable to process the million thoughts running through it, trying to comprehend what exactly I was looking at. I scanned each photo over and over, looking for some kind of clue that I was reading it all wrong, and I didn't find one until I actually looked at Harry's face and saw what I needed to.
He looked younger, his hair much shorter, a few less tattoos on his arms, but that wasn't what caught my eye. The look on his face was something I'd never seen before, difficult to describe, but a complete mixture of guilt, devastation, and complete defeat. He looked so fucking sad, his eyes red rimmed like he'd been crying, covered in someone else's blood while someone obviously stood in front of him taking photographs. Pain was etched into every single one of his features, his body language so different from the strong and confident person I knew him to be. His shoulders were slumped, looking like he barely had the will to hold himself up, his entire body looking like it was struggling just to keep him alive.
In every way possible, he looked crushed. He looked like he'd given up, like he didn't care what was happening to him, not a single ounce of fear or panic to be seen anywhere. It wasn't the face of someone who was satisfied or happy about what was happening, no trace of the monster they were painting him out to be, just a kid who looked completely and utterly lost. I didn't know what had happened, or who William Chapman was, but I knew Harry and I knew he was overwhelmed with devastation about whatever it was.
"Looks like you might not know your boy as well as you think you do." Rollins smirked.
His words snapped me out of my train of thought, my head shooting over to look at him as I wondered how the hell nobody else seemed to see what I was seeing in those photos. How could they possibly not recognize the look on his face, see how destroyed he was by it all, have a single bit of empathy or understanding for a kid who so obviously needed it. I didn't want to believe that Harry had done that, or was capable of it, but I had to believe that anyone who would do that must have been completely consumed with rage and there had to be some kind of reason. I knew no reason could justify it, but there had to be one.
I stared at Rollins, completely baffled by how he could possibly be smirking to himself about any of it, and prayed the tears that had pooled in my eyes wouldn't fall. I closed my eyes, doing my best to push them back as I took a deep breath, before I opened my eyes to look him dead in the eye.
"That's where you're wrong." I said, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of determination.
"How so?" Yates asked.
"I do know Harry. I know him better than anyone else in this room, possibly on this planet, and I don't know what you're trying to accomplish by showing me these." I started "What happened to this boy is horrific, and I don't even know how you can look at this and not feel something. I know what you all think when you look at these photographs, when you read some police file that tells you some story, but I don't see things the way you do. To you, these are just two people in some pictures, because you don't know them. You don't know what happened, you weren't there, and neither was I. But I know Harry, and when I look at these pictures I see him for who he is, for who I know him to be, and nothing you say to me or show me is going to change that."
I glared over at Rollins, who once again just looked amused, so I decided to appeal to the people who might actually be decent enough to listen to me.
"These photos have absolutely nothing to do with any of this." I said, pushing them away from me. "Harry Styles is a kind and decent human being, who goes out of his way to protect women, not harm them. I have seen him with Brielle on numerous occasions and she has never once looked uncomfortable around him, and he has never treated her with anything but respect. If you want my statement about the night in question, Harry was with me. He was with me at the bar, and then he took me home because I wasn't well and needed help, because that's the kind of person he is. I don't know why Brielle is accusing him of this, but it doesn't matter because he didn't do it. He was with me, all night, and that's the truth."
The men across the table from me from the school board looked over at me sympathetically, obviously hearing the sincerity in my tone as I did my best to defend Harry, before Rollins spoke up and shocked us all with just how much of a piece of shit he was.
"Are you having a sexual relationship with Mr. Styles?" He piped up, everyone in the room turning to look at him.
The question came out of nowhere, and I didn't think I was the only one shocked by it. I immediately felt anger rise in me, doing my best to keep my cool but ready to lunge across the table at him.
"Excuse me?" I snapped.
"You heard the question." He said simply.
"That is none of your business."
"Well you said you were with him all night, I'm simply trying to clarify if that means you slept in the same bed, if you physically were with him all night." He shrugged, a small smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.
"So you can discredit me, right?" I spat. "You think that if I'm anything more than a friend to Harry you can tell everyone I'm lying because I'm sleeping with him."
"Well are you?"
"No, I'm not, and I do not appreciate my morality being called into question. I would not lie over something this important just because I was sleeping with someone, which I'm not. Harry and I are friends, we have never been anything more than that, and that's the last time I will even entertain that question."
He just looked back at me, letting me know he thought I was a liar without actually coming out and saying it, and I felt the need to highlight what a sexist douche he was.
"And for the record, I highly resent the implication that a woman cannot possibly defend a man without it being due to some kind of school girl crush that would somehow negate my ability to do what's right. If I honestly believed that Harry was capable of this I wouldn't be sitting here. I wouldn't be going out of my way to imply that another girl is lying, to discredit her or paint her in a negative light the way you're trying to do to me right now. My moral compass is not guided by who I may or may not be sleeping with, and believe it or not, Mr. Rollins, I am capable of forming my own conclusions without the influence of a man telling me what to think or how to feel. Because the real answer to your question, the one that you so blatantly and disrespectfully hid behind the mask of sexual interaction, is that no, my opinion or experience of what actually happened is not influenced by any feelings or connections I have to Harry. And quite frankly your question, as well as the smug look on your face, is insulting."
A silence fell over the room, Rollins and I locked in an intense stare as my hatred for him grew more by the second, before he opened his mouth to respond and was interrupted before he even started.
"That's enough, Mr. Rollins." One of the board members said, holding up his hand before he could say anything. "We appreciate your time, Ms. Tomlinson. I apologize for the intrusiveness of Mr. Rollins."
"Thank you." I said politely, shooting Rollins a smug look.
I sat through the meeting for a few more minutes, answering more questions about the night at the pub and the interactions I'd seen between the two of them, defending Harry's character multiple more times, before they finally said I could go and I made my way out to the hallway to find the boys pacing back and forth.
They immediately stopped when they saw me, all rushing over to me as the men cleared from the room behind me, thanking me for my time before disappearing down the hallway. We all waited until they had gone before we made our own way out, none of us saying a single word until we knew we were alone where nobody would hear us. It felt like a long walk back to the dorm, my head spinning with the information I'd just been given, the image of that kid in the photos permanently etched into my mind as I tried to make sense of it.
They hadn't come out and said that Harry had done that to him, but it was pretty obvious they thought he did by the fact he'd obviously been arrested for it. Still, I was well aware that just because someone was arrested for something, it didn't mean they did it. At the same time, I felt like the look on his face was proof enough that he'd at least done something he felt horrible about. The person I'd seen in those photographs hadn't just been beaten, he was obviously going to require some major surgery to reconstruct his face, and god knows if he would ever actually function properly with the possible brain damage that must have occurred. I didn't know if it was their way of telling me Harry had at the very least beat him within an inch of his life, but I was really doing my best not to think about it.
If he had done it, I knew he had a reason. Not that any reason would excuse it, but I knew from the look on his face in those police photos that he was a complete mess after it, devastated by whatever had happened. He wasn't some smug kid who looked happy or proud of it, like some psychopath who had no remorse, he just looked like a terrified kid who didn't know what the hell he was supposed to do. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any possible scenario where it could have been an accident or unintentional, because inflicting that kind of damage on someone would take a massive amount of strength and energy.
I was broken from my thoughts as we entered the dorm, all three of the boys throwing their jackets down on the couch like they couldn't get them off fast enough, turning to look at me as they waited for me to speak.
"Well?" Niall asked impatiently.
"What is going on, Teej? Tell us, right now. Enough of this shit." Shawn demanded.
I sighed as I threw my head back in frustration, my brain spinning with so much information I couldn't even process it all. The only thing I knew was that I had a lot of things I needed to get to the bottom of, but the first step was gathering as much information as possible about what they got from Brielle and what they had on Harry.
"Alright, sit down." I sighed, motioning to the couch. "We've got practice in an hour, and until then we're gonna need to put our heads together, because Harry needs all the help he can get."
*******
*Author's Note*
Hello my loves,
So sorry for the lack of updates, but I am officially finished school in two more days! This last semester has been crazy with not a lot of time to write, but in two more days I'm home free! Thank you so much for sticking with me and my shift from almost daily updates to a couple of weeks, I hope I can return to that quick of a schedule once I am officially finished!
Also, this story made the long list for the Watty's apparently? Whhhaaattttt?! So crazy. I owe it all to you and your votes and comments, and I love you for it!
Can't wait to hear what you think of this one,
Sarah