Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
He writes something down. “You’ve only been here a few weeks?”
Is he trying to say I did this?
“I didn’t even know her name,” I protest. “I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
He ignores this and keeps writing.
“You heard nothing? Saw nobody leaving?”
“I told you what I saw,” I snap.
He hums under his breath.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Gerard pushing through the crowd. He stops next to me, his eyes concerned as he looks to the officer. “Is there a reason you’re keeping my student?”
Harry looks up at him, his face blank. “She was the only one here when the body was found.”
“That may be so, but unless you have reason to hold her here, I’d like to get her checked out by the paramedics as she’s no doubt in shock.”
Harry grunts something under his breath. He knows as well as the rest of us in the room that he can’t keep me because there is nothing to keep me for.
“I will be in touch,” Harry murmurs.
I look to Gerard. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“It’s no problem. Come on, let’s get you looked at. Is there someone I can call?”
I nod. I give him Addison’s number because I know Spike won’t answer. At the very least, she can find Spike for me so that I can let him know what has happened. Right now, I need him. Regardless of anything else, tonight I just want his arms around me because what just happened in there scared the hell out of me. Seeing her vacant eyes, so young and innocent, brings a sick feeling into my stomach.
“I’ll go make the call while Timothy here checks you over.”
Gerard disappears and Timothy, the paramedic, smiles warmly at me. “Is that blanket warm enough? Can I get you another one?”
I shake my head, and he leads me over to a bench to sit down as I see them lifting the girl’s body that is now wrapped in black plastic, and they wheel her out. The chaos outside as teachers try to keep the students away can be heard clearly even in here. There is no way they will keep them from seeing it, considering they have to wheel her right past them. It breaks my heart, and a tear rolls down my cheek.
“I’m going to get you some water,” Timothy tells me kindly. “Then I’m going to ask a few questions to make sure you’re doing okay.”
I nod, numbly.
“Alyssa,” a girl cries, her voice ragged and distant. “No.”
She must be outside, but I can hear her cries of pain clear as day.
Alyssa.
I haven’t seen her before, or met her, but she’s a young life taken and there is nothing I can do about it. Her eyes burn into my mind as I close mine, trying to push the memory away as more tears fall. I’ve dealt with enough violence with the club, but something about this hits different. Those people, they’re bad. This girl, she was just here going to school, trying to make a life for herself.
“Here,” Timothy says, handing me a glass.
“Thanks,” I croak.
He squats down in front of me. “What you saw tonight was very confronting, I’m sorry you had to see that. I think you might be in shock, which is completely normal, but I’d like to make sure you’re okay if that’s alright with you?”
I nod.
“Firstly, let’s get you out of here.”
He helps me up and we get out of the bathrooms. Walking past the other students, who are whispering and looking at me with shock, is enough to make me want to shrink into myself. I know they’re all going to think it was me. I was the one in there, the one who found her. Gossip like that travels fast in a place like this.
Reaching the ambulance, Timothy opens the back and helps me in, then closes the door. It’s blissfully quiet, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Are you feeling dizzy?”
I nod. “A little lightheaded.”
“Lay down for me, I’ll pop your legs up for a bit. It helps.”
I get onto the bed and lie down, and he elevates my feet a little while he checks my heart rate and blood pressure. He talks casually to me while I lie there, and after a while, I do feel a little better. He keeps monitoring me for about half an hour before finally letting me go.
Escorting me out, he guides me back to Gerard, who is standing with a group of teachers.
“I have called your friend,” Gerard tells me. “She is organizing someone to come. Do you need help back to your room?”
I shake my head. “No. I just want to go and lie down.”
He nods. “I’ll worry about everything here, just go and rest.”
The police are still on scene collecting evidence, but the body of Alyssa has gone, and, slowly, they are trying to get the crowd to break up. Little by little, people are going back to their rooms under the instructions of the staff. The police will no doubt have questions for all of us, especially me, but not tonight.