Going Nowhere Fast

5. Spiral

I sat in the police station for a few hours while they questioned me about where I was Friday. Earl just conveniently left for some large clown-con thing in Ukraine yesterday where he was going to learn some next level shit so he could up his hourly rate for birthday parties. So besides Squirrel Girl, I had no one who could place me at home during the time of the alleged assault. I told them I wouldn't speak without a lawyer. I never trusted cops.

My mom finally showed up and demanded to take me home. They wouldn't let me leave until a call came in from someone and I'm not sure what was said, but the detective walked back into the room and told me there were no active charges being held against me. My mom became livid and dragged me out immediately after. I tried to tell her that I didn't do anything but she wouldn't speak to me. After a silent twenty-minute car ride, she dropped me off at home and told me I wasn't allowed to leave or talk to anyone about anything. She left to go to church to pray for my soul, probably.

I was relieved that I wasn't going to have to go through any legal trouble, but I was never going to have any friends at school ever again. I wondered if Squirrel Girl would've believed me, I mean, she was there when this whole thing supposedly happened.

Elijah didn't want to talk to me. Riley wouldn't say anything to me.

The reality of my situation hit me and I immediately broke down crying. My life was ruined. I had no one to vouge for me besides the man everyone in this town is afraid of. My stomach started to twist into knots as an all-too-familiar feeling washed over me: death. I needed to die. There was no salvaging this. I've thought about it so many times and decided pills would be the easiest method to commit to.

I ran into my mom's cabinet in her bathroom where she kept her sleeping pills. She developed insomnia after my father died. I put a bunch in my hand and looked out the window into my backyard. The one tree caught my gaze.

I decided as a last-ditch effort to live I would go talk the tree again. The idea was comforting in my moment of mania.

I walked to the backdoor and Karen got up wanting to go outside too. I opened the sliding door and she darted towards the tree, barking only once, something she does when she smelt someone familiar.

"Hello?" I called out to the tree, knowing my chances of getting a response were realistically slim.

"Hey." The tree replied. I knew that voice. It was Squirrel Girl. I actually couldn't believe it. I dropped the pills to the ground in shock, hoping she wouldn't notice them.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked her trying not to choke on my tears.

"Why does the male church choir hate you?"

I was taken a bit aback by that question.

"It's a long story, but something happened with the head of the group and he got the entire choir to despise me," I responded as honestly as I wanted to get about the situation.

"Why did they let you go?"

"Wait do you go to my school or something?" I realized because only someone who was there when I was arrested would've known about that so soon. "Unless word of my arrest got around town quickly too. Oh my God, I hate this fucking town and its' bullshit people," I said in frustration.

"No.. uh.. okay, fine," she said as I heard some branches moving, she was coming out of the tree. My heart started racing. I had no idea who I was about to see. I saw a flash of bright red hair through some branches before I saw Scarlet Grant stepping out from the pine needles. Why would someone as popular as she was care that much about my situation?