2 people, same university. Both have very similar backstories. Both grew up without their biological parents. Neither know who their parents are, and don't know anything about their family. What happens when they fall in love? What happens when they...
"If it isn't my favourite person in the world." He said with a smile on his face, making my cheeks turn a warm red colour.
"Ryder, get off I need to focus on my work." I tell him.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Ryder^
"I've been thinking," he stated "Remember how we met? In professor Pearce's class and he acted like a dick to us."
I nod my head in agreement, but still focusing on my work.
"Well," he continued "I was thinking we should get revenge."
I looked up intrigued to know what he had planned.
"Whatever it is you have planned I'm in, just tell me a time and a place and I'll be there," I replied "But now I really must get on with my work."
6 hours past, it was 10:07pm and of course Ryder was late, as usual, I was stood outside a house waiting for Ryder to arrive. He told me to wear all black clothing and trainers to run in. I see Ryder walking towards me with a backpack on and also wearing all black clothing.
He handed me a can of petrol and I went to tip it in the door way of the house, surrounding the house and in the letterbox, whilst he did the same with the car, we made a trail where the car and house were connected with a line of petrol and continued it away from the house enough so we could light it and get away without being in danger. Then we both stood back as Ryder struck a match and lit the petrol trail.
As soon as the trail was lit we started running, we got behind a wall, at a safe distance away so we wouldn't be seen nor hurt, and watched it go up in flames then ran away making sure not to get caught. Once we got back to my dorm room we switched the TV on and it was all over the news and social media. Just after Ryder left, I was about the change the channel over on the TV when I noticed they had a video of us fleeing the scene and they have a list of suspects that they're bringing into the station now. Then I hear a knock on my door.
I open the door to realise it was just Ryder informing me about us being in the video running away. We didn't plan on this happening, we never had a plan on what to do if we got caught. I paced back and forth in my dorm room worrying and overthinking everything.
"I knew this was a bad idea," I said "How did you not come up with a plan for if we were to get caught, you had everything planned but the most important part."
"Hey, this isn't all down to me," he replied "You had plenty of time to sort out a plan too but you didn't."
"You said you would handle it all!" I shouted "you did this, I helped. But you did this. You were the big mastermind around it so you were meant to have a plan for everything, including this!"
"No!" he shouted.
He stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. As I continued pacing around my room struggling to think straight. I needed to come up with an alibi quick.
It was around 8 pm when the police started knocking on my dorm with a warrant for my arrest. They took me out of the building to their vehicle and Ryder who was behind me.
***
I was sat in the interrogation room with a solicitor that I was provided by the station. Two police officers walked in and sat down in front of me.
"I'm Officer Fern and this is Officer Seward." One of the officers said while the other was shuffling evidence files.
"We have information to believe that you were involved in the fire on Corrage Avenue." Officer Seward told me.
I've never been questioned by a police officer before let alone one where I was a part of the crime. I didn't say anything I just gave the police officers a blank look. They talked me through the evidence and then left me alone to discuss it with my solicitor.
"You have two options, you either plead guilty and get a shorter sentence for pleading guilty and for being a first time offender, or you plead not guilty, and risk getting found guilty which would then increase the time whether you're a first time offender or not." My solicitor stated.
"Which one do you think I will benefit best from?" I ask
"Pleading guilty," He replied "You will end up with a criminal record, but you must have known that could've happened before committing the crime in the first place, and you will only get a year's sentence at most."
"Ok," I say "What about Ryder, the boy who was also brought in?"
I could tell he had bad news, just the way he looked at me, his eyes had that look of 'I'm sorry' in them.
"I'm afraid he won't be getting out any time soon," He explained "You see, he is a repeat offender and this is his third time committing arson, so he's looking at 7 – 10 year sentence."
I nod as a tear leaves my eye. 'Why am I crying? I think to myself, Ryder is a bad influence I would be much better off without him anyway. If I never met him I wouldn't be sat here right now facing a criminal charge for setting a teacher's house on fire. I agreed to plead guilty in a hope that I wouldn't get too long in prison.
***
On the day of the trial I stood up in court, in front of the judge and pleaded guilty. To which my solicitor pointed out how I was a first time offender and that I have pleaded guilty highlighting the request for a shorter sentence. Now I sat outside in the hall waiting for the judge to give me my sentence and I'm just about ready to face my fate, just in time as we were called back in to take our seats.
"Please rise," A man at the front ordered as the judge entered back into the room.
"I have taken into consideration Miss Hartell's guilty plea, and with the acknowledgement of her being a first time offender and have come to a final sentence," The judge said.
The nerves shook through my body, as I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I started to breath heavier each minute. Sweating profusely. I stand as I hear the judge call my name.
"Miss Hartell" he calls.
"Yes your honour" I reply.
"Miss Hartell, I sentence you to 3 months at Ashmount Low Security Prison and a further 6 months of community service."
"Thank you your honour." I say as I feel a huge smile form across my face. Although I couldn't help but worry about how long Ryder was sentenced. His hearing was to follow mine. I waited for hours to find the results as Ryder went through his sentencing. Then the door opened and Ryder was taken away with his hands cuffed. I locked eye contact with him as he shouted...
"10 years, 10 fucking years."
I couldn't help but feel lucky that I was only facing 3 months jail time and 6 months community service. Of course with it being a professor's house at my university, I was going to have to transfer universities once I'd finished my jail time. My future obviously isn't certain, however one thing I am certain about is that I will never make this mistake again. I promise myself that at least. No more bad boys...
