Nine

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Jessie Kyle

~*-*~

I jumped awake as I heard the door to the hospital room open then I sat up and turned, smiling as I as Jessie standing there.

"Morning, Jake. Didn't mean to wake you." Jess said and shut the door behind herself, coming over.

"Mm, morning." I said and stood, stretching before I hugged my sister.

"How's LA?" I asked and she grinned.

"Nice, but not enough to keep me when mom calls saying you had a scare. Is this the famous Adalyn Jade?" She softly spoke and I nodded, looking at AJ, who was still out.

"She hasn't woken up since she got here." I said and sat back down.

"She'll wake, Jake, I promise." She said and grabbed my shoulder.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked and looked up at my sister.

"Did you forget I'm studying nursing, Jake?" She laughed, which made me smile.

"Yeah, kind of." I laughed then looked at AJ as she groaned.

"Adalyn?" She turned to me and I felt my heart lift as her hazelnut brown eyes focused on me.

"Dungeon boy." She grinned, which made me laugh.

"Hey, Smarty." I whispered and looked at Jess.

"This is my sister, Jessie. Jessie, Adalyn Jade Costanza." I smiled and Jessie grinned at the girl in the bed.

"Mm, didn't know you had a sister." AJ whispered, holding her side as she tried to sit up.

"Careful, AJ!" I whispered and stood, helping her to sit up some then I lifted the bed so she wasn't supporting herself.

"I'm the MIA member of the family." Jess said and looked at the door as it opened, our parents coming in.

"AJ!" Mom grinned and hugged AJ, who was giving me a confused look.

"Smarty, this is my mom, Katie." I said and AJ smiled as she hugged my mom.

"'Smarty'? Really, Jake? Be more original-"

"Hey, this girl is scarily smart, Jessie! Seriously, she schooled dad and I on the basic laws!" I laughed and Jessie's eyes went wide as she looked at AJ.

"I'm not scarily smart, Jake, just smarter than your stupid self-"

"Ooh!" Jessie called, making me roll my eyes.

"Besides, dungeon boy, I had a family pushing me to be crazy smart." She said and the mood dropped.

"Not anymore, AJ." I said and she frowned.

"Your family is under investigation, sweetie. The sheriff will be in here later to talk with you." Mom said and AJ nodded.

"About all of this?"

"And your history in El Paso." I said and she looked at me.

"My medical history." She whispered, as if worried she'd get in trouble for even talking about it.

"Adalyn, you have nothing to be afraid of anymore!" I soothed her and she smiled as she nodded.

"Thanks, dungeon boy."

"What's with that?" Jessie asked and I looked at AJ, who smirked.

"When I met her, she accused me of first being a serial killer, then having a sex dungeon." I said and my family laughed as AJ shrugged.

"I don't trust random strangers like that. He just... clicked different." She said and I grinned.

"You glad I clicked different now?" I asked and she nodded, grabbing my hand in hers.

"Very happy." She whispered then the door opened and we turned to see Sheriff Valente here.

"Sheriff." I smiled and she sighed.

"It's time, Jake." She said and I nodded, looking at AJ.

"We'll be in the hall-"

"Stay, please!" AJ breathed and gripped my hand tightly.

"Adalyn-"

"It's alright." Sheriff Valente said and I looked at her.

"Adalyn Jade is still a minor, so an adult is required to be here." She said and I nodded as my family filed out. As I sat back down, Miss Valente sighed and grabbed her notepad.

"Adalyn, I have to ask the difficult questions first. How did you end up that locker?" She asked and I looked at AJ as she gripped my hand tightly.

"I-I had spent the weekend at Jake's house, because my mom had hit me and my family was... so mad at me!" She whispered, shaking her head.

"He-he told me I could come whenever, if I ever needed anything, and so I went to his house Saturday night. When I returned to my house Sunday night, my family was so angry with me! My mom- she locked me in a closet and my dad threw freezing cold water on me. I'm surprised I didn't get sick. I was let out in the morning for school, but I learned it was just my siblings' turn." She said and took a deep breath.

"After first period, Elias texted me to meet him in the hall by his locker. When I got there, Bella Rae was also there. It-it all happened so fast! Elias just kept hitting me and I-I think Bella Rae was recording it on her phone! The locker- it was close, Elias didn't pull me far, but I don't even remember breaking my leg when he shoved me into it!" She whispered and started crying, which was my cue to hug her tightly.

"Sheriff-"

"A few more, Jake, then I'll let her rest." She said and I looked at AJ, who nodded and gripped my shirt tightly.

"You mentioned your sister was recording. Was that on her phone or Elias'?" Miss Valente asked, but AJ shook her head.

"I couldn't tell!" She whispered and slid her head underneath my chin, basically nuzzling my neck as I moved to sit on the bed next to her.

"Alright. Now, one last one then you can rest for today, Miss Adalyn. Did at any point of the beating scream for help, make any sounds?" She asked, but AJ shook her head.

"I-I mean, yeah, but they-they stuffed some sort of cloth in-into my mouth." She whispered and Valente nodded.

"Get your rest, sweetheart, we've got this." Adalyn nodded then the sheriff left and my family came in, looking worried as I hugged AJ tightly and rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe the poor girl.

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