3:15 [fezco]

nine

N I N E - N E V E R   G R O W   U P

"don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple. and no one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred. and even though you want to, just try to never grow up."

---

"Ms. Harrison, it is to my knowledge that you were at the carnival this past Friday night, correct?" Principal Hayes questioned, staring at me from across his desk. Fez left after the lunch period ended, promising to come back and take me home at the end of the day due to what happened with Maddy. The school administrators were questioning everybody who had been at the carnival, trying to piece together what happened that led to Maddy Perez being assaulted.

"I was," I answered unsurely, nervously wringing my hands. "I, um, I went with Maddy. And then we met up with Cassie and spent some time together riding rides and playing games and then we split up. Maddy went to find Nate and I went to find my boyfriend so I could go home."

"Mhm," He nodded, writing down pieces of what I told him. "And do you know what happened when Maddy found Nate?"

"Um, only what I heard the next day. She pushed over a pot of chili and cussed out his mom and then Nate dragged her away."

"Right, and did she tell you what happened after that?" I met his question with a small headshake. "Has she ever spoken about Nate being abusive to her in the past? Have you ever noticed any unexplained bruising or signs of trauma?"

"She's never mentioned anything," I promised. "But we all know Nate is like...unhinged. I'm sorry, I—are you gonna tell anybody what I say in here?"

"Only the police if the information you provide warrants it."

"So, Nate won't know what I say?"

"No, Ms. Harrison, what you say in this room stays between me, you, and the police." I closed my eyes tightly, willing myself to spill all the information on just how crazy I had seen Nate Jacobs be. I knew it would be betraying Maddy, but all I wanted to do was protect her from Nate. And so, I spilled everything. Principal Hayes didn't flinch as I began to talk rapidly while throwing my hands around, but rather stared me down with his pen tapping against his desk.

"Okay, so basically I moved here at the beginning of the summer, and I met Maddy and Cassie in cheer camp, and then they introduced me to Lexi, Kat, Jules, and Nate. And all summer, Maddy and Nate were on-again-off-again, fighting a lot but never physical. And then the night of the back-to-school party, Nate and Maddy were fighting so Maddy got drunk and blacked out and had sex with Tyler in the pool. Which I personally think was ballsy because, you know, public sex, but—" A pointed glare stopped me in my tracks.

"The story, Ms. Harrison," Principal Hayes cleared his throat.

"Right, sorry," I glanced down at the floor. "Anyway, Nate saw them and then he came into the kitchen and threatened to beat the shit out of Jules and me—well mostly Jules. And then she cut herself and wiped the blood on him and we left. And then the next day Maddy told us about how she blacked out and slept with Tyler, but we knew that anyway because we were there. And then, later that week, Nate took Maddy home and on a date or something I guess, and they got back together. But after that, Maddy went through his phone—and I know what you may be thinking, 'why would she go through his phone?' I know, it's crazy, right? But you know it's a girl thing, and—"

"Sophia," another pointed glare.

"Okay, sorry. You're just making me really nervous, and I ramble when I'm nervous."