I'm Fine [Finished]

Chapter Seventeen: Interview

Gwen

The month was March, and I sat in an empty room as a man came in and set up a camera.

"I'm gonna ask you some questions," he calmly said, "is that ok?"

I nod. My eyes felt tired from tears and swollen.

"What did you and your friends do after school?" He asked.

"We mostly hung out at Jeremys," I voice was raspy, "and we played games and watched movies."

"Didn't do any drugs? Drinking?"

"No, no, we aren't like that," I felt so tired.

"What about Finn? Did he do any drugs?"

"No."

"What about his house life? Did you know anything about that?"

"No," my voice got more cold.

There was silence, and he covered his mouth a bit and looked lost in thought.

"I told you, I don't know him as well as you think I do."

"I'm gonna need better answers."

"Then fucking ask the others."

"We are trying."

"Then don't blame me for not giving you better answers. If I knew more about him, then I would have told you."

"What about people at school? Was he bullied?"

"I don't know if he was bullied... I know that he was sexually assaulted."

"By who?"

"A girl. Marissa Meyers."

"I don't know if that could have impacted him that much."

"Shut the fuck up. You have no idea what it's like to go through that, so don't act like you do."

There was a pause, "I'll go get you some water. We need a break anyway."

"Smart idea."

A month earlier

Finn

I threw my bag onto my bed and lay on my bed right afterward. I had three tests today. It was complete hell.

Cole had only one test. We texted whenever we weren't testing or finished. February is apparently full of tests. We only just started the new semester last month.

I scrolled on Instagram, and Cole had posted a photo of me and him. It was from last week. I had my arm around him, and we smiled at the camera.

I looked at my side table. It had the stuffed bear on it, and the box with the guitar picks in it. On my wall above my bed were pictures of me and my friends. It felt nice to have them.

Tigris started spamming me. She's on a date with Margot and can't stop talking about how cool and pretty she is. Blair and Rain are dating now, which is great. They fit.

My phone started going off. Someone's trying to FaceTime me. I groan and answer without looking.

"Hello?" I groan out.

"Where's your face?" I hear Cole ask.

I quickly lift my head up and clear my throat, "Hey Cole, what's up?"

"Tired?"

"Yeah, it was a long day."

"I got an A on the test."

"It was already graded?"

"Some teachers grade things day of."

"Lucky," I sit up correctly now and set the phone up against my pillow.

"I've never seen your room before."

"It's nothing special. Some records on the walls. My guitar. Bed. Side table. Dresser and bookshelf."

"You read?"

"Not much."

"Collectibles?"

"Some."

"Like?"

I looked at my bookshelf. There were a few books and a couple of funko pop figures. I stole some and bought some. With stolen money.

"Figures, books, cool music things."

"Can I come over sometime?"

"My dad doesn't allow visitors."

"That's shitty."

"Yeah..."

"You're not allowed to do anything fun, apparently."

"Hey, I sneak out for you guys."

"And we appreciate it."

I heard steps come from downstairs. They were getting closer, "I gotta go."

"Oh, ok -"

I hung up quickly. I pushed the bear stuffed animal under my bed. I pulled the pictures of my friends down and in a drawer of my dresser.

My dad came barging in, "where have you been these past months? Don't think I don't notice that you sneak out!"

He's drunk. I can tell. He kept yelling at me. I just looked down at the floor while it happened. While I was shaking. It only got worse.

March

Cole

"Ok," the man sat across from me, "what was your relationship with Finn?"

"What do you mean?" I ask in a shaky voice.

"Was it a friendship? Something more?"

"This is personal," I felt my voice break.

"I need all the information I can get."

I paused, "it was more than a friendship."

"What was it then?"

"What do you think?"

"Ok, you and your friends haven't given us much information."

"Because we don't know too much."

"Just tell me what you do know."

"Ok, um, last month I facetimed him... we were friends then. All of a sudden, he said he had to go and ended the call abruptly."

"Do you think something happened?"

"He seemed off the next day."

"How so?"

"He didn't talk to me...or anyone. He was extra jumpy. He's always jumpy but...not like that."

"Could it be that he was abused?"

That got my attention. I looked at him, "what?"

"At home. He lives with only his dad. Could he be getting abused? Gwen Charlotte says he was sexually assaulted."

"He was?" I felt tears well up again.

"He only told her."

"That makes sense, actually...I don't judge him or anything for not telling me... just shocked."

"It could be that there was more. Like abuse."

"Well...he hurt himself."

"How so?"

"With a knife...on his wrist and underarms."

He nodded and stopped the video, "I'll be back later."

Once he left, I broke down. I couldn't stop crying. It hurt. I want Finn. I want him to hold me again. Please.

-
Family Line- Conan Gray