Spring Falls When Summer Wins - 1987

Chapter 3.

Elliot. April 15th, 1987.

    I beat the police to the station after about 11 am. I had a heated argument with the officer who was holding Kaladin in cuffs. Once I got inside I called Kaladin's mom, pleading her to come as soon as possible. She listened and brought my great-aunt with her. I paced back and forth outside the interrogation room they were holding Kaladin in, letting our families talk to the police and some state provided attorneys. I could feel my temper rising so I didn't dare say a word when police walked by with a hello or a good morning.

    The detective that was inside the interrogation room with Kaladin gave me a side ways glance before strutting over to Kaladin's mom. Before the door shut, I slipped into he room, making sure I wasn't seen. A file was sitting open in from of Kaladin. There were pictures of Gesell and where she was found. I let out a relieved heave of a sigh when Kaladin no longer had cuffs on.

    "What the hellos going on?" I asked through gritted teeth. I made my way over to Kaladin's and quickly shuffled the photos into the file and slamming it shut. Kaladin looked up at me, tears filling his eyes. My body folded down and I wrapped my arms around him, letting his shaking body break.

    "They thought I did it..." Kaladin whimpers before crying into my shoulder. It made me sick how they wanted to put the blame on this innocent boy. I could almost guarantee they had nothing on him. I held Kaladin closer as he wrapped his arms around me. I as shocked to feel the slightest bit of muscle. He wasn't as built as me but his muscles were still defined. Just breathe. I wanted o tell that to Kaladin but I couldn't manage to open my mouth and say it.

    We stayed in the hugging position for awhile until he finally pulled away. He pulled the sleeve of his gray crew neck hoodie and wiped his face, placing his glasses on the table. I pushed back his hair and ruffled it slightly. It was hot whenever his hair was lose and messy. "I'm sorry... I must look so pathetic," Kaladin let out a small, broken laugh.

"Not at all." I cupped his face and made him look up at me. I had full confidence in what I was doing until the door swung open. I was halfway across the room when a man with dark black hair and a white button up walked in. I felt my face begin to heat up. As a horrible solution I rolled up my sleeves and leaned against the cold gray brick wall.

"Uh...Hello. So I have good news and bad news," The man began, sitting across from Kaladin. He didn't even care if I was sulking in the back of the room, listening. "Good news is, it was a complete misunderstanding. An anonymous tip gave us the wrong license plate number. You were never at that party in Seattle, correct?"

Kaladin nodded panicked. He was never invited to parties unless I forced him to tag along. I was still heating up but not from Kaladin's soft cheeks, I was getting upset. "I'm sorry but this sounds more like framing rather than-"

"What's the bad news?" Kaladin cut me off. He wouldn't break eye contact with this man even though I was staring a hole right through his head. The man pulled out a small white notepad with horrible and writing scrawled all over it. He flipped through a few pages then placed a finger triumphantly on something he had wrote.

"Your handwriting was found at the scene. A hand written letter on an all white sheet of paper. It was signed K, we assumed it was you but again, it's not solid proof. Your attorney will be monitoring everything here and keep you in the loop. You're free to go." The man flipped the pages back  and took the folder, walking out without a second glass.

"That was detective Wheeler. He's one of the detectives on Gesell's case... They think it was a kidnapping, homicide, combo. There was no DNA found at the crime scene other than Gesell's, they thought the hand writing was mine even though-" I stopped Kaladin from continuing, holding back my breakfast.

"Come to my house." I insist, sitting on the table, directly in front of Kaladin. "Please." I quickly add after he doesn' respond for a moment.

"I have t get a new book... and get my car.." He presses his index fingers to his temples. I grab his glasses and slide them on my own face. Everything becomes extremely blurry.

"Your dad already got your car, I'll go with you to the book store, my sister will make lunch, everything will be covered. My treat." I take off Kaladin's glasses and gently slide them back onto his face. He moved is hands onto my knees,tapping them slightly as if it would help him decide yes or no. After a minute of contemplating he finally stands up.

"I have to ask my parents if-" I immediately cut him off by grabbing his hand and full on running out of the police station to my car. Kaladin let out a shocked happy laugh, sliding perfectly into my passenger seat. I almost peel out of the parking lot, feeling Kaladin's hand grip my bare fore arm. "Don't get a speeding ticket!"

We both laughed as we drove for a while, heading back into downtown Olympia. We go to his favorite book store, spending almost 3 hours there. While we were there he talked me into reading a book with him. I hate reading because of my dyslexia but... I guess it's not so bad when he's reading to me and I have to follow along, reading only a few chapters. We walked out of the store and back to my car, heading back to my house. I love that I never have to turn on music with him. H just talks the whole time and tells me about everything.

I pull into my driveway. I could feel my stomach churn in an unsettling way when Keely's car is parked in the drive way next to my sister. How would Keely, my girlfriend of 4 months, react if I told her I liked a guy?