YOU & ME | JENLISA

Chapter 20

Lisa

Sirens grew closer in the distance, a fucking neighbour must've called the cops on us. That's me fucked, I'm on tag with shit in my system. As the cop car pulled up, Bryan shoved the knife in my hand and I dropped it to the floor immediately, while punching him in the eye. He fell to the ground in an over dramatic display, put on for the cops. I rolled my eyes.

"See that! See! She assaulted me!" He shouted, while pointing his yellow stained, dirty fingernail at me.

"Cuff him." The sheriff said to the deputy, pointing his chin at Bryan.

"On your knees kiddo, and hands behind your head."

"It was self-defence!" I yelled. The sheriff pointed his gun at me, so I reluctantly knelt down on the floor and raised my arms in the air. He approached me and strapped cuffs to my wrists.

"Deputy, take him to the station." The deputy loaded Bryan into the back of his car and drove away. The sheriff wrapped his hand around my bicep and pulled me to my feet, moving me over to stand beside his car. He leaned on the roof, filling in paper work quietly while I watched him.

This was her dad, we've met before... a few times. Not a single one of them have been under good circumstances, most of them have been arrests for petty crimes or bar brawls.

"Anyone else in the property?" He asked without looking at me.

"My mom, she's sick. You're not going in there without a warrant."

The sheriff turned to look at me slowly and raised a brow. "Have you been drinking?" He asked.

"No." I mumbled.

"Under the influence of drugs?"

"No." I lied.

"So if I drug test you now, nothing will show up in your blood stream?"

I grit my teeth together, not answering and the sheriff frowned. "You're on tag, right?" Why is he asking questions that he already knows the answer to? He flipped his papers and wrote a few things on the back. His radio made a few static noises and he pressed a button on the side to silent it. He had strong calloused hands of a hardworking man, his posture was lean and important. He was unlike Bryan in every single way, perhaps a little like Marco. Kind eyes, and a good heart.

I wondered what it was like for Jennie to grow up with a sheriff for a father. I hoped he was good to her and didn't over punish her wrongdoings in order to teach her the law. We were enemies, the cops and I but if he was a good dad to Jennie then maybe I could look past my hatred for him.

"Hmm... Lisa Manoban." My eyes snapped up to the sheriff who had pulled my colourful record up on his electronic device. "Says here you're on tag until your court appearance in a few months. House arrest, registered to this address, only exception is school." He went quiet. "And it looks like you've been sticking to it." I smiled and then quickly wiped it off my face before he could see.

"Rape charges." He spoke again and a small piece of me died at those words. "Pretty serious claim." He commented, while keeping his eyes on my file. I licked the rough skin of my lip, knowing not to say anything. "If I make an arrest right now based on anti-social behaviour, you'll go to jail for breaching the terms of your house arrest. You won't stand a chance in court because you're painting a picture of your character that nobody finds appealing and God forbid that you have anything illegal in your system because you'll get even longer time."

He looked up at me and drummed his fingers on the roof of his car, playing out a metallic melody. "I witnessed you punch your dad, that knife has your finger prints on it." He pondered over his thoughts, while keeping his blue eyes hooked to mine.

"He came at me with a knife first, it was self-defence." I claimed. "I'm a minor." The sheriff looked back towards my trailer for a few quiet seconds and then averted his gaze back onto me.

"Your mom is sick?"

I said nothing. What did that have to do with anything. The sheriff clicked his tongue against his teeth and small lines appeared beside his eyes. He didn't look like her. Her skin was fairer, more porcelain-like, her eyes were brown unlike his and I don't know what colour hair he had before he turned grey but I can't imagine it was ever as dark as Jennie's. They show no resemblance to one another at all.

"I have a feeling a lot of people around here don't give you a chance."

My brows furrowed at him and he let out a little laugh. "I have this little voice inside my head and it's telling me to take the cuffs off you and give you a chance."

I cleared my throat, "I think you should listen, sir." I replied. He laughed louder this time and nodded in amusement.

"I'm gonna take you in Lisa, take your statement. Hold you in a cell overnight for a few hours so you can cool off and detoxify. Then I'll release you but I don't give second chances, so don't mess this up because next time I come face-to-face with you, I will put you in that jail cell myself. You understand, kiddo?"

"Sir, I'll make sure that you don't regret it."