𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦: 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗦

chapter eight

"Jesus that was awful," Reily huffed, walking out of the back room where he'd just finished his interview with the police. 

"What'd they ask you?" Alyssa quickly questioned, her and Sawyer joining around Riely and whispering quietly. 

"They were so harsh!" He exclaimed. "They kept on going on about any 'sudden purchases' I'd made or like financial struggles and all of that bullshit."

"But you were like... fine, right?" Sawyer's eyes widened in fear. 

"Yeah, I guess," he shrugged. "I dunno, maybe I just don't like cops."

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan either," Sawyer whispered, mainly to herself. 

"Sawyer, you're next," Andy walked over to the three of them. 

"Shit," She whispered, following him into the back room before sitting down at a table, two middle-aged men wearing police uniforms sitting across from her. 

"Name?" The one on the left asked instantly. 

"Sawyer Klein."

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

"Wait, did you say Klein?" The officer on the right sneered. "As in Aaron Klein?"

Sawyer instantly tensed up. "Yes. That's my father."

"Who is Aaron Klein?" The other officer tilted his head in confusion. 

"The bastard that killed a kid, like... ten years ago," The officer on the right scoffed. "You're probably the one stealing then, huh? Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"

"No, I'm not the one stealing," Sawyer spat back. "Go ahead, look through my wallet, my house, my bank statements, I didn't do it."

"Look, drop the attitude--"

"Says the one accusing me of stealing because my father was an alcoholic ten years ago!" Sawyer defended. "I'll drop the attitude when you drop you're fucking bias."

"We could arrest you for verbal assault of an officer--"

"Hm, do you think that would bode well in court? Especially with video evidence of you accusing me of a crime because of my dad?"

"Alright, let's just let her leave," The cop on the left whispered. 

"Get out," The one on the right spat. 

"My fucking pleasure," Sawyer stormed out of the back room, stopping once she reached Riely and Alyssa, Nick now joining them. 

"What's wrong?" Alyssa furrowed her brows noticing how tense Sawyer was. From her rigid jaw to her clenched fists, her entire posture was a telltale sign that she was frustrated. 

"He accused me of stealing the money because of my last name!" Sawyer scoffed, outraged. "He said the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

"Okay, it's--it's okay," Alyssa nodded. "We know you didn't steal the money, and eventually they'll find the person who did. They have absolutely no proof that it was you."

"But what gives them the fucking right--"

"Nothing, nothing does," Nick agreed. "They're entitled assholes who think just because they carry a gun around they can shout wild accusations at everyone and hope that one of them will stick."

"I want to go home," Sawyer sighed, looking over to Andy, who was in earshot of their conversation. 

"Go ahead," he nodded. "We probably won't open for the rest of the day."

"I'm not even working today, want me to give you a ride?" Nick offered as Alyssa went back into the room. 

"If you wouldn't mind, yeah," Sawyer nodded, the two exiting the building together. 

"So... I don't know if now is an appropriate time to ask... but are we still on for Saturday?" Nick tilted his head, beginning to drive to Sawyer's house after she gave him her address. 

"Uh... yeah, sure," Sawyer nodded absentmindedly. 

"I was thinking we could go to the movies," Nick suggested. 

"I hate the movies," Sawyer deadpanned. 

"O--oh, okay," Nick nodded. "Did... you have something in mind then, maybe?"

"I dunno, bowling or something? Or we could go to a museum, but the closest one is 30 minutes away," Sawyer looked out the window. 

"Uh, bowling sounds nice," Nick agreed with a smile, pulling into Sawyer's driveway. 

"Thanks for the ride, see ya'," Sawyer quickly waved before getting out of the car, wasting no time to walk inside her home and go all the way up to her room. 

Nick appreciated the fact that he was trying to get Sawyer's mind off of her interaction with the cops, but in all truthfulness, it just made her feel worse about reality; about the fact that she didn't really like him as anything other than a friend and she only wanted Brooke. 

In fact, as soon as she sat down on her bed, the only thing Sawyer could think of was Brooke Milan. She was two houses down... she could go knock on her door and hug her then and there. But she didn't. Because with the way things were left at the beach, Sawyer knew it would be a terrible idea to do so. 

So instead, she sat in bed on her phone, scrolling through her camera roll as she looked at various pictures of her and Brooke. Ones from their previous beach trips, from the fourth, and from both of their birthday parties, each hosted by the other.

She couldn't help but notice how they looked like couples in all of the pictures... holding hands, hugging, kissing each other on the cheek; they were practically dating in terms of the photos, but in real life, they couldn't be farther from that.  

They were physically close, yes, but they couldn't have been farther apart. They couldn't have a meaningful conversation, not without it turning into an argument. Part of that was Sawyer's fault, or at least that was what she told herself. For not taking her shot sooner, for letting Brooke move on and walk away from her. 

Despite wanting to want Nick, all Sawyer wanted was Brooke. But Sawyer didn't let that stop her from agreeing to go out with him. In fact, it made her even more eager to go out with him, to try and force her to like him to help her get over Brooke. 

Because in Sawyer's mind, there was no way Brooke would ever like her back.