Angels Like You

Free

"They're going to press charges," Officer Hilton said as he leaned against Dr. Santiago's desk.

Two police officers had already taken my statement. I hadn't lied to them about anything that happened. I told them about everything from when I moved in with Hunter to saying I was going to kill him. They were going to find out the truth no matter what I told them. There were witnesses. There was security camera footage. They'd already had everything they needed to press charges before I'd uttered a word.

When Officer Hilton told me that I would be arrested, I wasn't surprised. It was kind of a relief. I was not going to be anyone's problem other than the people in juvenile hall or at the residential facility. Officer Hilton was trying to work out the details still. He was pushing for the residential facility, as was my dad, but I wasn't so sure that I was going to get it. Sometimes enough was enough and I was pretty sure the court systems were over having to deal with me.

I looked back through the glass of the office door to where the police officers stood with my dad, Dr. Santiago, and Mr. Alberts. Why Mr. Alberts had stuck around, I didn't know. Maybe it was because he was the one who pulled me off Hunter. Maybe he actually gave a shit about me and wasn't pretending.

"My record isn't getting cleared anymore either, is it?" I asked Officer Hilton as I turned back around to look at him. "I've used my last chances too many times here."

"No, it's not," Officer Hilton said. "We gave you more chances because you were starting to show progress, even if you didn't see it. This changes everything, Rhys."

I nodded, closing my eyes as I rested my head on the back of the chair I'd been sitting in for too long. "Can I see Toby before I go?"

"I don't think that's going to be possible."

"Can he see me there?"

"That'll depend on where you are sent. He most likely won't be able to see you until both of you are eighteen," Officer Hilton responded.

I leaned forward, running my hands through my hair. "Everything is fucked up."

"Yes, it is," Officer Hilton said with a sigh. "Look, Rhys...they might try you as an adult. You're four months from being eighteen and even if you weren't eighteen by the time your trial went to court, you are close enough that it is probably what they would consider doing. You'll probably spend ten years in prison if they convict you. Your dad is getting a lawyer and the sentence can be negotiated. I'd say you'll get five. You do what you need to and maybe you'll get out on parole. That's when it gets hard. You will have an even bigger battle to fight with sobriety, employment, and just staying out of any more trouble."

I nodded but didn't respond. There wasn't a need to.

We stayed silent as my fate was decided in the hallway. I really needed to get up and move. I pushed myself to my feet and walked over to the window, staring at the street in front of the school. Sliding my hands into my pockets, I realized that I was the most at ease during that moment than I had felt the entire time I had been in California. For once, I knew what the future held.

My father hadn't yelled or even looked surprised when he had walked into Dr. Santiago's office. We both had known, whether we'd accepted it or not, that it would come to this in the end. Mr. Santiago had explained the situation as Mr. Alberts had been asked to give his statement to the cops who had just arrived.

Dad had sunk into the chair beside me with his elbow resting on the arm and his hand over his mouth. I had wondered if he was disappointed with himself for not being able to help me but then told myself that he worked with addicts. He knew that nothing was a guarantee. I could have been sober and appearing relatively fine five minutes before I decided to go use and overdose. Shit happened to people all the time.