Behind The Glass Door

Chapter 7

Lacy:

---

There was one thing I hated, and that was when people assumed things.

I assume things all the time but, I hate when people assume things about me.

"I got a feeling you have something for girls," Valentine chortled, folding her laundry.

"I don't," I said, the heat coming to my ears.

"Ever had a boyfriend then?" she asked.

"Once, I was eleven so it didn't count," I said.

"Nice," she nodded, a ringing coming from her phone with a Latin music ringtone.

"Hola mama," she spoke into the phone while I tried to finish my homework.

"Como esta papa?" she spoke, nodding.

"No podemos hablar de esto?" she sighed.

"No mama no me estoy metiendo en problemas," she spoke, rubbing her temple.

"Si estoy siendo educada y amable," she sighed.

"Que?!" she yelled shock on her face, "Que quieres decir con que el abuelo esta enfermo? No podrias empezar con eso?" she yelled angrily.

"I-" she cut herself off with a sigh, "Hablare mas tarde, adios," she sighed, hanging up the phone.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My Grandpa's sick," she sighed, sitting on her bed.

"Oh I'm so sorry," I frowned, "I hope he'll get better soon," I said.

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Do you want anything?" I asked.

"Not right now, thanks though," she said.

I nodded and got up, going over to the center window to open it since it was stuffy in the room. Just as I walked by I saw something big falling quickly out from the sky, right in front of my window.

In instinct, I squealed in surprise, not even taking in what fell. It hit me all of a sudden what had happened and I quickly opened the window, raising the heavy glass frame before stepping out on the small balcony and looking down.

I watched that poor girl's body hit the ground with the sounds of her bones breaking hitting my ears. The thud of her body when it hit the concrete.

For some reason, tears welled in my eyes at what I had just witnessed.

It all happened too fast. I yelled when the girl hit the ground, Valentina rushed to see what was wrong before her mouth dropped in shock, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Oh my God," she muttered.

"Call the ambulance, quickly!" I yelled.

She rushed inside and got her phone, dialing a few numbers before picking it up to her ear and vomiting French words out of her mouth quickly.

I stood there, staring at the building across from us and squinting my eyes shut.

All I wanted was my Mom and Dad. I let out a sob, needing some form of human affection or contact.

That was the first time I craved someone else's touch in months.

I immediately went to Valentine, crashing my body into hers, the surprise on her face before slowly hugging me back, letting me sob into her arm.

"It's okay," she muttered.

I shook my head against her chest, loud sobs leaving my mouth as the sound of multiple sirens rang in my ear.

"I swear it'll be okay," she spoke softly, "We can't always work ourselves up over other people's tragedies, imagine how chaotic the world would be," she whispered.

"She's probably dead!" I sobbed loudly.

"Shh, it's ok, I promise it's ok. This will be on your mind for a while but we're gonna get through it, okay?" she asked, pulling away to look at my face which was buried in her sweatshirt.

She gently pulled me away, looking at me with her brown eyes, "Okay?" she asked again.

I nodded and sniffled.

"Let's lie you down," she said.

A knock was at our door and Valentina went to open it, a police officer standing with her hands in her pockets, she looked familiar.

"We just need to ask you two a couple of questions," she smiled sweetly, with a small country accent.

I nodded, face red and blotchy.

She walked in and motioned to my bed for me to sit.

"I see you've been crying, did you see something or is it unrelated?" she asked, grabbing out a notepad and pen as she pulled my desk chair over, sitting in front of Valentina and me.

"Well I-I got up from my bed to get something and I saw something really big fall in front of my window so I gasped and thought nothing of it until a few seconds later. Then I opened my window and looked down and right when I did she hit the ground," I said, spaced out.

"Did you know her at all, her name's Ruby," the officer said.

My face flushed a pale, pale white at the name.

"M'am? Did you know her?" she asked again.

"No I didn't," I spoke slowly as I shook my head.

"You look like you saw a ghost, something wrong?" the officer asked.

"Nothing...my middle name is Ruby," I said quietly and slowly, looking off.

"Oh. That is scary," she said.

"Is she...dead?" Valentina asked.

The office sighed and looked at us with glossy eyes, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but since you're both witnesses I assume I can tell you," she said.

"We did everything we could to save her but, she broke her neck and severely broke many bones in her body, she had a severe head injury as well," the lady said sympathetically.

"Oh Jesus," I muttered, hands clutching each other as I scratched my nails across my clammy palms.

Valentina reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently as I unnoticeably jumped at the action.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere," the officer said, looking at me.

"Oh," I said staring at her.

"You're not from Massachusetts are you?" she asked me.

"I am," I nodded.

"No way!" she exclaimed like nothing was wrong.

My eyebrows were furrowed at how she knew me, she looked familiar but I don't think I had ever talked to her.

"You were in that case I did last winter," she nodded in realization.

All of a sudden I realized how she knew me. When my mother and Boston Ballet called the police on Jacob. She asked me millions of questions every day, saying she 'understood' it was hard but I had to properly answer the questions. But no one understands it unless you've been through it.

"I don't think I was," I muttered, looking down at my lap, and pulling my hand away from Valentina's.

"You were, you-" I abruptly cut her off, tears of anger welling in my eyes.

"I don't think I was," I emphasized every word with the warning that she better not say anything else.

"Right, I think it was someone else," she nodded slowly, lips pursed.

I sighed as she got up, waving to us goodbye and leaving our dorm.

"Damn mate, are you here 'cause you beat someone up?" Valentina laughed.

"No," I said seriously, putting an end to our conversation.

I grabbed my phone, hurridly calling my parents as I walked out of the room and into the hall.

"Daddy? Are you there?" I asked, biting my nails as I paced back and forth in the hallway.

"I'm here, what's wrong?" he asked, putting me on speaker.

"Too much," I sighed, "I was getting up from my bed and I saw something huge fly down to the ground across my window so I looked out to see what it was and it was a girl, a girl daddy, she's dead," I said, thumb leaving my mouth as tears ran down my face.

"Oh God, you watched her hit the ground?" he asked.

"Bunny, I'm so sorry, that's horrible," my Mom said in the back, "That poor girl," my Mom muttered to herself.

"And then a cop asked us some questions, me and my roommate some questions," I clarified, knowing they'd say 'Who's us?', "But she was the cop who asked me questions on the case last winter and she almost blew what happened at the studio. It was like she was trying to ruin my life," I cried into my phone, tears wetting the screen.

"Oh God," my mom muttered.

"I wish I was there right now Lace but parent's weekend is just a month away sweetheart," he said gently.

"I know," I muttered.

"Get some sleep honey," my mom said.

"Okay, night love you," I said.

Once they said 'I love you too' back to me I hung up, looking up in the hallway I had been pacing in to see Riley, standing there and staring at me. The second I acknowledged her she looked behind me, like she was looking for something, trying to cover up before quickly walking away.

I wiped my tears, trying my best to try and forget what she heard, if she heard, but failing miserably.

Dear Lord enough has happened to me today, don't let her find out as well.