FRIDAY'S GIRL ·ϿʘϾ·

Chapter 16

***DRAFT***

The patrol car cruised through the quiet Cottonwood neighborhood until it pulled up in front of some tiny houses built around a roundabout. Even though I wasn't expecting anything fancy, these buildings were surprisingly old and modest. Most of the facades could use a fresh coat of paint and some repairs on their crumbling porches.

I could feel the tension rise outside as the two cops rang the bell and waited by the door with April. The cold early morning air seeped through the gaps in the patrol car, wrapping me in a sense of unease. My brain was still trying to process everything that had happened in such a short span of time, while my fingers nervously clenched the damp edge of my costume.

"Good evening, ma'am," started the heavier cop when April's sister came out to greet them, wrapped in a pink fluffy robe. They had a brief conversation about what had happened, changing her initial worried expression to an increasingly angry one.

"I can't believe it! You lied to us, and you've gotten yourself into a mess," the disappointment in her sister's voice echoed inside the vehicle.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," April hung her head, ashamed, unable to meet her gaze.

The cop adjusted his leather belt that sagged under his ample stomach, where he carried his radio, baton, and gun.

"It's a teenage thing, miss. Don't be too hard on her, but do talk to her about thinking twice before pulling these stunts," the cop's voice, rough and unpleasant until now, suddenly sounded friendly and well-meaning. "She wouldn't be the first teen to vanish under these circumstances without a trace. The stats speak for themselves."

"What were you thinking, April!" Lucy exclaimed, pulling her robe a bit tighter to channel her frustration.

"I was working undercover for the school newspaper," April puffed up, as if her words were a solid defense.

"The school newspaper and you, you and that darn school newspaper," her older sister cursed under her breath, her tone laden with indignation and reproach.

"Well, it was just a scare. We found them at the auto shop on Interstate 80. They hadn't been drinking or using drugs, so they dodged a trip to the station, and we decided to bring them straight home. I'd like to talk to one of their legal guardians to inform them about what happened," the officer said seriously, noting the sister's makeup-free face and robe making her look just another teenager.

"Hold on a moment," the young woman went inside the house and came out almost immediately with her purse in hand. After rummaging through it, she handed over her ID. "You see, my mom isn't home today..."

I tried to listen closely, hoping to catch what was being said, but I couldn't make out a thing because the car's radio started blasting, calling for backup to respond to a theft.

"Don't worry, officer. I'll take care of her," Lucy promised, opening the door for April to go in first. I had a feeling that the punishment my classmate was about to receive wouldn't be a walk in the park.

The ride to my house felt like forever, as the two cops fell into an eerie silence. The car radio kept broadcasting the misfortunes happening in my city at that hour of the early morning, while Lucy's words echoed in my ears; I knew they would be very similar to what my own parents would say.

I exhaled a tired sigh while turning on my phone. I wanted to check the messages that had piled up during the time it had been off. The battery was still decent, around seventy percent, and the reception had always been good. I had lied to April, and it made me feel bad about myself, but it was the only way to spend more time with her. I didn't care that she was wet or cold because I wanted to use the situation to further my revenge plan against Maddison.