Don't Blame Me: Genius

Surviving A Lie

~Tess Pov ~
Five O'clock
"Now let's run through this one more time," the Sheriff said. "I want to make sure we got everything before our detective comes in, okay?," I nodded.

Sheriff scratches his head in aggravation.
"So, you worked with this boy Christian, correct?" I nodded. "He invited you to the senior campfire, where he was a part of the underage drinking that was taking place." I nodded. "You then realized that your ex-girlfriend, Hope, was at the campfire so you went on a walk." I nodded again. "You then found Christian stumbling in the woods drunk, you went to help him steady himself, but he fell hitting his head on the rocks?,"

"That's correct," I hid the shrug in my shoulders.
I know it's bad, but I'm sure Hope and I were on the same page.

Sheriff wrote down everything I said. "Okay, so I'll get the detective," he left , leaving me with Peyton.

As soon as the door closed, Peyton started to chuckle. "What?" I scoffed.
"You're a very bad liar, that's what," he continued to laugh at me. "But no worries, the detective will see right through you. She always does.,"

"She?" Just then the door opens, and in walked a beauty I see every day but haven't seen in years. Elizabeth James. Hope's Mommy. I've only ever seen her once but Hope and I had just become friends and she wasn't really there for her.

"Mrs Larou, how are you?," she greeted my mother.
"Been better," my mother retorted.

"And Tess, I wish we were seeing each other for better reasons," Detective said.

"I wish we weren't at all, but sometimes the pennies we throw in the well don't work," I gave a sarcastic smile.

She huffed out a laugh. "Red hair and a smartass attitude. Now I get it,"

What's that supposed to mean?

Detective James sat down, "so you got invited to this campfire by Christian but you didn't stay with him the whole time, why?

"He had other friends he was hanging out with and I just wanted to dance," I answered.

"Did you see Hope drink anything while you and Christian were drinking?" She tried to trick me.

"I didn't drink anything. I don't know if Hope did and I didn't know Chris did until I saw him stumble," I stated.

"Stumbling while you guys were together on the field?" Detective asks. "No, I saw him in the woods,"

"You just saw him? That's it?," she narrowed her eyes. "No, I saw him stumbling and I went to help him?,"

"And since you are using all these I's, you were alone with him right?," I stopped to think about what to say next. I didn't know if she had already talked to Hope or not, and truthfully I didn't know if we were on the same page.

Detective James started to raise her voice, "I mean, I'm just asking. Considering the facts, YOU said you helped him, YOU said he stumbled and fell, and there was a pool of blood where YOU said he hit his head on rocks, so YOU were there". My breathing got heavy, I'm starting to panic.

"What are you doing," my mom chimed in. "My job," the detective pushed.

"Did you or did you not hit Christian White, with a homicidal intent?"

"What? No!" I gasped. "Oh so you hit him just because?,"

"Neither. I-I was just trying to help and then I-He...He fell," I fumbled my words hysterically.
I looked over at Peyton who was taunting me. He mouthed the word gotcha to me and sent a smirk from the corner he was in.

Detective cleared her throat, "We found a fingerprint. And if it comes back as your print when we're done running it, I don't know what to tell you. So the truth is your best bet right now." She stood up from her chair and gathered up all of the papers from the files.

She walks towards the door, laying her hand on the knob. "And Tess, I really hope you don't have your little friend hiding out somewhere.," she raised an evil eyebrow at me. Whatever that means. "Before I walk out of this door, do you have anything else to tell me?,"

I looked around at everyone and everything in the room, "No ma'am,". I was ready to go.
She nodded, "Deputy, you know what to do".
——
Around Six o'clock
Peyton ushered mom and I into the sheriff's office. There we found the detective, along with Hope and Ms Starr. Hope sat in one of the leather chairs that went up under the wooden desk. Ms Starr stood above her, and detective James took a seat halfway on the edge of the desk. As soon as we entered the room went silent. "We got room for two more," the sheriff jokes. Ms Starr pulls my mom and I into a hug. "Oh man, we just can't seem to get it right, can we?" She jokes. My mom joins in with laughter. That's just like her to bandage you up with a joke.

I sat down in the empty leather seat next to Hope.
"Alright girls. I need you to understand that you are a part of an investigation. Okay?," Detective started. "And we can't keep you here on minimal evidence so we're going to keep you at home. Parents agree?" She asked out loud. Our parents nodded in agreement. "I'm sending Deputy Peyton out to patrol the front of your house for a week, Tess." I rolled my eyes. "I'll also be sending the sheriff to pick up weekly homework for you both," the detective continued. "Now, we're still gathering information. That means don't do anything and stay home," she finished.

eat. sleep. stay home. repeat.

While standing up to leave, I look back to a confused Hope. She turns to the detective, "so is Peyton patrolling our house too?." Hope asked.
"Actually Hope, I'll be staying with you guys."

Damn, that's tragic.

AN; it's getting deep fr lol, I love comments so chime in <3