Welcome back to Seacrest, Are you ready for more?
Volume 2 of the Heartbreak High series.
***
Lucas is back in business, picking up to shattered pieces of his life as a new year dawn's on Seacrest bringing about new challenges, new romance and even...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The fluorescent lights above buzz softly, making the room feel even smaller and more suffocating. I shift uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair, my hands fidgeting in my lap as I try not to make eye contact with the two officers sitting across from me. My heart is racing, and it feels like the walls are closing in.
The older of the two officers, a stern-looking man with a graying mustache, leans forward, his eyes narrowing as he looks at me. "Stephen, we just want to get the facts straight. You were at the scene, correct?"
I swallow hard, my throat dry. "Y-yeah, but I wasn't really... I wasn't involved. I was just... there."
The younger officer, a woman with short blonde hair, speaks up next, her tone a bit softer but still firm. "We're not saying you did anything, Stephen. But we need to understand why you were there and what you saw. You understand that, right?"
My hands are trembling now, and I try to clasp them together to stop the shaking. "You're not gonna call my parents, right? They don't need to know about this... I didn't do anything wrong."
The older officer exchanges a glance with his partner before looking back at me. "That depends on how cooperative you are, Stephen. We're not here to make your life difficult, but we need the truth. What happened that night?"
I feel like I'm going to be sick. My mind is racing, trying to figure out what to say without digging myself into a deeper hole. "I... I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention. I just... I was just there, okay? I didn't want to be, but I couldn't leave. I wasn't a part of it."
The woman leans forward, her voice gentle but insistent. "Stephen, we understand this is hard, but the more honest you are with us, the better we can help you. You're not in trouble, but you need to tell us what you know."
I feel a wave of panic rising in my chest. "I-I really don't know anything! I was just there, and then everything happened so fast... I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to be involved, I swear!"
The older officer's eyes narrow again, and I can feel the pressure mounting. "Stephen, we need to know exactly what you saw and heard. Leaving things out won't help you."
I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, trying to calm down, but it's not working. When I open them again, I can barely keep my voice steady. "I'm telling you, I didn't see much. I was there, but I wasn't really a part of it. Please, don't call my parents. They don't need to know."
The officers exchange another look, and I can tell they're not entirely convinced. But the woman finally nods, leaning back in her chair. "Alright, Stephen. We're not here to cause you trouble. But you need to stay available for more questions if we need to follow up, understood?"
I nod frantically, relief mixing with lingering fear. "Yeah, okay. I'll... I'll do that. Just please, don't tell my parents."
The older officer stands, closing his notebook. "We'll see, Stephen. You're free to go for now, but remember-this isn't over."
I practically bolt from the chair, muttering a quick "thank you" before I make my way out of the room as fast as I can without running. My heart is still pounding, but at least I'm out of there. At least, for now, I'm still in one piece.
