Two lives.

04. Interrogation Day

And that's how I ended up here—a whole week after the fire and the party, being summoned downstairs by my mom. I woke to her voice, sharp and tense, calling me into the living room where two cops were waiting.

"What the hell is this, Sienna?" she shouted from the bottom of the stairs, her arms crossed and her face twisted with anger and worry.

"What, Mom?" I muttered, still groggy as I stumbled down the steps, following the direction she pointed.

When I reached the living room, there they were—two cops I recognized all too well. They'd pulled Luke over more times than I could count, lecturing him on his reckless driving while handing him another ticket. We'd even seen them hanging out in parking lots, chatting with people from school, sometimes even stopping to ask how things were going.

But today felt different. There were no friendly nods or casual smiles; the air felt heavy, like something was about to drop, and I knew exactly what it was about.

"Hi, Sienna. Sorry to wake you up like this," said Officer Kane, the one I knew best. He'd been around since I was a kid, back when I'd ride bikes with his son and daughter, pushing the boundaries of how far we were allowed to go.

"Yeah," I replied, rubbing my eyes, trying to shake off the last traces of sleep. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach—whatever this was about, it wasn't going to end well.

"Have you heard about that party in Gaston last Friday?" Officer Black asked. He always gave me an uneasy feeling, with his perpetual scowl and unfriendly demeanor—definitely not the warm and approachable type.

I sank onto the couch across from them, feeling my mom's presence behind me. Her arms were crossed tightly, and her eyes burned with a mix of anger and worry.

"Don't you lie to them, Sienna," she warned.

I looked past the officers, staring straight through them. "Yeah, I know about it. Why?" My voice sounded braver than I felt.

"There was... there was a fire," Officer Kane began, his tone cautious, almost gentle, before Officer Black cut in abruptly.

"And you seem to be involved," he finished, his sharp tone leaving no room for misinterpretation. 

"Why do you think I'm involved?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady while wondering how they'd found out.

Officer Black leaned forward, his expression hard. "Do you know Adrian?"

I hesitated, knowing this could be a trap. If they knew Adrian had been there that night, they'd likely know I was, too. But lying wasn't an option—my mom knew Adrian and I had been friends since we were kids.

"Yeah, I know him," I replied, keeping my tone as confident as possible.

Officer Black continued, a smug edge in his voice. "Well, someone overheard him talking about the fire and reported it. When we questioned him, he gave us a few names. Yours was one of them."

So Adrian had snitched. Great. I clenched my jaw, thinking, Thanks a lot, Adrian.

"Yes," Officer Kane added, his tone calmer than Black's. "What we want to know now is if you were there—and if you were, who caused the fire?"

I glanced down, my mind racing. If I lied and they found proof, especially if any of those "rich kids'" parents had seen me, I'd be in even deeper trouble. But admitting to anything felt like diving into a trap.

My mom's voice sliced through my thoughts. "Sienna, just tell them the truth. This is serious."

I took a slow breath, looking back up at the officers. "I was there," I said finally, the words heavy on my tongue. "But I didn't cause the fire."