Dark Stars, Light Stars

Part 2 (Little Girl) - Chapter 20

. . . hurricanes, thunderstorms. Let it rain, let it pour. Nothing matters with you. – Nothing Matters, Jess & Matt

Justice

Nope. No way. Riley isn't alive. He's dead. I heard the bomb explode, watched the building crumble to the ground.

He is not alive. As much as I want him to be, it's just impossible! How can anything withstand the force of a bomb? I WAS THERE TO WITNESS IT.

I stand by my decision and don't say anything to my dad. Alistair looks at me, wishing for me to say something.

'Justice? Did you hear what I said?' My dad asks. I nod my head, and then start to shake it.

'He can't be alive, dad. I don't believe it.'

'It's the part about where he has gone, isn't it?'

I nod my head again in response. He's right. Riley would have had to be rescued if he wanted to escape the place, he would have had to wait for backup or for –

'The teacher was in on it, Mr Casanova.' Alistair says, steering the conversation away from Riley. My father creases his eyebrows and folds his arms across his chest.

'What teacher?'

'Miss Mills. She gave everything away while Justice was presenting. That's how we knew something was wrong.'

'She's a terrible actress.' I pipe up to lighten the mood. Alistair smiles at me, but my dad does not seem amused.

'We went through all of the profiles of the teachers at your school, we were sure she wasn't in on it.'

'Wait, so you knew the attack was going to happen?' Alistair asks, his voice rising with a hint of anger. 'Why didn't you warn us? We could have prevented a lot!' He bangs his fist on the table, his face now bright red. I place a hand on his shoulder and try to calm him down.

'Hear me out, Alistair. I couldn't tell you two because you wouldn't have believed me. What would you have done if I had told you?'

Alistair casts his eyes downwards. I know what his answer will be. We all do.

'I would have gone to the school to prove that nothing would happen.'

He rises from the table and I drop my hand. Maybe we were better off being oblivious to the truth. And now, I can see the guilt on Alistair's face

'Sorry, Mr Casanova.' He apologises. 'Continue with what you were saying.'

'No, it's fine. The two of you need to rest. I'll ask your dad to meet with you another day.'

As my father turns to leave, Alistair leans across the table and grips his arm.

'I'd like to see him, please. And then Justice and I will go.'

My father considers this for a moment. Alistair releases his arm and leans back across the table, standing at full height. My father's face turns sour. I know what he is thinking . . . He doesn't want us to meet the head of the agency. There is something about Mr Rosado that he isn't telling us.

Never mind, there is always something he isn't telling us.

'I'll bring him in. Just . . . If anything gets too hard, just leave the room. There's a lounge area at the end of the hall where your rooms are. Just go straight there.'

Alistair and I nod and my father leaves the room, Alistair's father returning a few seconds later.

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