The Quiet Ones

18. Restraining Our Feelings

Levi pulled into the parking lot of the police station while he cursed silently under his breath.

As much as I wanted to comfort him and tell him it's going to be alright, I really can't promise him that at this point. Either way, we're going to get caught, so what's the point of sugar coating the situation?

He unbuckled his seatbelt and slammed the door behind himself while he trudged in the gravel under the cold night sky. I got out and followed after him, but it was no use. He looked like he was about to loose his mind- and I had no control whatsoever.

"Come on Levi, it's going to be okay," I said quietly behind him.

"No it's not Parker! Do you understand how much trouble we're going to get in to? You may have a slight penalty, but I've been doing this for over a year."

I gulped as I thought it over in my head. He did have a point though, and I can't be the one to argue that considering I'm also in deep trouble.

"We'll just go in and politely explain what we've been doing. We can't be the first ones to come clean, kids are out there dying from being in gangs," I said quietly as I grabbed his arm to steady his body.

But it did no good. He pulled away from me and began marching through the glass doors of the police station. I ran behind him, and caught up to him right as he approached the front desk.

The officer looked up from where he was carefully writing paperwork, and gave us a look of confusion while he tipped up his hat.

"What can I help you two with?" He asked as he sat further back in his chair.

"We're guilty," Levi confessed under his breath.

I'm not going to lie, hearing him say it out loud gave me chills as it all began to feel real. I'm about to get arrested.

"Guilty for what?" He asked.

"We were the ones who vandalized that playground the other night. We spray painted and made it a mess. We're very sorry."

I wanted to follow after him- tell the officer how bad I felt about everything and how I just wanted to fade away- but my voice got caught in my throat with a choke every time I opened my mouth to speak.

"I see," the officer said before he stood up and went into a back room behind the desk.

Levi's face had tints of red, especially over the bridge of his nose and the apples of his cheeks. He looked completely and utterly adorable, but right now's not the time to let him know.

We watched as people moved behind the tinted glass. Their dark figures moved back and forth and mumbled things quietly as the sound of papers sifting erupted through the air.

The officer returned with two additional cops, but the two new officers were now carrying handcuffs and keys.

"We're going to go easy on you because you turned yourself in. Although vandalism is a huge fine, you two look like good kids. We're going to have you stay in a cell over night, and we'll let you go in the morning."

I sighed in relief as they placed my hands behind my back and clasped the cold, metal cuffs around my wrists. I know, most would be freaking out at the fact that they need to stay in jail for the night, but I truthfully thought I was going to get charged with worse.

"You both get one call to a parent. Make it count," one of the officers said as they pushed us towards a landline phone.

The officer picked up the phone and put it to my ear as I told him the number to dial. Explaining what exactly is happening is going to be a bit hard for me, the reason being that my moms never going to expect this. I've always been the honor student with, as much as I hate to admit it, no social life.

On the fourth ring my mother picked up and muffling came over through the phone as she moved the speaker closer to her ear. Concern and confusion was translated through her voice as she began to speak.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Parker?"

"Hey mom."

"Where are you?"

"I've been arrested. It's okay though, I only have to stay over night and sign something real quick. You don't have to come up or anything."

"You...wait...what?" She asked as I could hear the cord shifting as she moved around on the other end of the line.

"I vandalized but I'm getting off easy. All I have to do is stay in jail overnight with a friend of mine. I'll be home in the morning and explain more then. I have to go though, I only have a few seconds left."

"Parker, I don't know. Why would you do this? You have so much-"

"Mom I really have to go. I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart. But there will be a punishment when you get home. Have a good night."

"You too mom," I said before the officer took the phone away from my ear and placed it back in the holder.

He then grabbed me by my wrists and lead me down a hallway full of inmates, and to be honest, I was scared out of my mind. The only way I could describe them would be as animals. They were beating on the walls, pulling at the bars, and screaming at one another. A few whistled at me as I trudged past, and my body shook in fear as they licked their lips and raised their eyebrows at me while calling me 'baby'.

I was put in a cell near the end of the long hallway, and the officer quickly uncuffed me before slamming the cell door and locking it with the metal keys. He gave me a small wave and walked away.

I moved away and sat down on the disgusting and cold metal makeshift bench while I rubbed my wrists where the cuffs once were. The whole area had a horrible feel to it- the walls were white cinder blocks, and any way of escaping was cut short by metal bars.

I guess I should've expected this to happen. I mean, it's not like I could have just kept vandalizing without getting caught. I don't agree with it being fair that I had to turn myself in, but I'm extremely thankful that my punishment wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Besides, my mom didn't seem as scared as I thought she would be. She knows I'm good, and everything will workout.

I stared at the cold cement ground as I felt tears brim my eyes as I began to feel lonely and vulnerable with the groups of men staring at me from cells nearby. But before I could cry out, Levi was thrown into the cell with me, uncuffed and unharmed.

"Levi!" I screeched as I ran to him and threw myself into him with my arms wrapped around his neck. He hugged me tightly and whispered to me how it was going to be okay, and how this is only a small part of our lives that will soon be over.

He grabbed my hand and led us back to the uncomfortable bench that I had once been sitting on, but this time, he put me on the side further from the door to protect me from the men's glares.

"Did you talk to your parents? What did they say?" I asked as I gripped his arm tightly.

"Nothing, they didn't pick up. It's okay, we'll be fine. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure? Because if you want you can come home with me tomorrow and-"

"No Parker. This isn't the first time. I'll be okay, we just need to get through tonight. Can you stay strong for me?" he asked as he tilted my head up to meet my eye. I smiled and gave him and nod before I clung tighter to his arm to feel protected.

We just sat for a few minutes as we listened to the screaming and smashing in the cells around us. It was probably one of the most frightening things I've ever experienced, mainly because I was the only girl in the boys cell. The officer wanted Levi to stay with me and protect me, and to be totally honest, I'd rather spend a night with him in the boys cell opposed to spending the night in a cell with a bunch of random women. I'd be like fresh bait, or even a challenge, if that was the case.

Once I began to feel safer, I pulled away from Levi and looked at his face until he turned to me with a smile and pushed my hair behind my ear.

"You okay?" He asked while he shifted slightly closer to me.

"Yeah. It's just...what was that question you wanted to ask me earlier?"