Hello Again, Sir {s/t - complete}

What About Now?: 22.

My eyes widened as I stared at the police officer in front of me. My heartbeat increased and my throat went dry, although my hands were beginning to become damp and clammy with sweat. He watched me cautiously, looking at my reaction but I quickly averted my gaze.

                “Yes,” I finally said in a small voice, thinking it was best to reply. “I am. Can I help you?”

                “I hope so,” the guy replied, and I snapped my head up to him immediately. I couldn’t read the interior of his words, and didn’t know if he was being sarcastic, or solemnly saying.

                My pulse had increased and I held my breath. Now I knew why, when they were being chased, people either froze up or they ran. Fight or flight instinct, and although I wished mine could be flight, I couldn’t move my feet. Not that it would have gotten me anywhere, because to be frank, I couldn’t run into my house because the police officer was standing in the doorway and I couldn’t get him out of the way to slam the door. I’d be trapped in my own house, anyway, if I tried to run. And I couldn’t shove him into the house and run down the pathway, I wouldn’t’ be able to lock my door…

                I couldn’t believe Ted had done this to me! I told him everything, I told him I wasn’t dating Hanna and I told him about the accident! I told him everything to do with a student’s private life and he was going to throw it back and get me arrested? Were they doing this to Hanna now? Were they at her house right now, shoving past Julie, to get to Hanna? To arrest her? She couldn’t be arrested, she hadn’t done anything wrong.

                “Mr. Clarke.”

                I blinked, almost forgetting that the officer was standing right in front of me because I was enclosed in my thoughts. I couldn’t ignore the fact that he was here, and almost kicked myself for being so distracted. For not getting this over this as quick as possible so I could explain down at the station that I wasn’t in a relationship with my student.

                I held out my hands, realising they were shaking. The officer looked at my face, and then at my hands. Suddenly he reached down to his belt and my heart stopped. He was going to pull out the handcuffs; he was going to attach them here. I was only glad that the sky was already darkening, glad it was the start of October, glad to keep some of my pride. Especially if this was misjudged.

                The police officer gripped hold of his radio and turned the volume up before lifting his hands again. I stared at him in disbelief. He had completely skipped over the handcuffs! Was he letting me get in without them because I was complying? Was I only going in for a scolding? A warning, that I could never date Hanna? Did they even have her? Had they already been to see her?

                “Mr. Clarke, please, put your hands down.”

                I let my arms bang against the side of my body but could still feel their shakiness.

                “I’m going to need you to come with me, Mr. Clarke.”

                I let out a shaky breath. Of course he wanted me to go down to the station with him. He couldn’t make a conviction on my porch step. I licked my lips, trying to get my mouth to gain some moisture, but to no avail, I couldn’t stop the dryness. I noticed that the officer had been calling me Mr. Clarke and not Alex, or even Alexander. I suddenly hated being called by my professional name.

                Did the police use it to seem superior? Because they had the knowledge of knowing my last name without even knowing who I really was? Without knowing anything but the facts?

                Is that why the college got everyone to address each other by their last names? They wanted the teachers to be reminded, every second, by the students that they were students and that we were teachers? Not to forget that we couldn’t be in a situation like this, where we were being arrested for being involved in a relationship with a student.

                If things were more casual, did they think teachers were going to forget they were with a student?
                I almost snorted, Really? They thought that would work? That would stop two people who had growing feelings for each other? Because, really, you couldn’t help who you fell in love with. Some people were just lucky that who they fell in love with was under and with normal circumstances.

                If I wasn’t in a relationship with Hanna, and hadn’t been since I’d started my job at college, was I really breaking the law right now? Could I really be convicted of a crime if it wasn’t true?

                I felt the corners of my lips turn up. I wasn’t an expert in any way when it came to the law, but wasn’t that common knowledge? They could hold suspected terrorists without reason for however long it was, but they couldn’t hold a normal civilian like me. Why would they? Isn’t that wasting everyone’s time? I'd just have to forget to mention that one time in the premier inn last month.

                “Officer,” I said a little more confidently that I expected, standing a little straighter. “Can I ask what I’m being charged with?”

                “Charged with?” he asked, surprised by my question.

                Confusion swept over me. What was going on?

                “I’m sorry.” He said quickly, regaining himself. “No, I’m not here to arrest you. I’m sorry, I didn’t explain. Excuse me.”

                “It’s quite alright.” I replied, feeling a weight lifting from my shoulders. He said he wasn’t here to arrest me, so I was thankful, curious and relieved. I had Ted to thank. I almost chuckled at the coincidence. How ironic, a police officer shoving up a few hours after a conversation with a colleague about a relationship with a student. It almost seemed to close to call…

                “Is this about Robert?” I quickly blurted out. “Because that kids always having parties, and they’re safe, so I don’t care about the noise…”

                The officer shook his head, looking lost. He obviously didn’t know who Robert was.

                “I’m sorry—”

                “You’re not here about Robert?”

                “No.” he replied, staring at me in bewilderment. Oh, how the tables have turned in the last two minutes. “I’m here about your neighbour, Angie.”

                Now I was extremely lost again. I frowned hard, wondering what the police were doing looking out for Angie. She hadn’t done anything wrong? Heck, the woman had never hurt a fly in her life, done anything illegal, or helped anyone who had done something illegal.

                “What about Angie?” I snapped before grimacing, reminding myself that the officer was only here to help. Was he here to get me to pick up the kids from the station? Was Angie being kept overnight or something? Set to go on trial? “I’m sorry,” I said quickly, setting aside my sudden panic to face the facts. I had to stop assuming things! I hadn’t let the officer explain – in the short period of time that he’d been here – to explain why he was here. “Can I ask what Angie’s been taken in for?” I said, replying smoother than earlier.

                The officer paused and I took the opportunity to grab my coat and my keys, locking the door behind me. It seemed he was waiting for me to finished getting ready before he continued, so I put my coat on and started zipping it up when he spoke.

                “Your neighbour said you were to call, I’m afraid you’re going to have to come down at pick her up as she is in a state of shock.”

                “Shock?” I stopped zipping up my coat to look at him. “Why? What’s wrong? She didn’t do anything wrong?”

                “No, Mr. Clarke.” He said quietly. “I’m afraid she was mugged in town. She is in no position to drive tonight, sir.”

                Shocked passed through me and I had to move my feet to keep them from swaying, or giving out underneath me. My chest constricted and my heart dropped, giving me a sudden nervous feeling as the news hit me. “She what?”

                “Was attacked. I’d appreciate it if you could come with me, I think she just needs someone by her that knows her.”

                “Sure,” was all I could say, dumbly. “Yeah, right, of course. I’ll follow you then.”

                A brief smile passed on his face, but soon disappeared again. “Thank you.”

                “No problem.” I said before sprinting to my car.

                It was a while before I got to the police station due to a considerable amount of traffic and by then I was feeling anxious.  If Angie needed me, I felt that every second I was away from her, was a second that led her to feel a little more scared. I was muttering for the whole journey and nearly forgot to lock the car when I arrived. Slamming the door behind me and clicking the lock, I rushed into the room. By then, I was writing in worry and tapping my fingers on the main desk in the police station so loud, I thought I could mistake my tapping for a frantic Morse Code. 

                “Hello, Sir, can I he—”

                A glass door on the side of the room simultaneously opened and I turned my head to look at it, to see if it would give more of a clue than the lost looking cop that was now behind the desk facing me and I saw a head of red hair.

                “Uncle Alex!”

                “Ashlye! Where’s your mom?”

                “Right behind…” she turned around. “Wait, here she is.”

                Angie soon stood in the doorway and with a tired look on her face. She looked too exhausted to seem petrified. Her left eye was swollen and her hands shook as she gripped her son’s shoulders. When she looked up, there was a cut on her forehead and dry blood by the side of her lip. My heart plummeted and my jaw clenched as I took a step towards them, Ashlye already cuddling my leg.

                “Alex…”

                “I’m here.” I replied. Angie quietly stepped the rest of the way towards me and fell against my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m here,” I repeated soothingly, touching the top of her head.

                Angie let go and turned towards the police officer behind us. “Thank you.” She said, and as I watched him nod, I realised it must have been the officer that had been looking after her, since she arrived at the station.

                “Come on,” I said, wrapping my arms around Angie and Theo, letting Ashlye led the way. “Let’s go.”

                I guided the three out into the parking lot and finally spotted Angie’s car. An officer must have drove it back when they picked everyone up. I opened my own back door and let the kids scramble in, being extra good compared to usual. They had enough intelligence to do that. Then, letting them get their own seatbelts on, I gently grabbed Angie’s hand, pulled her around to the front and helped her into the passenger’s seat.

                At first no one said anything so I put the heating on after buckling in my seatbelt and starting the car and began to move out of the car park.

                The silence felt unbearable, so when I was in a steady gear, I grabbed Angie's hand, giving it a squeeze. I hoped it would comfort her, even if just for a moment.

                Hushed voiced came from the back seat and I looked in the mirror to see the children finally talking with each other, but they were holding hands, which made me wonder if they were scared as well. They were eight, it was understandable that they could be scared. At least they were showing it, unlike Angie who was just sitting there.

                "Angie..."

                I quickly glanced to my left, but she didn't look at me. Or respond. I turned back to the road, thinking it was best to try again when we got home to get a response out of her.

                I turned right and followed the main busy road of the centre of town, slowing down because of the traffic.