Falling For Ms. Popular

Polygraph

One by one, we each stepped into a dimly lit room where we were each asked seemingly harmless questions, well, from what they let us hear... Lara went first, followed by Devin, Mari, Nathan, and finally, me. As I walked through the steel doors, I was met with a cold blast of air and the smell of weeks old clothes. The smell was so foul in that single room that I couldn't contain my gagging. In the room, there were only two chairs, a machine, and a male officer. He met my gaze with a scowl and gestured me to take a seat. Before we started, he hooked me up to wires and cables to properly process my answers and accounts.

"Name. First, middle, and last." He said, hiding all emotion from his voice and face.

"Ava Lynn Stoll." He looked back at the machine and quickly nodded.

"Age and occupation." I felt myself become more easy as the questions kept coming...

"17 years old and a high school junior." He looked back once again and nodded.

"These next three questions will now pertain to your case. Please answer with complete honesty." He said, looking down at a clipboard in his hands. "Ok, is it true that you and your brother were neglected and abused while you lived under your parent's roof?" There's the first serious question...

"Yes, that is correct." I replied confidently. The man glanced back over, but this time he showed no response.

"Next, your parents are known for their drug use and exportation, is that correct?"

"From what I remember, yes that is." The officer's face started to turn back into a scowl as he approached the last question without regard to the previous one.

"Last one. Is everything that your friends and you stated to us completely true?" I flinched at the question, but still sat up firmly and nodded.

"I would believe so, yes." He checked the machine one last time before sighing and removing the equipment from me.

"You passed, unlike your parents who seemed to have deception at some point in every question. Your case will first be taken into Magistrates’ Court where you will not be required to be present. Next, the case will be taken to Crown Court. If they refuse the accusations then you will be required to bring your testimony against them, but if they plead guilty then you will not. Good luck, girlie." The man said with a slight smirk as he gesture me out the door. Mari met me outside with a smile before she wrapped her arms around me.

"It'll be a while before they are actually taken to Crown Court, but for the time being we have a restraining order against them and I doubt they will try to get close to us any time soon." I smirked and hugged Mari her response.

"I honestly don't care how long they get... I just want them to be locked away... " She rested her chin on top of my head and caressed my hair in an attempt to calm me down.

"Well, with that, why don't we get out of here and to our next stop?" I lifted my head in surprise as Mari quickly winked and led us all outside. She said nothing, but pushed me into the passenger seat and took the wheel while everyone else either got in the back or went in Devin's car. Mari asked me to close my eyes, so I did as she asked and even fell asleep. It wasn't long before I was woken up again and found the car to be parked in front of a shop. "You stay here, Ava, Vixen and Riley will stay here with you too." Mari insisted before disappearing inside. The two behind me whispered back and forth with quiet laughs and comments, but I didn't care much for it and turned my phone on to look at more important things. Prom was coming up soon, about a month, so I wanted to make it special for Mari and I, but mostly for Mari...

"Let's see... I'll need a nice corsage, a stunning dress, flowers, and that..." I muttered under my breath as I started looking through my list over again. Soon enough, there was a knock on the passenger window. Mari gestured me outside, and so I got out to be met with a quick kiss and a bouquet of flowers.

"Look, I know that this has been a very stressful week, so I thought that it would be nice to do something for you..." She stuttered, handing the flowers to me with a smile on her face. "Most of the flowers are Irises because I thought they for you the most, you know, beautiful and down-to-earth, but also majorly independent... It's not much, but I wanted to get you something meaningful to show you how grateful I am for you." I took a deep waft of the flower and immediately went back to hug Mari.

"You know, they might be similar to me, as you say, but they smell like you which is what makes me glad." Mari returned my comment with a playful grin before she leaned into my ear and whispered.

"Oh yeah? Well, what does it smell like then, or rather, how does it smell?" I held the flowers up in front of her and held a hand to her face at the same time.

"Overly sweet, but strangely comforting and gentle. That, Mari, is basically who you are. You've helped me so much and stuck by my side this whole time– I just don't know how to repay you the right way, but rest assured that it will be with every fiber of my being. Just know that it will happen soon, so be prepared." She nudged me in the arm and returned to the car where she shouted back her response from.

"Whatever you get me, I will be happy. Just you being with me right now is a sweet enough treat, especially with everything you bring to the relationship..." She finished by blowing me a kiss and opening up the passenger side door for me. We drove off, heading back to Mari's house and meeting Nathan out front with a wide smile on his face...