Gableen: The Back Row

(35)

*One Week Later*
Gabbie's POV:
I'm worried sick about Colleen, she's not eating, sleeping and is constantly bursting out in tears over Rachel. We had to open up to her family and friends to tell them the truth, everyone felt so shocked and surprised what Rachel could do something like that, Matt even broke up with her, I don't blame him.

We found out she'd been transported to a local women's prison, and would be sentenced 6 months there for sexual harassment. Recently the police rang us and told me they needed to speak to me, I'm assuming to prove that Rachel's telling the truth.

I began packing a couple things and headed out the door and started the car "What are you doing?" I ask Colleen, who's walking out of the house to join me "I want to come" she quietly replies, I simply nod and begin driving to the station.
As we arrive the warm silent wind hits us with our first greeting, I gulp hard and firmly grab Colleen's hand before beginning to walk into the building. We walk up to the same desk as before to be met with some other lazy staff snacking on some donuts "I'm Gabbie Hanna" I shyly admit as one officer raises an eye brow looking me up and down, Colleen wraps her arms around me for comfort "I'm suppose to be here for a meeting about Rachel Ballinger" his face scrambles through several papers "Oh.." he quietly voices realising why I'm here "Please take a seat". He points us over to a couple of chairs, we sit down silently and wait unknowingly of what's going to happen. "Gabbie Hanna" A guard steps into the hallway and I jump up with Colleen "Only Gabbie please" the guard yells, pushing Colleen back into her seat. My eyes widen staring at Colleen, I can't do this alone. The guard taps his foot beginning to become impatient with me, so I pull myself into the room, taking one last glance at Colleen.
Entering the room I'm immediately met with several officers at the door, and interviewer, and... Rachel?
My mind screams at me to run out the room back to Colleen but I have no choice, I weakly smile at the officers and pull myself onto the seat in front of a desk, opposite the interviewer and a hand cuffed Rachel "So Gabbie, do you mind telling us how you initially met Rachel?" My mind flew back to the memories I previously tried erasing from my head "She walked up to me at a bar and starting talking to me" I said quietly, keeping my eyes on the ground and as far away from Rachel as possible "Where you alone?". The diminishing tone of the woman's voice made me feel uncomfortable as I fidget on the stop, trying to stay calm knowing I was being recorded and several officers watched carefully over my shoulders "yes, I was". She continued intensifying the area with pressuring questions about that day, my life and other interactions with Rachel, as I maintained looking at anything but Rachel's direction "So, what happened that night Gabbie?" My whole body filled with numbness at the thought of answering such question, my heart thumped hard out of my chest as my breathing became uncontrollable. My eyes darted around the room trying to find something to fixate on, and I catch a glimpse of Rachel. Her masculine figure hung over the chair as she kept her eyes to the ground, this must be hard for her too, I was starting to almost feel sorry for her guilt. That's when I realised I still hadn't answered the question, both the interviewer and Rachel flashed their eyes into mine, digging me out for answers. All I could do was begin to tear up, I tried opening my mouth to speak yet my lips sealed shut at the thought of the pain I went through. Rachel sulked her head back to the floor, shamelessly not keeping eye contact as I reveal the truth "She took me back to her apartment as I slipped in an out of consciousness from the drugs she slipped into my drink" I say quietly as tears stream down my face "I remember her try to kiss me, she'd tug me harshly, pulling and pushing me against anything and everything she could" In the corner of my blurry eyes I see Rachel wipe a few tears which fall from her red eyes "I remember screaming for her to stop.. she carried on touching me in any way she pleased" The woman took her notes and places her pen down "Thank you Gabbie, you don't need to tell us any more" I sigh with relief back into my chair, still shaking with fear of that dreadful, terrifying night before scrambling off the chair and back into the reception. I sprint over to Colleen who instantly noticed my puffy face and pulls me into a hug "It's all over now babe, you don't have to ever think about it again" she whispers into my ear as I bury myself into her. I will never be able to forget what happened.

Colleen's POV:
I sat in anticipation for Gabbie for around an hour before she reappeared from the room. Instantly I gathered she had been crying from her bright red cheeks and puffy eyes, she practically ran over to me and I pulled her into a huge hug as she continued to try into my shirt "it's all over now babe, you don't have to think about it ever again" I knew that wasn't true, she wouldn't be able to forget about it easily, but it seemed to calm her as she began breathing steadily again "Let's get out of here" I say to her pulling her hand out the building and into the car. We sat there for a while, not wanting to drive "She was in there Colleen" she sighs shamefully, my eyes widen at the though of her having to explain what happened whilst Rachel was in the room "How could they do that to you?!" I sat in anger, beginning to raise my voice "I think they wanted her to understand how I felt" she croaks burying her head into her hands "When will be we able to see her together?" I ask, wanting to finally be able to talk to her "I didn't ask, but I think I saw a poster in the room saying visits are on Wednesdays and Thursdays" today was Tuesday "Did you want to see her tomorrow Colleen?" She asks holding my hand. I gather she's probably sick of seeing Rachel lately, but I'm desperate to see her, ask her why "I'll go, but you don't hav-" I get cut off by her voice "I'll be there".

The next day we make our way to the prison for the first time, the whole journey there we barely spoke, both too nervous to make conversation but comforted by each other's presence. Gabbie steadily drove, taking her mind off things by controlling the wheel, as I was left to peer out the window into my own thoughts. As we pulled into the dusty plains of a car park we both took a deep breath "This is going to be hard ok?" She says beaming her eyes into mine, I sigh and nod back "I'm here for you Colleen" her soft voice made me smile "I'm here for you too Gabs".

We enter the main building and are joined by several other families and friends of prisoners I assume. Following the crowd we are met by an officer "Who are you here to see today?" She says looking up from her list of names "R.. Rachel Ballinger?" I say quietly back. She looks us both up and down and proceeds checking her lists of names, for a second I start to think we are in the wrong place "She's not expecting visitors" the women moans back, I glare at her hoping she gets the message "Take a seat in there, she will be down in a second" she mutters pointing into the room everyone else is in. I walk in first closely followed by Gabbie to a room separates in half, our side for the relatives separated by a sheet of glass, which behind held the prisoners, each taking a seat opposite their families. We find an empty couple of seats and sit ourselves down, I can already feel the tension so grab onto Gabbie to calm us both. Soon enough I spot an athletic figure appear entering the other side of the room "There she is" Gabbie mutters subconsciously under her breath, tensing every muscle in her body, I try to sooth her brushing my fingers against her back yet my hands are too shaky to be gentle. I watch her focus in on her surroundings trying to spot us in the row, her head slowly moves and locks onto me first, and then Gabbie. At first thought she seems shocked to see us, but soon turns red knowing she'd have to talk to us, so slowly she began approaching us, trying to kill as much time as possible. She was wearing an orange uniform with an ID badge pinned onto her with her mugshot and name, her skin seems grey and dry. Eventually she stood above her seat and weakly smiled at us, her beady eyes felt like they were piercing mine, making me flinch closer to Gabbie. She took a seat, and looked to the floor with a sigh "Why are you guys here?" She moaned quietly, it was hard to here her due to the glass and loud ruckus around us. I was already beginning to tear up, how did we get here? "I think the real question is why are you here Rachel?" I press into her with a stern voice, trying to harshen my tone. She purses her lips together, trying admit the truth "I couldn't live with the guilt of what I did any longer" she admits quietly, I feel Gabbie shiver "Why did you do it Rachel?" I say basically yelling at her, trying to sit back into my chair as I realised guards watch over us carefully "I felt alone" the words coming out of her lips made me fall onto my chair "I wanted someone to feel how I felt, powerless, isolat-" "Why didn't you tell me?" I throw at her, feeding on anger she absorbed me with "You were always too busy for me Colleen" "You don't understand how hard it is to talk, when your whole family, your whole life lives on camera for the whole world to see" "You were on tour around the world, and when you weren't you were filming videos with friends or vlogging, I never had a chance" I choked on her words. Suddenly I was alone as I felt Gabbie quickly leave "Promise me one thing Colleen" she says leaning in as tears form in her eyes "Promise to love that girl more than I ever had the chance to, I'll never have the chance to make it up to her because what I did is so.. so fucked up" her serious tone held her stern as she managed to keep things together, "I promise Rachel" I cried.