Shattered But Not Broken

Chapter 11

Thank you for over 175 reads. I have been trying to write a lot, especially in class during school (woops) but I hope you are enjoying this book as much as I am writing it. The last few chapters haven't been my best in my opinion but hopefully these next few chapters don't disappoint. I want to add some funny scenes but I don't know what yet? If you have any ideas, tell me. Thanks again and don't forget to vote for this chapter if you enjoy it and comment because I love reading comments so I can make the story even better.
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The next day, I turned on the television and I froze when I saw where the news broadcaster was and what she was talking about.

"Richie!" I yelled. "You should probably come down here."

He ran down the stairs and sat next to me on the couch.

"What's going on?" he asked concerned.

"Look," I said pointing to the square television.

"This morning a group of kids were walking down by the lake here," the broadcaster started, pointing to the lake and then readjusting herself back to the center of the camera. "And they stumbled across a black patterned pocket knife." The camera showed a quick view of the pocket knife. "The knife had dried up blood on it, and when the kids moved more down the lake, they saw a small trail of blood leading to the end of the park. Right now, investigators are going to work on the details but right now, all that we know is that there is a name engraved on the knife, the name is Richie. If any of you watching this have any further details, please contact us at 431-8459. Thank you. Back to you, Carla."

"So one of today's top-"

I turned off the television.

"Shit," Richie exclaimed. "They just had to say my name. They didn't have to do that you know," he said raising his voice. "There is no other person in this town named Richie for all I know and now people are going to know that I did something!"

"You don't know that," I said calmly. "People may not point their fingers at you because think about it... what kind of person your age carries a pocket knife with them?"

"Me," he said sternly looking into my eyes. "I carry a pocket knife with me to places.

"Yeah but-"

There was a knock on the door.

I got up and walked to the door as Richie followed me.

I opened the door and saw Ham, Jeremy, and Alice standing there.

"Hi, we all saw the news," Ham said while they all walked into the house.

Richie sighed and ran his hand through his hair nervously. "You did? How do you know it was me who did something?"

Alice looked dead in Richie's eyes. "Because who else just carries a pocket knife with them?"

"And it had your name on it," Jeremy added in.

Richie looked embarrassed. "You guys are all acting like it is weird to have a pocket knife wherever you go."

"Because it kinda is," I said looking at him.

"Hey... it's for self-defense okay. It came in handy the other night."

"But it also got you in trouble the other night," Alice budged in.

"Yeah... what exactly happened the other night?" Jeremy said, walking over to the couch and letting himself sit down.

Everyone joined him while I shut the door. I walked back over to Richie and sat on one of the arms of the chair next to him.

It took Richie a moment to speak and I wondered if I should be the one to tell the story but then I heard his voice come in. "Well," he started. "Me and Jessica were at the lake and-"

"Oooooh," Jeremy said giggling. "You two were at the lake together."

"Shut up!" Richie snapped at him embarrassed. "Anyways... a man came up to Jessica and was telling her that he was going to drug her. I gave her my pocket knife to cut the man if he came too close to her. I got up to fight the man but he was too strong and knocked me down so I hurt my leg." He looked around the room. "Well, the man got too close to Jessica and when he stabbed the syringe in her arm, she cut his lower stomach. When I saw what he did to her, I got back up from the ground and tackled the man. I started stabbing him," he sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking, but the man ended up running away."

Ham smiled. "I'm kinda proud of you Richie. I didn't know you had it in you to fight a person like that."

Alice looked at him confused. "Why would you be proud of him if he could go to jail for this. You're crazy."

I looked at Richie and then looked back. "Well, what else was he suppose to do?"

"I don't know," Alice said sighing.

There was a moment of complete silence while people were thinking about what to say.

"Do you know what kind of drug he drugged you with Jessica?" Ham asked me.

"I'm not sure but I think Richie is trying to figure it out."

"Yeah," Richie agreed. "I have the syringe upstairs."

"Wait," Jeremy exclaimed. "You have a syringe upstairs?! Does your mom know?"

"No," Richie answered. "I don't want her to know because she would get worried."

"Good morning," Cheryl said, walking down the stairs. When she saw everyone, she said hello to them.

"Hey Cheryl," they all replied.

When Cheryl went into the kitchen to get some breakfast, Jeremy said, "I really think you should tell your mom, she might be able to help."

"Tell mom what?" Cheryl said from the kitchen, overhearing our conversation.

I saw Richie roll his eyes. "Nothing Cheryl," he yelled back to her, annoyed.

"If it was nothing then why are you talking about it?" Cheryl shot back at him.

All of us laughed except for Richie.

Cheryl was a smart mouth, but sometimes it would be funny.

"It's none of your business. Just go back upstairs and play with your dolls," Richie yelled at Cheryl.

"You can't make me, you sneak," she replied in her childish voice as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Richie gets pretty pissed when Cheryl is like that to him, which is almost every day.

"That's is, I'm done," Richie said angrily. "I'm gonna kick your-"

I put one hand on his arms quickly before he could get up. "It's okay. Let her be. You can do that later."

He inhaled and exhaled while he calmed himself down. He sat back down on the chair as Cheryl went running up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut.

We all finished our conversation when the doorbell rang.

I got up from the chair and walked to the door.

When I opened the door, standing there were two police officers. They had a straight and serious look in their eyes and I knew it couldn't be good.

One of the officers spoke up. "Is there a Richard Adler here? We would like to ask him a few questions."