Life at the High

Guilty?

Charity thought it would have been hard to sit down in class after her mom got home to deal with her for going to find Janelle in a strange hotel room. She had her car and phone taken away which to her felt worse in a way. She didn't have access to her friends, social media or Toni. That made it all worse because her last text to him was very cryptic. All she was able to say was 'we are about to lay so low we will be invisible.' It sounded dramatic which she hated because even though he was only 19, she still hated being seen as a grade school kid.

She decided that she'd talk someone into getting her a ride to the library so she could send him an email from there. She had to be smart not to use the school's computer for obvious reasons. So much was at stake and she was scared. And she couldn't get in any more shit with him since they'd just gotten back on good terms. He still had no idea that she went all Nancy Drew the day before.

Sarone sat down next to her. Kids whispered because the last time they were in this class together, he was asked to leave class to speak to the police. She felt awful for suspecting him. She felt terrible for suspecting Iyana had anything to do with it or that she knew anyone that did. Although she never really got proof of her innocence.

"Sarone." Her mouth was open and kept moving around awkwardly because she couldn't figure out just what words to form. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" He was afraid she spread some of the rumors that were being spread. "That you had to go through that. I know how kids here can be."

"Yeah. It's cool. Do I look like a badass now?" He chuckled.

"Ya know. You might. I hadn't thought of it that way."

"Well, no one is throwing entire desks to knock out the competition trying to date me, so it's probably safe to say I'm just today's gossip." He began to open his books and take out paper and pen.

"Hey, you want to try and hang out for lunch? We could get away from school and just chill like old times." Charity tried to give him a sincere smile because she really needed to get to the nearest library and she refused to take public transportation, not that there was much of any in that part of Georgia.

"Really?" He drew his head back in shock. "Well, I -"

"Yes, we need to speak with Ms. Coleman." Toni was at the classroom door flanked by two policemen as he spoke to her teacher.

"Yes. Of course." Mr. History teacher replied.

"Charity Coleman." He said walking over to her, trying to be discreet although there was no point in that. "Grab your things and go to the office for a moment please."

"Uh. Um." Charity's heart got caught in her throat. She couldn't imagine what they could want with her. She was afraid of what Toni would think or worse yet if it had to do with him too.

"Now Ms. Coleman. Don't make a spectacle of this now. I'm sure you'll be fine okay."

"Yes, sir." She grabbed her things and looked over at Sarone. She wished she would have asked them what the police said or anything that would have prepared her for this moment. In the back of her mind, she knew it would have been false hope because it would have simply not measured to the things they would be able to ask her if they knew everything she'd done.

Charity walked with the officers and Toni into a private room in the back of the administration office she'd never seen before. She tried her best to regain her composure and confidence.

Once she walked in the room, she saw a tall, thin and furious woman sitting at the table. It was her mother, and she'd never been more grateful for her mom to surprise her in a tense moment than she was then. She wanted to run into her arms and scream 'mommy.'

Charity sat next to her mother who didn't say a word to her and instead put her hand on Charity's and squeezed it under the table. That reassured her that she had a handle on things and it was all going to be okay.

"So what exactly is it that you brought us all down here for?"

"Hello, ma'am. We've met before. I'm Detective Saks. To my left here is Detective Moblam."

"Recently we received a recording from the young girl who is missing from this school, Janelle Wilson. Early this morning she sent another message. I'll play it for you here."

"Fuck. I need help. I'm in this like really dark and creepy basement. They feed me, but they hurt me sometimes too. Don't trust charity. No matter what, you can't trust her. I think that bitch had something to do with this. I knew she and her mom never liked me but c'mon. And please help find me. Please."

Well. Charity thought to herself. I'm fucked.