Start Again | Choni

you can't keep me here

Veronica's POV

"Come on, pick up." I cursed at my phone as I called Archie. It went to voicemail three times. Crap, just when I need a good lawyer, too. "Miss Lodge, please sit." FP said as he entered with a recorder and a file. I crossed my arms and chose to stand opposite him. "What am I doing here?" I asked bluntly. "I'm investigating the assault of Cheryl Blossom three nights ago. Please." He gestured to the seat and I sighed but sat opposite. "Don't bother, Sheriff, Cheryl makes things up. That's what she does." "Really? Perhaps you'd like to take a listen to this." He pressed play on the recorder and I heard Cheryl talk, and then myself. What was going on?

"You mean what have you done?"

"I-I didn't do anything. What are you talking about, Cheryl? If this is some crazy thing you've made up just to get attention, then it won't work. It may have with Toni, but it won't last. We all know you'll mess it up, it's just a question of how long?"

"So inviting Nick to your party wasn't your idea, then?"

"I- Cheryl, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for him to... I just wanted to cause a little chaos. I didn't think he'd actually hurt you."

"You don't have to pretend with me, Veronica, I couldn't care less. Why me though? That's all I want to know."

"Because, Cheryl, I hate you. I hate you, your family, everything to do with you. Blossom this, Blossom that, your family is poison, and you deserved what you got. I never wanted to be a part of your twisted family, but then Mom tells you that you're her niece? How do you think that makes me feel, Cheryl? She's a Blossom, it's a part of me, too. Of course I wanted to spice things up, to make you uncomfortable, to make you miserable. Because that's what you do to everyone else. You don't belong here, face it. Just go run back to that messed up orphanage and don't come back. Or do us a favour and join your parents."

The recording ended and I felt tears well up in my eyes. Shit... how did he get all that? "Care to explain?" He asked me. I was lost for words. "I-I... I want a lawyer." I said, caving in. I knew how bad it looked, I mean I basically confessed to setting her up, there was no point making it worse. "And my mom, I need my mom." I added as he stood up to leave. He didn't respond but just shut the door, leaving me in the bare interrogation room. God it's all her fault, why couldn't she just be like the rest of them. It never came to this back in New York, people understood what respect was, and how to treat businessmen and look after high-profile families. But here? God this town is an absolute joke. The sooner Daddy gets back, the better.

I must have fallen asleep, and when I woke up, it was pitch black and I was freezing cold. I ran to the door and tried to open it, but the door was locked from the outside. Checking the time, it was three in the morning. Great, I was stuck in the interrogation room for the night. I had no reply from Archie, even though I texted him about ten times. I desperately needed to get out of here soon. And I needed to get even with Blossom once and for all. This was all her fault. My mom wasn't answering her phone either, maybe she just had a busy day. Bored out of my mind, I lay on top of the table, staring at the ceiling. Cheryl was probably in bed in my apartment, with my mom, and here I was, confined to the police station until someone came to open the door.

Wait, that meant that Nick was also here, in one of the rooms. Maybe I could talk to him, figure out a way out of here and back to New York. Daddy gets out of jail in a few weeks, so it's only a matter of time before we'll be back in the luxury of our penthouse suite, with our fancy car and country club membership.... with an unlimited supply of cocktails and Daddy's exciting poker matches and the amazing food...

"Alright, sleep's over, Lodge." I woke to someone tapping the table and stood up in shock. "What time is it?" I asked, yawning and stretching. "Half nine, come on, I haven't got all day." The deputy said, holding the door open for me. I stepped out slowly, unsure of where I was going. "Keep walking." He said, pushing me towards the back of the station. "Wait, what's going on?" I was confused. "You're under arrest for intimidation, harassment, and conspiracy to commit a sexual assault." "No... no get off me." I shouted as he grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?"

He didn't respond but led me to a holding cell and opened the door. He gave me a shove so I stepped inside and he slammed the door shut. I turned around and banged on the bars to get him to open the door. "You can't keep me here. I haven't done anything!" I yelled but he ignored me and carried on walking out. "Do you even know who I am? My father will come and get me out." It was no use, no one was listening. I soon ran out of voice and energy and sank onto the floor of the cell, crying hard. Why did this have to happen? I had to talk to Mom, and a lawyer, and Nick. I needed Nick.

As if on cue, I heard a cough from the cell opposite and saw Nick St Clair sitting cross-legged on his bed, watching me. He still had that smug smile in his face. "What?" I snapped. "Do you want to get out of here or not?" He asked. "Because I have a plan."