Care for me (L. S.)

14

Monday the 21st of September | Liam

"Did you attend the party at Gruttenbergs Drive on Friday?"

He considered lying for a split second, but what were the risks? 

"I did, yes."

The policeman wrote something down on his clipboard. "Was there any use of alcohol or other substances at this event?"

"Yes well... quite a lot of that. Last time I checked it was still legal for us to drink at sixteen." He smiled sweetly at the man, while mentally taking a step back. The panic attack on Friday had long gone, but ever since then, he'd had a feeling like some of it had been settled back into his bones. Like the attack had never actually left his body, but rather hidden away somewhere only to jump out again at any given moment. Unsurprisingly enough: waiting  for such an unwelcome surprise gave him even more anxiety.

"Were you aware that there'd been a fight during the festivities?" What was this? A hearing? He was very close to asking for a lawyer.

"Yes." He swallowed, the heat of the people crammed close together in the hallway and the memories of what happened curling closer and closer around him, like they were about to envelop him.

The man penned some more stuff down with the emotion of a house plant. "Were you a witness of this fight?"

Shit. "Yes." When did the air get so thick? The smile on his face didn't falter, even though felt like he couldn't breathe properly.

"Alright. Did you partake in this fight?"

Liam was slowly running out of patience. What the hell was even happening? An investigation around a hundred and eighty other people? Who did this man think he was to ask for his cooperation to 'draw a general report' (whatever that means). He'd nothing to do with this. Plus he felt somewhat drowsy, like he would fall down any minute. Woops. Maybe he should sit down. He could practically hear his doctor advise him to do breathing exercises.                          "No," he answered truthfully, putting a hand to his sweaty forehead. He probably looked suspicious as fuck: nervous, sweaty and giving short answers. "Sorry, could I just go get some air? I'm feeling a bit hot." 

"We're nearly done here," was the answer the policeman gave him. Great! Liam wondered what would happen if he would just run off without explanation. Would they chase after him? 

"No adults were around, is that correct?" 

His feet were tingling, like they were asleep. He shook his left foot slightly, wishing for it to pass. "Correct."

The man wrote more stuff down on his clipboard, mumbling: "No other adults present."

Other? What did he mean 'other'? 

"Do you know who Louis Tomlinson is?"

"I do." 

"Would you say he is a violent person?"

"Um." He tried in vain to blink his headache away. "No, he's... I don't know. I don't really know him." 

"Right." The man still showed no sign of emotion, putting his pen away and nodding in Liam's general direction. "That was most useful, thank you."

He took a breath, almost grinning to himself as he thought about the officer 'drawing a general report' consisting only of all the yes/ no answers he'd given. He actually felt pretty bad for the police corps: nothing exciting ever happened in a town like this. The only thing they had to do was chase after the pet snake of the lady who lived next to the hairdresser. His name was Benny and he loved to go on adventures in the shopping street. He couldn't imagine the policemen to be particularly fond of chasing down reptiles and interviewing uninterested teenagers about a fight that half of them didn't even recall.