Saved || Jesse Rutherford ||

Bad Timing

It was a mugshot of Jesse.
~~~~~~~~~~

I halted. My breathing stopped, then became rigid. I blinked hoping the face on that thin paper would morph into someone else.

"Not Jesse..No. No.", my subconscious panics.

"Report him. End all this and report him. It's the right thing to do", my conscious reasons, "Plus you'll get in bigger trouble if the cops find out somehow that you've been harnessing a criminal!"

"M'am?", the nice detective snaps me out of my trance.

I quickly looked up at him, eyes wide. I shook my head, hoping to clear it of any unwanted voices. I ran a hand through my hair.

"U-uh, nope never seen him." The detectives exchange quizzical glances. I balanced on one foot then another.

"I wish they'd stop doing that."

"B-but, he's really cute though", I said making my voice a few octaves higher and twirling my hair on my index finger. I was hoping to give off an innocent-stereotypical teenager.

Each detective raised their eyebrows. "Yes...A dangerous man capable of killing a woman is very...cute", the shorter, meaner one mimics.

"That'd be all. Stay safe M'am. And if you notice anything suspicious, please feel free to call the Police Department ", the tall detective says.

They were both about to leave when I hear a sleepy voice call, "Ava?", behind me.

I quickly turned and saw Kevin standing there, in his PJ's rubbing his eyes.

"Crap! With one word, Kevin could blow this whole thing to smithereens!"

"Oh hello there little guy", the tall detective says grinning widely.

Kevin cocks his head to the side and backs behind me.

"He's shy around people he's not familiar with", I chuckle nervously.

"Oh that's fine..I won't hurt you buddy."

Kevin peeks from behind me, quizzically at the man.

The shorter man steps in front of the taller one forcefully, and eyes Kevin.

"You didn't mention you had a brother...", he says eyeing me.

"Yes. I also have friends. Anything else personal you want to know?"

He glares at me. "Let me see that picture Ray."

"Come on, man, he's just a kid."

The man turns around. "Yes. Now, the picture."

The taller detective, Ray I assume, hands the man the picture.

"Kid, I'm going to need you to answer this. And I need you to answer it truthfully. Have you seen this man?"

I intervened before they could ask Kevin questions.

"If I don't know that man, what makes you think he will?", I said pushing Kevin behind me.

The shorter man looks up at me, his mind analyzing me in the smallest of ways.

"I do not recall asking you. I asked the kid", he spits.

Kevin looks up at me, his eyes reading me. I tried to remain impassive.

He turns back to the cop. He shakes his head and whispers, "No sir. I have never seen him."

The cop startled, repeats the question. "A-are you sure? I mean surely you must have..."

"He said no."

The cop looks between me and Kevin. "Very well. But just know, if we find out otherwise, you're in big trouble...Both you and the kid", he said menacingly.

We exchanged glares and he heads to one of the cop cars.

"Sorry about him. He means well...He just has a funny way of showing it", Ray says. He chuckles lightly.

"Yeah...A very unconventional way."

The man laughs a deep laugh and was on his way.

I closed the door slowly, making sure every cop left, and every neighbour went back inside to their house, resuming their lives.

I sank to the floor, feeling as if weights were lifted off my shoulders.

I closed my eyes and laid my head on my knees. I tried to control my breathing.

I felt Kevin sink besides me and wrap his scrawny arms around me. We sat there like that for a while.

I felt someone's presence in front of me and peeked up.

Jesse was standing there, wide eyed. We stared at each other. Waves of uncommunicated emotion flowing between us.

"Thank you", he finally said. "I-I heard what you said back there." He began awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

I stood up and walked towards him. "Anything for you", I whispered as I walk past him.