Big Book Of Crossovers

Chapter 7

"IS IT TRUE?"

"CAT! LOOK OVER HERE!"

"COMET!"

"EM!"

"Were Barrett Wilbert Weed and Kerry Butler on the plane that went down!?"

"Is it true!"

"Are they dead!"

Lily and Ryder looked at each other, then marched over to where Em and Cat were being hounded by the press. Ryder went to Em and pulled her away while Lily guarded Cat.

"That's enough questions," Lily cut off the next reporter who asked a question.

"But -"

"That's. Enough," Ryder glared at him, "Come on, let's go," she put her arm around Em's shoulders and started to steer her away.

"Are they going to die!" A reporter yelled after them.

"Ryder -" Em started to say, but Ryder didn't let her finish. She marched up to the reporter, drew back her arm, and threw her fist forward. Skin met skin and the reporter ducked back in pain when Ryder's fist hit her eye.

Lily pushed Cat toward Evan and the other kids and Em followed slower.

"You going to stop me?" Ryder growled, punching another reporter in the face.

Lily shook her head and swung her own fist at one of the paparazzi, "Nope. I'm joining you."

"Goodie two-shoes Lily is punching reporters?" Ryder stopped, "Wow, this is new."

"They hurt my family," Lily swung her arm and it connected with a reporter's nose, "No one hurts my family."

Behind them, Evan was cradling Cat against his side with Comet. Matilda was trying, and failing, at holding herself together and Oliver and Brooklyn were trailing behind the group with their heads down.

Ryder lept on the back of a reporter who was trying to get close to Matilda, "Leave her alone!"

"RYDER!" Brooklyn screamed, "We don't ride other people!"

Ryder connected her elbow to the reporter's temple and he stumbled under the displacement of balance. Ryder jumped off his back as he started to fall and landed on her feet. Brooklyn rushed forward and grabbed her arms, Oliver did the same with Lily and dragged her off of a photographer.

"Let me go!" Lily thrashed against Oliver's grip, but he held on.

"You two won't get anything done by beating up a handful of reporters," Brooklyn hissed to the two.

"Have you heard anything about the condition of Kerry or Barrett?"

Lily and Ryder exchanged a glance, then thrust themselves forward, breaking out of Brooklyn and Oliver's grips. Lily went for the reporter while Ryder ducked under her and launched herself at some of the paparazzi.

Some of the reporters scattered when the red and blue lights of police cruisers appeared in company with their sirens. Both Ryder and Lily were dragged away from the press by a pair of cops. Lily started to struggle, but Ryder quickly stopped her.

"Don't," she instructed, "Don't say anything, don't do anything."

"But -"

"Lily. Don't."

The cops started reading out the rights as they guide Lily and Ryder over to the cruisers.

Cat started crying from Evan's arms.

"I'll be okay, Cat," Ryder called, "They're going to be okay."

"You don't know how much I've been through!" Cat shouted, "I've lost so much!"

Em's voice was quiet, "We all have."

"I HAD TO DEAL WITH A CAR CRASH! I lost my ex-boyfriend... my best friend..."

"Kerry almost died!" Em shouted.

"Evan," Cat huddled further into her brother's arms, "I need a hug... don't let go."

Ryder growled, "It might have escaped your attention, Cat, but I was in a car crash! It wasn't just something that happened to my family, I was in the car! I watched my parents die!"

"I want Jess..." Cat ignored her, "She's my one hope..."

Lily squared her shoulders against the cop putting her in the cruiser, "Ryder, let it go. We're all unstable right now."

Ryder vaguely addressed Lily, then focused her eyes on Brooklyn, "Brooke?"

Brooklyn nodded, "I'll watch them, Bright-eyes. It's okay."

Lily and Ryder were put into the back of the police cruiser beside each other.

"How are you so calm?" whispered Lily.

Ryder sighed and leaned back against the seat, "Every cruiser is the same. They're taking us to the precinct, then we'll most likely go to their nearest juvenile detention center, or we'll get held at the station until Laura or Andrew come to claim us. It could go either way."

"Juvenile detention center?" Lily flinched, "Like, juvie?"

Ryder grinned, "You know it."

"I've never been to juvie!"

At the precinct, Ryder and Lily were booked, then transferred over to a juvenile detention center.

"Just stick with me and you'll be fine," Ryder whispered to her.

"Ryder -"

"Trust me."

Lily was hesitant but followed Ryder out to the yard.

"There are cliques," explained Ryder, "Just like school. Over there," she nodded, "is where all of the newbies hang out, there's the group that is in for aggravated assault - stay away from them - there's B-and-E -"

"What's 'B-and-E'?" Lily interrupted.

"Breaking-and-entering, I was once in that group. Anyway, oh, over there is the loiterers and vandals, they're usually pretty harmless. Thieves - ah, there's the group I'm looking for."

Lily trailed after Ryder as the two walked up to the group in the very center of the yard. A large, muscled boy who was no older than Ryder or Lily stood up.

"Hey, rookies, go hang out at the bottom. This is for seasoned criminals only," he growled.

"We may be new, but we aren't rookies."

Lily leaned forward and whispered, "I'm a rookie!" In Ryder's ear, who hissed, "Shh!" in response.

"Prove it!" One of the girls at the table demanded.

"Ryder...." Lily shifted apprehensively.

The other girl didn't reply, only reached to the hem of her shirt and pulled up, revealing the scars that spotted her stomach, "You gonna let us sit down, or do we have to fight our way in?" Almost instantly, two seats were vacated at the table. As they sat down, Ryder whispered, "See? We're gonna be fine," to Lily.