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Wide Awake
CLARE
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
It was nearly two in the afternoon, and no one was supposed to be home until five besides Jake. But this knock on my door was not Jake's, because I've memorized the sound of his silent knocks by now.
"Honey, Clare, I know you stayed home with a stomach bug but something happened to Jake and Eli. Glen and I were called at work, we have to go pick them up at the station, do you want to come to find out?"
The offer was tempting, oh so very tempting.
But alas, I was part of this room now, I could not go anywhere.
"I-I'm sick mom. I hope everything is okay. I'm staying here."
Whatever happened was none of my business, and I had no right in making my way downtown to the two people I've let down the past few days. Jake was more or less angry at my stuborness and Eli, I could never face again with the amount of heartache I was sending his way knowingly.
"Okay honey, keep your phone on for emergencies. Hopefully we'll be home soon."
My lips tugged up into a devious smile, staring at my broken phone, shattered in pieces. If an emergency did occur, I would be the last one to know, to understand, to contain mentally, because I had no contact with the real world anymore...
I wasn't part of the real world anymore.
THIRD POV
"What was going on in both of your minds, huh?"
"Do you think this kind of physical outlash is acceptable?"
"Jacob Martin you better start speaking up and taking consequences for your actions!"
"Elijah Goldsworthy, young man their is no excuse for the way you acted this afternoon! Absolutely none!"
Elijah and Jake sat side by side, handcuffed at the station, smiling down at the floor.
Eli listened to Bullfrog, who was waving his hands in the air to the left, and sometimes to the right in order to get his point across. Cece had tears coating her cheeks, while she heard her husband scold her child.
Jake rolled his eyes at Helen who tried to intimidate him by using his full name to scream. Screaming wouldn't help at this point, what was done was done, it happened and he had not one regret.
"Maybe they'll talk to the police officers?" Jake and Eli both looked up innocently at their parents, who were dissapointed in their children. They all had no idea why they both had decided to assault and physically act out on a manager in a crappy diner downtown.
They were oblivious.
The two teenagers hearts were racing as they entered the questioning room inside the station. People would assume they were nervous, but no, they were proud. They wore their smiles happily, feeling content with what they did.
"Jacob Martin...Elijah Goldsworthy, you know why you're here, we just want to know why you assaulted the boss of the Unspun diner, Asher Richardson?"
Eli craned his neck to look at Jake, and they both nodded, turning back their attention to the police officer, "For Clare."
CLARE
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
I stared at the clock hanging on my wall, wondering where my parents and Jake were. It's been six hours since they've left to go get Jake at the station.
What worried me was why both Jake and Eli were there, and not just Jake or Eli alone.
"Oh no!" I gasped, watching the photo album I had pulled out of my trunk beneath my bed had flopped onto the floor, pictures scattering all over the place.
My hands moved frantically over the photographs, tears dripping onto the carpet as I threw them onto my bed. I picked the photo album up, and sat back down on the bed. I wiped my tears, before looking down at the floor, which had a tiny white piece of paper resting on top of it.
"What is this?" I whispered to myself, slowly retrieving it.
"Just because I'm in Kenya doesn't mean I'm not your sister anymore Clare. If you ever need me, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Call the number I wrote on the front of this album. Do not hesistate Clarebear, I'm always here to listen. No matter how many miles apart we are, we're still sisters, forever.
I love you Clare.
-Darcy"
Without thinking clearly, I flipped to the front of the album, and there it was, lying right in front of me this whole time-Darcy's phone number in Kenya. We haven't talked in what feels like years.
How do you call a person you haven't heard from in years and want to tell them something so serious? How do you go along with it without chickening out?
My door was slightly cracked open, and I could see Jake's home phone resting on the receiver. This was my chance, if I wanted to ever get better, to save myself, this was my opportunity.
So then why did I walk up to my door and close it?
THIRD POV
"Mr. Richardson was taken to the hospital upon your assault, are you aware of that?" Jake and Eli both nodded at Officer Turner, "He was confirmed to have three teeth missing, a broken nose, six bruised ribs and a broken ankle. Now, do you two take full responsibility of that?"
Eli smirked, "I broke his ankle."
"And I broke his nose," Jake continued, as they both pounded fists.
"Do you two not understand that this is a serious offense and you two could go to jail for this?" he rested his fists on the table, and Eli shrugged his shoulders, "It's worth it, we did it for a good cause."
"And what cause would that be, Mr. Goldsworthy?"
Jake smiled, "If I may speak for the both of us, we did it for the person we both care about-in different ways."
"You claimed earlier in this questioning that Clare Edwards might have been possibly touched inappropriately by Mr. Richardson, correct?" Jake shook his head, "We both know Clare, she's a good person, and never isolated herself. Ever since she came back from this internship she has been hiding in her room. We have enough proof to say that the man in the hospital deserved what he got."
"I'm sorry you two, but as I look at this case, you will both be doing an endless amount of community service, with a possibility of going to juvenile jail, and house arrest until further notice. We must also get Asher's side of the story as well. Until he wakes up, we can't do anything about it. I release you for now, but tomorrow, I would like both of you here, bright and early. You got that?"
Eli and Jake nodded, standing up, holding their handcuffed hands up.
"Officer Turner, before we go, what would happen if we convinced Clare to...to confess her story?" Eli asked, and he responded with, "You're going to need a lot more than just Clare's story. And if you can do that, then you guys can most likely get off scott free, with community service hours."
Jake grinned at Eli, "Tomorrow morning Mr. Turner, be prepared for a mob. Justice will be served."
CLARE
"H-Hi D-Darcy...it's me Clare...your sister...your um, your younger sister Clare. You told me I could always call you if I needed you. I-I need you Darc, please...please call me back. I need to tell you something impo-."
"We're sorry, your voicemail was too long. Please hang up and call again."
I have called, twelve times, and each time I try to tell her the real reason I'm calling, I get cut off.
Maybe it's a sign-a sign to give up, to bring back Jake's phone to his room and never think about calling her again.
That was a possibility, until the house phone lit up, with the location of the number staring back at me,
Kenya, Africa
JAKE
"Thanks dad, for letting Eli sleepover. Eli lives an hour away from the station, so this is better," Eli shook Glen's hand, "It really means a lot to me, thank you."
"Both of you, upstairs, now."
The adults were being more serious, more cruel ever since they were called around two in the afternoon to come down to the station. It was nearing one in the morning, and Eli's parents were downstairs conversing with my parents.
When I walked into my room, I noticed Eli's presense wasn't behind me.
I peaked my head out of my room, watching as Eli slid down in front of Clare's bedroom door, his fingers gliding helplessly against the wood. I made my way to him, holding out my hand, "Come on man, don't do this to yourself. Trust me, she'll come out, sooner or later."
Eli slowly took my hand, and I pulled him up off the floor, "I hope you're right Jake...I don't know how long I can do this."
"Time heals everything."
CLARE
"I've done a bad thing Darcy," I couldn't believe I was saying this, talking to my older sister, and listening to every word she was saying. Her tone when she answered was happy, like she was floating on a cloud.
"Just tell me Clare, I won't be mad," I held back the tears in my eyes, fighting them to stay invisible.
I picked at my raw skin, whispering, "I sinned."
"What do you mean, Clare?"
"When you um-Darc when you...after that party, that night, did you-was that a sin?" she drawed out a long breath, a silent period of two minutes passing, before she answered, "That wasn't my fault Clare, I did not sin because of an action made by a heartless, cruel animal."
"S-So, what y-you're saying is, if I let a-a man touch me...when I didn't want it, it's not a sin?"
"Clare...I wish I was there to talk to you face to face, but this is the best advice I can give you. If a man touched you, or even a woman, in a way you were uncomfortable with, it is not your fault. I blamed myself for years, and I even moved away in the process, hoping I would forget. I had to isolate myself to forget Clare," I could hear her choking back a sob, "If anything happened to you, tell someone. Tell someone who you know won't judge you, and you know you can trust."
"What if you've hurt the person?" I asked, referring to Eli, who was most likely sinking into a depression-all because of me.
"If it's the person you trust, then they will forgive. People you love will forgive you for hurting them. That's the power of love, forgiveness," I looked down at my red arms, feeling ashamed of what I've done, but feeling hopeful that maybe, just maybe, my actions could be forgiven.
"I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't found your number Darcy...I really-I don't know what to say," I could feel her smile through the phone, "Don't say anymore to me Clare, talk to a person who can physically be by your side for you. I love you, and you can call me, skype, any time-you know that."
"I know that now...I love you Darcy, I wish you were here."
"Me too Clare, me too."
After talking about Kenya, I slowly brought the phone down from the side of my face. I looked up at the clock, seeing it was almost four in the morning. A few hours ago I could've sworn I heard Eli's voice, but ignored it, thinking it was all in my head.
Since Jake was most likely asleep, I decided I'd bring the phone back into his room. Being that he's a heavy sleeper, I thought it'd be a good idea.
As I tip toed into Jake's room, I heard his loud, obnoxious snoring.
Upon placing the phone back in it's rightful place soundlessly, I made my way towards the door. What I saw next, nearly made me shoot ten feet up into the air.
It was Eli, sitting in the corner of the room, gripping onto my purity ring around his neck, tears in his eyes...staring back at me.
END OF CHAPTER 3
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