Chapter Nine:

What's With The Cops

Bex's POV

"Cammie, what's going on?" I asked as I burst into her room and placed my hands on my hips.

"I don't know." Cammie replied and sat up, dropping her thick book to lie on the bed beside her.

I shot her one of my trademark 'I don't believe you' looks before cocky a hip and crossing my arm over my chest. "Uh huh."

"I don't! Why does everyone always assume I know everything! Just because I'm the headmistress' daughter doesn't mean I get special treatment any more than the rest of you!"

I reeled back, alarmed that my usually calm and collected friend and dove off the deep end. "Whoa, sorry-" But I was cut off before I could finished my apology.

"You are sorry!" Cammie emphasized the word 'are' a little too much for my temper to take and I opened my mouth to speak. I unintentionally narrowed my eyes, betraying the fact that I was about to go on the offensive. "No! You don't get to criticize me! Not when you've been moping around for the last week over a stupid class! Not when you burst into my room! Get out!" Cammie's chest heaved and she sucked in raged breaths between each exclamation. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

I was forced into the hallway by her rough shove. I was sad to say I had been unprepared for an attack by my best friend.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed and slammed the door in my face.

I took another step back and then shuddered before steeping forward and reaching for the doorknob. I was just in time to hear the lock click shut.

Now I knew that I could pick the lock in under twenty seconds. Okay, maybe twenty-two... but I also knew that a Gallagher Girl never, and I mean never, breaks into her fellow sister's room. Not even when that sister needed for you to do that very thing the most.

Instead I shocked my head and backed into my own room, unsure of what had just happened.

Cammie's POV

As soon as I slammed the door shut and had locked it I sank to the floor and sobbed. First silently then softly into the shelter of my arms wrapped around my knees. When I realized I was making audible noise I stood on shaky legs and slipped into the bathroom where I turned the shower on and leaned against the closed door. The cool water hitting the frosted glass felt good against the hair that was plastered to my forehead.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked out loud. "I'm not one for hysterics!" I swiped the back of my hand over my eyes and then drew my knees up to form a tight little ball with my body. "I always leave that job to Bex!" I was officially hysterical. "I need my friends..." I whispered. "Or my mom..." I trailed off again. "Nope, definitely my friends." I repeated and jumped to my feet and turned the water off.

I unlocked my door and dashed across the hall and fell into Bex's arms, sobbing like I hadn't done since my dad didn't come home. It wasn't long before both Macey and Liz were helping Bex hold me. I could practically hear the question going through everyone's mind, "What's wrong with Cammie?"

The answer: I don't know...

Rachel's POV

I stared at the officers. "What? Can you repeat that?" I asked, shocked enough that I couldn't even process what the woman in front of me was saying.

"Miss," She started and I quickly corrected her.

"Mrs." I mumbled and she bit back a sigh and most likely the eye roll that would have accompanied the noise.

"Mrs. Morgan, we have reason to believe that one of your male teachers is have inappropriate relation with one of your students."

The obvious questions rose to mind: Which girl? Which teacher?

But instead I asked, "What makes you believe this?"

The female officer glanced at her male counterparts. The older of the two men cleared his throat and spoke. "We have eyewitnesses that reported a man who claimed to be a teacher kissing and um, a, err..." The color of the man's face rose and he coughed.

The younger male officer stepped in and finished. "Groping one of your students."

"Eye witness?" Joe asked skeptically, speaking for the first time since the officers entered my office.

All three officer's eyes narrowed and finally Monique Mann opened her mouth. "Several teenage girls from Roseville reported seeing and man with black hair and green eyes inappropriately touching one of the girls that they know from the Academy."

At the description of the teacher I felt Joe stiffen beside me and my heart skipped a beat. "Joe?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, Rachel?" He answered immediately.

"I know it wasn't you. But I need you to look me in the eyes and say it."

"It wasn't me, Rachel."

I stared into he green eyes that had gone flat and serious due to the conversation. I then turned back to the officers who all wore identical looks of skepticism. "Did the girls give you any more information about the description of the man?" I asked slowly.

The younger man, Nicholas Gram shrugged. "They just said he was," The man flipped open a notebook and read off the sheet. "Sexy enough to be a Calvin Klein underwear model."

"Forgive us if we think you fit the description to the T." Officer Mann added with a quick up and down of Joe's frame.

"Problem with that is that three teachers went on the trip today. One female and two male." I said slowly and sat back down in my desk chair, Joe continued to stand beside me. "And both of the men have black hair and green eyes."

"Well that is a convenient problem now isn't." Officer Cavell sneered.

Alex's POV

I knew something was wrong when I stepped out of the bathroom to find my room phone ringing. "Hello?" I asked as I picked the receiver up. I could immediately tell, from the white noise in the background that I was on speaker.

"I want you in my office in two minutes." Rachel Morgan's voice was calm and deadly.

I glanced down at my towel-clad waist. "I'm not dress. I just got out of the shower." I replied slowly.

"Then get dressed and get down here in three minutes." She allowed before slamming her receiver down.

I slowly tugged on my boxers and then low handing jeans before sliding a black polo with the Academy logo on the left lapel over my head. "Wonder what she wants." I mumbled to myself as I glanced at my wristwatch and locked my room door behind me.

Rachel Morgan's office door was shut, but that didn't deter me. I walked right in without knocking. I walked right in and came face to face with a blank faced Solomon, and murderous looking Morgan, and three cops who looked skeptical right up until I stepped inside.

"Crap, you are a sexy devil." I blinked and did a doubly take in the direction of the female officer.

"Uh, you wanted something?" I shook my head slightly and turned my attention back to Mrs. Morgan.

"Yes. These officers have some questions for you, if you wouldn't mind answering."

"Not at all." I replied and grinned at the officers. "What can I do for you?"

The officers all exchanged looks before the older man reached out and hand and introduced himself. "I'm Officer Gavin Cavell and this is my partner, Nicholas Gram."

"I'm Monique Mann." The female officer added.

All three stared at me until I finally clued in and introduced myself. "I'm Jim Saunders."

"Jim Saunders and Joe Solomon..." Officer Mann muttered as she scribbled something in a notebook. "You two wouldn't happen to be related, would you?"

"No. I don't have any living family nor have I ever had siblings." Solomon answered immediately.

I too shook my head. "No, I've got a ton of siblings, all girls, and he isn't one of them." And I jabbed my finger in Solomon's direction.

"Kinda interesting how you both look a lot alike." Officer Gram said slowly.

"I'd like the record to state that I'm offended by that comment." Solomon growled.

"Yeah, I'm way more handsome that he is." I smirked and then my expression turned serious. "What's this all about."

"There were reports made by several teenagers from Roseville claiming that there was a teacher kissing a student." Rachel Morgan said in a dull voice.

I nodded slowly, trying to figure out where this was going.

"And these officers think that you're the teacher."

I continued to nod.

"Are you going to say something?" Mrs. Morgan asked.

"What do you want me to say?" The room was silent so I continued. "I've never touched one of your girls in an inappropriate manner."

"You're a new teacher, how am I suppose to believe you?" Rachel Morgan asked.

"Would you mind if we talked to the girl?" Officer Cavell interjected before I could reply.

"Can you tell us which girl I supposedly assaulted?" I asked angrily.

Officer Gram nodded and flipped open his notebook to read off the name. "The Roseville girls only have a first name... Cammie."

At the sound of Cameron's nickname I knew I was in trouble. "You bastard!" Mrs. Morgan shrieked and flung herself in my direction.

Solomon caught her around the waist before she could reach me and I stepped back with my hands in the air to give off the impression of surrender, even though I was ready to do anything but. My body was tensed and ready for either fight or flight.

"Calm down Rachel." Solomon soothed.

"Who is Cammie?" Officer Gram asked, his young eyes wide with surprise.

"Her daughter." I replied and pointed a single finger in Rachel Morgan's direction as I kept my hands in the air.

Cammie's POV

I was red eyed but done sobbing by the time I was called to the library. I entered the room and spotted my mom seated in a chair with Mr. Solomon squeezing her shoulder and there was another woman was sitting across the table from her.

"Cammie?" The woman looked up and I nodded.

"Yes, what's going on?" I asked softly.

"Would you mind stepping out?" The woman asked Mr. Solomon, glancing at my mother for permission.

My mom nodded and Mr. Solomon squeezed her shoulders one more time before passing me on his way out the door.

"Who are you?" I asked the woman.

"Officer Monique Mann."

"What do you want? What's going on?" I repeated as I took a seat across from the woman and next to my mother.

"Cammie, it's about Mr. Saunders." My mom said and I could tell she was fighting back tears.

I glanced across the table to find the other woman staring at me as if she could read my mind if she looked hard enough.

"What about Mr. Saunders?"

"Cammie, I understand that this may be difficult but I need you to tell us the truth. Has Mr. Saunders ever touched you inappropriately?" Officer Monique Mann asked quietly.

I stared at her and then glanced over to find my mom studding me just as closely. "No..." I replied slowly. "He hasn't."

"Cammie, you need to tell the truth." My mom whispered. "You aren't in any trouble and nothing is going to happen to you if you just tell us the truth."

"Mom, Mr. Saunders hasn't touched me since the first day I met him."

My mom blinked and tried to remember back to how he'd come in contact with me because I sure wasn't going to talk about a gun range in front of a police officer.

"Are you sure?" Officer Monique Mann asked again, drawing my attention back to her.

"Yes." I replied and then asked a question of my own. "Why would you think he'd touched me?"

"There were witnesses that saw a black haired teacher touching a girl who was identified as 'Cammie' earlier today." The officer replied.

"Would these witnesses be teenagers from Roseville?"

"Yes, why?" Officer Monique Mann asked, stunned that I'd figured it out.

"Because Mr. Saunders protected me and a few of my friends from a group of boys today. I'm pretty sure the one guy was not happy about being embarrassed in front of his friends."

"Did you know about this?" The officer asked my mom.

"Yes. Mr. Saunders told me about it then all four girls confirmed it." My mom now looked stunned as well.

I glanced at the officer. "Maybe my friends and I should be more careful in Roseville from now on. The teenagers there don't like me because I dumped one of their own."

"Oh yeah," Officer Monique Mann asked me. "Which boy?"

"Josh Abrams." I replied instantly.

And unidentifiable emotion washed over the woman's face. "Ahh, you're that Cammie."

My mother frowned and I ducked my head. Apparently my name was known across the town.

"Yeah, I guess I am." I replied with more confidence than I felt.