"Miss Hebert, what were you doing between 11:20 and 11:40 AM?" asks the policeman behind the desk. Taylor shifts in the hard chair, wondering if it's so uncomfortable on some sort of principle or if the police is really just that underfunded.
"Uh, I was fixing up my homework for algebra." She was in the middle of redoing it altogether, more like. The one she brought to school managed to mysteriously disappear, again. The novel thing about it being that for the first time, well, ever, she managed to recover it. Or, to be precise, somebody else found it for her after she was already done. But that's irrelevant, and besides, mentioning Ayano would probably mean more questions for her and that's no way to repay her kindness.
"Homework," the guy mutters while scribbling something down in his notes. She wonders what the point is; the recorder has been on since she came in anyway. "And can somebody testify that you were indeed doing as you say?" the man asks, his eyes narrowing.
"Well-" Taylor begins uncertainly. "I mean there were a couple of people that- might have seen me..." she trails off, racking her brain for anyone that might have indeed seen her. It's proving to be quite a challenge, seeing how she put so much effort into remaining out of sight and how, for once, it seems to have worked. Because of course it would when she'd need it not to. The girl realizes that the officer across from her is giving her a flat stare.
"Can you give me their names?"
"...not really. I don't know too many people in the school." What is she supposed to say? That she spent her break in a toilet stand? Yeah so much more inconspicuous. Anyway, what she said should be a good enough answer, if they actually ask around they will surely confirm her words to be true.
"How well did you know Alice?" She fights to keep the grimace off her face at the question, because she did know Alice - after a fashion. It's hard not to remember her bullies even if it is only by face.
"Not well, we never really talked." Which again, is true enough. It was always the other girl who kept hurling insults at her while Taylor remained silent.
"Do you know anyone who might have been in conflict with her?" His gaze is piercing, in the way that makes her think the man already knows the answer without her ever even thinking about it.
"No I don't." She sure as hell is not going to give the one name she knows fits the criteria, it's her own, after all, and she's quite sure she has nothing to do with the murder. A few seconds pass before the officer speaks up again.
"I believe that will be all then," he says while capping his pen. "We might call you if we'll need more help. Good evening to you, Miss Hebert." Ugh, finally. They've been at it for at least twenty minutes and for the most part, all that Taylor could manage had been a simple I don't know.
Without another word, the girl hurries out of the uncomfortably barren room. She doesn't turn back to see whether the stare she can feel burning into her back is real or imagined. She lets out a tired breath once she closes the door behind her.
She blinks.
There is still one person sitting in one of the chairs outside.
"Ayano? They still haven't called you?" The other girl shoots upwards from her seat and sends her a sheepish smile before answering.
"No no. I've had my hearing hours before yours." ...what? But she's been here since before Taylor ever came in.
"Did something happen? They're keeping you here?" Did she see something? Oh God, is the murderer after her too? They've barely got to know each other a bit and already Taylor can't imagine a worse injustice than something terrible happening to the kind, sweet girl in front of her. And seeing as the world has it out for the innocent...
"No I- I just thought I'd keep you company." The admission stops Taylor's thoughts in track, encouraging the blood flow in her cheeks instead. "You know, till your dad comes for you?" Ayano finishes while rubbing her arms.
"Ah-" for a moment, the taller teen finds herself having trouble with finding the right words to answer. It's... not new, not exactly, she used to have friends once upon a time but- yeah. She fell a bit out of practice a bit over the last year. "I-I mean sure, thanks. That's... thank you."
The girl's already beaming smile becomes something Taylor is not entirely sure she should be capable of pulling off. She also notices, with a dose of nervousness, that it's drawing a bit too much attention from the passers-by for said attention to be anything good. She would know, she has had ample time to learn such things in Winslow.
"Are you hungry?" her fellow student suddenly asks. "You haven't eaten today," Well, no, she hasn't. She had planned to but her lunch went missing along with her homework and the girl in front of her did not return it together with- wait. "Uh, I mean I haven't. It's been a hectic day hasn't it?" Ayano quickly adds, her cheeks a bit darker than is usual for her.
"That's putting it lightly." Taylor murmurs, her thoughts again turning to the murder. "And I guess I am. I haven't eaten this whole day either."
"Good." The older teen's brain performs a full stop to focus its power on what could Ayano have meant by that. "I-I mean, it's not good that you're hungry. It's good that I bought something. In the meanwhile." A beat passes between them. "W-while you were there." She finally stammers out, pointing at the door behind which Taylor has been questioned. They both stay silent for a moment before the shorter student silently turns back to fish out a sandwich in a plastic bag, and extend it towards Taylor, her eyes jumping to and fro between the taller girl and everything else in the hallway.
"Um... thanks but- aren't you hungry too?" A peculiar, almost dreamy expression crosses Ayano's features.
"Not at all," she answers even as her stomach lets out a discontent rumble, her smile only growing wider when the lanky teen glances down at it. "Really, I'm not." She shoves the bag into Taylor's hands and the girl has no choice but to accept it. She looks at the bag, remembering how the other student all but begged her to exchange their half eaten food during a lunch break two days ago. She shakes her head and rips the sandwich in two, offering one part back to Ayano, who upon seeing that Taylor has accepted at least some of her gift, takes it without complaint.
They're both about to dig in when a shout interrupts them.
"Taylor!" They both turn to see her father approaching, a frown marring his brow. "God. I'm so sorry it took so long, but there's been a shootout near my workplace and I- ugh. Are you alright? I was so worried when I heard-" she sneaks a glance at Ayano when she's grabbed by the shoulders by Dad's hands. The girl's expression has assumed an almost blank look, but it passes quickly enough that she wonders if she's only imagined it. Taylor taps at her father's arm and points to the other student.
"Hello," the black eyed teen nods at the man. "I'm Ayano, Taylor's friend." Something stirs in Taylor's chest at the word. Friend. She has hoped they were, yes, but dared not to assume. A silly smile blossoms on her lips, one she cares not to wipe off.
Dad, on the other hand, looks startled, as if he has only now noticed the other girl's presence (which he likely has), staring at her for a moment before a tired, yet honest grin flashes across his features.
"Call me Danny then, Taylor's dad. Please excuse me but I need to hug it out with my kid." An indignant squeak escapes his daughter's lips when he crushes her in a tight embrace.
"Dad! Come on, please!" She attempts to wriggle out of the hug but only manages to smear her father's shirt with a slice of tomato from her meal in the process. It's not that she dislikes hugs, not at all, it's that he's embarrassing her in front of her new, and only friend. A friend who is now nibbling at her part of the sandwich, head tilted to the side and a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Sorry, sorry," he lets her go. "It's just- I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, you shouldn't have had to go through this alone." She shrugs and points towards Ayano with her chin.
"I wasn't alone. Ayano stayed with me the whole time," she says, making sure to convey her appreciation of the fact in her tone.
"Really?" The surprise is clear in his voice, she can't blame him to be honest.
"Yeah." Wait... how comes nobody came for the other girl yet? "Actually. Ayano, is somebody coming to pick you up?"
"No." The freshman shrugs, not sounding bothered by the fact. And not in the 'well whatever' sort of way but more alongside 'why would I be bothered'. "I have my bike."
Taylor frowns. "Back at school."
"It's fine, I-"
"Dad, could we drive her home?" Ayano's voice of protest immediately cuts off, an emotion Taylor can't read crossing her face before her usual smile comes back in full force.
"I was about to suggest that myself actually," Dad replies. "No friend of my daughter's should have to go home alone after a day like this." Taylor smiles, silently agreeing. Too many innocents are hurt by the gangs on daily basis.
She never wants to learn of Ayano becoming a part of that statistic.