When school started again, I got arrested. The cops came in and took me right out of class, and I started crying in front of everyone. I had been arrested before, too, for running away, but I'd never been gone more than two nights back then. The cops and my classmates were used to me being quiet, not really focusing on anything as they cuffed me and pulled me out. The Taemin they knew was shy, and seemed not to be bothered by anything that happened. The Taemin they knew had only ever known pain and humiliation, and had not spent two months being protected and loved in the safety of a home that didn't terrify him. I was a stranger, with a healthier weight, no bruises or broken bones, and clean cloths. But I was more emotionally vulnerable than I ever had been before.
I had told Jinki I didn't want to go. I told him it was dangerous. I told him they would take me away. No matter what I told him, though, he just promised that everything would be ok. But this wasn't ok, and I didn't know if I would ever see him again. I debated struggling, but I knew it would be pointless. The police were being gentle with me, guiding me through the halls instead of shoving me, like they might do to someone else. When we got to the police station, I saw my parents waiting for me, and I ducked my head. The cops tried to move me toward them, and I shook my head, fighting to remain where I was. One of them began to push me in a harsher attempt to make me greet them, and I fell to the floor.
"You haven't seen your parents in two months. Didn't you miss them?" The cop prodded.
I shook my head, cringing when he touched me. It was already starting to come back. The fear, and the weakness that Jinki spent two months helping me fight off. Small kisses and hugs each time I flinched, to show me he wouldn't harm me. Kind words instead of screaming when I made a mistake, because slipping up was it's own lesson. I tried to hold on to these things while the police dragged me up off the ground and brought me into an interrogation room. They would ask me the same things they had asked before, and I wasn't sure if I would tell the truth this time. I could see my father through the window, glaring at me and shaking his head almost imperceptably. I cringed into my chair as the door behind me opened, and I waited for one of the angry men to sit across from me. But no one came into view, and after a moment I heard a sigh.
"Would someone please remove the cuffs from this child?" It was a woman's voice. Within moments the metal around my wrists was gone, and I put my hands in my lap, glaring down at them as the woman closed the door and sat across from me. "Hi, Taemin. I'm Jessica. It's nice to meet you."
My eyes flickered automatically to my father before I answered her, and her eyes followed my gaze. She got up slowly and shut the blinds around the room, and on the door, before sitting back where she had been. She stayed silent, not really looking at anything, like she was waiting. I looked around silently, trying to figure out what she could be waiting for, before I realized she wanted me to speak up. I looked back at the window and realized, to my relief, I couldn't see my father. I couldn't see anyone, though. I rubbed at my wrist absently for a minute before the silence became too much.
"H-hi." I said nervously. She looked at me with a smile.
"How are you doing today?" She asked. I shrugged a bit.
"I was doing better before I got arrested." I said. She laughed at that, and I looked up at her in surprise.
"I would say being arrested would mess up anyone's day." She said. I nodded slowly. "So, would you like to tell me why you ran away from home?"
"I.." I bit the inside of my cheek and looked up at the window, but I didn't see my father, so I nodded slowly. "I don't like being at home."
"Well, I gathered that from looking at your record. But usually, the longest you're gone is a day or two. How did you live on the streets for two months and come back this healthy?" She asked. I swallowed hard.
"M-my friend let me stay with him." I told her. She nodded slowly.
"A friend from school?" She asked, and I shook my head.
"I met him when I ran away." I told her. "It was raining, and he didn't want me to get sick."
"Well, he sounds like a good friend." Jessica told me. I nodded slowly, waiting for her to ask his name, and dreading the moment she did. But it didn't come. At least, not right away. "So, why didn't you go home after the rain stopped?"
"I was afraid to." I blurted out. "I didn't want to get in trouble."
"Well, I'm sure your parents were more worried for your safety than they were about punishing you." Jessica said. I shook my head. "Well, even if they did punish you, wouldn't you say it was just to keep you safe?"
"They hit me." I said, my voice shaking. I felt like I was going to throw up and I looked up at the window again, afraid my parents would somehow hear me through the glass.
"What do you mean?" She asked. I kept my eyes on the window and shrank back into the chair.
"When they get mad. They don't even have to be mad at me." I was talking fast, afraid of the truths I was spilling on the woman. "When I ran away and stayed with Jinki, it was because they were really mad. My dad pushed me down the stairs, and my mom kicked me when I got to the bottem. Her shoe ripped my shirt, and it hurt so bad, and I just got up and ran away."
Tears were tracking down my face at this point and I could feel my breath leaving me. It felt like I would never calm down, and nothing would ever be ok, and I had to try to stop it before it got really bad because Jinki wasn't there to calm me down this time. He wasn't going to be able to fix it all this time. I was never going to see him again, and some part of me wasn't able to accept that. I felt like I was going to scream, and I started rocking back and forth in my chair, and Jessica was just stunned. She tried to talk to me, but I couldn't hear her, and suddenly I realized I had given her Jinki's name by accident. He was going to get in trouble, too, and I felt a sob shake my entire body.
"Taemin, what's wrong?" She asked, and I looked up at her, my eyes wide. It was the first thing that had come through since the episode started, and I wondered why I was calming down.
"Jinki's gonna get in trouble." I said. "I didn't mean to get him in trouble."
"Taemin, he won't get in trouble." She assured me, and I felt my breath catch.
"How do you know?" I asked. She smiled softly.
"Honey, I'm not a cop." She said. "I'm a lawyer. I'm Jinki's lawyer. He's trying to get you taken out of your parents home, so you can live with him instead. Ok? So calm down. It'll be ok."
"Is he here?" I asked after taking a few minutes to process this information.
She nodded slowly and got up, opening the blinds, and my eyes went to my father right away. He gave me a dark look, and I crumbled again, bringing my knees up to sheild my body. Jessica looked at me, then pointed to the right, and I saw Jinki. He was staring at me with sadness in his eyes, and I wanted to go to him, to hug him and have him hug me back. To tell him I loved him, because I'd been too afraid to say it before, but now I wasn't sure I would ever have the chance. Jessica waved her hand in front of my face.
"Taemin, are you listening?" She asked. I looked up at her, confusion written on my face, and she sighed. "Would you like to go see him?"
"I-" I stopped, and looked back at my father. He looked even angrier than I'd ever seen him, and I flinched, hiding my mouth behind my legs before I spoke. "I'm not allowed. I'll get in trouble."
"You're allowed, Taemin. Come on." She said, holding her hand out to me. I stared at it for a moment before taking hold of it hesitantly. She helped me out of my seat and led me out to the main area, right in between my parents and Jinki. She stepped away from me, and then watched me expectantly. "Go ahead, Taemin."
I looked up at my parents, who's faces spelled more trouble than ever before, especially if I didn't get my ass over there, now. I swallowed hard, and looked at Jinki. Jinki wasn't smiling for once. He looked angry, and it took me a moment to realize the anger wasn't directed at me. It was for my parents. He caught my eye, and his face softened considerably. He motioned for me to come closer, and I gathered up all my courage and ran to him, sliding into his arms. He hugged me tightly to himself, and kissed the top of my head. I looked up at him, then looked around quickly to make sure no one would hear me if I spoke really softly, and I leaned in close to his ear.
"I love you." I told him, and he seemed frozen. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
"Taeminnie.." He was quiet for a moment, before he leaned back and looked at me. "I love you, too. It'll be ok, alright? I promise."
"O-okay." I said, and he pulled me close to him again. He held me like that for a long time, until my father coughed and I tensed up, pulling away from him reflexively.
"Taemin. Come here." He comanded. I stared at Jinki with fear in my eyes. He smiled weakly at me and took my hand in his, bringing it up and kissing it softly.
"Go ahead. I'll see you soon, ok?" He said, and I nodded, faking strength I knew I'd never have, and turned to go with my father.