Ok, the next chapter is borderline T-rated because there is a lot of mention of drugs. Also, I have absolutely no experience with drugs whatsoever (thankfully) so I'm sorry if a LOT of the stuff is inaccurate. I thought about doing research, but who wants to research drugs? Not me. So a lot of the stuff is probably not true, but for story purposes, just pretend it is.
"Alright Sammy. What is it this time?" Officer Borsch looked at me and waited for me to speak.
I took a deep breath. "I think Heather is under the influence of drugs. Marijuana, I think."
"Samantha, that is a strong accusation. What proof do you have of this?"
"Well, a while ago, these guys were smoking marijuana joints on the streets. (a/n: Chapter 6 has been updated for this to make sense) I noticed the smell was the same as Heather's breath earlier. (a/n: Chapter 12 has been updated for this to make sense) It's also the same smell as the blue convertible that Derek Sheffield was driving. (a/n: Chapter 7 has been updated for this to make sense) I know this is a big jump, but I think that the Sheffields are illegally buying and selling marijuana joints."
"Samantha, Heather's breath was perfectly fine when I spoke to her."
"Did she eat anything? Drink?"
"Well, she did ask for a lot of water-"
"-there you go!-"
"-but she said she said all of her injuries made her thirsty and tired. So I gave her water."
"Officer Borsch, not to be disrespectful or anything, but do you think someone could really drink water when they're about to be interrogated. I know if I was to be, I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else except the interrogation."
"Hm. Well, the Sheffield boy seemed nice enough. His sister is in your grade, correct?"
"Yes, Gwen Sheffield." Ugh. That evil rumor-spreader.
"You know, you can get in trouble for this. You did hurt the girl."
"But she hurt me, too!" I protested.
"Unless you can get proof that you only fought for self-defense, you're looking at a minimum of a month in juvie."
"Juvie? As in jail for kids?" I asked stupidly.
"Look, I don't make the laws. If it turns out that Heather was on drugs, and she did attack first, then it's possible that you'll only receive community service."
"We're at a hospital. Why don't you get blood tests of Heather and Derek? I'll see if I can figure out the whole self-defense thing"
"Ok, but only because it's you, Samantha. I'll be right back." He started for the door. "Oh, and your friend Grasshopper-"
"-Cricket-"
"Yeah, her, well she wants to talk to you. She's waiting outside."
"Send her in."
Officer Borsch left my tiny room and Cricket came in. Her hair was messed up and her face looked stressed.
"Sammy! I'm sooo sorry! If I hadn't let the cord go up so quickly, all of this wouldn't have happened to you!"
"Cricket, it's not your fault. I was the one who was slow. I couldn't get my harness attached on time. If there's anyone to blame, it should be me."
Her facial expression didn't change.
"Hey, look. The whole thing went for the better. I got to rattle Heather's bones a little, damage her shoulder a tad, and give her a stomachache. It's all cool."
"But you got hurt, too."
"This? It's nothing," I lied. My shoulder was still aching, and my head pounded softly. I would recover, but it would take at least a few days. "Besides, without the awesome hat you rented to me, the whole thing would be a bust."
She smiled weakly. "That reminds me. Here's your hat." She pulled it out of her backpack and placed it on the bed.
Realization came swiftly to me. "Cricket, do you think you could have this video to show to Officer Borsch today? Soon?"
"Yeah, I can hook it up to this mini video screen."
"Where's the screen?"
"At home."
"Can you get it for me? Please?" I begged.
"Of course!"
"Within half-an-hour?"
"I'll try, but that means I have to run. My house is pretty far."
"Thank you so much, Cricket! I owe you one!"
"Hey, as long as you forgive me for totally screwing up your revenge."
"Relax, Cricket! It was nothing."
She frowned, but didn't respond. She just left and started to run.
Officer Borsch came back in a few minutes.
"I had the blood test taken, and they're being examined right now. They'll be done in about ten minutes," he informed me.
"Ok, great. And don't worry, I can provide the proof of my self-defense."
"Alright, Samantha. Oh, and Heather would like to talk with you."
"WHAT? TALK? She's gonna kill me!"
"It's fine, Sammy. I'll just stand outside, and if anything goes wrong, just holler. Besides, she's far too injured to cause you any bodily harm."
I was still panicking like crazy inside, but I needed to confirm my suspicions. So I simply just said, "Ok."
Heather wheeled in on a wheelchair. Her face was blank, but I'm sure she was just saving the hard-core glaring until Officer Borsch left the room. She was a sight. One of her legs was wrapped in gauze and the other had a temporary cast on. Her shoulder was bandaged like mine, and she was holding a warm compress to her stomach.
My heart started to beat faster as she wheeled towards me. The heart-rate monitor made jagged lines on the screen. Heather noticed this, and a small smile curled evily across her lips. I couldn't believe that a totally injured, 13 year-old-girl was scaring me half to death.
Her eyes ran over the bandage on my head and on my shoulder. Another wicked smile.
Officer Borsch cleared his voice. "Alright, girls. Be nice. Talk only, and remember that I'm right outside. Be civil." He glanced up and down each of us. "Or as civil as two teenagers can be."
He opened the door, stepped outside and closed it again. My heart was beating like a snare drum. You just had to look at the stupid heart-rate monitor for proof.
Heather looked at me, right in the eye. I winced, and she took this weakness in with open arms.
She opened her mouth to speak.
