Interstellar Academy

31: Prison

Jim sat in his cell, allowing the day's events to roll through his head. Was this reality? Was he dreaming, could that be a possibility?

No.

He felt wide awake and alert, unfortunately.

He couldn't erase the expression of absolute terror written all over Nova's face, filling him with so much shame he wished to simply collapse into some dream like state. He curled his legs to his chest and rested his head on his knees.

Murder.

How could anyone suspect him of such a thing? Had he killed people in the past? Technically, yes. There were those pirates he'd doomed three years ago, back when his and Nova's relationship was new and he was still out to prove himself. There was just cause for what they did! They were being attacked, mercilessly, by those pirates. Their entire crew would have been blown to bits, had him and Nova not worked together to destroy their ship and thus sending them whirling to their death.

However, there was only one student he would ever murder, and at this point, he probably wouldn't. Roger was in the past now, he hoped.

Was it possible Roger was behind this entire kidnapping fiasco? Was this another ploy to separate him from Nova? After the event with Leslie, Jim highly doubted it.

The person he'd apparently murdered was a girl, junior, human. Charlotte had been Sierra's mentor during the girl's freshmen year, since they were both on the swim team. When the girl had disappeared, Charlotte believed Sierra's ex-boyfriend was the most possible suspect, as did authorities. Even after the man's alibi reigned true, Charlotte couldn't let it go that he had something to do with it.

The reason they suspected Jim was because a pin tool he kept with him as well as the locket his mother had given him last Christmas were found at the scene of the crime. Jim had lost those items a month prior to being arrested, and eventually gave up searching for them, disappointed.

This was definitely not how he expected to find them again.

He racked his brain for where ever he could have possibly left them for someone to take, but his mind came up with nothing. He kept those items in his room; who would steal them there?

"Jim?" The familiar, whisper sent thrills through him, and he stood up to wave through his cell. The small space was made of some type of uncomfortably cold metal, lit only by a single, dim bulb. The gate was also cold, almost painfully so- but he thought this since he'd been down here for almost two weeks.

"Nova, I'm over here."

Her footsteps quickened, and she reached out to hold his freezing hand. She grasped it between both of hers and breathed on it.

"Jim…" She pressed her forehead to his fist, prayed silently, then looked him dead in the eye. "I know you didn't do it."

"Well, that at least makes two of us."

"We're doing everything we can to clear your name. You don't deserve to be in here." Her voice choked, which tore at his heartstrings. "You're not some ruthless killer. You would never do the horrible things they'd accuse you of. Helena is working harder than all of us, after all the effort you put into clearing her name."

"Really? I thought she hated me." Joking aside, he was glad to see his girlfriend's face after spending so much time apart. He snaked his other hand through the gate and she held them both to her face, hoping to warm him up.

"No one hates you." She dropped his hands and reached through the gate to hold his face, caressing his soft cheeks and chapped lips. "Are they taking care of you?"

"What do you think?" He turned his head to kiss her right palm, resting his nose against it. Her soft touch was definitely a much-needed boost. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," she said, pressing herself against the bars.

"I'm scared, Nova." His eyes brimmed tears he hadn't dared to let bridge over, and still wouldn't.

Even so, she took her thumbs and wiped them away. "Me too. But if we work together, and have faith, we'll make it through. I'm going to get you out of here."

"Miss, it's time for you to leave," called an officer impatiently.

Reluctantly, she retreated from the gate and took a step back. "I love you."

"I love you."

Jim watched as her small figure disappeared behind the large metal door that kept him separated from the world. Now he was alone with his thoughts.

The past two weeks have been a living hell. They bombarded him with questions, unbelieving of any answer he'd given them, and threw out every accusation and every piece of evidence they could, if it meant he'd fess up to his "crimes". Jim stayed steadfast and in control, not allowing their mind tricks to chip his already fragile and confused mind away. He could tell just by looking at them when they were bluffing; he was a prodigy for crying out loud.

Nova spent those two weeks going through each piece of newsprint that had as many facts about the story as they were allowed to publish. She'd started a journal, which she added to each night after school. Helena, with her boyfriend Ruse, was right alongside her, and Charlotte joined in when she wasn't dealing with swim team.

Strangely enough, Stav always seemed too busy to assist in their search, but Nova never questioned it. She felt confident that if Stav had the time, he'd help out too.

Even so, whenever they talked about it at lunch, he seemed almost irritable, as if he'd grown tired of the subject. This was their friend they were talking about, their friend in jail! Whenever Helena was locked up, all Stav discussed was piles of evidence they could use to get her released.

Why was Jim a different story?

"Did you and Stav ever fight?" Nova sat down opposite Jim, tearing off pieces of thick bread she'd snuck in and feeding it to him.

"Yes. When you two were…" He cleared his throat, uncomfortable.

"Oh. I'm sorry." The air grew thick, awkward. She said, to change the subject somewhat, "That wouldn't be a reason he would want you in jail, would it?"

"I doubt it. It seemed he'd moved on from it. I had."

"He's just been making up every excuse not to help us out, and he seems irritated whenever we talk about it around him. So I thought I'd ask." She took out another piece of bread and began feeding him; they weren't giving him enough food, apparently, the way he scarfed down each tiny morsel. "Where else could you have left your belongings?"

"Just my room. So I don't see why…" Jim leaned away, his mind racing. "My room."

"Alright…" Nova raised a puzzled eyebrow.

"Nova, there's only two people who could have access to my room. Ruse and-"

"Stav." Nova's brain clicked, finishing his sentence.

When she left, she went straight toward the boys' dorm, determined. She stormed right in, without knocking, and went straight toward the robot. Ruse wasn't around it seemed; probably with his girlfriend. Stav looked surprised but not angry with Nova's presence. Though her expression made him wary.

"Yes, Nova?"

"You did it. You framed him."

Stav stared at her, astonished, then smirked as if he were impressed by her detective skills.

"Of course his girlfriend would figure it out, right?" Stav rolled his eyes and stood up, towering over her menacingly. She stepped back, though she lost her balance in her retreated and stumbled over herself. He used this chance to lock his metal hands around her thin wrists. "Come with me. I have an ultimatum to settle."

With that, he marched outside, dead of night, the moon swallowing them in a blinding silver light.

"Students and faculty of Interstellar Academy, I wish for your attention!" He'd placed them in the courtyard, the center of the school. People peeked out of their windows and doors and stopped in their tracks in wonder. "Recently, there has been a murder case that revolves around my friend. I would like to announce that it was not he, but I, who murdered Sierra and framed him." Though he was confessing to a crime, he didn't look at all mournful or regretful act.

What was his deal? Nova stared at him with frightened, alert eyes.

"And it was all for her."

He wasn't referring to Nova. No, he was pointing to someone else entirely- a now approaching, confused Charlotte.