chapter 7

“What happened? Are you ok?” she quickly went over to Mathew’s mother and took her face in her hands.

“Jane I’m fine” there was a smile on her face now as she looked at Jane. Jane was taller than her and compared to Jane Mathew’s mother looked so small and fragile.

“James told me a lunatic attacked and you were in the middle.” Mathew’s mother sighed and pulled her face from Jane’s hands. She moved over to me and made me lean my head down and examined where I had been head.

“I wasn’t in the middle, if anyone was in the middle it was this young lady who, it looks like, has a concussion. Can you keep her company while I go and track down Candice to take a look at her? I might go and give James a beating as well. Who told him to tell you that kind of story?” she huffed as she left Jane and me alone.

Once the door closed behind her an awkward silence settled over us. I hated awkward silences and yet I couldn’t think of what to say to her.

“…um…” that was the great conversation starter I came up with. Sighing in frustration, I turned and looked around the office. It wasn’t big but then again there wasn’t much money so it couldn’t be very big.

“I’m Adel by the way” I blurted out and could already feel the rush of color trying to come onto my cheeks. I hated awkward silences so much I blurted out whatever came to mind.

“I’m Jane Andrews” she looked at me curiously as if trying to figure me out. Immediately I closed myself off and decided not to talk at all.

“You’re in my class aren’t you?” she was apparently not fond of awkwardness as well because she was trying to keep up a conversation.

“Yeah, and your Mathew’s sister right?” her eyes went from sad to curious to glad which totally through me off balance.

“Yeah thanks.” There must have been a look of pure confusion on my face because she chuckled.

“Why thanks?” she shrugged and took out the chair in next to me and turned it and sat straddling the back.

“Most people would ask if he is my brother not am I his sister. He isn’t really noticed and it’s interesting to hear someone actually acknowledge him first.” I was quiet for a while not really knowing what to say. Not many people would pay attention to that little detail, guess she wasn’t like many people.

“You’re welcome I guess” slowly I looked down at my hands as if just now realizing I had them. They were clean and yet flashes of blood came into view making my hands shake. Quickly, I put my hands in between my legs to hide them from view. It was probably childish to try and hide what I would have to face eventually but I didn’t really care.

“He was important to you wasn’t he?” Jane’s voice startled me and I looked up at her questioningly. “The man who was killed” she elaborated and it brought a wave of sadness as I remembered all that Father Charles meant to me.

“Yes, he was a great friend to me. He was like a father to me.” I laughed humorlessly at the joke Father Charles and I used to share.

“At least his death won’t go unpunished” her voice was stone and I could tell she had a history in which a death had gone unpunished. There are deaths here that go unpunished and there really isn’t anything we can do about it. But at least I had been able to get that murdering S.O.B for what he did to Father Charles.

“So…um…you like music?” she looked at me curiously at first then smiled broadly.

“Of course duh who doesn’t” her teasing made me smile and I finally felt comfortable in this police station.

When finally Jane’s mother came back we had been talking about everything we could. I was surprised that I could talk and really reveal anything of my personal life. It wasn’t a secret that my father was violent but still the daughter of a lawyer didn’t need to know.

“Adel this is Candice and she is-“

“Yeah we know each other already.” I interrupted her because honestly my mood had hit rock bottom. If there was anyone who could do that in an instant, it was Candice.

“Well Adel it looks like your reputation precedes you. I never thought you would go so far as to have a murdering boyfriend. But it seems you always surprise.” Her voice was laced with pure loathing and everyone knew why. She had been my father’s fiancée before my mother had ‘seduced’ him. Once I was born and she knew she had absolutely no chance she loathed me even more. Now that I got hurt so often I had to come see her. That’s when she started becoming one of my worst enemies.

“You know what; I think I’ll just go home. It’s not even that bad.” As I started to get up a wave of dizziness came over me that disproved my claim. Cursing softly, I gritted my teeth and headed for the door even though there were black dots at the edges of my vision. I wouldn’t let Candice see me weak especially after she connected me to Scott. She would probably spread the word and I would be suspicious of helping kill Father Charles. Damn her and all her prestigious degrees that made her so famous in this town.

“Adel please sit down and let her look at you” Jane’s mother took hold of my wrist and I hissed in pain as I realized that was where Scott had grabbed me. Since the bruise John had left there a day before had not gone away, the bruise was probably worse.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Andrews but I don’t deal with her kind and even if I was on the floor dying I would rather you leave me there than let her treat me.” I turned around too quickly and had to brace my arms against the door as the dizziness overcame me. Behind me I could hear Candice laughing or if you could call that laughing. It sounded like a dying animal.

“You’re just like your mother Adel…” my eyes filled with rage and I turned around to face her but again not a good idea because again the dizziness came. Damn, I couldn’t be like this if I was going home. John would surely take advantage of this and most surely beat me to death.

“Shut your mouth Candice you don’t know anything and if you push me, I don’t care if we are in a police station, I will kill you.” With my jaw tight, I glared at her and dared her to test me. No one messed with my mother, I made sure of it.

“You want to join your delinquent boyfriend no doubt. Your mother didn’t teach you anything did she? Oh well guess that’s to be expected after all she is so WEAK” her words were filled with venom and though I knew she was baiting me I couldn’t let her talk that way about my mother. So what did I do? Well what any other self-respecting daughter would do, I lunged at her.

I landed on top of her and grabbed a fistful of her totally fake blond hair. She let out a scream and tried to pull back her hair. For years I had wanted to do this and now I would. Pulling my arm back, my hand already balled into a fist, I pulled her hair higher to get her angled just right. Sweet revenge, oh how delicious it was going to taste.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten about Jane and her mother who were now trying to separate us. Jane wrapped her arms under my arms and up to my shoulders and pulled. She had more strength than she let on and successfully got me off of Candice and was pulling me towards the door. I was struggling like crazy, mind you. Her mother was by Candice helping her get up and checking for any injuries.

“Your father will hear about this you little�"”

I didn’t hear the rest because Jane closed the door and was dragging me by the arm towards the exit. There was no struggle from me now as Candice’s words registered. Oh God she was going to tell John and knowing how close they were he would not be happy. What had I just gotten myself into?