but it was what it was.
I lay in a clean set of pajamas and stared at my banged up hands. I had found a bruise on my shoulder that I hadn’t known was there and it hurt like a bitch. It was probably from when I hit the floor as I tumbled after kicking Mr. Jones’ head.
When I heard the door unlock, I froze. My mom wasn’t due home until the weekend.
Bic bellowed my name as he walked in the door. “Pixie! You here? Mrs. Chungus told Mom that you were in a scuffle or something.”
My door was open, which it never was usually, and Bic filled the doorframe. “There you are. You holding up? What the hell happened?”
“Where’s Mom?” I tried to peek around him.
“That’s the thanks I get? After all this? I come home early from Dallas and all you want is your ma? She still has work to do, so all you’re getting is me.”
I wanted to close my door. I never felt more alone in my life. No Mom. No Gaze. I took a deep breath. As I was about to start to tell him what happened, because I didn’t really have a choice, there was a knock on the front door.
“Hold that thought.” Bic acted like we had a special secret. I hated him.
“Yes, Officer. Pixie is right here, but before you talk to her, I think I need a few explanations myself.” Bic’s voice was loud. I had a horrible thought that maybe the police were here to tell me something bad had happened to Gaze. Well, that had already happened. Maybe something worse. I wrapped my blanket around me because I was in my pajamas.
When I got to the hallway, I could see Officer Sam in my living room. Bic was rocking back-and-forth from his heels to his toes.
“Hi, Pixie. I see you got home from the hospital okay. No one told me you were leaving.” Officer Sam had a pen and notebook in his hand this time.
“Wait. Hold up. You were at the hospital? What the hell did you do? You know the hospital is expensive. We can’t afford that at all.” Bic scanned me up and down again, eyes slowing their path when he saw a few of the bruises on my arms.
“I’m fine,” I bit off.
I loathed his eyes on me. I hated it even more when he had an excuse to really stare.
“Listen, Bic, mind if I have a few words with Pixie?” He stepped to the side. No more Nurse Pam here to protect me.
“Well, I don’t see how leaving my stepdaughter here with you while not having one goddamn idea what she’s been up to is a great idea at all.” Bic pushed his chest out.
“You know, I’ve been called out a few times to local places that said you were setting up a deal with them, organizing construction for them, took deposits, and never showed back up. Know anything about that, Bic?”
The officer lifted his eyebrows. Bic shrugged his shoulders and got smaller.
“You know what, go ahead, have at her.” And he slunk off into the kitchen.
The officer turned to me. “How are you doing?”
His question was off-puttingly genuine.
I stammered, “I’m okay.”
“You look like you’ve been crying. Are you sure you’re not in pain?” His eyebrows pushed together.
“What do you need, Officer Sam?” I wasn’t interested in hearing his concern and didn’t have the wits about me to decide if it was a smart move. His uniform was making me nervous, though I guessed that was why the police wore it.
“I need you to tell me what happened yesterday. In detail. Down at the station.” He tapped his pen to the little notebook.
I ran my hand through my hair. It was still a little wet. “I’ll do that on one condition.”
“Okay.” He seemed amused that I had one.
“I want to see Gaze.” I had to tilt my chin up to meet his eyes.
“If I can determine you’re not a danger to him, I think I can arrange that.”
“He’s my best friend. I’d never hurt him.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, they felt hollow. Telling other adults what Gaze had endured at home was going to hurt him.
“Let me get dressed into real clothes.”
Officer Sam nodded.
I had a quick impulse to escape out the window, but I quashed it. I hated going on the ramp last night, and I didn’t think I wanted to be tased by the officer when I didn’t