“Let’s talk about what happened after Steven showed up at the party.” Gale got out her notebook and pen, then looked at me expectantly.
Not sure why it mattered, I took a huge breath and shut off my emotions. No longer on pain meds, I could get back to keeping things locked up under the tight wall I had learned to sustain.
“My friend knew him. I was out back when he showed up. But Steven… he sold drugs to a few of the other kids around town a few times. I never did anything like that. It wasn’t ever appealing. Anyway,” I took a breath, “there was yelling. I remember that.”
So much yelling. There were a few people at the party. Loners and druggies. Everyone pretty much kept to themselves. I knew a few of the teens were only there to get their next hit.
I had escaped to the back yard. Some the kids were already back there, high as a kite. But they were lost in their drugs, so I blended in just fine. It helped that I was the quiet one.
“What happened next?” Gale asked, bringing me back to the topic.
“Do I have to?” My voice was soft, weak. I peeked at her, hoping I didn’t have to go through it again. The first time was bad enough.
“Emery,” she leaned forward, “you know if you don’t answer me, Luke will bring someone else in to question you. I know that repeating it over and over isn’t something you want to do. But to have as much against Steven as possible so he goes to jail for a very long time, we have to do this.”
Fine.
“Steven barged through the house, Todd yelled at him. I didn’t think anything of it. Todd always yelled when he didn’t get his way.”
I had been sitting off to the side of the back door when it was thrown open, bouncing against the house when Steven came barging out. I was the only one who jumped at the sound, drawing attention to myself in ways I wish I never had.
Steven had pointed at me with one simple finger.“You,” he had said. Todd only yelled some more.
I stood there like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Todd is your friend, right?”
All I could manage was a nod. He wasn’t the best of friends I could have chosen. I see that now. But he accepted me for my quietness. I didn’t talk, didn’t gossip. Hell, I didn’t remember ever saying more than a full one hundred words to the guy since we met.
All I had wanted was to fit in. I wanted my parents to see that I was dealing with life the best that I could.
“Did he take you by force?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“Tell me why.”
“Steven pointed a gun at me, and told me that if I didn’t go with him, he’d shoot Todd and everyone else there, then save me for last.”
“That is a yes,” Gale stated, noting that down on the paper. “He forced you, Emery. By gunpoint.”
“He still shot Todd.”
The gunshot had been loud in my ears. Then, seconds later, Todd had fallen against a chair. I still don’t know if he’d died or not. Right now, I didn’t really care either way.
It wasn’t like I’d see him again.
“Why did Steven take you?”
“Todd owed him money. I was his payment.”
I hadn’t known that right away. It took a while before Steven ever did answer me. Who knew if that was the truth or not. I had a feeling that there was more to it.
Why shoot Todd, then take me? The house had enough gadgets that could have been pawned.
“I can’t do this,” I stated, feeling myself shut down. Putting up walls apparently did little to help anymore.
I couldn’t remember what kind of pain I’d been put through. I didn’t want to relive the horrors. Everything was at the forefront of my mind, and all I could do was concentrate on breathing.
