I look around, locking eyes with Alex briefly before glancing around the room. “I’m, um, I’m not sure.”
“Well, some friend she is. Takes you to an illegal party, gets you arrested then leaves your ass,” she says under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief.
I sigh, not sure how to respond. Looking around the room again, I notice Alex being called up to the desk near him.
“Well, let me get a look at you,” the woman says, standing up and removing the ties that were binding my wrists together. “Are you on anything?”
“Excuse me?” I ask.
“Drugs, did you take anything tonight?”
“No, ma’am,” I say sternly then instantly regret it.
She stops mid-track and looks at me surprised. “Well, well, I haven’t been called ma’am in quite a while.” She laughs before she sighs, standing back up straight and looking into my eyes with nothing but boredom crossing her expression. “Okay, I want you to stand on one foot and balance while touching your finger to your nose.”
I do as I’m told and though fear has me trembling, I think I pass her test.
“Yeah, you’re sober. Go on over to the first cell on your right and wait there for further instruction.”
I do as I’m told, glancing over at Alex who’s still standing in the cuffs and talking to someone at the desk with his back to me.
When I enter the holding cell, I notice the girl I spoke with in the van sitting with an empty seat next to her so I walk over with a slight smile on my face, hoping she’ll befriend me so I don’t freak out again.
She glances up and smiles back, scooting over more and hitting the seat next to her, inviting me to sit down.
“So I take it this is your first time?”
I laugh. “How could you tell?”
“Believe me, you have trouble virgin written all over you. Surprised you even came to a rave. I’m Tracy, by the way.”
I smirk. “Hi, I’m Jenelle. And yeah, I came with this guy—”
She laughs, interrupting me. “It’s always for a guy. And let me guess, he left your ass as soon as the cops showed up.”
“No, actually, he tried to help me get away and was tackled himself, but I was caught by another officer.”
“Shitty.”
We sit in silence as we await our fate. So many things are running through my mind, and I don't know if I want to throw up or hyperventilate. Instead, I rest my head against the back wall and focus on taking deep breaths in and out.
Before I know it, a gruff woman opens our cell door, declaring, “Okay, you all can go.”
Relief flies from my fingers to my toes as my chest widens enough where I can finally take a deep breath of air, filling my lungs as tears fill up my eyes. I look at the girl next to me with a huge smile on my face.
She laughs, hitting my leg. “Told ya. Free to go.”
We walk out of the jail and I relish in the cold breeze that sweeps across my face, feeling more free than I have in my entire life.
Tracy walks up laughing at my joy. “You should see your face right now,” she jokes. I grin in response. “So—” she looks around “—is your guy out here, too?”
Oh no!I search for any glimpse of Alex, and just like that, my freedom flies away and doom fills my lungs again.
“No, I don’t see him.” My hands fly up to my face, blocking the tears that start to fall.
“It’s cool. We’ll wait a little longer and see if they release him as well.”
I turn to her. “Thank you,” I whisper as she embraces me in a comforting hug and we walk to a bench to wait out his release.
