Two officers arrive, and I am already questioning my choices. My heart beats faster, my chest clenched. My life doesn’t involve calling the police or being out that late. Either Bella will kill me, or the police will tell me I’m an idiot.
What am I even doing here? I should have stayed in my damn bed. What a messed-up day!
I explain the situation and even show the officers the messages, which the neighbour underlines with the report of the noise that has been going on for eight hours straight.
They knock on the door and shout to open it—nothing happens, of course. No one will hear the banging through that noise. One of the officers goes through the neighbour's house to check out the backyard, but comes back because all the curtains are closed.
“We’ll open the door,” says one of the officers, and gets a battering ram from the car they came in.
The door flies open with an earsplitting sound, and the moment it’s open, the music gets unfiltered into the night. My eardrums feel like they’re about to burst. How can anyone exist in that house?
The police officers get inside, and I peek in after them while holding my ears shut. I was told to stay behind, so I do, but somehow, I get a feeling.
And then, the music silences.
“Alive, but weak pulse,” calls one of the officers. Suddenly, I freeze. I can’t tell what makes me do it. I’d never obey a direct orderfrom a police officer, but I need to know if Bella’s alright—so I storm in.
She’s lying on the floor, one of the officers is putting her in a recovery position, next to her, a naked guy, passed out, his face looks pale, and somehow he has red, almost purple, blotchy patches all over his body. My hands fly to my mouth.
The house is a mess; it looks like there has been a party with many people. Drugs, probably lines of cocaine, are on the table.
What the hell, Bells.
I mean, I know she’s a party girl, but drugs?
Horror rushes through my chest.
“Is she alive?” I ask with a weak voice.
“She has a pulse,” says the officer, “Ambulance is on the way, please stay outside, Ma’am.”
I am shoved outside by the other officer.
As I find myself on the street outside again, my brain gets fuzzy.
I sit down on the two stairs leading to the house next door to the left. Time seems to be passing because before I can think straight, blue light dips the street into a chaotic light show.
People are fussing around.
More ambulances arrive.
They’re bringing several people out; I didn’t even see them when I was in there. I only saw Bella.
Oh god. What if she dies?
Goosebumps spread over my arms, and I dig my face into my hands. I’m not made for things like this. There is a reason I became a teacher. It’s mostly uneventful.
I’m close to panicking the moment a kid has a nosebleed or falls. But this here—I can’t.
I don’t know what to do.
I can’t think straight.
My hands tremble slightly.
A hand on my back.
It’s one of the officers.
