Chapter 14- a coward's consequences
March the 28th 2025.
1:17 p.m.
Xavian
"Wait no no this...this can't be real You're playing some stupid prank on me right hehe haha, You assholes got me now Zelina?!?! come out now... please
Principal Boneyard
I'm sorry son...So so sorry.
Don't you dare apologize She's not an idiot. She wouldn't put herself in a position where she'd go missing."
My voice trembled as I paced across the linoleum floor of the dean's office. The pale light overhead flickered slightly, casting my hunched shadow against the beige wall. My fists clenched, unclenched, then clenched again, unsure what to do with the electricity surging through my arms.
"It's unfortunate, but most people who go missing don't put themselves into that position. The more people figure out how to avoid kidnapping, the more kidnappers will work to counter those actions."
I'm deeply sorry for the unfortunate situation, especially on your first day."
He folded his hands across the desk, voice steady but tired.
Deep-set lines creased the corners of his eyes. "I can assure you that the officers are doing the best they can and are searching tirelessly to find your missing friend. But I need you to calm down."
Quinley
"Calm down? Did you really just say calm down How the fuck"
She slammed her palms on the edge of the desk, rattling a paperweight. Then she froze, shutting her eyes tight like she had just tasted bile.
"lore forgive me
How the freak do you expect us to calm down?! Our best friend is gone!"
Her voice cracked. She clutched her chest as if trying to squeeze the pain back inside.
"I spoke with her on the phone last night! I heard her screaming, getting dragged away into some kind of car!
I had to listen to that!
I had to listen to what could be the last thing I ever hear from her!
Listening to my best friend getting dragged away screaming And you're supposed to tell me you've got nothing?!
No evidence?
No leads?
No Nothing?!"
Her face flushed with fury, and her hands shook with adrenaline. A single tear streaked down her cheek before she furiously wiped it away.
Officer off to the side, monotone
"I understand your frustration"
Xavian
"No. Don't do that.
No, no,you don't do that shit."
I stepped forward sharply, "Man, don't give us that 'Oh, I understand' bullshit, because it's not your best friend that's gone missing!"
Officer Ronald
(more composed)
"We're doing the best we can.
But there's been a rise in trafficking and kidnapping in this area. And there's many other cases like this one
It is our mistake that we didn't inform you guys those of you who are new to the area about the dangers."
Principal Boneyard
Glancing toward one of the staff standing awkwardly by the door
"Make sure to inform the rest of the students who aren't accustomed to this area's dangers. Let's not let this happen again."
He turns back to Quinley with a gentler tone.
"In the meantime, Quinley…
You were the valedictorian of your high school, and it would've been expected for you to make a speech.
But I'll make arrangements for someone else to do it, considering your current state and the situation."
Quinley
She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Her posture said defiant. Her voice said fractured.
"First off, I'm perfectly fine and perfectly capable of making the speech. your not take this away from me."
She stepped forward. Her nails bit into her palms.
"Second off you're not doing enough!
You've got recorded evidence of her last moments my phone call!
You've got the exact time she went missing!
You know someone took her. And Zelina's smart enough to leave evidence or at least a trail somehow. I know she is."
Her breathing quickened. Her chest rose and fell with uneven rhythm.
"Not to mention the witnesses, the general area, where they could possibly be, and more.
The highest chance you have at getting a lead is in the first 48 hours
And you've already wasted 13 hours and 48 minutes on me!"
She pointed toward the officers, her voice rising into a roar.
"You…
You bastards should be out there doing your damn job for once
And looking for my best friend!"
Xavian
I really couldn't watch Quinley like this.
But how can I help her?
It's like I know what to do in my heart, but I don't know what to do in my mind.
And how am I supposed to follow my heart to help her when my heart's wounded as well?
Her chest heaved. Her hands trembled by her sides. Her eyes were glassy and red-rimmed, from being wiped too many many times.
Devastated doesn't even begin to cover it.
To see the once-cheerful, quiet kind girl breaking down like that…
It carved a hole in my chest where my already wounded heart should be.
I wanted to dig into the cops too for something. Anything.
I know, just like everyone else, that we're taking our anger out on them because we don't have anything else.
And maybe they are doing their best.
But honestly?
The fact that they've got nothing almost zero evidence just pisses me off even more.
Weren't they trained for this?
Isn't this their fucking job?
How could they be so useless?
What does that badge even mean if the person wearing it is so incompetent?
…Never mind.
I can't even think straight.
And neither can she.
So I grabbed Quinley and pulled her into a small, tight squeeze.
She didn't resist. Her body leaned into mine with exhausted familiarity.
She looked back at me with those dead, puffy eyes
Almost pleading for me to do something,
Even though we both knew I couldn't.
I never could.
Xavian
"I know this is asking damn near the impossible out of you…
But I just need you to At least take a breath.
Just for a second."
Quinley
Her voice came out softer, slower.
But it wasn't gentler.
It was heavy.
"But… they're not doing anything!"
Xavian, our best friend.
Sweet, sweet Zelina…
She could be dead.
All the horrible things we said to her sure, they were jokes, and she can roll with the punches but those might be the last things she ever hears from us.
Not an "I love you," or "You matter to me," or "I'm thankful for you,"
but me just calling her a dick-licker after seeing her get a hot…
Xavian
I swallowed hard.
"But we can't do anything either.
Panicking won't make things any better.
The best and only thing we can do right now…
Is put our faith in the cops."
Quinley
She pulled away from me seemingly hurt and offended by what I said and then laughed.
It was hollow.
Tired.
Painful.
"Oh, right… Faith.
Like you ever believed in any of that
So I'm just supposed to sit around, hope for the best,
And put my trust into men who probably used ChatGPT to write their résumé, right?"
She blinked hard. Her lips trembled into a sarcastic smile.
"…Faith."
She took a slow, deliberate step toward the door.
"The hell do you know about faith? You never believed in a goddamn thing in your life not even in yourself. And you know as well as I do that you have no faith in these three little pigs standing next to us, calling themselves cops.
If you're so smart and so realistic, tell me this: why the hell are you telling me to put my faith into something we both don't believe in?"
Xavian
...
"Thought so I know what I'm going to put my faith in to help get Zelina back to us.
And it's definitely not these men and definitely not you."
Her voice was the sound of something breaking.
Those were the last words she spoke before storming out of the office.
Xavian
I was going to go after her, but then I heard a whisper from one of the cops.
It was faint...yeah...and honestly, I didn't really hear him clearly and could've been mistaken.
But what I may or may not have heard come out of that man's voice…
The audacity of it had my blood boiling.
Officer Miller (under his breath)
"The damn brat… the hell does she know?
We have five units actively looking for her at all times. We blocked off the area and potential escape routes.
So if we ever do catch her friend, her and her kidnappers going to have a hell of a hard time getting out.
Jeez, I do not need to be getting my ass chewed out by emotional little brats this early in the morning.
So-called 'doing nothing' we're doing a lot more than bitching and whining.
I'm going to hell for saying this but in all honesty, I kinda wish she was the one kidnapped instead of this Zelina girl."
Xavian
"…Fuck did you just say?!"
Officer Miller
(stammering, posture stiffening)
"Oh, uhh… I said nothing.
You should check up on your friend.
She doesn't know her way around, and the way she is…
She could get lost.
(Whispers) You wouldn't want to lose another one, would you hmm?"
From the side, I caught a ride-along officer clamping a hand over his mouth, trying to hold back a laugh.
Another cop behind me turned slightly, shoulders twitching, clearly amused.
Xavian
"Wow… so y'all can't hear this shit?
Right.
So am I just fucking schizophrenic? I'm hearing things now?"
Nothing none of them heard those Disney-villain comments the soulless officers were giving out over a grieving girl who lost her childhood friend.
Am I the only one crazy enough to acknowledge that shit, huh?!?!
Officer Ronald (stepping forward)
He was smaller than the rest But still 6 feet easy.
His boots echoed dully on the tile as he approached.
His voice came low.
Dangerous.
Commanding.
He placed a heavy, gloved hand on my shoulder.
Fingers tight. Firm.
"Calm down, kid final warning…"
Xavian
I was going to press more.
Going to retaliate.
But then something stopped me.
It was like I hit a wall.
No more like my body just froze.
All I could do was think.
Observe.
The man beside me was huge.
The other officers? Bigger.
All built like statues, while I was built like someone who'd lost every fight he'd never picked.
One of the men's hands hovered near his holster. Not on it but close enough.
I wouldn't survive a second if I tried anything.
I'm 5'7".
Overweight.
Out of shape.
No training.
Outnumbered.
Outgunned.
…I mean, I most likely won't get shot, but honestly, I would not put it past these assholes.
I guess my anger led me away from reality.
But now my fear brought me back to save me for making a dumb decision once again.
It brought me back to the truth.
That I'm utterly useless to things outside of my control.
And because of that uselessness…
I shouldn't even try.
Just go with the flow.
And hope it doesn't lead you to a waterfall.
Xavian
(quietly, through clenched teeth):
(Takes a deep breath.)
"I'm sorry, sir.
My grief and anger made me react inappropriately."
Principal Boneyard
"That's completely understandable.
Please take this day off.
Take the time to rest.
And please suggest that to your lovely friend as well."
He let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.
"You both are going through a lot right now.
Please… take the time to rebuild yourselves before you crumble."
Xavian
"I'll keep that in mind, sir."
I turned. My hand curled around the cold metal doorknob. I was halfway through opening it when
Officer Miller (casual, muttering)
"Heh. Not even gonna offer a thank-you for our service…"
Office Ronald(whispers back at Miller)
All right man you're doing the most right now You need to chill men swear your fucking evil.
Xavian
My hand clenched into a fist at my side.
Tight.
Shaking.
But I said nothing.
Even this hand…
It's better used to open the door and walk away from the problem instead.
Principal Boneyard
(sharply)
"Hey! That's enough out of you three!
Y'all should be getting back to work.
Back to your patrols."
The officers shuffled out. One rolled his eyes. Another muttered under his breath.
The principal didn't move from behind the desk. He just sat there.
Shoulders slumped. Eyes dim.
Principal Boneyard (softly, to himself)
"I swear…
The people in this town have no heart.
But I can't blame them.
They have no hope either."
End of chapter