Say nothing

You stare up at Officer Lang and say nothing.

“Pussy got your tongue?” she snarls, coming closer.

Roxy leaps out of the bushes, giving the officer a hard shove into the nearest trash bin. Officer Lang topples inside with a cry, and Roxy slams the lid shut. She pulls you to your feet and grabs your hand, taking off at a run.

Suddenly she’s shoving you into the car and jumping behind the wheel.

You wake up suddenly as she peels away from the curb, tires squealing. The others don’t know what’s going on; Officer Lang took everyone by surprise. You careen around the corner.

“Whooo!” Karen shouts, pumping a fist. She doesn’t realize it’s not a good situation. “What’d you see?”

“Oh my god!” you burst out. “Roxy! What did you do?”

“It’s fine,” she assures you. “She can’t come after you over this.”

“Why not? I’m accessory to **** on a police officer,” you babble. “And you committed it!”

“No, if they try anything they’ll have to ask what everyone was doing there,” Roxy assures you. “Lang’s in with Martha Austen and all those other dinosaurs. They’re all in the same closet, munching the same old carpet. If Lang tries to make a case, Martha gets dragged into it. You’re fine.”

You are not convinced of that, but… at least you didn’t commit a crime, nor did Officer Lang witness you committing one. It’s just what Roxy did that’s the problem… but what did you expect? She’s in a gang. Well, getting into trouble is a time-honored CCL tradition, so you just have to make the best of it.

Roxy’s a terrible driver, but she gets you all back to CCL house in one piece, while you are **** to tell them what you saw.

“Lucky,” Karen says. You secretly agree with her, but you wish she’d shut up. It’s not very sensitive to talk about this in front of Lisey.

At the house, you’re cold as you get out of the car, and snatch your keys back from Roxy. You give her a glare.

“No thanks?” she asks, looking hurt.

“No! We don’t attack people!”

“OK. Sorry,” she says.

You groan and open the front door, ushering them into CCL house, which isn’t very warm either. You need to turn up the heat. And you need to relax… that got out of control back there. What do you need?

A glass of wine?

Or a bath?