Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
I also knew that I would be better off here with her and Nalia since if I had left last night there is no doubt I would have gone to Matthew’s house and maybe burnt it to the ground after hearing from Zuri exactly what he and his friends did.
Apparently, he and his friends had come across Zuri and her friend while they were in the cafeteria talking, and after harassing both girls, Matthew stole her friend’s phone out of her hand and ran off with it. The girls both followed the boys to the gym to get it back, but Matthew tossed it behind the bleachers that had been out at the time. The girls had both gone back behind the bleachers to retrieve it, but while they were back there, the boys started to shove the bleachers up against the wall. Evelyn was able to get out before they were closed completely, but Zuri wasn’t fast enough and got stuck. The last thing she remembers is hearing Evelyn yelling at the boys, trying to get them to help her get Zuri out, but either they wouldn’t listen or they couldn’t get the stairs back open.
And it honestly doesn’t fucking matter. The reality is Zuri and her friend could have been seriously injured. I doubt the boys knew that there was room behind the bleachers for someone to stand when they were pressed up against the wall. And I guarantee they didn’t know that there weren’t any sharp pieces of metal or anything else that could have struck the girls.
Dragging my eyes off the Nalia and Zuri, I look to the window and close my eyes that are burning from not sleeping at all last night. Between Nalia’s family coming by, the police showing up late in the evening, the kids stopping in with their mom and grandparents, and the nurses coming into the room every hour, there wasn’t really time to rest. Plus, the chair I’m in is shit.
“Hey, guys, mind if Dr. Justice comes in?” one of the nurses who had been in earlier asks, dragging me from my thoughts while a man in scrubs comes in behind her.
“Sure.” I sit up, and Nalia sleepily does the same. Neither of the girls got much more sleep than I did last night, with people constantly in and out of the room.
“I’m just going to look you over and ask a few questions then you guys are free to head on home,” Dr. Justice says coming to stand at the edge of the bed. It doesn’t take him long at all to evaluate Zuri and before he leaves the room, he hands Nalia over the discharge papers and sends us on our way, making sure that we know to come back if we think we need to.
“I’m so hungry,” Zuri tells us from the backseat when we are five minutes from the house. “Can I have bacon?”
“Yeah, sweetheart.” I look over at Nalia when she squeezes my hand.
“Are Billie and Cooper home?”
“Gigi and Pops are bringing them home now,” I tell her as my cell starts to ring. “Speak of the devil. Hey, honey,” I answer the call form Billie on the car stereo.
“Umm, Dad.” She sounds nervous, and my spine stiffens.
“What happened?”
“We just got home and Matthew’s parents just pulled up. They are like really upset.”
Shit, glance over at Nalia and she presses her lips together. “Where’s Gigi and Pops?”
“They’re talking to them outside.”
“We’re on our way home; we should be there in a few minutes, stay inside with your brother.”
“Okay Dad,” She hangs up.
“I can’t believe they would show up at the house,” Nalia whispers, and my jaw clenches. I’m not at all surprised that they would come to the house. Late last night, the police showed up at the hospital, and we filed a report with them. We insisted that they make sure they let whoever needs to know that we want charges pressed, since Matthew is a minor, and it was not up to us what would happen to him.
When we get to the house, I pull in and park behind Billie’s car, seeing Matthew’s mom and dad standing at the bottom of the stairs with my parents between them and the front door.
“I’m going to open the garage, I want you girls to go inside. I’ll deal with them and be inside in just a few minutes.” I shut down the engine and open the door for the garage before I get out.
“Why are you here?” I start towards Matthew’s parents.
“The police came to our house,” his mom says walking towards me. “Matthew and his friends are being charged with assault.”
“Good,” Nalia says, and I sigh. So much for her going into the house; the woman never listens.
“Good? That’s not good, he’s a kid. He didn’t even do anything wrong.”