Tell Me No Lies

War Zone

It was a late-night February evening, the sky had been getting gloomier when the Walker family was sitting around the dinner table, Hailey was sitting next to her father and younger brother August. She looked at her father when his phone rang "father... your phone is ringing..." She said loudly, hoping that her father would hear her. But there was no response, he was too busy talking with his parents and younger brother Liam as she took a deep breath and answered it "Hailey Walker, speaking" Her velvety voice spoke out.

It wasn't before long when Cordell had squinted at his daughter and realized that she answered his phone call, he sighed as he glanced over to her and snatched his phone from her hands, accidentally hitting her hand with one of his rings "seriously Hails!? you know better than to answer my phone!" He snapped angrily, obviously not in a brilliant mood. 

She flinched a little and nodded "I'm sorry father..." She murmured as she went to leave the table as she had finished eating, but he had noticed her flinch, he felt terrible so he grabbed her arm gently not wanting to scare her more. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," he whispered as they shared a sweet embrace before she left the room and went upstairs to her bedroom. 

Hailey was in her room when her father's ring tone echoed through the house, She sighed as she heard him answer, "Cordell Walker, what seems to be the problem?" He asked, Hailey now curious slowly walked downstairs and perched on the edge of a step on the stairs, the young teen watched her father closely as she analyzed his features carefully, she gulped nervously when she saw his smile fade away into a frown "dad..." she mumbled as he looked at her.

This next part was when she knew that something had gone wrong, it was when Cordell was now looking at his parents "Thanks for dinner, but I need to go and pick up Stella from the police station" he said whilst standing up as he had taken once glance at Hailey and then walked out, Hailey followed "father, can I come with you?" she asked as she noticed how much her father hated Stella's iconoclastic streak. "No, I need you to stay here." He snapped angrily, again he didn't mean to take his anger out on his children, he deeply regretted it. Hailey looked terrified, stunned by his abrupt change of tone and attitude "yes father..." She says somewhat offended.

Meanwhile, at the police station, Stella was having a conversation with her best friend Isabel 'Bel' for short, when Cordell wandered in, she gulped nervously knowing that he'd be particularly annoyed with her, she gulped again as she noticed the unkind look on his face. "And here he comes to save the day," Stella says in an unappreciative manner, she sighed as she sluggishly rose from her seat, Cordell gripped her shoulder tightly "listen... I'm very disappointed in you..." He began as Stella cut him off almost instantaneously "This is Bel, can she come home with us?" she asked as Cordell stared at her "no. Minors have to be released by their parents" he said straight after, Stella complained "you know, you're unbelievable! If this were Hailey or even Bella you'd turn a blind eye!" Stella shouted irritated.

Cordell realized that she was right, Hailey was his favorite but it's only because he knows that she'd be safe around this particular subject, "Yes I would, only because I know she'd be reasonable unlike you. You have been found possessing drugs Stella, listen you're in deep trouble, and this may have an impact on my job!" He says irritated by Stella's pointless remark.

 The room went silent after Bella's name was brought up, glances across colleagues and parents who didn't know about the mysterious Bella girl, tears burned Cordell's eyes, that was a name no one in their family remembered, they wanted to but frankly, they thought Bella to be dead.

  "I'm not leaving her here!" Stella snapped, she knew that she had messed up, especially by using her older sister's name maliciously, she knew Bella had a drug and alcohol problem, they all believed that her addiction is what 'killed' her.

Cordell managed to maintain his cool as he spotted Bel's parents walking in, he began striking up a conversation to halt the conflicts from happening to which Stella ungraciously remarks this time "This is so humiliating." Cordell squinted at Stella and said strictly to her "To whom?" He asked, the ranger was slowly becoming annoyed by Stella's ungrateful remarks "Let's go" he says to Stella as she hugged Bel quickly before strolling out after him, with her head bowed low.

They remained quiet on the journey home until they arrived at their farmhouse "Stella..." Cordell said in an attempt not to show his anger, "What is the hell where you were thinking?" He inquired again, Stella lent back against the seat "Mom always told us you would never be on a case for too long" They both sat there for a minute disoriented, Stella then sighed "I wish Uncle Liam had custody over us when he tried to" She says indignantly, she opened the door and slammed it.

Cordell sat there for a few minutes, astonished that his younger brother would do something like that. He then spotted his brother standing by the door when he had opened the car door and marched furiously over to him, clutching his shirt before shoving him.

Liam looked at his brother confused "What the hell was that for?" he asked, Cordell, shoved him again "You tried to take my damn kids!" He cried out angrily, Hailey groaned as she stood in the street watching this ruckus occur as it had awoken her from her light slumber, Liam clutched his brother's neck firmly but Cordell fought back.

Hailey ran over to them, trying to wrench them away from each other "Stop! Your brothers! you love each other!" She screamed, and the ruckus eventually died down as they both looked at Hailey. Liam tackled Cordell to the ground just as Cordell jerked him off and stood up "you had no right... NO RIGHT! to do that" He shouted furiously as Liam gradually rose to his feet "They didn't hear from you for 3 months! 3 MONTHS!" He yelled back "I didn't want them to be orphans! did you?!" Liam screamed before walking back inside, he was shaking with anger.

Cordell looked at  Hailey and turned his back on her "I swear if you had anything to do with this!" He shouted enraged, he wasn't thinking straight so he gripped her hair tightly "You'll be waiting for a beating." He threatened annoyed. 

Hailey gingerly moved closer to him and cautiously placed her hand on his shoulder "I didn't father, I'd never betray you like that... Family don't end in blood, you know this.". Cordell nodded, and he pulled her into the tightest embrace "You're the only one who's on my side right now." He whispered crying on her shoulder. Those ten words broke the young teen's heart, she couldn't imagine how hard this was for him especially now that her father feels like he has no one to turn to.