Piece by Piece

39. New Friends

Millie loved her last month of summer, and she was beyond disappointed that it would end and she'd have to move into the dorms again and attend classes. Her time with Davyn had been a dream come true. She knew it wasn't over, but responsibilities and stress did tend to dampen the mood.

However, as she retook her place in the room she was already used to, she found that her new roommates were kind and understanding people who had no qualms with her missing from time to time. Or almost all the time. Fortunately, Davyn had been right to anticipate that, as time went by and they got more of each other, her need wouldn't be so dire. He actually encouraged her to spend at least three nights a week in her designated bed. Which was fine, really. Not like she couldn't go a night without him. Especially since those three nights were never in a row.

The beginning of the school year came with a flurry of anxiousness as the protests against drugs in school became even more virulent. Apparently, there was some big police investigation happening, and their school was involved. Millie wasn't sure if the gossip flying around was true, but she'd heard rumors that Nicholas Harkin had been called in for questioning. He was still in school, but whenever she caught a glimpse of him, he was alone and often in a hurry. He'd lost his swagger and his annoying habit of picking on people during breaks. It gave Millie hope that the rumors were true and that the police had humbled him.

"Wouldn't it be amazing?" she asked Davyn on night as they cuddled up in bed. "If he'd get arrested?"

Davyn just hummed, his gaze once again fixed on the flickering flames of a nearby candle.

"I mean, he's given you nothing but trouble," she pressed.

He was silent for another few moments before turning to her, the lost look still in his eyes. "It's not that easy."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The police are very picky with what they choose to peruse. And Harkin's got money. They're not going to arrest him."

Millie huffed. He was probably right, but she didn't like to think about the unfairness of the world. "They should do something. I've noticed that he's a lot more silent, though."

Davyn nodded at this, apparently pleased with this change. "That's a good thing."

It was, but it didn't really make her feel much better because not all of the rumors were optimistic, and there were certain theories about Harkin's sudden meekness that she really hoped weren't true. "Maybe his boss is mad at him."

"His boss?"

"Yes, Snitch Gravel. People in school claim he's mad that Harkin hasn't been pushing hard enough and the school is not profitable for him anymore." And if that was true, she was sure the protests would get out of hand. She didn't think she could stand it if school got worse.

"The school is a shit market."

"You'd think. But then you have Karen hiding coke under her mattress."

He huffed and tightened his hold around her. "You should sleep, not discuss drug dealing issues."

"They're hard to escape when everything at school is all about this. The protests have gotten a bit out of hand lately. People are calling for Harkin to get expelled."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

Millie agreed. Unfortunately, life wasn't fair. And even if the news didn't impact her directly, the negative atmosphere was getting to her. She didn't like the crowd outside the school, didn't like seeing Harkin, and most certainly didn't like that his former bullies were identifying protesters, cornering them when they were alone and beating them up. It didn't quiet the revolt, just made people stick together even more.