The Blood Lake

Criminal

When I wake up I can feel the dry tears on my face and my eyes are swollen. I will not be going to school on Monday, or today? I don't know what day it is. This weekend feels like a blur. Miles is still beneath me like the night before, he is still upright which will probably be a pain in the neck later on, pun not intended. I am relieved that my parents let him stay with me, this way there is no sneaking around. I slide off of him and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I look like shit. My hair is mangled and my eyes are red and puffy, I am also still in my clothes from two nights ago. As I make my way over to the door I give Miles a peck on the cheek. Once I am down the hall I open the bathroom door and hop in the shower. Once I'm done I realize I once again forgot my clothes, this wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that Miles is in there. Whatever he's still asleep and so are my parents, what's the harm? I scrunch my hair with a towel, dry off, and put on lotion. I then complete my skincare and make sure the towel is securely wrapped around me before I go into my room. When I open the door there he is, Miles, wide awake.
"Hi, gorgeous girl." He smirks. "Good morning to you to."
"Shh." Scold him.
"Sorry angel." He whispers and holds out his arms for me to join him on the bed.
"I have to get dressed." I snip "Turn around."
"Nothing I haven't seen before." He quips. I turn red.
"Turn around," I say in an angry whisper.
"All right." He puts his hands up and slowly turns around. I pick out my clothes first and put on my underwear under the towel then my bra over top. When I drop the towel I hear a low quiet whistle. I'll kill him.
"Turn back around." I scold.
"But your just so pretty." He gets up to grab me but I slip the sundress over my head just in time.
"Too late." I tease. His lips meet mine and for a minute I forget that my whole world is about to come crashing down.

After we are done fooling around and, I am picture perfect for my appearance at the station, I go downstairs to attempt to eat breakfast. Miles and I are seated at the Island eating some frozen waffles when my mom makes her way down.
"Hi, Delly." She says as if I'm a wounded animal.
"Hi, Mom." I quip in response.
"Good morning Miles." She says as she fills her coffee.
"Good morning El," Miles says with a grin.
"Oh my god you guys are driving me crazy, I could go to jail today and you are chit-chatting!" I snap. I can't take it does she even know? I mean Miles does. Has he told her, what about my Dad, does he know? I feel my blood run hot, I might boil over any second.
"What are you talking about Dell?" Mom probes
"When the police called last night they said I have to come in today or there will be a warrant out for my arrest," I grumble. Her face drops and she uses the counter as support. She takes a second but eventually comes back to life and makes her way back up the stairs to fill my father In. It only takes a minute before I start to crumble. Miles scoots closer to me and I use his shoulder to support my head. He gives me a peck and offers to drive me to the station.

When we get in the car to leave for the station I have more company than expected, my mom and dad are in the backseat, they refused to miss their daughter's first time getting arrested. Well, we don't know if I will be. That's for the sheriff to decide. When we park out front my Moms's eyes fill with tears and my Dad tries to console her even though he threatens to do the same. Miles makes his way around the jeep and helps me out, but instead of teasing, we hold each other for a while longer. "I love you Delly." He says sweetly "You are coming home with us, okay?" I can hear the doubt in his voice but I try to ignore it.
"I love you more Miles ." I sniffle. Ok, our turn My Mom chokes. My parents hug me and try to offer reassurance but all I can think about is how I will no longer be a minor in less than a year and I don't think I would survive federal prison.

Miles and my parents walk me into the waiting room and my impending future hangs heavy over my head for thirty whole minutes before I am called into an interrogation room. Before I walk through those doors Miles gives me the most heart-wrenching kiss I've ever experienced, It tasted like goodbye and lingered bittersweet on my lips. I hope to god it's not the last one I'll get.
"Miss Everdeen." The sheriff nods and gestures for me to come in and sit down.
"Anderson," I say trying not to make my voice shaky.
"I am going to cut to the chase, the anonymous report claimed that you had been off and aggressive on the days leading up to the departure date of your trip. And that you may have murdered the victims, Marcus and Amelia, in cold blood yourself and killed that man because he was a witness to your heinous crime and made up the story about him being the murderer as a cover-up. So this is what is going to happen, we here at this station take all reports seriously and we believe in the guilty until proven innocent way of doing things rather than the other way around. So if you didn't do it, then great you don't have to worry about it. But if you did then we will find out and you will end up locked away for a long time. Until it comes out whether you did or didn't you will be put in a high-security juvenile detention center. It is 35 miles from here and I'll provide three meals a day, rec time, a bed... etc. You are fresh meat so I would watch your back. Any questions Miss Everdeen." He spewed this out so cold and emotionless that It almost doesn't seem real, I can breathe, move, or speak. I just let the tears flow and stare at the wall, all I can think about is Miles and my Parents. My poor Mother. She will break, Who did this to us?
"How long do I have?" I say lifelessly.
"It depends on what you're talking about. Your court date is December 3rd, and you will be leaving for the Detention Facility in about 45 minutes, and you can't leave the station until your departure so you can't run off." He seems like he's enjoying this, my whole world shatters beneath me. " You can deliver the news to your family or I can, either way, you have about 43 minutes as of now to say your goodbyes." He looks at his stack of papers then back up at me. "May the odds be in your favor." He smirks. A fucking hunger games reference.
"Get it, your last name is Everdeen." He looks confused as to why I don't find it funny. "And you are going to jail, so the hunger games?" He tries to explain why it's funny but all I can do is focus on what a douche he is.
"I'm not going to waste any more time with my family, thank you." I get up and walk out. They rise to their feet at the sight of me and rush over. I see Miles and start to bawl. He scoops me into his arms and I can feel a singular tear fall at the top of my head.
"I am going to jail!" I sob. "I leave in 40 minutes." The tears keep coming. I know they have a thousand questions but they don't ask them. They just usher me to the chairs and we hug and mourn together until two officers decide our time is up.