Wild Nights, Hot And Crazy Days

Part 2.5: Innocence?

I told the cop the whole story, from the bike trip to the electronics store to the arcade to the food court to buying the perfume. The cop wrote down every word. After I finished he got up and left the office, leaving me there alone. I guessed that he would compare my story to Colin's. If Colin lied I would kill him. Hell, I was thinking about killing him anyway. I still couldn't believe that he stole again, and with me right there in the store! I didn't know what was going to happen when my parents got there, and I didn't know how things were going to go with Colin staying with us. I might have saved him from going to jail for now, but as far as I was concerned our friendship was finished.

I looked around the office and realized that I had been standing the whole time I had been in there. I walked over to the seat Colin had been sitting in and sat down. Several minutes passed and I was starting to get fidgety. What was everyone doing? I wished my father would show up, but at the same time was dreading having to face him. I hadn't done anything wrong but still felt like I was disappointing him somehow. After about 20 minutes the door opened and a guard escorted my father in. Dad did not look pleased.

He was just about to say something when the door opened again. It was Constable LeBlanc bringing Colin in. He told us that the other cop was getting the statements from the guards, and we would be done soon. He then asked Dad if he could talk to him. They both left, leaving Colin and I alone in the little office. He looked at me and I looked away.

"Carmen..."

"Don't. Don't you dare say a word to me. I don't want to talk to you."

He remained quiet for a few minutes, but then started again.

"I just wanted to say thanks for calling your parents."

I didn't answer. I was trying to contain my anger and was afraid that if I spoke I'd end up losing my mind on him.

"I really wasn't trying to steal those sunglasses, you know."

That did it. I lost my mind. "Don't give me that bullshit! I watched the video. I thought you had stopped. I really did. I must have been an idiot to trust you. Well I'm done with being an idiot."

"But I really---"

"STOP IT!! I don't want to hear it! I'm not as dumb as you must think I am! I'm done! Nobody else trusted you, but I did. I thought I saw something in you that nobody else did. I was wrong. So I'm an idiot. But no more! You've lost my trust! We are DONE!"

Colin was glaring at me. Apparently I touched a nerve. I didn't care. I glared right back at him. He started again, through gritted teeth: "I get it now. I thought you were different than everyone else. I thought you actually cared, that you could look past my past. I thought that maybe you're special. But you're not any different than any of them. You pretend to be a friend but you just can't overcome my past. The first sign of any trouble and you're gone."

I was now livid. "Excuse me? The first sign of any trouble? I've got news for you, Colin. Every bit of time we've spent together? That was me overcoming your past. I was willing to overlook it and give you a fresh start. I've been followed in stores, people look at me like I'm a thief myself... Don't you dare say that I didn't care. I thought we had a good friendship going, maybe even a little more than that. But you had to..."

"What do you mean, 'more than that?'"

"Don't interrupt me! Let me finish! I thought we were best friends, and I was willing and able to give you a fresh start, but you had to go and pull this stunt. And now that you've done this you've got me wondering how many times you've done it and didn't get caught. I trusted you, but now I'm seeing that I was wrong. I won't make that mistake again!"