Hanging With the Senior Boys

VI

"We're opening the investigation now ma'am, but there isn't much we can do now. We've checked for prints, we've checked for DNA, and there isn't anything that we can use to find the suspect through evidence at this time. Until we find something, we can only go off of hunches."

TV shows are fiction. CSI Miami is hot air, Law & Order is fake & stupid, and Criminal Minds is for the dumb minds of people who want to believe crime is so entertaining. In reality they're scripted, dramatic soap operas. No magical epiphany from the chief is going to come through and find the killer, then secretly break the law to give the family justice. In the real world, if someone dies with no evidence, they're killer never gets found. Either that, or they take years to find them. That's the only truth that could come to my mind after three weeks of investigation.

We're getting close, we have a lead, we have some evidence. The same recycled lies were  spewed into our eardrums everytime we went to the station; the words changed once in a blue moon. The coach understood my decision to quit the team, if I had considered it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. Every second spent at home was the bloodiest of torture.

Mom's eyes were so so dry from wasting away at Alice's disappearance, it rendered her tears incapable of falling, yet I would have preferred her wailing to what replaced it.

Pure silence.

For hours and hours on end, no one in the house spoke, watched TV, moved around to the point it caused noise, it was like the house died along with her. Dinner was the worst of them all however; we gazed at each other without the slightest bit of emotion, only to quickly occupy our plates, giving them more attention than one could ask for. Frequently someone opened their mouth, but their voice would run away and lose motivation to be heard.

"Why aren't you at home?" Sydney said, as my gym bag flung off my shoulders, and into the field.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I said.

"Because. . ." She began.

"I just can't be at home right now," I said.

She must have understood more than what was given to her in my statement and tone, for her lips fell silent once more.

"Well, we're having a short practice today, Coach has to get his wife from her eye doctor today."

"Okay. Is there anything we're working on particularly?"

"No, just try and beat our times again."

"Thank you."

A bitter shiver shot up my spine when the wind blew. Fall's head shone through the sun's bright rays. I zipped my jacket up.

"You're a little late today," Levi said jogging up to me.

"Yeah, I had to take a test over again," I said.

"That's new," he said.

"I was just a little tired that day."

The truth was evident to him, and he knew what I had spewed was fictional, yet he ran with it unlike what I would have expected.

"Yeah, that seemed to be the day everyone was tired. So do you want to be partners?"

"Sure."

"You can time me first, it won't be long at all."

I laughed, "Wow, what makes you think that?"

"I've been practicing a little bit."

"For what? This season's almost over."

"Because the final competition. We just have to go against Harrison."

"I forgot all about that."