Breathe In

•10•

-Lena-

"It's not looking good," mama sighs grimly. "The bail cost is outrageous, not that money is a problem here, and even then the evidence is all against her. What she really needs is a statement from someone who was there, but there are only a handful of people that survived the shooting and they aren't cooperating at the moment."

I nod and sigh, straining my mind to see how this could have possibly happened. Never in my short relationship with her had I ever seen her toting a camera around, but maybe I was just too blinded by my own stupidity to notice.

"Hon, are you sure you want to bail her out? She's done unimaginable things. She deserves to be locked up."

"I deserve an explanation," I whisper. "I don't know how I didn't see this coming."

Mama moves towards me and pats me awkwardly on the back. "How could you? The signs just weren't there. Love can be blinding."

I jerk back in surprise. "Mama, I barely knew her. I was in no way in love with her."

She looks at me unbelievingly. "Honey. I know my daughter, and yeah, she might be naive, and crazy, and a little too trusting, but..." she ignores the scoffing glance I give, "but she does not go around kissing just anyone."

I sigh and bury my face in my hands. "How stupid is it that I fell in love with a girl I had just met?"

Mama laughs sadly. "Amazingly stupid, but it wasn't your fault."

"I thought I could trust Tori, though."

"Really? She butted into your relationship, two girls she had never met before, and ended it because it was what she thought would be best for you, and you never saw any red flags?"

I shrug. "In the beginning, yeah. I was freaked out. But then, I saw her with a creepy man, and she seemed so scared and vulnerable..." mother nods in understanding.

"Your heart's too big, Lena," she says softly in her musical Spanish lilt. "It's not your fault. No hay rosa sin espinas, mi amor."

I look up suddenly. "Can-can I visit her?"

Sighing, she looks down for a few seconds, considering. "If it's what you think is best, I'll go set it up."

Two hours later, I take a breath of relief after seeing Tori's worn face through the scratched glass barrier separating us. Tired, but not injured. She must have left before the gun fight.

"Hi, Lena," she whispers hoarsely.

I whimper at the sound of her voice.

This was a bad idea. I want to go home.

"How could you, Tori?" My voice cracks and I mentally slap myself. Get it together, Lena. It's not like we dated.

She looks at me in surprise. "I was trying to protect you. I wanted to burn them, but I passed out..."

"But why would you take them in the first place?!"

"What?" She shakes her head furiously. "Lena, I would never do that to you. Oh my gosh, you thought-" she shakes her head again. "I got a text that you would be there that night, I waited in the corner until they forgot I was there, Claire came in... she tried to give them the pictures but changed her mind and then..." she breaks down and sobs. "I should have looked back and tried to save her, but I grabbed the pictures and ran... that's the last thing I remember. Is she okay?"

"Claire's in a coma. They don't know what's going to happen right now."

She nods and looks up at me in exhausted concern.
"You don't believe me, do you?"

I pause and think. Do I? I know virtually nothing about her and I have no actual proof that what she's saying is true.
"I-I" I stutter, conflicted. "I don't, Tori, I'm sorry."

Sharply inhaling, she nods. "It's okay. You should go now."

I nod in agreement and push out of my chair, racing out of the cold dull room.

No hay rosa sin espinas.