1988 Going 2020

Chapitre 5

25th of December 2020

"Okay, my turn." You lifted your eyes to the ceiling, thinking. "Ever Have You Ever... Got out naked in the street?"

He pouted, and drank. "Fuck Mike, are you serious?" You laughed. "I want to know the details."

Both of you were sat cross-legged next to your living room table. He scoffed, but stopped as he glanced at his watch. He rose a finger. "But first..."

He stayed finger in the air, eyeing his watch, and you frowned.

"Two... One..."

He lifted his gaze. "Merry Christmas, y/n."

You smiled. "Merry Christmas, Mike."

He put his glass on the table, and planted his eyes in yours. Your breath got caught in your throat as you watched him close his eyes and get closer to you. You close your eyes too and tilted your head to the side when...

Your phone rang. Both of you opened your eyes. Heat spread on your cheeks and you locked your phone without looking at who it was. Mike chuckled and smiled shyly. You did as nothing had happened and got closer again when...

Your phone rang again.

Mike cleared his throat: "Maybe... Maybe it's important."

You gulped and thanked the dim light to hide your cheeks a bit. You didn't pay attention to the number.

"Yes?"

"Ma'am y/n y/l/n? Officer Martin here."

You blinked and sat straighter. Mike raised eyebrows as he saw the look on your face. "Sorry to disturb you on that advanced hour and on this special day, but... We have people related to you out here, and apparently you are their only family."

Your shoulders fell and you pinched the bridge of your nose, sighing. Mike tilted his head to the side, looking for your eyes but you had closed them. "Please provide yourself with an ID and come to the police station as soon as possible. And Merry Christmas Ma'am."

He hung up and you threw Mike a look full of despair.

-

"You're aware they didn't have any ID's on them, right?"

The police officer looked at you, eyebrows raised. Your gaze shifted to the side to look in the cell.

Axl was against the wall, looking at his feet. Nikki was sat on the bench, head in his hands, as Jon had pulled himself flush against him, feeling scanned by the other men with them. In another situation, you would have laughed seeing that.

"You know it could be a motive of another charge?" You looked back at him. You opened your mouth and closed it right away, not knowing how to defend yourself – themselves. The officer looked at you with a sort of pity. "See. Your friends don't seem bad. They're stupid. But not bad." You couldn't help but chuckle. "It's Christmas. Take it as a gift. Plus we have a lot of work tonight... So I'm going to be gentle. But next time..." He gave you a severe look. "Don't worry sir, there won't be a next time."

He hummed in front of your assured tone and well-known words, and made a gesture towards one of his colleagues. The younger man headed towards the cell, opened it and signed Jon, Nikki and Axl to get out. The guys apparently hadn't noticed your presence yet and Jon's face enlightened when he saw you. He crossed the distance that separated you in three jumps, opened his arms... but prevented himself to take you in it as he saw your closed face. Nikki and Axl just joined you, staying a bit in retreat.

You didn't say anything and turned to the exit. You got out, not watching if they were following you or not, and started walking in the street. It was empty, but you could hear muffled sounds of parties inside the buildings.

The three of them were walking side by side, you ahead of them. "Where is Mike?" Nikki nudged at his side and Jon huffed under the knock. "At his home. I guess." You accelerated. Your building wasn't far and you hadn't taken a stuffed coat, the freezing temperature was making you tremble. "Why didn't he wait for you? You know we could have waited somewhere else-"

"Jon, shut up." Axl had tapped him on the arm to make him stop. You turned and they suddenly stopped walking, nearly bumping into you. "No. No you couldn't have waited somewhere else, Jon. Well, nowhere else than at the police station, arrested." Smoke was escaping your lips in the coldness of winter. He stuttered: "It's because-"

"No! I don't want to know why you ended up there. I'm tired. And I never believed in Christmas shit anyway." You looked at Axl. "You know, I get what you said yesterday. Me too. I wonder what I did to have that."

You turned back. From now, you had your building in sight and walked even faster. In a short time, you opened the front door, climbed the stairs, opened your flat and stormed in your room, slamming the door shut.