I sat in an uncomfortable chair, my eyes burning from lack of sleep. The cops had already interviewed Chey and I and had contacted her parents. They had asked me to wait in the station. Cheyenne claimed I attacked Luca without due cause. I know she did.

Vivi plopped down next to me, having been interviewed herself. Although she wasn't there when it happened, she witnessed the aftermath. Joel was on my other side, tightly squeezing my hand. I knew my fingernails were digging into his flesh, yet he didn't complain.

Vivi let me do the same to her. I stared straight ahead, my face damp with tears. I didn't understand how Cheyenne could turn on me like that. I didn't understand why everyone in the world seemed to be against me, save Vivi and Joel.

Or did they go in stab me in the back also?

"Connie," Vivi said gently, nudging my shoulder with her own, "are you okay?"

I didn't answer. If I tried to, I'd begin sobbing all over again because no, I wasn't okay.

"Connie," Joel tried, "Please talk to us."

I shouldn't have been the one victimized. I wasn't the victim, Cheyenne was. Yet, I felt the situation had a bigger impact on me than anyone else. I knew I wasn't okay and talking about the situation wasn't going to make me okay. Nothing was.

"Luca's just a jerk, Connie," Vivi stated. "I didn't know he was this big of one, though. I'm so glad you stopped him from hurting Cheyenne anymore."

I closed my eyes I leaned my head against Joel's shoulder. "It's my fault."

"How is it your fault?" The siblings asked at the same time.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it just is. And now they're going to lock me up in a cell where I belong, just like they should have done when I killed Tasha."

"You didn't kill her, Connie!" Vivi cried, violently shaking my shoulder.

I opened my eyes and turned to look at her. Her own eyes were wide and her hair stuck up at weird angles.

"Yeah, sure."

"You didn't," Joel nearly shouted. I could see the concern written across his face. "I don't understand why all these people want to break you, but you need to be strong. You need to show them just how strong you are, okay?"

I found myself nodding just to nod. I had to remember that I had people by my side. As difficult as it was to fathom, not the whole world was against me. What I needed to do was trust the people by my side, to let them help me. I realized that I couldn't live in pain and regret any longer.

My gaze focused on the ceiling as my body began to shake.

Just then, I heard footsteps. Glancing in front of me, I saw Cheyenne's parents. Brenda and Drake were no longer the sweet, loving people who took me into their home after a tragedy. At least, they didn't look like it. Brenda's lips were tugged down into a frown and Drake looked like he was fighting against his anger.

Cheyenne trailed behind her parents. Her eyes met mine for a brief second as I let go of my friends' hands. Her expression was unreadable, but I could tell she was so blinded by love that she had no idea how to think clearly anymore. In that instant, I realized that she was as harmed by the evil of the world as I was, just in a different way and by a different form of it.

I felt Joel tense beside me while Vivi looked like she was about to bite someone's head off. Her hands clenched into fists and I grabbed her arm, making sure she didn't spring from her seat.

"Connie, I don't think you can stay with us any longer," Drake breathed out, his vice unsteady.

"What do you mean? I have no where else to stay!" I exclaimed, tears pooling in my eyes once again. I sprang from my seat, my whole body trembling violently. "I don't know what she told you, but I was protecting her! You're okay with a guy being in your house at four in the morning?"

"We trust him," Drake responded. "But we can't trust an unstable, violent girl."

"Drake, honey, we don't even have her side of the story," Brenda said calmly, her gaze flicking to me. Her eyes softened as she twitched as though she wished to reach out to me but couldn't.

"You knew she was unstable when you took her in!" Vivi exclaimed, coming to stand beside me. "It's not her fault. Things happen. Then, she saves your daughter from that- that monster, and you kick her out just because of Cheyenne's lies?"

Drake's face became red. "You were probably part of the bad influence, young lady. Who taught you how to speak to your elders?"

"Who taught you how to treat young ladies?" Joel challenged from my other side.

"She can just stay with us!" Vivi nearly shouted. "She doesn't need to stay with people like you!" Well, that was the clean version of what she said.

A few cops ran into the room to break up the fight. Vivi was held back as Cheyenne's family prepared to leave. While all this occurred, I just stood there, shocked and hurting beyond compare. Once again, everything had come crashing down around me and I had no idea how to fix it. There was no more running, no more ignoring.

One cop walked up to me as Vivi attempted to drag me out of the police station behind her. "I'm sorry, but we can't just let you go."

Vivi stared him directly in the eye. "Stand down, Derek."

I glanced between the bulky police officer and a drastically shorter Vivi in surprise.

The cop opened his mouth to speak, but Vivi cut him off. "Do you know who your supervisor is, Derek?" She let go of me and crossed her arms. "Do you want me to call my dad in here 'cause I'll do it right now."

"Vivian, this is protocol," Derek calmly tried to explain to her while my mind whirled with questions.

Vivi looked like she would like to slap him across the face. "Call my dad in here, then!"

The officer sighed, then complied.

In a few minutes, a tall man in his late thirties walked in. He took one look at a fuming Vivi and shook his head. "Vivi..."

"Dad!" She childly whined. "Tell him that he can't lock up my friend! She didn't do anything wrong! I was there!"

Her dad looked from his daughter to Derek. "Let me handle this!"

"She's not even your daughter, she's adopted." Well, rude. "Besides, sir, this is protocol."

Vivi's dad's glare was enough to make Derek speed walk out of the small waiting area.

"Joel?"

Joel explained the situation to his dad while I felt numb inside. Finally, he told us to go home, and that I could stay with them.

"I'm Damien, by the way," he smiled and shook my hand.

I tried to smile, yet failed. Soon enough, I was being dragged out of the station by Vivi and Joel, being lead to my new home.

_____

Was that bad? Anyways, 2 updates in one day! Yay! I tried to make it as accurate and realistic as possible but I've never been in this type of situation so I tried. Please feel free to correct me.

QOTD: What exactly do you think Cheyenne told her parents and the officers?

-Sarah