Hopefully this is good. So sorry for the delay

"Is this really necessary?" Davion muttered, lips smacking as he shifted on the hard bench. Chris sat across from him, a scowl etched deep into his face.

The school resource officers had moved fast, dragging them out like they were hardened criminals. Fights weren't rare, but the school's zero-tolerance policy meant a temporary arrest until a guardian showed up. If they suspected gang involvement, things could escalate fast.

Chris sat simmering, waiting on his ride. All he could think about was finding Rain. Thankfully, he hadn't been carrying his gun. One more incident and he'd be in juvie until he turned eighteen. The weapon was tucked away in his backpack, hidden in Katy's classroom. She wouldn't snitch.

Davion's weapon had been taken by Iesha before the cops arrived. Now they were both cooling their heels in this cell.

"You know, I'm sorry, man. I just assumed..." Davion trailed off, shifting again on the cold steel bench.

Chris didn't answer, his scowl deepening. He had plenty to say, but he wasn't about to give the guards any more reason to look their way.

"I mean, we don't exactly like each other, but I can admit when I'm wrong," Davion offered, trying for a truce.

"I saw the bruises, and I snapped. She doesn't deserve that."

Chris's gaze stayed fixed on the clock at the guard's desk. 3:25 PM. Rain should be waiting for Raiden at the bus stop.

"Don't talk about her like you're not part of her pain," he spat.

"I never meant—"

"Words hurt too," Chris cut in, his icy glare finally locking on Davion. "What's gotten into you, acting like her savior? You've been nothing but a jerk to her."

Davion frowned. "They were just jokes. I didn't know—"

"Jokes? You can't be serious." Chris scoffed and looked away. "When have you ever seen her laugh?" He shook his head. "I'm stuck in here when I should be out there looking for Rain. So do me a favor and shut the fuck up."

Davion fell silent.

An hour later, Chris's grandfather arrived. Davion's mom showed up not long after. The car ride home was tight with tension.

"Why do you always cause trouble?" his grandfather grumbled.

"I didn't start anything," Chris shot back, temper rising.

"You did," his grandfather insisted. "I told you to focus on school and the store. But no, you had to get involved."

"Whatever," Chris muttered, staring out the window.

As soon as they pulled up to the store, Chris jumped out of the truck and headed in the opposite direction.

"Chris! Get back here!" his grandfather yelled.

"I'm looking for Rain!" Chris shouted, disappearing around the corner.

He slammed the truck door behind him, heart pounding. The cold hit him like a slap, but he didn't care. He had one goal—find Rain. He scanned the streets, eyes darting from side to side, searching for any sign of her. The setting sun cast long shadows, making the familiar neighborhood look strange and menacing.

Rain wasn't like other girls. She was quiet, withdrawn even, but there was something fierce in her eyes that stuck with him. He'd seen the bruises, seen the fear. Something inside him snapped when he did. She didn't say much, but he could tell she was hurting. And that was enough.

He retraced their usual routes—school, the bus stop, places she might go to feel safe. His mind raced: Had she gone back to her uncle's? Was she hiding out somewhere with Raiden? She didn't have a phone, and that only made things worse. How the hell was he supposed to find her?

Panic crept in. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not like this.

The sky grew darker, the air colder. He pulled his jacket tight, barely noticing the chill. His thoughts spun—worry and guilt twisting together. He had to find her. He had to make this right.

He didn't know where he was going, but his feet moved anyway. He just hoped she was okay. That she didn't think any of this was her fault.

Eventually, he stopped across the street from the nightmare she called home. He stood still, staring, blaming himself for not seeing her pain sooner. The guilt twisted inside him, sharp and heavy.

No gun. No way to protect her. No backup.

He couldn't storm in and take her out. Not without getting them both hurt. But still, the anger in his chest pushed him forward.

Then—sirens.

They pierced the air like knives as cop cars swarmed the block. Tasers out. Guns on hips. Ready for anything.

Chris stood back, heart in his throat, waiting.

Praying she was okay.

Chris stood frozen on the sidewalk, heart thudding in his chest as the flashing red and blue lights lit up the block. Neighbors peeked through curtains or stepped out onto porches, whispering behind hands as the cops poured into Rain's house like a flood.

"Hands where we can see them!"

"Get on the ground, now!"

"You're under arrest!"

Rain's uncle didn't go down easy. He was yelling, cussing, trying to pull away. It took three officers to pin him to the porch. One had a knee in his back. Another had cuffs out. Chris watched, jaw clenched, as they dragged him down the steps, kicking and screaming, face scraped from hitting the concrete.

The rage in Chris's chest didn't ease.

It didn't feel like justice.

Not yet.

Not without Rain.

He edged closer, staying behind a parked car across the street. A female officer stepped out onto the porch, speaking into her radio.

"House is clear. No sign of the girl or her brother."

Chris's stomach dropped.

Not in the house?

Then where the hell was she?

He stepped back, hands balling into fists in his jacket pockets. His breath fogged in the cold air, coming too fast. He looked from one officer to the next, hoping someone would say something more, give a direction, a clue—anything. But all he caught was static-filled chatter and the shuffle of boots.

"No minors found on the premises. Repeat, no minors in the house."

He stared at the front door, open wide now, a flashlight beam sweeping through the hallway beyond. Her uncle was in the back of a squad car, head slammed against the window, still shouting. But Rain—Rain was nowhere.

Chris swallowed hard. His heart pounded in his ears.

Where would she go? Did she run? Did she know they were coming?

Or worse—

He shook that thought off fast. No.

She was smart.

She was tough.

She knew how to disappear when she had to.

But now she had no phone. No safe place. No clue someone was coming for her.

Chris turned away from the scene, a sick pit forming in his gut. If she wasn't in that house, then she was out there—alone—with Raiden, in the cold, scared or hiding or worse. He couldn't waste another second.

He started running, breath burning in his throat.

She had to be out there.

And he was going to find her.

The only place left to go was back to school, where he'd last seen her. Chris ignored the flood of security guards patrolling the school grounds. He knew the drill by now. He wasn't stopping for anyone.

He pushed through the front doors and made his way down the hall, his heart thumping louder with every step. Katy's classroom door was slightly ajar. He peeked inside, relieved to see his backpack still sitting where he'd left it. She was there, too—at her desk, staring at the class in front of her with a worried expression. Chris knew she cared.

The door creaked as he pushed it open, and the moment his foot crossed the threshold, a small body came barreling toward him.

"Chris!"

Raiden's tiny arms wrapped around his waist, holding him tight. His voice broke as he spoke.

"Do you know where my sissy is?"

Chris knelt down, wrapping his arms around the little boy. "No, but I'm going to help find her." His words were steady, even though panic gnawed at his insides.

Raiden pulled back just enough to look up at him, eyes wide with fear.

Chris stood up, his gaze moving to Katy, who was already watching him, a troubled expression on her face. She knew something was coming. She knew he was going to do something stupid. And she wasn't wrong. His eyes flicked to his bag on the desk, where he knew the gun was waiting.

He needed it. He couldn't risk going out there without protection—not in their neighborhood, not tonight.

"Don't even think about it," Katy said, her voice firm but full of concern. She moved around her desk, her heels clicking against the floor, and she pulled his backpack closer to her, out of his reach.

Chris's jaw tightened. "I don't remember promising you a damn thing," he muttered, his voice raw, emotions breaking through.

Katy took a breath, steadying herself. "You promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid." Her eyes met his, pleading.

"Just let the police handle it, Chris."

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "What do you expect me to do, huh? She's out there by herself, and you think those pigs out there care about her?" His voice was rising now, the anger spilling out, mixing with the helplessness and fear that had taken hold of him. "They don't care about her. They never will."

Katy stepped closer, but Chris didn't back down. She reached out, her hand gently resting on his arm. "I know you want to protect her. I do too. But this... this isn't the way."

Chris yanked his arm away, his fists balling at his sides. He could feel his pulse in his throat, every beat a reminder of what was at stake.

"I don't have time to sit around and wait," he muttered, his eyes wild, desperate. "She's out there. And if something happens to her—"

"She's not alone, Chris." Katy's voice softened, but it cut through the tension. "The police are doing everything they can. You're just making things worse."

Chris shook his head, but deep down, a part of him knew she was right. He couldn't risk making things worse. Not now. Not when Rain needed him.

Still, he didn't move. He wasn't ready to let go of that desperation. Not yet.

Chris stood there, frozen in the thick tension of the moment. His hand hovered over his backpack on the desk, fingers twitching. Every part of him screamed to just grab it. To arm himself, to take control, to go find Rain—no matter what.

Katy's gaze stayed locked on his, her hand still on the strap of his bag, but her face betrayed how much this was hurting her. She was trying to protect him, trying to protect them all, but it didn't make sense to him. How could she expect him to just wait? How could anyone?

His fingers brushed the fabric of the bag, and in that second, his mind was made up. He couldn't sit around. He couldn't trust anyone else to do this. Not now.

He yanked the bag toward him, feeling the cold weight of the gun inside. He was about to sling it over his shoulder when the sharp ring of Katy's phone sliced through the silence.

Katy flinched, but her hand was already reaching for the phone before he could react. She lifted it to her ear, her face shifting instantly from concern to something harder, more serious. Chris's grip on the bag tightened, his eyes never leaving her.

"Hello?" Katy's voice was quiet, measured. But Chris could see her shoulders stiffen as the conversation began.

She listened for a moment, her eyes flicking to him. Her face paled.

"Where?"

The words came out in a breathless rush. Chris didn't even need to ask who it was on the other end. He knew. He knew what they were about to say.

"Is she okay?"

Another pause. Katy's hand clenched around the phone as she finally spoke again.

"I'll be there. Just keep her stable. She's—she's gonna be okay." She hung up quickly, her voice trembling slightly as she turned to Chris.

Chris's heart skipped a beat. "What happened? What did they say?"

Katy's eyes locked onto his, a storm of emotions swirling behind them. "They found Rain..." Her voice cracked. "She was passed out a few streets down, just lying there. They think she... she passed out from exhaustion, or maybe the cold. I don't know. But they're rushing her to the hospital now."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut.

"Is she okay? Is she... is she alive?" Chris's voice was shaking now, his breath coming too fast.

Katy nodded, swallowing hard. "She's alive, Chris. But... she's hurt. And they need someone there when she wakes up."

Chris's stomach twisted. "They want you to meet them there?"

"Yeah. They said it would help her if she has a familiar face when she comes to. She's gonna be confused, scared." Katy's voice softened, her worry now clearly visible. "You need to go home, okay? I'll go. I'll make sure she's okay. But I can't have you running off, not like this."

Chris stared at her, torn in two. Every instinct told him to go—to be there for her, to make sure she was okay. He couldn't breathe knowing she was out there, alone. But now, there was something else. A chance to get to her, a chance to make sure she wasn't left behind. His own fight to get to her suddenly felt smaller, less important.

"You promise?" Chris asked, his voice breaking. "You promise she's not alone?"

Katy nodded. "I promise."

Chris stood frozen for a long moment, the weight of the bag still in his hand, his decision warring inside him. Finally, he set it down on the desk, not without hesitation. There were no words for what he felt as he let it go.

He had to trust Katy. He had to trust they would get to her in time.

His feet moved before he could stop them, taking him toward the door.

"I'll be right behind you," he said, his voice rough with determination.

Katy didn't hesitate, just nodded, already on her phone, dialing. Chris watched her for a moment before stepping out of the classroom, his heart heavy but moving with purpose.

Now, it wasn't about the gun, or the fight. It was about getting to Rain.