It felt like ages, but eventually, several police cars came and stopped in front of the house. One of them even did a drift and a spin to turn the car around, as if the policemen were to show off their driving skills.
“They’re here, Mrs. Green!” shouted Terrence, waiting in the porch with Bryce.
“Right! Coming!” shouted Mrs. Green.
“Finally…” commented Bryce. “They’re right… it takes so much time…”
Few seconds later, the police got out of their cars, and walked toward them. They seemed relaxed, but angry at the same time. They opened the fence, approached Terrence and Byrce, and then, before they even began, started with, “Don’t tell me this is a prank call.”
It made them stared at each other in silence. For a few seconds, they could say nothing, their mouths open halfway wide.
But only when the policeman turned back, and moved his hand toward his radio on his shoulder, did Bryce, and only Bryce, snap out of his shock, and shouted, “NO, IT’S NOT A PRANK! THEY WERE INDEED HERE!”
“It is not a prank, indeed.” Thankfully, Mrs. Green went downstairs already and called them; Aaron came down as well, following her.
“Mrs. Green.” smiled the policeman. Only after hearing her words, the policeman turned back.
“Officer Grant.” said Mrs. Green, flat, without even a bit of smile. “Bryce, go upstairs to Ryan.”
He immediately went upstairs, while Terrence and Aaron stayed. He heard Mrs. Green’s voice, as he went, “One false call and you…” and then reduced to nothing. He was thinking of eavesdropping what they were talking about, but eventually, he decided to accompany Ryan upstairs.
Ryan was sitting, still on the floor, looking at his mom; he already switched his costume to his pajamas. His mother simply lied on her bed, oblivious to what had just happened at all. He spotted a knife on the floor, just few centimeters next to him. As Bryce entered the room, he leaned his head to him, and then smiled weakly.
“Hey…” said Ryan, which didn’t sound exhausted at all.
“Hi. How… how are you doing…?” asked Bryce, already sweating of nervousness. It felt to him as if he somehow misspoke, Ryan would lose his control and charged against him.
“The police just came?” asked Ryan.
“Y-Yeah…”
“Then I’m pissed.” said Ryan. “No wonder they couldn’t have found those guys for years. More than half an hour…”
Bryce carefully approached him, and sat next to him, believing that he wouldn’t lose control. “They didn’t even believe me — they thought we’re pranking them.”
“Hm-mm…” nodded Ryan, not clear whether he just responded it neutrally or sarcastically. “What else?”
“Nothing… that’s all…”
“Okay.” said Ryan short. Bryce could only guess that he was holding his anger, judging from his tone and face, although it was hard to find from him. “Good thing Mrs. Green was here…”
“Yeah… but…” Bryce couldn’t help but look at his knife, “Were you seriously… were you going to… you know…?” He then gulped out of fear; he didn’t want to say it out loud, but he also couldn’t make a gesture of slice-the-throat in front of him.
As response, Ryan chuckled and smiled, although it was still of sorrow. “I don’t know… I was too angry… can you promise me, not to tell anyone else about this secret? Not even to Terrence and Aaron?”
Bryce automatically moved himself away from Ryan, just a bit. He looked at Ryan in the eyes; he didn’t seem to be offended by his movement. “Uh… this is not about you actually killing someone in the past…?”
“Of course not.” grinned Ryan. “But first, can you please promise me you won’t tell anyone?”
Part of him said no, but nevertheless, because he was curious, and he cared about him, “Okay… shoot it…”
“I’ve always fantasized using knives… in school — not for killing, of course. It’s just to warn them…”
“To warn them, ‘mind your own business and leave me alone.’ Yeah, I get it.”
“But… back then…” Ryan then paused for a few seconds, pondering within himself. “I don’t know… maybe I would actually… maybe not to killing, but… maybe I would actually harm them so badly…”
“Maybe not a good idea… I read an article, about a man who attacked burglars in his house, with his own katana. He got in jail instead.”
“What? But he’s defending his own house — his own life!”
“Yeah, but that case was about assault and illegal property, or something like that, not about burglary anymore — they’re different cases. Maybe the burglars were behind bars, too, but so does this man — if I’m not mistaken. I didn’t remember clearly…”
“That’s just bullcrap! What, they’d prefer that this man getting robbed and, potentially killed?! Seriously?!”
“Yeah, I know, it’s bullcrap… point is, it’s complicated.”
“Why? Why does it have to be complicated?! Just… where's the logic?”
“I guess they just like something complicated, which is stupid, but still… we don’t have much choice… that’s why Mrs. Green told us to clean the house, especially those drops of blood…”
“Great. We should move to Mars, build our own country, and make laws according to logic. Those who will not comply are not allowed to come in.”
Bryce spontaneously laughed, and then Ryan followed as well. He then said, “Thanks for… understanding me…”
“Sure thing.”
“You’ve always helped me in school… I… why, if I may ask…?”
“Because we’re friends? Duh.”
“But to that level… not even Terrence and Aaron care that much…”
“Is… is that why you don’t want them to know…?”
Ryan was shut for a while, and then continued, “I don’t know… maybe it’s not the time yet.”
“And you’re not that close to them… of course…”
“Yeah, that too… now that you said it, maybe I should never tell them…”
Bryce chuckled. “Come on, it can’t be that bad…”
“I don’t want to make it worse between me and them… I mean, one time I told him that I love mixing tea with milk, and Aaron was…”
“Okay, you’re right… alright, I will not tell them about this.”
“Thank you… seriously…” smiled Ryan. It wasn’t a sad smile anymore; it was rather warm and comforted smile.
“Look at me…” Bryce said; he suspected that his cheeks blushed, so he looked away to hide it from his sight, “I haven’t thanked you for saving my life… in the most awesome way…”
Ryan then chuckled, “Of course… that’s out of the question already…”
That was when Mrs. Green showed up. “Alright, Bryce. Time to go back home.”
They both rose and said at the same time, “Wait, what?!”
“The police have called your parents, as well as Aaron’s and Terrence’s. They’re going to take you back.” explained Mrs. Green.
“But we’re planning to have a sleepover…”
“You’ll have to cancel that. They have already called them…”
“What!? No!”
“Bryce, kid, son…” cut Mrs. Green. “Your parents are panicked. Which is normal. You’re actually this close to death…” she put her index finger and thumb almost touching each other.
“But not anymore! They’re gone, they won’t come back here, we have you and the police now…”
“It’s still too dangerous, and again, I say, your parents are panicked. To death, if I may add.” said Mrs. Green.
“What?! The police wouldn’t search for those guys!?” roared Bryce, furious.
“They are.”
“What? How? We don’t even know who they are…”
“Your friends do. They said they recognize their voices and words. They seem to be those teens in the school.” said Mrs. Green. “The police are going to look for them.”
Bryce simply left his mouth open, surprised that Terrence and Aaron could identify the teens. “Do they even trust Terrence and Aaron?” asked Ryan, skeptical. “Bryce said that they thought it was a prank call.”
“Yeah, they had… a bit of an issue with that in the past. But I convinced them to trust you.” answered Mrs. Green. “Regardless, it’s not safe anymore…”
“NOT FAIR!” burst Bryce out of anger, but only for a while. As Ryan and Mrs. Green shushed him, Bryce himself panicked and closed his mouth. They all looked at Ryan’s mom; she was still asleep obliviously.
“Not to mention that you’re going to have a sleepover here, without any adult to take care of you — no offense, Ryan.”
Ryan shook his head, “None taken.”
“I told you to get rid of that knife.” sighed Mrs. Green, looking down at the knife next to Ryan’s leg. “If the police saw that, it would not be good for you at all.”
“Sorry, Mrs. Green.” said Ryan, flat, as he looked at the knife. “I just can’t help it.”
“I’m going to stay here for tonight. You boys best to go back home.”
Ryan and Bryce looked at each other; he even thought that he misheard what she just said. “Wait… you’re going to stay here overnight…?” asked Ryan.
“Someone has to. I did actually think of it after you left my house. Why do you think I carry all those snacks?” commented Mrs. Green.
“I…” they both looked at each other again, and at Mrs. Green, wondering if she actually meant it.
Before they both said anything further, Mrs. Green already said, “You can thank me by keeping that knife back to the kitchen,” she looked at Ryan, “and going back to your home.” she then shifted her look to Bryce. “It’s late night, and you’ve been through so much — you even almost died. Give yourselves a break.”
There was an urge inside Bryce to refute it, but eventually, he could only say nothing. Although he didn’t like it at all, he could see that what Mrs. Green said was indeed true. In the end, he could only sigh out of exhaust and surrender.
“Officer Grant.”
She looked to her right, and noticed Officer Grant showing up. Bryce saw Ryan sliding the knife with his leg, with all his power, into under the bed, completely out of sight. Just in time, Officer Grant came into the room, and looked around. “Everything’s fine?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” said Mrs. Green. He spotted her stealing a glance to Ryan; Bryce suspected that she was looking if the knife was still there.
“Which one is Bryce?” said Officer Grant, looking between Ryan and Bryce. “Your parents have arrived.”
“Wow…” Bryce smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
“See you tomorrow — are we done here, Officer Grant? Or do you need us to stay for more questioning, sir?” said Ryan, polite, but at the same time, also sarcastic and offensive.
“No. No, it’s done. We’re going to look for these teens.” said Officer Grant. It was hard for Bryce to tell whether he took it in or not. “We have your friends driven back home already.”
“Okay…” Bryce then turned to Ryan. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He went to him, and hugged him. Ryan at first was surprised, clearly from his body’s response, but then quickly hugged him back. His hands around him were a bit tight, but it was rather comfortable and warm, which made him realize that he had been cold the whole time.
“See you tomorrow. And thanks…” replied Ryan.
They finally let go of each other. Bryce turned back toward Officer Grant — he saw that Mrs. Green simply smirked, almost invisible, while Officer Grant openly frowned, as if he just witnessed something disgusting. He just noticed that he was smiling, until he looked at Officer Grant, and his frustration returned, “Fine. I’ll go back.”
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