Dear Ex-Girlfriend (Lesbian, Girlxg... - Chapter 32: Chapter 32

I spent the night in jail. Well outside the police station to be more specific, but it was still one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.
After dad left the house yesterday and didn't come back, I went to the station to find out that he was detained. And, not knowing what to do, I called Ester in the middle of the night, who then sent her parents running. The bail was posted around ten the next day, by which, I was sluggish, aching, and too worried for dad to eat, let alone drink anything.
My cellphone rang for the thirtieth time, but I didn't answer. I'd tell Genesis everything later when we were alone. Talking to her now would make me lose it, and I had to pull myself together for dad.
"Destiny." Mrs. Gonzales, a spitting image of the twins, got out of the station, saw me lingering by the bench, and headed my way. The cup of coffee cradled in her hand was put down. But she still smelled like it, and a bit like the newspapers in the junk shop when she wrapped her arms around me. "Are you alright?" she said, voice gentle.
"I'm fine," I said. "How's dad?"
I realized how rude that sounded and opened my mouth again to apologize, but she had already let go and shaken her head. "It's okay," she assured. "He's okay."
My eyes strayed to the station. Dad was obviously not okay. I mean, why would the police detain him? What did he do? This wasn't like him.
The panic in my eyes must have showed because Mrs. Gonzales took the coffee from the bench and offered it to me. "Here," she said, taking my right hand. The flesh under my skin turned comfortably warm when it was placed against the cup. But the rest of me, especially my heart, was still cold as ice. Mrs. Gonzales guided me to the chair so both of us could sit. Like Ester, her all too knowing glance calmed me a little bit.
Enough to ask, "Why?"
Mrs. Gonzales, like Spencer this time, shifted uncomfortably in her seat before answering. "They thought he's been involved in illegal logging," she said.
My eyes widened at her. "Did I hear that right?! Dad was detained for illegal logging?!" The coffee slushed on the side of the cup as I put it away. "But that's impossible!"
"I know."
I tucked a stray hair behind my ear. "They can't suspect dad of that, can they? He's running a woodstore. A legal woodstore." The pitch of my voice increased with every word until Mrs. Gonzales was raising a hand. The Ester in her was back when she nodded to say she understood.
"I've known your father for years," she said. "I know he's clean. But. . ." Her eyes darted to the station too, and even if I didn't like it, I still saw the hesitation gnawing under there before they flickered back to me. "The police had a good case against him, Destiny. They had eye witnesses of Jones transacting with illegal loggers for his timber supplies."
"That's a lie!" I argued. "Do you believe that bullshit?!"
Mrs. Gonzales sighed. She didn't bother scolding the foulness of my mouth as she shook her head. "That's why my husband and I are here," she said. "We don't believe that for a second. We're on your side."
The breath I didn't know I was holding was released. The more people who could attest to dad's innocence, the better. But what now? "What's taking them so long to release him?" I craned my neck to the entrance of the station, expecting dad and Mr. Gonzales to walk through anytime.
Mrs. Gonzales patted my leg. "They're still doing the paper works," she said. "You can go home in the meantime. Try to catch some sleep." I knew the sympathetic look that crossed her face. I must have looked like a homeless girl after sitting on the bench the whole night. Must have smelled like yesterday's sweat too. But those things weren't important now.
"I'd like to stay," I said.
"Destiny." She had Ester's tone again. The previous statement about going home was her being kind. She was asking me to get away from here.
I stood. "Changed my mind," I said. "The school fair is opening today. Maybe I'll go there."
Her nod was more enthusiastic. "Good. The twins are already there. You can meet up with them, have a little talk, enjoy." She was basically telling me to live the life of a teenager while the adults handled the nasty stuff. Mrs. Gonzales also stood and gave me a side-hug on the waist. "Your father will be home by the time you get back from school," she promised.
I only remembered to thank her and Mr. Gonzales when I've already made it to Bear Creek High. The thought flashed and disappeared as fast as lightning though. The school fair had officially begun on a Tuesday, and with students streaming around like it was the national holiday, most of my attention was drawn to the people, then to Genesis. I fished the phone from my pocket and groaned. The Blackberry could only take so much missed calls.
"Shit!"
"Sorry."
Woody was inches from me when I glanced up, dressed in her usual flannel. I took a surprised step back. "Sorry for what?"
She shrugged and looked at the students milling around. Everyone seemed to be going to specific places except for us. We were stones against water. "You said shit, so I thought I bumped into you," she explained. "Did I?"
My hand went to my greasy hair. I was vaguely aware of Woody examining my clothes. It was still the same ones from yesterday when she saw me at the shop. "You didn't bump into me." I ran a hand through my hair again. "But since you're here. . . Can I borrow your phone? Mine is dead."
Woody's brows knitted when she reached for her back pocket. The phone she retrieved was a newer model from mine, a lot glossier too, but she didn't seem to mind as she handed it to me. I gave her a quick smile before twisting around. My fingers were shaking as I dialed Genesis' number.
"Hey, it's Gene."
"Genesis!" My heart skipped at hearing her voice. "I'm so sorry I—"
"Leave your message after the tone."
"Dang!"
She was probably busy for the school fair. Some of the booths, including the student council's, weren't to be pitched up until the end of the week, but being a President, she must be here somewhere attending to the activities.
I ended the call without saying anything and handed the phone back to a quizzical Woody. "Not reachable?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Thanks anyway. I'll go look for her myself."
"Hey," Woody said when I was gearing to leave. This was me and her now; meeting unexpectedly and catching bits and pieces of conversations whenever we could. Maybe some friendships were meant to be like that, snippets of the real deal. Convenient.
My eyebrows raised as I focused back to her. "Yes?"
She rubbed the back of her neck and casted a look down. "Nothing," she mumbled. "Go and look for Genesis."
My mind shifted from dad, to Woody's increasing weirdness, then back to dad as I traveled the rest of the school grounds. Even though classes were still ongoing, students on random breaks were visiting the opened booths, some munching on popcorns and hotdogs like they were on a carnival.
My stomach grumbled when I caught a whiff of something sweet. Turning around, I was disappointed to see another person eating cotton candy. Chuck, the afro-haired guy from the student council, waved and bounced to me. "Hey, Destiny. Good thing I saw you," he said.
"Why? Were you looking for me?"
"Kind of." I stood my ground when he inspected me from head to foot like what Woody did earlier. Yeah, I was wearing the same clothes. Now could people please mind their own business?
I wrinkled my nose to him. "Are you going to continue your sentence, or should I go on my way to search for Genesis? I'm really busy."
Chuck snapped straighter upon hearing the name. "Oh, yeah, yeah. I almost forgot." He took a pinch from the cotton candy and tossed it in his mouth. "Genesis was looking for you."
"Oh yeah? Where is she?"
"Near the gym. She's helping people set-up the science fair."
"Cool, thanks."
I didn't bother extending the conversation and headed straight to the gym grounds. When you've spent most of the night outside the police station, and the only thing preventing you from breaking down was your girlfriend waiting out there to comfort you, being a prick was the last thing on your mind.
"I didn't do anything!" Spencer's voice was shrill when I arrived outside the gym. Genesis and Ester weren't with him, but two teachers were, and a couple of football players who were probably walking with him when the fight broke down. Or at least it looked like it. Spencer was red-faced and sweating. "I swear, I had nothing to do with it!" he said again.
I blew out a breath before heading to them. It was totally not my thing to step in front of teachers, especially when it came to Spencer, but it looked like he was seconds away from crying, which wasn't like him at all.
"I'm sorry, sir, but what did he do?" My gaze was steady as I faced the teachers. One male, one female. I've only seen them on the hallways.
The male teacher crossed his arms and gave me a leery stare. "Who are you?"
"I'm his friend," I said.
His mouth turned downwards. "Miss?"
"Jones."
"Miss Jones," he said, chin nudging to Spencer behind me. "Your friend, Mr. Gonzales, is expected at the principal's office. The police will—"
"The police?!" I cut off. Spencer whimpered when I glanced at him over my shoulder. His face had turned pale. I stared at the teacher again. "I'm sorry, sir, but what does the police have to do with this?"
He shook his head. "That's for them to know. It's not my business to—"
"They're accusing me of burning Mac's house!" Spencer yelled. "But I didn't do anything, Des. You know me. I wouldn't sink that low even if I've done awful things before."
The wind was knocked from my chest, both from the accusations, and remembering exactly what those awful stuffs were. But I had to learn to move on for my peace of mind. And with regards to Mac, yes, Spencer might have pulled off dirty stunts in the past, but he wouldn't go as far as setting the man's house on fire. Even if Mac was possibly the dirtiest slob in Bear Creek.
Thinking about the time when Gene and I were trapped in his closet made me shiver. But for Spencer's sake, I had to put on a tough girl act. "Do you have proof?" I said to the teachers.
It was the woman's turn to speak. "Since when did this become a court room, Miss Jones? Mr. Gonzales is in the school grounds, and we are required by the principal to take him to the office. End of discussion."
"But. . ."
"If you want to argue, do it in the office."
Spencer looked completely terrified when I swiveled to him. "D-Des, please!" he begged.
I swallowed the fear in my own throat and gave him a nod that I hoped to be reassuring. "We'll clear this out," I promised. "Go with them for now. I'll look for Ester."
The teachers stood by his side and paraded him around like a proper criminal by the time I turned away. Ester was probably in the literary club if she wasn't here with Spence. I had to get to her fast.
Students were whispering to each other when I reached the hallway. I didn't know whether the news about Spencer had reached them in such a short amount of time, but they were definitely talking about something gossip-worthy when I saw Ester leave her club room.
I hardly paid attention to the teacher walking beside her, so I could grab Ester's arm and pull her to the side. "Spencer's in trouble!" I took a deep breath. I've ran all the way there. "Principal! Mac! Police involved!"
My lungs felt like they were on fire when Ester took a glance at the teacher, and in a very clipped voice said, "I'll follow you to the office, Miss Humphrey. This will only take a second." The teacher had nodded and went on her way when Ester shifted to me. "Repeat what you said, slowly."
I straightened and took another lungful of air. Get a grip, Destiny!
"Spencer is in trouble," I said minus the gasping. "He's being taken to the principal's office on grounds of burning Mac's house."
"Mac?"
"The town slob!" I couldn't keep the anger from my voice. "Spence dared me and Gene to go inside Mac's house that one time, remember? When Gene just got back from the city?"
Ester nodded, though for all I knew, her head could be in another planet. It wasn't like her to look at me but not really see me. Her eyes were unfocused, shifting. The door to the literary club opened once more, and out came her nerdy crew.
One of them, the girl who I'd recall was crazy about Humpty Dumpty, went straight to Ester and bumped my best friend's shoulder. "I should have known you were too good to be true, Gonzales. What a cheat."
"Watch yourself!" I said, but they were already leaving.
Ester shook her head when I turned to her again. "Don't mind her," she said.
Don't mind her? Why wouldn't I? The girl just called the brainiest person I knew to be a cheater.
I put a hand on Ester's shoulder and squeezed. "Is there a problem you're not telling me, Es?"
Her shoulders sagged. "It's nothing," she said. "I need to go to the principal's office now. I'll probably see Spence there."
I walked beside her when she started to move. I wasn't ready to give up. "Why are you being sent to the principal's office? Somebody tell me something!"
Ester didn't look at me as she mumbled the answer. "They're accusing me of cheating on the exam. I'll probably lose my college scholarship."
Hours later, I was on the fire exit by myself, fully charged phone clutched in hand, staring at the activities on the school grounds below. The students looked so happy, so contented with their lives, oblivious to the train-wreck that was happening on mine.
I glanced at my cellphone screen one more timeand headed for the door. It wasn't Genesis who texted to meet me thisafternoon. It was her father.