Silently Falling

Chapter Ten (Edited 9/10/2020)

Attached is a picture that will be described in this chapter. This is an actual cell from a Juvenile Detention Center.

Silently Falling: Chapter Ten

After school, I meet Toby and Alyse by his truck as I mentally prepare for when West comes after school. We drop Alyse off at home and head back to our house with the radio up all the way.

"When is West getting here?" Toby asks as we pull up to the driveway, turning down the music.

I go to answer him, but said bad boy comes pulling in behind us only seconds later. Toby watches in the rear view mirror and I watch the scowl form on his face.

"Never mind," he mutters, turning off the truck and stepping out.

I follow, grabbing my backpack before shutting the truck door as Toby walks around to my side and eyes West as he gets out of his old Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm not sure what year it is, but it's most definitely older than me. There's bits of rust threatening the bottom, and the black paint has a few scratches, but for the most part West has kept his car in great shape.

"Hey Sunshine, Toby," he says, walking towards us.

"Were you waiting down the road or something?" Toby grunts, crossing his arms.

West quirks a brow, "Raine told me to be here at 4:30, it's 4:30..."

I roll my eyes and start on my way to the front door.

"Ignore him," I sign to West.

We head inside and Toby goes to the kitchen to do his homework while West is over. He still isn't thrilled about these lessons and isn't backing down on his plan to always be downstairs when West is over. But, I can't say it bothers me too much. The extra security calms that never-ending fear in the back of my mind of being taken advantage of again.

West and I settle into the couch and I shuffle through my backpack for my whiteboard, going with a green marker today.

'How much do you remember from our last lesson?' I write.

"All of it."

I raise a skeptical brow, but he pushes past it.

"So, how come brother bear in there is so cold towards me?" He asks with a hint of amusement, nodding towards the kitchen.

'He's just protective over me.'

"So I've noticed, why-"

I cut him off by holding up my hands for a second or two, then quickly grab my whiteboard and scribble down my sentence.

'Ah, today is my day to ask questions. My end of the essay, remember?'

West reads it over and chuckles, backing off. He gestures for me to go ahead.

"Ask away, Sunshine."

He keeps his eyes on mine, and I feel frozen under his gaze. I need to look away so I can start with my interview, but it feels like his stare has reached out and is holding me in place.

Surprisingly, I'm not trying to pull away.

I snap out of my daze, letting out a small breath and start writing down all of the questions Alyse helped me come up with in the car. West tries to read as I write them down, but I pull my knees up and lean the whiteboard on them to block his view, sending him a look. When I finish writing them, I spin it around to show him.

'What was the first thing that went through your head when you went to juvie?'

He thinks about it for a second before smirking widely, "'Damn, I had better not drop the soap.'"