Brianna

"Thanks," I tell Caleb quietly as we reach my front walk. "I'm good now."

He just shakes his head. "I need to tell your parents about what I just found out. Okay?"

I swallow hard, but nod. "Right. Of course."

We reach the front door, and I unlock it and push inside, feeling my heartbeat quicken in nervousness, just like I always does when I get home anymore.

I close the door behind us, and Caleb looks at me in mild concern. "You seem a little nervous there, Bri. You okay?"

I nod hurriedly. "I'm fine. Just... you know... my adrenaline's still going or something."

He nods, not arguing further, but I can tell he's not fully convinced.

"Brianna," my mother calls, her tone making it obvious that she isn't happy with me. "I hear you, and I want you up here right now."

Caleb's eyebrows shoot up at the anger in her tone. I just motion for him to follow me upstairs.

I come up the stairs slowly, but I still have the safety of Caleb's presence behind me, so it's hard to be too nervous.

My mom is waiting for me with her hand on her hip. "Brianna Kelly, I can't say I'm fond of you coming home half an hour late, with a police officer behind you. You've got some explaining to do, young woman. And where is Lincoln? You were supposed to let him walk you home."

Caleb steps forward to my rescue. "Ma'am, I'm sorry for any upset my presence here is causing. Brianna didn't do anything wrong, I promise. I was out on patrol when I saw the young man she was with sexually assaulting her daughter in the park. I got him off of her and my partner is dealing with the boy, but I wanted to walk Brianna home to make sure she got here safely."

"Brianna, I swear to you, you never learn your lesson!" mom hisses angrily.

"Mom, I didn't do anything," I whisper in return, not daring to look her in the eye. "Didn't you hear what he said?"

"Yes, and I also know you undoubtedly blamed everything on Lincoln once again when it was no doubt more your fault than his. Sexual assault, Brianna? I don't believe that for a minute."

Caleb comes to my salvation again. "Ma'am, Brianna told me nothing of what the boy was doing to her. I saw it with my own eyes, and know a camera where all of the footage will be as well. Your daughter wasn't faking anything. What he was doing to her was sexual assault, not in her words, but mine, as a licensed officer of the police department."

Mom lets out a long sigh, seeming to realize that she has to give the guy at least a little respect.

"Thank you, officer... Phipps," she says in her best perfect-Christian voice, glancing at his badge for his name. "I think I can take it from here."

"I'm sure you can," he replies in cold politeness, "but it's not that simple. From my data..." A smooth way to cover up the fact that he knew about everything beforehand. "The boy, Lincoln Renthart, is already going to trial on Saturday for raping Brianna. Do you believe you wish to press these charges as well?"

"No, I don't think so," Mom says, like she's just being forgiving or something. "We can deal with it privately."

"That's your choice," Caleb tells her, his tone leaving no doubt that he doesn't approve of it, "but today's events can still be used as evidence against Lincoln on Saturday. I'm planning on appearing myself to present them."

Mom opens her mouth to protest, but he doesn't give her the chance to.

"I'll keep in contact with you on what happens with Lincoln. Other than that, I believe I might be finished here."

"Thank you, Officer," Mom says sweetly, and he nods, turning to the door.

Before he leaves, he leans murmurs in my ear, "Hang in there. If you need anything, let me or Toby know."

I nod without looking him in the eye, and he returns down the stairs and disappears out the front door.

The sound of his footsteps leaving is the only one for a long moment, until my phone vibrates, and I look down at it. I see a text from an unknown number.

Hey Bri, it's Caleb. I decided to text you while I was thinking about it. Just respond to this with your teacher's info, and I'll give her a call for you. Call or text me if you need anything; this is my personal number.

I unlock the phone, quickly adding Caleb to my contacts, and then turn the screen off, leaving it on his contact page as a reminder for myself to give him Becky's info. And, taking a deep breath, I turn to my room.

"Stop right there, Brianna." My mother's voice is as cold as ice, yet still seems to burn with an inner fury, like a snowcapped mountain that's secretly a volcano about to explode, as weird as that sounds.

I shut my eyes momentarily in anticipation of the wrath to come, and don't move.

"Turn around."

I know better than to disobey, and do as she says.

"Henry, come down here, please."

Oh, please no. I didn't even know he was home.

I try not to let my fear show on my face, looking at the ground instead of at her.

There are footsteps downstairs, and before long, my father appears coming up them.

"Brianna Lane Kelly," he says, his voice dangerously low. "What is it this time?"

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" I protest desperately before my mom can speak. "Lincoln... he... I promise he was really doing it. I didn't... I didn't..."

"She was kissing Lincoln in the park and somehow got it passed off as sexual assault to a police officer," Mom interrupts me. "And not only that, but Lincoln texted me during seventh period and told me that Brianna wasn't in class. I was in a meeting and didn't get the text until I got home, so I called the school and they said she'd been there for eighth, so I decided to leave it for now."

"Why didn't you ask them if I was there for seventh?" The question flies from my mouth before I have time to think about it. "Because I swear I was! Lincoln's lying."

"You think that's cute, do you?" Dad asks, his tone boiling with anger. "Blaming everything on the boy who used to be your best friend? Well it isn't, Brianna. At all."

"But, I was there!" I protest. "Check my attendance! And anyway, Lincoln and I don't even have class together for seventh. I'm with Becky for dance, remember? I'll text her and she'll tell you!"

"You have that woman wrapped around your little finger, don't you?" Mom snaps. "And Lincoln didn't say he was in your class, just that you weren't there. Tyla Johnson is in there with you, isn't she?"

I nod miserably.

"So she probably told him via text or something."

"Mom, that doesn't..." I start, but she doesn't let me finish.

"I don't want to hear from your right now, Brianna!"

"But, Becky will tell you!" I protest desperately, unlocking my phone as I do. "I... I swear, just ask!"

Before I can switch pages to text her, my father's hand comes across my face hard, causing me to drop my phone. I try to catch it, but my hand slides off of the screen, and it lands face-up on the floor.

Before I can retrieve it, my dad takes hold of my collar and pulls my face way to close to his own.

"You think it's all fun and games to tell us this stuff?" he growls. "You think you can just lie about it like it's another thing? Well, it's not, and it's time you found that out! You wanna know what that's really like, Brianna? Do you want me to show you?"

"Dad, no!" It comes out a scream, as I try to jerk away, but he's too strong. "Please no!"

"Then admit you're lying," he says.

The words catch in my throat, and I don't even know why. I mean, no one believe me anyway. So, what if Lincoln gets away clean? Who cares? I can't live through this again.

"I'm lying." It comes out a terrified whisper.

He nods, and he gives me a little room, though he's still holding me with a grip like iron. "Good. At least now we've gotten that straight. But that also means you've been deliberately lying about it for the last six months. That's no joking matter, Brianna, and this is only what you deserve for making it into one."