"Murder?! What the --- Why did--- Who'd he...?" I stuttered. Carmine and Nikolai waited patiently for me to somewhat calm down.

"Dalton's dead," Carmine کہا grimly. Oh no. Dalton. He had a bunch of people that stand behind him no matter what. This was going to bring hell down on us. How could Reed be so stupid?!

"What the fuck was he thinking?!" I shouted. Neither of them کہا anything. "Andrew and his دوستوں are going to kill us! I'm not going to be able to leave the house without getting jumped!"

"Harley, would آپ stop thinking about yourself for once?!" Nikolai shouted at me. clamped my mouth shut. We stared at each other for a long time.

"We're going to the police station to talk to him," Carmine کہا finally. I broke my stare at Nikolai and turned to Carmine. "Well?" Carmine asked, looking at Nikolai. He sighed and grabbed his keys off the table.

"Let's go," he grumbled. We went to the garage, where Nikolai's beat up old car was. Carmine and Nikolai left before me, and I put my hand into my pocket. The gun was still there. Crap. I took it out of my pocket, and ran back inside. I threw it under the sink for محفوظ keeping, and ran back out to the garage. Neither of them noted my absence. We almost never drive the car, when everything in town is in walking distance. But it might be easier to drive there, instead of taking fifteen منٹ to get there.

When I got there, I had a really strong feeling of deja vu. I didn't know why, but it gave me a headache. Nikolai ordered us to sit down while we waited to be allowed to see Reed. I sat in the very uncomfortable plastic chair, اگلے to Carmine. Carmine didn't speak, and he looked very worried. I didn't blame him. My leg started bouncing out of anxiety, when it hit me. I'd sat here nine years ago. When Mom died. I'd been only six years old, and had no idea what was going on. A tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, and pulled my hair down in front of my eyes.

We'd came in a cop car. Back then I thought it was cool. In my kindergarten class, we'd taken a field trip to a police station, and it had been the coolest thing ever. I thought maybe it was another trip like that. I had no idea it was because my mom was dying. مزید tears escaped, and soon I couldn't control myself. I broke into a sob, muffling it with my hands. The police in the front office looked worried, but I didn't care. I blamed myself for Mom's death. It never really hit me this hard before.

"Harley? Harley, what's wrong?" Carmine asked, shaking my shoulder. I still had my hands in a death lock over my mouth, but آپ could still hear my cries. I shook my head side to side violently. Nikolai knelt down in front of me, putting his hand on my knee.

"Harley! Harley, you're ok! What's wrong? Everything's ok!" he said. I took my hands away from my mouth, and I involuntarily took many quick gasps. My face was soaked with tears. "What's wrong?" he asked again.

"Mom," I gasped again. "This," another gasp," is where... we..." I couldn't finish.

"This is the same police station..." Carmine finished. I squeezed my eyes shut. Nikolai patted my knee.

"It's ok, Harley," he assured me. Carmine leaned over and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back, and just cried and cried. Geez, they were making us wait a long time to see Reed. I guess I was glad for that. I didn't want Reed to see me crying; I was supposed to be strong like him. A couple منٹ later I was able to get a hold of myself, and wiped my eyes. Carmine kept one arm around me, and I leaned into him while I tried to wipe my tears away and keep my mind on something else.

They let us see Reed a while later, bringing us to those rooms that were separated سے طرف کی a glass wall. They sat Reed down on the other side. He was handcuffed, and in those bright مالٹا, نارنگی suits. It broke my دل to see him like this.

"Hey guys," he said, as if this was just an every دن thing. I clenched my teeth together.

"Reed, I... I don't know what to say," Carmine admitted. I did. I wanted to scream at him for being so stupid. I wanted to yell at him and tell him he was the biggest dumbass in history. I wanted him out of here, and to be ہوم with us.

"This is crazy..." Nikolai said, shaking his head. "What were آپ thinking?" They talked for a long time about everything that was going on. I blocked out the entire conversation. I couldn't help but think of how it may have happened. Maybe Reed just got sick of breathing the same air as Dalton and killed him. Maybe he'd been flirting with Belinda, and Dalton had tried to kick his ass. Maybe it'd been self-defense. I didn't know what to think.

Then before I knew it, Carmine and Nikolai were getting up to leave. I stood up as well, but Reed called me. I turned and looked at him pitifully.

"Please stay. I want to talk to you," he کہا quietly. Carmine closed the door behind him, so I felt I didn't have a choice. I plopped down in the chair directly in front of Reed, only the glass دیوار separating us. "So آپ were quiet the entire time... What's up with you? What happened to your... face?" he asked. I'd forgotten about Andrew. I reached up to my nose, and felt the small trail of dried blood. I didn't bother to try to scratch it away; that was the last thing on my mind.

"It doesn't matter," I said. He waited for me to say more, but I didn't. I didn't know what else to say.

"Harley," he began. "Tell me the truth. What do آپ think about all of this?" A tear fell from my face.

"I think it's all so stupid. I blame myself." Reed furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why?" he asked. I wiped away another tear and sniffed. My voice sounded stuffy.

"If Mom didn't die... we wouldn't be living like this... we would've grown up different... better. It's... It's all my fault." Reed stood up quickly, knocking his chair out from behind him. He pounded a fist on the glass wall. I cringed away.

"Harley Fay Cameron! Don't آپ dare blame yourself for this! Mom's death was not your fault and neither is this!" he blared at me. My eyes widened, and I sat there frozen in my seat. Reed slumped back down in his chair, looking very angry. I felt like a little girl getting chastised for doing something wrong. He sighed. "Harley... I didn't do it." I blinked.

"What?" I asked.

"I did not kill Dalton," he کہا slowly.

"Then why...?"

"He'd been stabbed with a knife. The چھری stabbed in his chest was the one I'd lost a ماہ ago. The one Dalton had snatched from me in that fight... Of course they'd bring me down here. It had my fingerprints all over it. But I swear. I did not kill him." I knew instantly that he was telling the truth.

"Ok. What're we going to do?" I asked, worried.

"Who knows. Just hope they find evidence to prove my innocence I guess," he shrugged. I ran my hand through my hair.

"This isn't fair," I کہا sadly.

"Life isn't fair, Harley," Reed sighed. "But I guess آپ knew that already." I nodded, and there was a knock on the door. A woman peeked in, and I frowned at the sight of her. Ms. Greener. She's a woman from the state. She checks in on me every ماہ یا so, to make sure that I was living in a "healthy environment." I hate her. She's so nosy.

"Hello, Harley," she smiled. I blinked. She eyed Reed uncertainly, then tried to smile back at me. "Um, may I talk to you?" she asked. I sighed, کہا goodbye to Reed, and followed her out of the room. She brought me to an empty room, obviously once used for storage. She looked at me strange, but shook her head.

"So, Harley. How are you?" she asked. I sat down on the curb, and to my despise, she sat down اگلے to me.

"Just wonderful," I muttered. How does she think I am? My brother's in jail! Plus for something he didn't even do!

"I'm glad to hear that," she said, not even noting my sarcasm. Either she was being nice, یا she actually didn't notice. There was a long silence, and she looked at me. "Honey, آپ need to tell me the truth... Do your brothers abuse you?" she asked. The سوال hit me hard, and it made no sense.

"No?!" I said, completely surprised that she'd ask that. "Why would آپ think that?!"

"Honey, your nose has dried blood on it," I'd forgotten all about that. I quickly wiped away the blood. "...And you're walking with a limp." I wasn't limping that bad... I'd been able to run from Andrew just fine, but now my leg felt kind of stiff where the scar was starting, but other than that I thought it would've been unnoticeable.

"So what?! None of them abuse me!" I shouted.

"Harley, Sweetie, calm down. C'mon. I need to tell Nikolai." She stood up, and I followed her back into the police station where Nikolai and Carmine were waiting. "Mr. Cameron, little miss Harley is going to be put in a foster home." Her words were like wrecking balls, destroying everything in their path, with no mercy what so ever. A foster home?! Nikolai and Carmine seemed to think the same thing. Their expressions were indescribable.

"What?!" they کہا in unison. Carmine jumped up from his seat, and Nikolai stood up مزید slowly.

"Why?!" Nikolai demanded.

"Because! She has a bloody nose, and an injured leg, and her brother is in jail now! I can only guess that she is being abused, and as her social worker, it is my job to take her out of this environment!" Ms. Greener snapped back. For a pudgy, short old lady, she sure could yell. Still, this whole thing was idiotic.

"Don't I have any say in this?!" I کہا from behind her. She turned to me, giving me a look that made my feel small and stupid.

"Absolutely not! You're a minor; آپ don't know what's best for you. I do. I'll let آپ stay one مزید night, to get your stuff." She looked back at Nikolai and Carmine, "and if there's so much as a scratch on her tomorrow, I'll have آپ both thrown in here as well." Carmine folded his arms and glared at her. Nikolai frowned. I wanted to beat the old lady senseless. Ms. Greener waddled away, her heels making that obnoxious clicking noise on the tile. The rest of us stood there, speechless.

We went back home, but it didn't feel right. I was leaving, and Reed wasn't home. I didn't want to go! This was my home! As much as Nikolai got on my nerves, I loved him. And I was being taken away for the most impossible reason. None of my brothers so much as touch me without it being from brotherly affection. The thought of them hurting me was just ridiculous.

I sat on the couch, absent minded-ly watching TV. Nikolai had himself locked up in his room, and technically, I was in Carmine's room. There's a small air mattress behind the سوفی, لٹانا where he sleeps. So Reed and Carmine share a room I guess آپ could say.

Carmine sat down اگلے to me on the couch.

"What're آپ thinking about?" he asked. I brought my legs up to my chest.

"This isn't fair," I grumbled.

"Tell me about it... I lose Reed, and now I'm losing you. Now I'm gonna be stuck here with Nikolai..." he said. He elbowed me lightly; the last part was supposed to be a joke. It wasn't funny though. I'd take that any day.

"At least آپ have someone. I'm going to a foster home. I'm not going to know anyone!" Carmine's hopeful little smile vanished, and we sat there in silence.

"We'll get آپ back," Carmine کہا in a determined voice. "Don't think for one moment that we're going to just sit while our baby sister gets sent to some foster home. We're going to bring آپ back here. No matter what it takes." I wanted to thank him, but I couldn't. I giant lump rose in my throat, and I couldn't get the words out. I hugged him, and never wanted to let go. I knew if I did, they'd take me away as soon as they could.

***

When I woke up, I was on my "bed." It had to be about 5 in the morning from the amount of morning light coming in from the window. It was nowhere near the time I usually like to get up on a Saturday, but the earlier I got up, the مزید time I could spend with Carmine and Nikolai.

I trudged out to the kitchen, where Nikolai was sitting at the table, slowly drinking coffee. He barely looked up when I came in. I could hear Carmine snoring from his air-mattress.

"G'morning," Nikolai کہا dully. Was it really?

"Hi," I said, taking a نشست اگلے to him. "How'd آپ sleep last night?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"Ok," he shrugged. "You?" I shrugged as well. I folded my hands on the میز, جدول and put my chin on سب, سب سے اوپر of them, trying very hard not to think. "Harley? آپ know I love you, right?" he asked suddenly. I looked at him. "I mean, I don't hate you. At all. You're my little sister, and I just want to keep آپ safe... That's why I yell a lot I guess." I nodded.

"I know... But آپ don't yell at Carmine and Reed," I noted.

"That's because they're guys! I know how they think; I know they can take care of themselves!"

"Look how that worked out," I said. Nikolai sighed.

"But you... You're my baby sister. Sometimes, I just don't get you. I want to think that آپ could take care of yourself, but I can never be sure. Even when I see you, all beat up from a fight, I can't help but be proud of you, because I know آپ kicked their پچھواڑے, گدا twice as hard," he chuckled. "But still; it worries me. I want to know that you'll grow up, and have a full, wonderful life." I wanted to tell him that he'll never be sure of that, but I didn't want him to worry anymore.

"Thanks," I کہا instead. Nikolai looked at the clock.

"You should probably start getting packed," he کہا grimly. I frowned, and tears welled up in my eyes. I escaped to my room just as they spilled over, and my sobs racked my whole body tat I collapsed. I laid there in a crying mess, for twenty minutes. Then I knew I should start packing now; I didn't want anyone mad at me, today of all days. I packed all of my clothes and belongings into my suitcase, the one Nikolai had used to bring my stuff here nine years ago. It was like reliving my past; someone I love gets taken away from me, and now I had to اقدام to a new place. It sucked.

I placed my special box into my suitcase as well. I opened, eager to relive some happiness from my past. Inside was a picture of Nikolai, Carmine, Reed, and I with our Mom. It was taken when I was just a baby, and Nikolai had still been living with us. Also in the box, was a ہار that Reed bought for me when I was ten. On it was a little heart, and when I opened it, was a picture of Reed when he was a kid holding me as a little baby. I used to where it all the time, but when I started getting into fights I grew afraid that I'd lose it یا someone would steal it. Along with the ہار and picture, were some کنسرٹ tickets that Reed and Carmine had taken me to a couple years back. They'd taken me to see bands like Evanescence, Three Days Grace, and even Breaking Benjamin. They had been one of the coolest days of my life, and it had been really cool of Reed and Carmine to do that for me.

I brought out my bag, and set it near the door, ready for Ms. Greener. Carmine was up now, and he waved when I came back out to the kitchen. I tried to help Nikolai out and clean the باورچی خانے, باورچی خانہ up. I put all the dishes in the dishwasher and started it, and went to put the paper towel roll under the sink. I noticed my gun was still under there. I bit my lip. Who knows? I may need this. I took it out, and without Carmine and Nikolai seeing, I unzipped my suitcase and put the gun in my special box.

Just as I zipped my suitcase back up, there was a knock on the door. I stood up and opened it, only to want to slam it shut. Ms. Greener was there, with her bright smile shining. I grimaced, but once again, she didn't seem to notice یا she ignored it.

"Good morning, Harley," she practically sang. I stood aside, letting her in.

"'Mornin;," I grumbled.

"Oh good! You've got your things ready! Well then we'll waste no time! Let's go!" Dammit. I had hoped she would've liked to stay and chat.

We all followed Ms. Greener out to the apartment parking lot, where her black station wagon awaited. She threw my bag into the trunk, and told me to get in. I took a نشست in the back, not wanting to be sitting اگلے to her for who knows how long. Nikolai stood outside with Carmine, and began saying something to Ms. Greener. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but it looked like he was yelling. Soon all three of them looked pissed, and Ms. Greener opened her door to get into the car. She got in and slammed the door shut, and threw her seat-belt on.

"Ugh!" she groaned. "Some people! It's a miracle that آپ seem to have some manners!" she groaned. She pulled away from the parking lot. I waved at Nikolai and Carmine, who waved sullenly back. Another tear fell, and I looked away quick. I regretted it, but when I looked back, we were already on the street, and my brothers were nowhere in sight.