Red Herring ✔️

52. Hocus Pocus

"Christian. Look."

A phone on the ground lying beside Demi. A black iPhone with a pink flowery case - Kate Spade. An expensive case for an expensive phone for a girl with an expensive lifestyle that turned into expensive and explosive habits.

Without hesitation, Christian, in one fell swoop, captured the phone off of the ground and stretched his arm behind his back. Backing away from Demi with her arms crossed over her chest to be safely loaded onto a gurney, Mazie outstretched her hand and stepped towards Christian to meet him halfway. Sweeping the phone out of his grasp, Mazie curved her arm behind her back and stuffed the phone in her back pocket.

As if nothing happened, Christian and Mazie stalled in the hallway to watch the first responders call in the incident to the nearest emergency center where they would whisk Demi away to be treated - for her collapse, for her overdose, for her death. They wouldn't know. Not for awhile.

But now they had a key. A phone. Demi's phone, if they could be so hopeful. Though they may not know the password, they would figure something out. Whether or not there was anything of importance on her phone, at least they had it. It felt like something...Mazie couldn't put a name to it. The device burned a hole in her back pocket, searing a mark on her hind end. The knowledge that they stole something that did not belong to them seemed to be written across her forehead. Or so, she felt that way. But, raking her eyes over the other students in the hallway, no one else noticed. No one else knew. Still, her heart thumped inside her chest.

Reaching blindly behind him, Christian's hand sought a physical connection from her - a gentle brushing of their fingers. He squeezed her palm lightly, reassuringly, before he released his grip. As fleeting as it was, the onslaught of loneliness that plagued her in the middle of the hallway dissipated at the physical reminder that someone who knew and understand exactly what she was thinking stood beside her as a sentinel, protecting her, walking with her, riding this rollercoaster with her.

As the first responders wheeled Demi out of the hallway, Jason surged to his feet, intent upon following Demi to wherever she was being whisked away. Anxiously swiping the tears away from his cheeks using the back of his shirt sleeves, Jason careened away from the wall, taking off in the general direction of the exit.

Before he could make much progress, Christian unthinkingly leapt after Jason, caught him by the back of his shirt, and hauled him backwards. His plans thwarted, Jason turned on Christian quickly, meaning to knock him out of his way to return back to his war path.

Mazie quickly intervened, laying her hand reassuringly on Jason's shoulder. "You can't follow her. You know that."

"Like hell I can't!" Jason screamed, tears gathering in his eyes again. "I have to make sure she's okay!"

"You won't do any good, getting in their way," Christian reminded Jason, keeping one hand firmly locked around his arm. Both Mazie and Christian exchanged glances knowing this was an opportunity they had to take while Jason was vulnerable.

Emotions running high, Jason sniffled, shaking his head defiantly. He wiggled out of Christian's grasp. "No, no. I need to be with her! I have to protect her!"

A teacher at the corner of the hall, watching the students still in shock, took note of Jason's erratic behavior and stood up taller, as if to intervene. Mazie smiled as if everything was okay, while clenching her teeth uncomfortably. This was not turning out to be a good day. "Jason," Mazie started. "I know you have her back. You're always watching out for Demi. But you're not a medical professional. Let them do their job, get her all taken care of. She's in good hands. And as soon as you get word that she's stable, I'm sure you'll be able to go see her! Demi will definitely need the support of her friends after all this." She couldn't dare utter the words if she even makes it. She felt vile for even thinking them.