.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚

Adora's heart hammered against her ribs as she took a shaky breath, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She had been sitting still for too long, drowning in her own thoughts, unable to shake the feeling that Billy didn't belong in that cell.

Her father, Dewey, and the sheriff were still deep in conversation when she pushed herself up from the chair. Tatum gave her a questioning look, but Adora ignored it as she steadied herself and strode towards Sheriff Burke with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Adora?" Dewey's voice stopped her momentarily, his brows knitting together. "What are you doing?"

She hesitated, glancing between them before fixing her gaze on Sheriff Burke. "I need to talk to you."

Burke sighed, looking exhausted, but he gave her a nod. "Alright. Come with me."

Dewey frowned. "What's this about?"

Adora glanced at him, then at Tatum and Sidney, before lowering her voice. "Just... I need to talk to him alone."

Dewey hesitated, clearly torn, but Burke nodded and gestured for Adora to follow him into his office.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚

The door shut behind her with a soft click, but it felt like a gunshot in the quiet room. Adora exhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts, before finally speaking.

"Billy didn't do it," she said, her voice steadier than she expected.

Burke leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "That so?" He studied her carefully. "You seem pretty sure of that, kid."

"I am sure," she insisted, stepping closer. "The killer called me too, Sheriff. And I know it couldn't have been Billy, because when I got the call, he was with me."

Burke's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Adora clenched her fists tighter, her nails digging into her palms. "Today. During school. I—" she hesitated, looking down for a second before forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I skipped. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want my dad to find out. But Billy, Stu, and I were together the entire time. We were at Stu's house watching movies."

Burke's expression softend. "You're telling me Billy had an alibi, and you didn't say anything before now?"

"I couldn't!" Adora said back, frustration and guilt mixing in her chest. "I didn't want my dad to know I ditched school! I thought—I thought it didn't matter. But if Billy's in a cell right now because you think he made those calls, then I have to tell you. Because it wasn't him."

Burke stared at her, his gaze unreadable. The silence stretched between them, thick with tension.

Burke tapped his fingers against the desk, his gaze never leaving Adora's. His expression was unreadable, but the weight of his silence made her stomach twist.

"You do realize what you're saying, right?" he finally spoke, his voice slow and measured. "If you're lying to protect him, this is going to come back on you."

"I'm not lying." Adora insisted, her jaw tightening. "I swear. We were watching some a movie, and I got up because mycellphone rang. It was the same creepy voice that called us at Casey's house and at Sidney's."

Burke exhaled through his nose, clearly running through the possibilities in his head. "Did Stu answer the phone at any point?"

Adora frowned. "No. It was my phone, my call. Why would he?"

Burke leaned forward slightly. "And Billy never left the room?"

Adora shook her head. "Not once." She lied. But she was sure of her point. Billy had been in the kitchen, if he had been the caller, she would've heard him make the call.

Burke sat back, letting out a long sigh. "Alright." He scratched at his chin before nodding to himself. "We'll look into it."

Adora let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, but just as she turned toward the door, Burke's voice stopped her.

"Adora."

She hesitated, glancing back at him.

"Don't skip school again. It will be the safest place for you to be right now."

Adora swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "Yeah... okay." She forced the words out, but her chest felt tight. Safe? School didn't feel safe. Nowhere did.

She turned on her heel, gripping the doorknob tighter than necessary before slipping out of the office. As the door shut behind her, she pressed her back against the wall, exhaling shakily.

Billy had to be innocent. He had to be.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚

Tatum huffed, frustration clear on her face. "Hey Dewey, can we go now?"

Dewey held up a hand, signaling for her to wait. "Hold on a second."

Tatum, losing her patience, snapped. "Goddamnit, Dewey."

Dewey turned to her, his voice stern as he reminded her of his role. "What did mom tell you? When I wear this badge, you treat me as a man of the law."

Tatum rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her words. "I'm sorry, Deputy-Dewey-Boy, but we are ready to go. Now, okay?"

As Dewey started to move them toward the back exit, a police officer looked on, amused by the interaction. "Whoa!"

Sheriff Burke, still focused as Tatum came walking over to them with Adora and Sidney. "Take them out the back way to avoid that circus out there."

Normally, Adora would have said something to defend her dad. She'd always been quick to stand up for him, especially when he was being a little too Dewey. But right now, she didn't say anything since she was feeling like she could fall asleep any minute now. The exhaustion from the night's chaos catching up with her.

Her head leaned against Tatum's shoulder and Tatum glanced down at her, a mixture of concern and sympathy on her face.

Dewey's face turned red as Tatum teased him. "That was my superior." He said, trying to keep his cool as he lead the girls outside.

"The janitor's your superior." She shot back, her voice full of sarcasm, making the officers around them chuckle.

Dewey looked around, a little embarrassed, but he was used to Tatum's sharp tongue by now. "Come on, let's just get you all out of here." He muttered, clearly eager to avoid further teasing.

Dewey gave them a nod as he moved toward the car. "You guys stay here, don't move, don't make a sound."

As he disappeared down the alley, the distant sounds of the media crowd started to grow louder.

Then, from the shadows of the alley, Gale appeared with her cameraman Kenny, her smile too wide and her eyes sharp. "There they are, Sidney, Adora! Hi! That's some night. What happened? Are you both alright?"

Tatum stepped forward, immediately protective. "They're not answering any questions. Just leave us alone."

Sidney, her body tense and eyes bloodshot, pushed past Tatum and went straight for Gale. "No, Tatum, it's okay. She's just doing her job. Right, Gale?" Sidney's voice was tight but controlled.

Gale nodded, her expression changing just slightly, though she didn't miss a beat. "Yes, that's right."

Sidney's eyes hardened. "So, how's the book?"

Gale's grin didn't falter. "Well, it'll be out later this year."

Sidney responded with a forced, cold smile. "I'll look for it."

"I'll send you a copy!"

But before Gale could react, Sidney snapped. Her fist flew forward, landing squarely on Gale's face. The impact sent Gale tumbling backward, crashing into Kenny, both of them stumbling to the ground.

Kenny, wide-eyed, looked at Sidney. "Jeez. Nice shot."

Sidney stood there, breathing heavily, her gaze cold. "Bitch."

"At least something good has happened this evening." Adora spoke with a small smile, looking down at Gale.

Luckily, Dewey quickly appeared, pulling up in the squad car just in time to see Gale and Kenny sprawled on the ground.

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Words: 1287

Posted: December 27, 2024

Rewritten: Saturday March 29, 2025

Reposted: Saturday March 29, 2025

Thank you so much for reading the new chapter of Bang Bang! Be sure to comment and vote! I love you guys!!

mwah Katherine