Daniel in Jail:

He didn’t really do anything wrong. The poor dullard ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. He had just come to the university, thinking that he would go to class. Apparently, he didn’t understand what was going on and crossed the raging crowd. To make a long story really short, he ended up one of those students who arrested.

“He didn’t do anything,” Kat told us. “He didn’t do anything.” She just sat there trembling for a long moment. Lyle and I didn’t know what to do. The rest of that night was filled with uncomfortable silence. Kat didn’t really eat or do much of anything. She wouldn’t even grade papers or read the newspaper with me. I wanted to help her, but didn’t know how to. Lyle patted me on the shoulder.

“What can we do?” I whispered. He shook his head at me.

“Just leave her alone,” he said.

“But…” I said.

“Just leave her alone and go to bed,” Lyle repeated. I drew my mouth closed. I dropped my shoulders, defeated. Lyle patted me on the head.

“We’ll check on her in the morning,” he told me. I looked up at him.

“You promise?” I asked. My brother nodded at me.

“Yes,” he told me. “Now go to bed.” I didn’t even argue with him that time. I walked to my room. The rest of the night felt uncomfortable.

The next morning, Kat wasn’t home. She left a note on the icebox.

Went out to see Daniel to bring him his homework assignments. I will be back by this afternoon. Please behave for Carla when she gets in.

Love, Kat

I looked over at Lyle.

“You think she’s okay?” I asked. Lyle patted me on the head again.

“She’ll be fine, I know it,” he said. He trying to make himself sound tougher than he really is. I want to point it out to him, but before I could form the right words in my head, the doorbell rang.

“I’ve got it!” I said. Then, I raced to the front door.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Carla!” a raspy voice yelled on the other side. I laughed nervously to myself. Wonderful, I thought. Here we go with the uncomfortable stares and harshness. Lovely. I pulled open the door. I forced myself to smile as I waved at her.

“Uh… hi,” I said. Carla didn’t answer me. She only walked by me. I frowned a little at the cold.

And hello to you too, I thought. I closed the door behind her. Lyle, Carla, and I all sat in the table with nothing to say. I nudged my brother in the arm.

“Say something,” I whispered.

“Like what?” he whispered back. I shrugged my shoulders at him.

“I don’t know… just something!”

“Easy for you to say!”

“Look, I don’t know what to do either!”

“Is there a problem?” Carla asked us aloud. Lyle and I looked up at her as fast as we could.

“Nothing!” we lied. The scary German lady glared at us. “I will set you both ablaze!” her eyes screamed at us. I have to be honest, I felt a chill race down my spine just by looking at her. I glanced up at Lyle again.

“How long until Kat gets home?” I asked.

“You read the note,” he whispered back.

“Really? That long?” I whispered.

“Yep,” Lyle said back. I groaned to myself. Why did that dullard have to get himself arrested during that protest on TV yesterday?

“Do you kids need anything?” Carla asked us with her gruff voice.

“No!” my brother and I said in one voice. She didn’t speak at first.

“Okay then,” she said. Then, the huge lady got up from the table and went into the kitchen. Lyle and I just stared at her.

“Uh… now what do we do?” I asked. He only shrugged and shook his head.

By three o’clock, Kat finally came home. Lyle and I raced to the door to see her. I had never seen her look so knackered before in my life.

“How is he?” Lyle asked. Kat shook her head.

“It’s not good,” she said. “He hasn’t been eating too well and he looks so pale. I… I just don’t know how he will last like this!”

“When will he go home?” I asked her.

“I don’t know,” Kat replied. “But he will have proper representation.” Lyle and I looked pretty shocked.

“You mean…” he began to ask. Kat nodded at him.

“Yes,” she replied. “He will be in good hands for the upcoming trial.” I pressed my lips together as I nodded.