"That's not what happened. He's lying. She didn't do anything wrong." "Quiet!" Ray roared, silencing them all. He yanked Maya's other arm back, making her wse as he snapped the handcuffs around her wrists. The metal clicked shut with a sound that echoed across the stunned courtyard.
"Officer Lorn," Principal Whitmore tried again, her voice shaking. "This student hasn't shown any violent behavior. We should discuss this in my office." "She assaulted my son," Ry growled, tightening the cuffs until Maya had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. That makes her dangerous. "What's the charge?" Maya asked steadily, despite the pain in her shoulders.
"You have to tell me why I'm being arrested." Ry gave the cuffs another sharp tug. "Assault, disorderly conduct. Resisting arrest." "I'm not resisting," Maya pointed out, her voice carrying across the dead, silent courtyard. "And there's no evidence of assault. Multiple videos show what really happened.
Delete those videos," Ry barked at the surrounding students who clutched their phones tighter. "Or, I'll confiscate them as evidence." "You can't do that," Maya said clearly, making sure the nearest phones could pick up her words. "That would be illegal seizure without probable cause or a warrant." "Ray's face darkened at her knowledge of the law." He grabbed her upper arm hard enough to bruise and started marching her toward the parking lot. Maya kept her head high as she was paraded across campus past hundreds of staring faces. The whispers followed them.
This is so wrong. Someone should stop this. Poor girl. I got it all on video. Evan trailed behind them, phone raised triumphantly as he recorded Maya's walk of shame.
His smirk grew with each step, clearly savoring every moment of her humiliation. Principal Whitmore hurried alongside them, still protesting weakly. "Officer, we need to contact her parents first. This isn't proper procedure." "I'm the procedure now," Ry snapped. "This girl needs to learn about consequences.
They reached his squad car where Rey roughly pushed Maya into the back seat. She had to twist awkwardly to avoid falling with her hands cuffed behind her. The door slammed shut with finality. Through the window, Maya could see dozens of phones still recording. Principal Witmore stood ringing her hands, looking lost.
And there was Evan, pressing close to the glass with his own phone, drinking in her distress with obvious satisfaction. Maya forced herself to take slow, steady breaths. The handcuffs bit into her wrists, but she refused to show pain. She knew what would happen next. They would have to contact her mother.
A small part of her wanted to smile, imagining the look on their faces when they realized who they were dealing with. But for now, she kept her expression neutral. Rey climbed into the driver's seat, adjusting his mirror to glare at her. "Think you're clever, causing trouble at school? We'll see how smart you feel after a night in holding." I know my rights," Maya replied calmly.
"And I know every second of this illegal arrest is being documented." Ray's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as he pulled away from the curb. Students pressed against the school windows, watching the squad car leave. Maya caught a final glimpse of Evan waving mockingly before they turned onto the main road. The drive to the station was tense and silent. Maya focused on memorizing every detail, the time, the route, every word spoken.
Her shoulders achd from the awkward position, but she sat perfectly still, giving Ry no excuse to claim she was uncooperative. They pulled into the station parking lot where Rey yanked her out of the car with the same unnecessary roughness. He marched her through a side entrance past several officers who barely glanced up from their desks. "Sit," he ordered, shoving her into a hard plastic chair next to his desk. "Don't move." Maya watched as Rey dropped heavily into his chair and pulled out an arrest form.
His pen scratched across the paper as he filled in the basic details with angry strokes. Name, age, school. Then he reached the line for parent guardian information. His pen hesitated. Maya saw his eyes narrow as he read her last name again, more carefully this time.
Ray's pen hovered over the form, his confidence wavering as he read the name Kingsley again. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Something about that name. Officer Blake Turner appeared suddenly at his desk, faced tight with concern. He leaned down and whispered urgently, "Sir, Judge Kingsley is on her way.
That's her daughter." The pen slipped from Ray's fingers, clattering onto his desk. The color drained from his face as the full weight of his actions crashed down on him. He'd just arrested a judge's daughter. Not just any judge, Delila Kingsley, whose reputation for fierce justice was legendary in their district. What did you say?
Ray's voice came out horsearo. "Judge Kingsley called the front desk directly," Blake continued, his words rushed and nervous. "She'll be here in 10 minutes. She's She's furious, sir." Ry shot up from his chair, nearly knocking it over. Through the glass partition, he could see Maya sitting calmly in the holding room, hands still cuffed behind her back.
She met his panicked gaze steadily, and he suddenly realized she'd known all along what was coming. The station erupted into anxious activity. Officers, who had ignored the situation minutes ago, were now huddled in whispered conversations, shooting worried glances toward the holding room. Ry paced, running his hands through his hair, trying to figure out how to justify his actions. "Should I remove her handcuffs, sir?" Blake asked quietly.
"No," Ray snapped, then lowered his voice. "No, she was arrested properly. We're doing this by the book." But his words sounded hollow even to himself. There had been nothing by the book about storming into a school and arresting a minor without cause, without proper procedure, without even speaking to school administrators. First, the station's front doors swung open with decisive force.
Judge Delila Kingsley stroed in, her heels striking the floor like hammer blows. She wore a charcoal suit that radiated authority, and her expression could have frozen fire. The room fell silent. Ry straightened his uniform and stepped forward, trying to project confidence he no longer felt. Judge Kingsley, I can explain.
Where is my daughter? Her voice cut through his words like a blade. Ma'am, there was an incident at the school. Officer Lauren, she interrupted, each word precisely measured. I asked you a simple question.
Where is my daughter? Ry gestured weakly toward the holding room. Judge Kingsley brushed past him without another glance, her displeasure radiating off her in waves. Blake hurried to unlock the holding room door. Maya looked up as her mother entered.