Reap the Whirlwind - 11. Chapter 11

"Who? Who died?"

Panic closed in around me, squeezing all the air from my chest. Some part of me already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it.

"I don't know, man. Who cares? Fuck that shit."

"No, wait!" I grabbed the guy by the arm. He could have easily shaken me off — he towered over me — but instead he just looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "It might be my friend. Are you sure he was dead? What did he look like? What was he wearing?"

He pulled his arm away. "I only got a glimpse, dude, but fuck, he sure looked dead to me."

"Please! What did he look like?"

"Long blond hair? Like a flannel shirt? I don't know. I think somebody already called the cops." He paused then started backing away. "You hear that? Sirens. This party's busted. Sorry, man, I hope it's not your friend, but I'm not catching a charge tonight. I'm out." He turned and joined the steady stream of guests who were exiting the premises as quickly as they could.

I spun toward Caitlin. "That sounds like Joey—"

"Come on!" she said, grabbing my good arm before I could even finish my sentence and pulling me toward the street. "Let's go."

"Go where? We can't just leave!" I protested, but she continued dragging me along. She was stronger than she looked.

"We can and we are. We don't want to be here when the cops arrive."

"But Joey—"

"If it is Joey and he's actually dead, there's nothing you can do."

"What about the police?"

"We were in the front yard under the tree the whole time. We didn't see shit. Besides, didn't you say you had a fight with him? That could make you a suspect."

Suspect? That implied he was murdered. No one had mentioned anything about that, just that there was a dead guy in the pool who, according to the fence dude, just happened to match Joey's description. We had fought, though. That much was undeniable. I thought about his semen on my pant leg. Would that be considered evidence if someone had killed him?

"Where's your car?" she asked, stopping so suddenly that I ran into her.

"Around the corner, why?"

"You're taking me home," she said. "Now."

I was done arguing. We ran the rest of the way to the car and jumped in. I pulled away just as two patrol cars pulled up, lights flashing, an ambulance not far behind.

As the lights faded into the distance, Caitlin and I were both silent, both lost in our own thoughts. Joey couldn't be dead. I'd just seen him. Maybe the guy in the pool wasn't Joey. There had to be more than one guy with long blond hair at that party, right? Or maybe he wasn't dead, just extremely drunk. There was an ambulance so that had to be a good sign, right? Do they send ambulances for dead people?

"Where are you going?" Caitlin asked, startling me. I'd forgotten she was even in the car.

"Huh?"

"Where are you going? You don't even know where I live. We're going the wrong way."

"Oh... I... You..." I gave up trying to form a coherent sentence and pulled a U-turn.

She lived on campus, so I dropped her off near the dorms.

"Thanks, Will," she said when I pulled to a stop. "You're a sweet guy. Stop blaming yourself for the loser that Joey turned out to be. If it is him, then he deserved whatever happened. I'll be in touch." She leaned over and kissed me quickly on the cheek. "Maybe."

I watched her walk up the path and disappear around the corner of a building, wondering if I'd ever hear from her again, then pulled away in a sort of numb trance.

The drive home took longer than it should have. I missed a turn and had to backtrack twice. When I finally got home, I just sat in the car for a while, thinking about everything that had happened that night. Scenes flashed through my mind: Joey's face, twisted with cruelty in the dark room. The look in my eyes in the bathroom mirror. Caitlin chain smoking under the tree. A body floating in the pool.

I didn't see the last one for myself, but my imagination was more than up for the task of filling in the graphic detail. In my mind, it was Joey, the pool water stained red with blood.

Aidan was sitting up waiting for me when I finally went inside.

"Where were you? I was worried," he demanded, jumping to his feet.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled distractedly.

"Your note said you were going to take pictures. It's been dark for hours."

"I'm sorry," I said again, and headed for the hallway.

"I didn't know if you'd had an accident, if you were okay...if you were even alive..."

The weight of that night's events combined with Aidan's nagging tone broke something inside me. "I said I'm sorry!" I yelled as I spun around. "What more do you want from me?"

Aidan's wounded expression caused instant regret.

"Well, excuse me for giving a damn. I guess I should know better by now." He pushed past me and started toward his room.

"Aidan, wait!" I called wearily. This wasn't what I wanted or needed right now, but I owed him an explanation. Or something, at least.

He stopped but kept his back to me, his shoulders tense.

"I went to talk to Joey. It...it didn't go well."

He slowly turned around.

"He... He tried to..." I stopped and tried to swallow the bile that kept rising in the back of my throat. "He tried to force himself on me. I... I think he was going to rape me." I started crying but kept going. It was as if the words wouldn't stop coming. "He pinned me against the wall and tried to force himself on me. He hurt me."

All the color had drained from Aidan's face. "Oh, my God," he whispered.

"I hit him, pushed him away...then I ran."

Aidan took a few quick steps forward as if to hug me, but I flinched when he raised his arms, and he stopped in his tracks, letting his arms fall limply to his sides.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, examining my face for damage.

"I think he's dead," I choked.

Aidan's eyes flew open wide. "You killed him?"

"No! He was alive when I left him. I only kneed him in the crotch and decked him with my cast."

"Then why do you think he's dead?"

"Some guy said they found a body in the pool. He described Joey. I don't even know what happened. We left before the police got there."

"We? Were you with someone? Was Laura there?"

"No, I was with a girl named Caitlin when...when they found the body."

"Who's Caitlin?"

"I met her tonight. She was one of Joey's conquests. He...hurt her." I don't know why I didn't tell him about Caitlin's pregnancy. I just didn't feel it was the right time.

"Where is she now?"

"I took her home."

"Why did you leave before the police got there?"

"Caitlin wanted to. She said I would be a suspect, and we didn't have anything to add anyway because we were in the front yard under the tree the whole time."

"Under the—? Never mind. Why would you be a suspect?"

"Because of our fight."

"Did other people hear you?"

"Yes. He took me to a room upstairs. We were alone, but he kept slamming me against the door. Some people heard us, I guess. Somebody banged on the door, asked if we were alright." I glanced down at my pant leg. "Oh yeah. His, um...cum is on my leg. That could be like evidence, right? Do you think I'm a suspect?"

"Holy shit, Will." He ran his hands through his hair. "Slow down. You don't even know for sure if the guy in the pool was Joey. You're taking the word of some stranger. Even if it was Joey, you don't know that he's dead. Maybe he just passed out or something. He's been partying pretty hard lately."

I met his eyes. "Maybe. He seemed pretty messed up when he attacked me."

He looked down at his watch. "It's almost time for the late news, maybe they'll have something on there about it." He moved into the living room, turned on the TV, and started flipping through the channels until he found the local news just as it was coming on.

"Good evening," the anchor, a blonde woman with a severe blonde bob, said as she stared directly into the camera. "I’m Savannah Blake, and this is WMAC News at Ten. We begin tonight with breaking news out of Pemberton University, where tragedy has struck the local campus community."

The screen cut to a live shot of flashing police lights outside the frat house with yellow tape in the distance.

"Details are still coming in, but we have confirmed with both the city’s chief of police and campus security that a Pemberton University student has died tonight at an off-campus party. Authorities have not yet released the student’s name, pending notification of family."

The camera cut to a pre-recorded interview clip with a heavy-set man with salt-and-pepper hair. The scroll across the bottom of the screen identified him as Police Chief James Rowan.

"At this time, we are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this student’s death," the chief said. "We are working closely with campus officials and urge anyone with information to come forward."

They cut back to the anchor in the studio.

"Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the death was accidental or if foul play was involved. Students and community members gathered near the scene, expressing shock and grief."

Cut back to a clip of a young woman in a PU sweatshirt, visibly shaken, speaking to reporters on the street outside the frat house. I could see the tree Caitlin and I had sat under in the background.

"It’s just heartbreaking," the student was saying. "We were all having fun, and then suddenly, somebody started screaming. No one knew what was happening. You just don't expect something like this to happen, you know?"

The screen shifted to some canned footage of the Pemberton campus.

"University officials have released a statement saying they will provide counseling services for students affected by this tragedy. Meanwhile, police continue their investigation, and we will bring you updates as more details emerge."

Back to the anchor, looking solemn.

"For now, our thoughts are with the family, friends, and the entire Pemberton University community during this difficult time. Stay with us as we follow this developing story."

She moved on to her next story, something about hog futures. Joey's death was just another story unrolling on the teleprompter in front of her.

I slowly lowered myself into the chair and sat, stunned, for a moment as Aidan turned off the TV.

"Have you ever wondered what they mean by hog futures?" I said finally. "What kind of future does a hog have really? Ham or bacon? Sausage or scrapple?"

"Will, are you okay?" Aidan asked, approaching slowly, as if I was an easily spooked feral animal of some sort.

"Maybe it isn't Joey," I said halfheartedly. "She didn't say his name."

I sounded like a child who believes that as long as you don't say it, it didn't happen. But I knew in my gut that it was true. Joey was gone. It felt like a part of me was suddenly missing, leaving a gaping hole in its place.

"No, we don't know for sure," Aidan said softly. "You should go to bed. It's late and you need to rest."

I nodded, too far gone to argue. As I stood up, I realized my arm was throbbing from my tussle with Joey. I must have winced because Aidan frowned.

"Are you okay? You said Joey hurt you?"

"My arm is killing me," I grumbled.

Aidan's frown deepened. "I hope that asshole didn't do any damage. Hang on."

He vanished into his room and returned a few moments later with one of my pain pills

"Here. Take this," he instructed.

I popped the pill obediently and headed for my room in a sort of trance. I didn't turn any lights on, just stood in the darkness for a few minutes. Without warning, a feeling of loss and loneliness so powerful I almost cried out overwhelmed me. I turned and crossed the hall to Aidan's door, where I knocked lightly.

"Yeah?" he called warily.

I opened the door. "Can I... Can I sleep with you tonight?" I sounded like a small child at his parents' door after a nightmare.

"What do you mean?" Aidan said cautiously.

"Just...I'm afraid to be alone," I said shakily.

He thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay."

I closed the door behind me and undressed in the darkness, then crawled into Aidan's bed, being careful to stay on my side. We lay in silence with our backs to each other.

I waited until I thought he had fallen asleep before letting go. The tears came hot but silent at first and slowly built into muffled sobs as I tried not to wake Aidan.

I was surprised but grateful when I felt his strong arms circle around me, and I found myself crying myself to sleep in his arms once more.

I woke up early the next morning after a fitful night's sleep. Aidan was already in the shower, but I headed straight for the living room. I wanted to watch the news to see if there were any updates.

I had to sit through a story about a tractor trailer accident on Route 50, but then the headline "Pemberton Tragedy: New Details Emerge" scrolled across the screen.

"Authorities have now released the identity of the student who tragically died last night at an off-campus party. Joseph Taylor, an eighteen-year-old freshman from Salisbury, was found dead during a party at an off-campus frat house. His untimely passing has left the campus community in mourning."

My stomach dropped and my head spun as they cut to a closeup of Joey’s school ID photo with his name below.

"According to police reports, Taylor was discovered in a backyard swimming pool by another student. The house belongs to Omega Kappa Zeta, a fraternity with a long history of causing disturbances with their rowdy parties. Investigators are still working to determine exactly how Taylor ended up in the water, but they have confirmed that alcohol was present at the gathering and believe it may have played a role in his death."

They cut to footage of students gathered on campus, some placing flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial.

"Fellow students say they are in shock."

They shifted to a young woman standing outside a dormitory, hugging her arms around herself.

"I can't believe he's gone. He was always the life of the party."

Her name wasn't displayed, just the caption: Taylor’s Classmate. The camera cut back to the anchor in the studio.

"Police continue to investigate the circumstances of Taylor’s death, but his passing has raised concerns about off-campus parties and student safety. Are these gatherings putting college students at risk? Police say incidents involving alcohol and underage drinking are a growing concern at Pemberton and other area universities. And that may not be all these students are using.

"We go now to our investigative reporter, Mark Reynolds, who takes a closer look at the risks of these parties and what’s being done to keep students safe."

I turned off the TV, cutting the reporter off mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry, Will," Aidan said softly from behind me. I hadn't even noticed him there.

The empty feeling from the night before was still there, but now it had eased into a dull ache. I didn't cry. I had done my mourning the night before.

"I... I should call his mom or something..."

"Not now. There'll be too much going on. Later, after things have settled down."

I nodded.

My phone buzzed. It was a call from Caitlin.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Did you see the news?"

"Yes. Are you okay?"

"I guess." A pause, then. "It's not like I'm his chief mourner or anything. What about you? You were his friend, after all."

"I'm fine." I wasn't, but what was I supposed to say?

"Do you have someone with you?"

"Yeah, my—" I started to say 'roommate,' but I changed my mind at the last moment. "My best friend is here with me."

Aidan had been studiously staring at his phone, pretending he wasn't listening, but his head snapped up at that. He quickly looked back down at his own phone.

"Good. You shouldn't be alone."

"Did you think about my offer?" I asked carefully.

Aidan glanced up again.

"Not yet," Caitlin replied. "Don't rush me."

"Sorry. It's just, with Joey gone—"

"With Joey gone, what? That just means there's zero chance he'll be helping out if I have the baby instead of just almost zero. I wasn't counting on him anyway, but at least I could have sued for child support or something."

"What about his mom?"

"What about her? I don't know her and I don't want her help either, considering she managed to raise a son like Joe." She sighed. "Look, maybe she's a great person and he was just a bad apple or whatever, but, either way, she's dealing with enough right now with the death of her son, right? She doesn't need to know about a kid that may or may not even be around this time next week, so keep your mouth shut."

"Yeah. Okay," I agreed.

"I mean it, Will. This isn't your secret to share."

"Got it."

She sighed again. "Bye, Will."

"Bye."

She ended the call.

The moment I lowered my phone, Aidan was all over me. "What was that all about?"

"You shouldn't have been eavesdropping," I said, part defensive, part joking.

"You saw me sitting right there. Besides, you just said I'm your best friend. Best friends tell each other everything."

I sighed. "Caitlin is pregnant, and she's thinking about getting an abortion."

His eyebrows drew together. "And that concerns you how?"

"The baby is Joey's."

Aidan blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered. "I repeat, and that concerns you how?"

"I feel responsible somehow. I know it's ridiculous," I rushed on to drown out the protest that was already forming on Aidan's lips, "but I can't help it. Besides, I like Caitlin. I want to help her." I paused for a moment, then spit out the next part super fast, "I told her I'd help her raise the baby if she doesn't have an abortion."

"You what?" Aidan stared at me in abject horror. "Have you lost your fucking mind? You don't know anything about babies! You don't even know her. You just met her last night, for God's sake! How do you know she's not lying? How do you know the baby is Joey's? And even if it is, you have no obligation to this person. Babies are a lifelong commitment. You cannot get yourself involved."

"I'm already involved. That baby is a part of Joey. All that's left of him now. Joey was a huge part of my life for eighteen years. He was my best friend. I feel like I owe it to him to be there for his baby."

"Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds? Maybe he was your friend for a long time, but that guy was horrible to you at the end. Whatever bond you may have had once was broken when he couldn't accept that you're gay, and then obliterated when he attacked you. You don't owe him anything. Besides, why can't she just put the baby up for adoption? Why are aborting it or keeping it the only options?"

I paused for a moment. "I don't know. I didn't ask." I felt foolish for not thinking of that option myself. "I guess I can mention it to her, but if she doesn't want to put the baby up for adoption, I'm telling you, I want to help."

"Will, you need to talk to Dr. Wohler about this. You are not responsible for someone else's actions. I had to realize that when you tried to kill yourself. At first, I blamed myself, but I didn't make you jump off that fire escape, just like you didn't make Joey become a drunken asshole who knocked up this random girl — who, I cannot emphasize enough, you do not know. That was his choice. You didn't make Joey have unprotected sex with her. That was their decision. You are not responsible for any of this."

"I've already given my word to Caitlin. I'm not breaking my promise."

"You didn't have any problem breaking your word to me when you took a flying leap off the balcony!"

I froze.

"Will, I'm sorry..."

"You said you forgave me for that."

He sighed. "Forgiven but not forgotten...remember?"

"Then let's just say I learned my lesson. I'm not breaking my promises anymore."

He stared at me for a minute. I could read the frustration easily in his eyes.

"You need to think really hard about this. This isn't healthy at all. In fact, I think we should call Dr. Wohler and try to get you in for an emergency session right now."

"No. I don't feel like talking to him right now."

"Because you know he'll tell you how insane this is."

"I'll talk to him when I'm ready, alright? But it's not going to change my mind on this. That baby is all that's left of Joey. I... I can't just abandon it."

"Ultimately, it's not your choice, and, quite frankly, it's none of your business. That decision is up to her alone. It's her life, her body."

"I know, but maybe if there's some offer of support, someone willing to go through it with her, help her out, maybe that will make a difference..."

Aidan shook his head. "Will, this is crazy, but clearly you're not going to listen to reason, at least from me. I just hope Caitlin does the right thing for everybody involved. Sometimes, not bringing a life into the world might be for the best."

He left the room, his ominous words hanging in the air like stale cigarette smoke.

My phone buzzed again, distracting me from my thoughts.

It was Laura. She was crying when I answered. "Did you see the news?" she choked out between sobs.

"Yeah."

"I can't believe he's dead."

"Yeah, I know." I didn't know what to say.

"I mean, he's been so different lately, but I never expected... God, what's happening to us? I can't believe Joey is gone. Are you okay?"

"I mean... I guess so."

"You don't even sound that upset."

"I...I think I'm just numb." I didn't think it was the best time to tell her what had happened the night before.

Her voice changed, a note of concern colored her words. "Are you there alone? Is Aidan around?"

"He's here, but he's not my nursemaid. I'm fine. I...I lost Joey before he ended up in that pool. This just makes it more...final."

"Will!" she sounded shocked.

"The Joey that died last night isn't the Joey we grew up with, Laura. I...I have to go."

"Will?"

I disconnected the call and sighed. I'd deal with Laura later. I wasn't emotionally ready to deal with her grief at that moment. I had my own to process, and I needed all the strength I had just for that.

I had a sinking feeling that the full repercussions of Joey's death hadn't even begun to make themselves known yet.

I waited until that afternoon to call Joey's mom. She sounded as upset as one would expect. I had intended to just offer my sympathy, but she surprised me by asking me to come over, and I couldn't exactly refuse. She was like a second mother to me, growing up.

After convincing Aidan that I was fine going alone, I drove over. I parked in front of the house I'd spent so much time in over the years. For a moment, I just stared at the little yellow rancher, remembering all the good times I'd had there with Joey, all the sleepovers, the scraped knees, the tire swing that used to hang from the tree in the front yard, the endless games of basketball on the driveway.

A fresh wave of grief washed over me. There would never be memories made here with Joey again.

I pulled myself together and forced myself to trudge up to the front door. I hesitated at the doorstep. I hadn't knocked on that door in years, but somehow, I didn't feel I had the right to just walk in anymore. Joey was gone. This was no longer his home.

I knocked.

A woman I didn't know answered the door and stared at me questioningly.

"Hi. I'm, um, Will Keegan. Mrs. Taylor is expecting me? I think?" I sounded unsure and apologetic.

Luckily, the woman gave me a warm smile. "Of course. I should have recognized you but I don't think I've seen you since you were about knee high. I'm Mel, Joey's aunt. You probably don't remember me."
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't."

"Don't be sorry. It's been years. I don't get up this way nearly enough. Come on in. Monica is in the living room."

Joey's mom was seated on the couch, looking at a photo album on her lap. She was so entranced, she didn't even notice my entrance. Next to her sat another woman I didn't know but assumed to also be a family member.

For as close as Joey and I had been, I realized I didn't know any of his extended family. He never talked about them. I knew his mom, of course, but that was it. His father ran out on them when Joey was a toddler, and they'd never heard from him again.

Mel followed me into the room. "Will, this is our other sister, Misty. We flew in as soon as we heard."

Both women glanced up as Mel took a seat on the other side of Joey's mom.

Mrs. Taylor's face crumpled when she saw me, but she somehow held it together. "Thank you for coming, Will." She turned to the woman Mel had introduced as Misty. "Will was Joey's best friend since they were old enough to walk. They were inseparable."

"More like twins than friends," Mel added. "I remember having to take both of them to the National Zoo because Joey refused to go without him."

A vague memory of someone taking Joey and I to the zoo in Washington D.C. when we were like five or six came rushing back to me. I guess that was Mel, although I still didn't remember her at all, just a hazy impression of a grownup shaped chaperone. If you'd asked me who took us to the zoo that time, I probably would have said it was Mrs. Taylor.

I looked back and forth between the three sisters. They looked nothing alike, aside from the fact that they were all varying shades of blonde. Joey's mom was pretty in a sort of hard way. With ash blonde hair that she always wore long, well past her shoulders, and big brown eyes, I'd always thought she looked much younger than other mothers of kids our age. She suddenly looked much older than I'd ever seen her, her face haggard, her eyes sunken. Then again, I wasn't sure I'd ever seen her without makeup before.

Mel, in contrast to Mrs. Taylor's slim build, looked like a bulldog in comparison, complete with hanging jowls and a stubborn expression. Her dirty blonde hair was cut mannishly short, and she was built like a fireplug. Misty, on the other hand, looked like a chicken, long-necked and gangly, rail thin, and beady-eyed, with bleached blonde hair so light it was almost white.

Mrs. Taylor reached out and I stepped closer. She grabbed my hand and held onto it like it was a lifeline and she was drowning. Which, in a way, she probably was.

"When the police showed up at the door last night...I just couldn't believe it," she said, her eyes filling with unshed tears. They were red and swollen as if she'd been crying a lot. "I kept saying that they had to be wrong, that it couldn't be my Joey. But then I had to go identify him. They called him 'the body.' 'We need you to come identify the body,' they said. I said, he's not just a body, he's my son." She almost seemed to be talking to herself. "It was Joey..." She broke off in a muffled sob, but somehow managed to choke it down. "Thank you for being such a good friend to my Joey." With that, she dissolved into sobs, still clutching my hand while I shifted uncomfortably, wishing I were anywhere but here.

Eventually, she stopped crying and insisted I sit next to her and look at photos of Joey's childhood, kicking Misty off the couch to make room. Looking at the photos was torture. I felt like a molten ball of lead filled my stomach, but I stayed for what I thought was a decent amount of time before making my excuses.

"Oh, Will?" Mrs. Taylor called as I stood up. "You weren't at that party last night, were you?"

My heart dropped.

"Actually, I was, Mrs. Taylor, but just for a few minutes. I... I didn't stay."

She seemed surprised. "Then I think the police are looking for you."

I gasped. "What?"

"They described you and asked if I knew anyone who fit that description. I told them you did, but they said you weren't on the list of people present when they arrived. Several people said they saw someone wearing a bright yellow shirt fitting your description go upstairs with Joey and come back down in a rush. They said you might be the last person who saw him alive."

"I...I left before... He was alive when I left..." I stammered.

She nodded as if it were what she had expected to hear. "I told them you were a good boy. Tell me, Will, how was he?"

What could I say? "Honestly, Mrs. Taylor, he wasn't good. He was drunk. He, uh, wasn't himself."

She started to cry again.

"I'm so sorry," I said helplessly. "I'm going to miss him." And I would. I'd miss the friend who grew up with me, but not the man he became.

I turned to leave once more, but she called out again. "One more thing."

I turned back.

"Was he wearing his necklace?"

I knew immediately which necklace she meant, a silver chain with a small oval charm depicting a saint of some sort hanging from it. I'd never seen Joey without it. It was his father's, the only thing he left behind when he split. Joey cherished that necklace more than any other possession he owned, convinced his father left it for him, like some kind of protective talisman. As far as I knew, the only time Joey had ever been inside a church was when he was baptized as an infant, but he never took that necklace off.

I tried to remember if I had seen the necklace or not. It was so much a part of him that I just took it for granted, but I tried to recall if he'd actually been wearing it the night before. I mentally walked through the painful encounter with Joey until I found what I was looking for. When he'd shoved me against the door, I'd seen the chain around his neck.

"Yes, he was," I said through clenched teeth. The memory caused a visceral reaction that made me want to vomit again. I swallowed several times, then managed, "Why?"

"It wasn't on him when they found him. I would like to have it back. It meant so much to him..." Her voice broke again, and Mel patted her back.

I mumbled another apology and took the opportunity to escape the suddenly oppressive house. I'd spent so much time there over the years, but it felt hollow without Joey's presence, as if he'd been the heart and soul of the home.

I sat in the car for a long time, resting my head against the steering wheel. I guess I needed to add "talk to the police" to my to-do list.

Was I suspect? Could I be arrested for fleeing the scene of a crime? Was I a material witness? What even was a material witness? Did I need a lawyer?

I was in over my head. I needed to talk to a trusted adult.

Too bad I didn't know any.