𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞

ALANNA'S POV

The cell was small . Too small . The walls were close enough to hear every breath I take echo back to me . Concrete , cold , unforgiving - they didn't care if I didn't deserve to be here . The air smelt like old sweat and rusted metal mixed into one, and the only window was a bit to high for me to see the sky so all I truly saw was a patch of light that faded too quickly .

In the last twenty four hours it hadn't really felt as if time was moving . Every minute stretched like it's trying to break free , but it never does . Last night I didn't sleep whatsoever, every sound felt like a threat - the clink of metal , muffled arguments , sometimes worse .  However the reason I didn't sleep a blink also could of been the fact

" Johnson your moving let's go " an officer said firmly as he opened my door with a big clunk .

I slowly walked through the police station , it was nice to fine feel the buzz of people doing their jobs instead of just having to stare at the same four walls.

Earlier the same morning my solicitor has told me where I was going , it was some sort of unit that held children until it was there court day . I was yet to find out when mine was going to be yet so it was looking like I was going to have to become some what used to the new place .

The van stank for rusted metal with a mix of sweat . We rolled for hours . Concrete to motorway to back roads . My stomach flipped from nerves and the bad breakfast I had been given this morning . All I could do was watch through the slits in the windows - flashes of normal light go back . Mums with their kids who were riding their bikes as an ice cream truck stopped for them . Things that I didn't have any more .

We eventually arrived at my new home and before I even get a chance to look around the place I was already being guided out of the van . The doors opened . Commands barked . Walk . Step in this room . Strip . Cough . Dress.The routine felt a lot more harsh than the previous introduction I had down at the local police station. I mean the whole place felt entirely different, it felt less like a prison and more like some behaviour unit . Well I guess that was what it sort of was .

" so this is the communal room , where everyone is welcome. Girls and boys are mixed in here , the only place that you will be otherwise you will be in your dorms . It was very weird to hear them describe the 'unit' in the way that they did just because everyone in here was here for some sort of crime and it was almost like we were being treated as kids at some summer camp .

As I walked through the door all eyes were instantly focused on me . However my eyes only really noticed one pair of eyes in the room . Jamie Miller . For some reason just seeing him just made my blood boil and knowing myself I wouldn't be able to contain it inside of me without at least saying something , or even doing something .

" you fucking bastard " I scream as I start to head towards him , this just causes everyone's eyes to be glued to mine .

Instantly I could see the fear wash over Jamie's face , he stood up from were he was sat down and he then backed up the furthest he possibly could to the point he was squashed up into the wall .

" Al-an-na " Jamie said stuttering , his voice barely above a whisper. It was obvious that he wasn't prepared to see him this afternoon .

" you snitch " I say as my voice starts to raise , the kids making a ring around us since there was no officers in the room to stop anything from happening . It was just me and Jamie now .

" Alanna I didn't saw anything , I swear " Jamie replies , his voice trembling with fear

I took another step closer to him , I didn't really know what my brain was planning to do but there was nothing I could do to stop it .

The room felt too quiet - the kind of silence that pressed underneath my skin. Jamie stood just a few meters away from me , arms tense by his side and his shoulders ridged like he was bracing for an impact . I could see it all over him ;he didn't want to do this either . But he was afraid - I wasn't completely sure if it was from me or from what would happen if he didn't act . Or lost control .

Then something that I really wasn't expecting to happen . He made the first move , not a punch or anything clean for that matter . He shoved me , hard , his hands flat against both of my shoulders. I stumbled back a step , caught off guard by the desperation more than the force itself .

" stop acting like you're better than everyone else " Jamie said out of nowhere which just fuelled my fire even more.

I gave him a harsh shove back, using his own momentum to turn him off balance. He stumbled but he recovered , barely and then made a swing at me . I wouldn't say it was a punch, not exactly. More like a swipe , angry, messy and untrained. It landed against my shoulder however that was most definitely not going to stop me.

Out of pure anger , I grabbed his arm and shoved him backwards. His back hit the wall with a dull thud and he froze, eyes wide in shock. I moved towards him, fast, pressing my forearm lightly to his chest - not trying to hurt him but instead just keep him still.

Somehow he had managed to get me to release my grip on him , I took a few steps back meaning that we were no longer cramped up against the wall.He slowly took a step into the small circle that had been formed , his balance shifted. He hesitated, just a second too long so I took my opportunity. I stepped in a swept his legs out from under him.

He hit the floor, hard.

He tried to get up , but I was one step ahead of him , pushing him back to the ground as I landed multiple punches onto his face.

" I thought I told you Jamie " I say through gritted teeth

Jamie swallowed, his breathing had become uneven but he didn't say a word. He was too busy figuring out that he couldn't win, well not with me at least.

Before I could get the chance to say anything else to him a guard came rushing in . Although I wasn't sure how one didn't come rushing in sooner.

" Johnson get off him " I hear an officer scream before I was dragged off him and out of the room, away from Jamie.