Chapter 6: The Fallout Continues

“Call the police? No!” Natalie panicked. “If we call the police, my life will be ruined! Who will pay for my reputation?”

Ms. Parker replied sharply, “The criminal who assaulted you, of course. You’re the victim, not the perpetrator.”

Years of teaching in a small town made her immune to most tricks. She gave Natalie a look that said, "Don’t try me."

Natalie’s eyes darted around, but she said nothing.

I agreed, “Ms. Parker’s right. We should call the police. Whoever’s guilty should be punished.” I said it loud enough for the secretary to hear.

Natalie realized she was trapped—if she refused, rumors would only get worse.

That’s life in a small town. Everyone knows everything, and the victim always gets blamed.

"Fine…" Natalie finally agreed, her voice small for the first time.

We rode in Ms. Parker’s Subaru to the police station, which smelled like peppermint gum and old coffee. Natalie sat in the back, arms crossed, silent.

The officer took our statements, professional but tired. I told the truth—I’d kept my head down and walked away. The officer nodded and let me go home.

Natalie was furious, grabbing the officer’s sleeve and shrieking, “Officer, Caleb ruined my future! How can he be innocent? Are you covering for him because he has good grades?”

The officer stayed professional. “Caleb didn’t commit any crime. He just passed by and didn’t even notice you were being assaulted.”

Natalie interrupted, desperate. “He’s faking it! When I was calling for help, I saw him look back! He definitely knew I was in danger and ignored me!”

The officer’s face darkened. “Even if he saw, the law doesn’t require people to risk their lives. Not acting heroically isn’t a crime.”

He explained, “If the guy had a weapon, saving you could have put Caleb in danger. The best thing is to call the police and shout from a distance—assuming he even saw it.”

He looked at me, then back at Natalie. “Whether he saw it or not isn’t up to you.”

The police looked helpless. Maybe he thought the same as I did: with someone like Natalie, not saving her is the safest option.

Not getting her way, Natalie threw herself on the floor, sobbing, “You’re bullying me because I’m a woman! Caleb didn’t save me, so it’s his fault! My life is ruined! He has to pay!”

She was throwing a tantrum like a toddler in the middle of Walmart. The officer’s face grew cold. “This is a police station, not a Walmart parking lot. You may be the victim, but if you keep this up, we can detain you. That’s your first warning.”

He reached for his cuffs, making the threat clear. Natalie shuddered and got up, sobbing quietly, mascara streaking down her cheeks.

The police sighed. “We’ll catch the criminal. You’ll get a proper explanation.” The case was officially out of my hands.

I could barely hide my satisfaction. After that, Natalie stayed to give more details. I took Ms. Parker’s car back to school. She handed me a granola bar and said, “Caleb, even though you’re into Northwestern, don’t slack off. There’ll be people smarter than you. Don’t let this distract you.”

She was strict, but she cared. I nodded, promising I understood.

Back in class, everyone ignored me. I thought maybe things would calm down. But the next day, Natalie brought the police again and pointed at me.

Natalie’s trembling finger found me again. The nightmare wasn’t over. It was just beginning.