Sharing Hannah

“Not this movie.”

She looked down again hesitantly, but with a little more interest. Chris stalked left and right, filling the screen, waiting on something in the darkness. Ten seconds went by. Fifteen.

“Brooke, I don’t understand what—”

“Watch.”

We got out of the car, Trey and I. Holding hands, we skipped up the walkway. Talking. Laughing…

Then Chris ran straight up behind Trey, and smashed him in the back of the head.

I watched Chloe’s face grow pale as she continued watching. Trey went down in a crumpled heap. Chris reached out and grabbed my wrist…

“H—How did you get this?”

“Hmm?” I asked nonchalantly.

Chloe swallowed hard. Whatever it was, she couldn’t quite get it down.

“I was told… that the building’s only camera was on the front entrance.”

“It was,” I said.

“So then—”

“This is footage from one of the library’s cameras, right next to the quad.” I placed my hands on her desk again. “It’s much better quality, too. They have a much newer system.”

The movie had stopped, but Chloe was still staring down at it. She didn’t know what to say.

“I have two other angles if you’d like to see them,” I said satisfactorily. “One from the north end, the other on the—”

“I can’t believe this…”

Chloe sank back in her chair, no longer talking to me. All of a sudden she looked so small. So frail.

“How could he just—”

“Because that’s who he is,” I told her sternly. “Your brother needs help, Chloe. I’ve said it before. I’ve said it numerous times, before and after we were dating, but you never, ever wanted to hear it.”

She was looking past me now. Staring at a place near the floor, where nothing existed.

“I just came from human resources,” I said. “They’ve seen the footage. They’re calling him down now.”

Her mouth opened, and I could barely hear her. I understood the words though.

“He’s finished, then.”

“Yes,” I said. “He sure is. And the police will be picking him up, if he doesn’t voluntarily turn himself in.”

She looked at me, and I could see the pleading in her eyes. “But what if he drops the charges?”

“A little late now, don’t you think?”

I could’ve told her that there wouldn’t be any charges. That Trey had already agreed not press them, if Chris dropped the ones on his end.

But I wanted her to learn something first. I needed this lesson to really sink in.

“I’ve got some other news too,” I said finally. “I went over your head, just like I said I would.”