twenty-one

Ty'Elle P.O.V

"This fit right?" Grant my personal stylist asks.

I turn to the mirror then to Charlie and Miriam. They nod in approval.

"Yeah, this good. The shirt could be a litttllee looser though" i advise picking at the green shirt on my body.

Grants nods and begins to help me out of my clothes.

"One more night, you ready?" Miriam asks excitedly.

"This what I been waiting for" I tell her but something is truly not right. I feel it in my soul.

"Wassup? Talk to me" Miriam says resting her elbows and glancing at me through the mirror.

"Nothing" i lie. "I'm just overwhelmed kinda. This shit is happening" i fiddle with my fingers after adjusting my light purple sweatpants on my hips.

"Ty, this is what you've been waiting for. Don't overthink it. It'll be just fine. You'll be just fine" Miriam encourages.

I plop onto the couch beside her.

"You'll be just fine" she continues grabbing my hand with a firm 'you got this' grip.

I tight lip smile and wait for her next words according to that wrinkle aside of her lip.

"Plus you don't have a choice. If you don't perform, I will perform myself. All this damn stress" she jokes and i chuckle.

I make a mental note to give both Miriam and Charlie a hugee special shout out tomorrow night.

I gather what's mines for tonight and head home, resting up for the night. Tomorrow is a huge day. A grand day. Too big to fuck up. Too awesome to not experience.

Autumn P.O.V

"Ma?" I call out to my mom trying to hold back my tears.

She reaches over the officers holding her back trying to get to me.

"Maaa" i cry as the buff, brown officer yanks away at my body pushing me out the door.

As I exit the threshold of my safe abode, one of my biggest fears come true.

There are multiple people scattered around the yard with large cameras thrown over their shoulders.

Some just have regular cameras with large lenses scoping out my face.

At once, they all run towards me asking me all sorts of questions.

"Autumn, do you admit to these crimes?" "Autumn, are you sincere?" "Do you care?" "Why'd you run?" "Did you think you'd get away with it?"

One specific interviewer sticks out to me. I observe the white lady dressed in all black, with a singular green scarf. Her auburn, curled hair and green square framed glasses to match her scarf.

"Hi im Elana Cantes with channel 9 news. We are here, live on Tuckaseegee road. An Autumn Jones is now being convicted of the death of three individuals in the state of Arizona about a year ago. A family has came forward with such accusations and proof to claim. Autumn is now being confiscated and taken into North Carolina police custody. I can only assume this will be a supreme justice case or she will be moved to Arizona to be charged. That's all now. Tune in at 9 for updates. Heading back to Evan Foster at the station"

My heart drops and i stand in disbelief but quickly tuning back in as another person speaks.

"Autumn Jones. You are arrested for arson and the murder of Miko Hayes, Anoni Truman and Keisha Johns. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be used in the court of law" another officer, this time white, fragile but loud reads out to me and the buff officer pushes my head down and into the car.

As the cop shuts the door, I look around for my mom. She's still being contained on the porch.

The officers start to take off and i ride silently, head down, without fight. This is actually reality and I have to accept it.

Ty P.O.V

"Turn that up" i order Miriam curiously seeing a news channel outside of a familiar looking house.

Miriam grabs the remote and turns it up.

I rest against the wall crossing my arms and legs awaiting what was keeping me glued to the tv instead of getting ready for my big day.

Seeing Autumn appear on the screen, disheveled and crying, makes me jump up off of the wall. Miriam notices around the same time as I that she's in cuffs and being arrested.

"Hi im Elana Cantes with channel 9 news. We are here, live on Tuckaseegee road. An Autu-" i fade out of the new reporters words and grabbing my phone dialing Autumn.

No answer. Fuck.

Next I dial Ms. Tammy's number but no answer either.

I tune back onto the TV. "claim. Autumn is now being confiscated and taken into North Carolina police custody. I can only assume this will be a supreme justice case or she will be moved to Arizona to be ch-" not listening to anything else she says, i grab Charlie's keys from the white marbles key holder on the table of the dressing room and fly out of the Bank of America Stadium.

Charlie and Miriam call out to me but I don't stop. I have to get to her.

I relax my hand on the steering wheel and lighten my weight in the gas reminding myself that if I want to see her, I'll need to not be arrested myself.

How fucking stupid.

Not of me but her. Why would she not let me in? Let me know this? I know Autumn. She didn't do this. Couldn't have.

I speed around the corner and into the parking lot of the police station. Not finding a parking space, I park in a corner infront of a police car. They won't need that bitch that bad and it shouldn't be this packed at a police stand.

I run right past any and everybody pushing whoever's in my way.

"Autumn!" I call over the white last standing infront of me.

I push past her and to Autumn.

Getting within arms length of her, i stop to truly look at her. My pretty lady's face was tear drowned. Her eyes were droopy and she'd had her eyebrows wrinkled.

Noticing that they'd dragged her out of the house in her undergarments made me more angry. I immediately snatch off my $1,500 jacket and tie it around her waist. Her eyes watching me in sorrow.

"You shouldn't be here-" she begins to speak but i cut her off by hugging her.

Pulling away, i begin to speak.

"You don't get to decide what I do Autumn" i begin while gripping her shoulders.

"You were stupid for keeping this from me and I was damn stupid for allowing it. For not fighting" I finish all the while searching her eyes.

It's a while before any of us speak. It's actually an officer that speaks before us. "No contact" she lady officer barks.

"I love you Autumn" I tell her and cupping her cheeks.

"I-"

"And you don't get to choose or decide what I do.  I'm here and im not leaving. Ima be right by your side every fucking step"

"Ty'Elle" she begins to talk with tears rushing her face.

I immediately engulf my pretty lady into a hug no matter how disheveled she looks right now.

"We'll get through this. I got you Autumn. I promise you" I kiss her forehead getting louder and restless as some other officer grabs my arm pulling me away from her.

"I love you Autumn" I yell over them.

She mouths back to me that she loves me too.

Her legs follow wherever the officer are taking her but her upper body is not leaving me.

I attempt to kiss her once more but I get pulled away.

"That's enough. Go before you get arrested as well" said lady officer with bushy eyebrows threaten.

I wander restlessly in the front of the police station.

"Ty'Elle?" I hear twisting my neck to a disheartened Ms. Tammy.

She engulfs me into a hug, breaking down in my arms.

"Autumn would never intentionally kill somebody" she defends while wrapping up her cry and sitting up out of my grip.

"Ms Tammy" I say getting her attention.

She looks at me giving me the permission to go on.

"How bad is it?" I ask.

"She was drunk but.." she trailed off before she started to cry again.

"Ma?" We hear turning both turning our heads.

A brown skin boy, gotta be in his early twenties. Maybe 21 speed walks towards us and Ms Tammy turns to hug him.

"What's going on?"

"They got Autumn" she breaks the news to him slowly.

He raises his hand to his head and begins pacing.

"Arizona arson massacre?" He questions and Ms Tammy nods. He bites the inside of his cheek swinging his arm allowing his hand to clasp his balled up fist rhythmically.

Ms Tammy reaches out to him pulling him to her. He wraps his arms her shoulders allowing her to cry on his chest more.

He eyes me over Ms Tammy's head. His eyebrows are scrunched in confusion.

Before I could answer, I am cut off by multiple people rushing to me. Paparazzi. I was so distraught, I failed to realize they were here.

Autumn Jones is your mystery girl? Who is Autumn Jones to you? Were you aware of the crimes she committed before today? Are you inlove with an arsonist killer? How does it feel to love a murder?

I am taken aback by their words. Autumn would never.

Before I could explode on them, Miriam grabs me and Charlie blocks us from the Paps.

I reach out for Ms. Tammy and she reaches for the guy and all five of us head out of the station and make a run for Charlie's S.U.V.

"Ty'Elle WHAT THE FUCK" Miriam yells as soon as we get settled in the car. Charlie pulls her shoulder and turns her back around.

I turn to Ms Tammy who's still distraught.

"I'll call my lawyer. She'll get on it immediately. It's gonna be fine" I assure her.

"Already on it" Charlie says making eye contact at her though the mirror and handing a phone to Miriam.

"We'll go to my house. It's safe and no paparazzi. Allow us to cool down and figure everything out" I tell her eyeing Charlie in the mirror and he starts the car up.

"I'm not afraid of them. Let's go to my home please" ms Tammy says and we make a right turn instead of left.

"Well send your cars back to you when it's safe" Charlie tells them.

The ride home is silent but filled with sniffles.