Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

put my elbows on my desk.
“Sit and talk, I don’t have much time, gotta pick up my girl from dance
class in an hour.” Calling Valentina my girl felt more natural than saying ‘my
ward’. Plus I didn’t have time to explain our complicated relationship.
“I’m from north of the Bridge,” Aiden started, and I instantly understood
why the Ravenbridge police didn’t do shit about him.
See, that town, which was situated right next to Lakestone, was divided
by a bridge, creating two very distinct parts. North Bridge was not really
well reputed, it was where most of the city’s crimes emanated from, where
the poverty rates were higher and where kids typically got in trouble. South
Bridge on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The richest elites lived
there, houses which looked more like mansions, country clubs, everything
you thought of when the words ‘fancy’ and ‘posh’ came to mind.
I, myself, came from a pretty wealthy family but thank God our parents
never raised us to be spoiled brats. They always made sure we knew how
lucky and privileged we were. From the few altercations I’d had with them, I
can’t really say the same about Ravenbridge elites. I’d always thought it was
insane to have such drastically different sides within the same town. A
Northy family could make a year what a Southy made in a day, and nobody
said anything about it, acting like it was a normal occurrence.
Aiden took the seat Sofia had vacated earlier, which made me look at my
phone to see if she answered the dozen phone calls and messages I left her.
She didn’t.
“Oscar Vasquez, my thirteen year old neighbor, went to his football
practice directly after school but when I went to get him at four, he wasn’t
there. I thought maybe he’d hitched a ride with a teammate’s mom or
something, but he’s not answering his phone. I usually have his location but
even that has been turned off. I— listen, I normally wouldn’t be bothering
you but I truly have a bad feeling about all of this. He’s the closest thing I
have to a brother.” he let out a breath and continued.
“I went to the station over in Ravenbridge, the pigs fucking laughed in my
face, said I was behaving like an old lady who lost her grandson at the fair.