Just Remember to Breathe (Thompson Sisters)

scream as I finished the sentence.
    I turned, opened the door and walked out of the office.
    “We’re leaving,” I said to Kelly and Carrie. “Has Sherman called?”
    Carrie nodded. “He said no contact. Dylan will have to go to an arraignment hearing on Monday sometime, and they’ll set his bail, or not, then.”
    Monday. Christ, two nights in jail. God only knew what was happening to him in there. This was so unfair.
    I swallowed, hard. There was nothing I could do about it, other than try my best to help him when the time came.
    “Let’s get some sleep, then. Would you guys mind if we got together in the morning—all of us—to figure out if and how we can help him?”
    Carrie and Kelly both stared at me, open-mouthed.
    “I don’t know what we can do,” Kelly said.
    “That’s what we have to figure out. What I know is, he’s all alone in there because he protected me. Now it’s my turn to protect him, and I’ll do the best I can, with your help or without it.”

    Friends (Alex)

    Everyone looked pretty rough when we met at the big round table in the back of Tom’s the next morning. Carrie’s eyes were swollen and red, and she’d pulled on jeans and a pullover. She looked as relaxed as I’d ever seen her, but also exhausted. She sat next to Ray Sherman, something I’d have been incredibly tickled about if it had been any other time. Sherman was the only one at the table looking reasonably normal. Wide awake, stuffing away about a thousand pounds of food. The two of them had arrived together, and I had the funny feeling they’d been together all night.
    Kelly and Joel were slumped together, picking at their breakfast. Joel had ended up staying over with us, but out of courtesy to me, and probably exhaustion, they’d done nothing more than sleep. He had snored, sounding something like a rhinoceros running away from a freight train, and even if I hadn’t had trouble sleeping anyway, that would have kept me up.
    I’d lain in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening to his snores, Kelly’s soft breathing, and thinking that if there had been any justice in the world, I’d have been spending the night in Dylan’s bed, definitely not sleeping.
    “My brother-in-law is a criminal defense lawyer,” Joel said. “I can’t guarantee he’ll take the case, but it’s worth asking. He’s expensive, though.”
    Sherman spoke up. “Dylan’s got cash, or he should. If not, I can spring for it.”
    I tilted my head. “You don’t have to do that.”
    He leaned forward, and said, “Yes, I do. Dylan’s closer to me than my own brother. I’d pay every last penny. Clear? Don’t argue with me on this.”
    I nodded, blinking back my watering eyes. Carrie put her hand on Sherman’s and whispered something to him, I don’t know what. Then she said something that almost made me fall over dead. “I can help with that, too. Dad gave me forty-thousand at the beginning of the school year.”
    My mouth dropped open. First at the idea that our father had just given her that kind of money, and second that she’d be willing to give it up for this.
    “Dad will have a fit,” I said.
    “It’ll be good for him,” she responded, her eyes dancing.
    “I have to fly back tonight, but I’ll get you as much of the money as I can before I go, okay? If you don’t use it, fine, send it back.”
    “And I’ll come to the hearing with you,” Kelly said. Joel nodded. “We’ll all go. You in, Ray?”
    Sherman nodded.
    I didn’t know what I did to deserve friends like this.
    Joel stepped outside to make his phone call to his brother-in-law.
    Sherman said, “Alex, before we all split up, we need to talk for a few minutes. Alone.”
    Carrie and Kelly both raised their eyebrows in curiosity.
    “Okay,” I said hesitantly.
    “Let’s take a quick walk, this won’t take long.”
    I nodded, and found myself standing, my limbs feeling numb. What did Sherman need to talk about? Something to do with Dylan, obviously. And it made me afraid. Very afraid. And I didn’t even know why.
    Outside, we walked about half a block away, and he turned around and leaned against a wall.
    “Listen,” he said. “I told you last night… Dylan…he’s like a little brother to me.”
    I nodded.
    “Well… I’m a little worried. Honestly, I’m a lot worried. About how he’s going to react to all of this. Being thrown in jail, the fight, everything.”
    I bit my lip, staring at the ground. “I am, too,” I