Chapter 7: Reflections
The sun had barely risen, casting pale light over the streets as Nia walked home. The night felt like a blur, the memories of the school shooting still fresh, the images of Mikey’s broken expression as he was led away by the police haunting her thoughts. Everything had happened so quickly, and yet it felt like a lifetime.
Nia’s phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her from her reverie. She reached for it, glancing at the screen. It was Malik.
“How’s everything? You good?”
She paused before responding. Her fingers hovered over the screen, her mind replaying the events of the past few hours. She had done what she could, but there was still so much uncertainty. Mikey was in custody, but what would happen to him now? Would he get the help he needed? Or would he be lost to the system, never able to escape the weight of his choices?
“I’m okay. Just a little shaken. Mikey… he turned himself in. I think he’s ready to face the consequences.”
She hit send, letting out a long breath. Malik would understand. He knew how deeply she had been affected by everything that had happened, how hard it had been to stand in front of Mikey and plead with him, to reach the broken boy inside the angry, lost teenager.
Another buzz. This time, it was a call.
She answered quickly. “Malik.”
“Nia,” his voice was gentle, but she could hear the concern in it. “You did the right thing. You know that, right?”
She exhaled slowly. “I’m not sure what the right thing even is anymore.” Her voice trembled slightly. “I saved him from… hurting anyone else. But what happens to him now? He’s going to be in jail. And for what? Just because people didn’t listen to him?”
“You can’t save everyone,” Malik said, his voice steady but compassionate. “You gave him a choice. That’s all you could do. But in the end, it was his choice. And you know what? That’s what he needed—the chance to choose, not to be pushed into a corner. You did more than anyone could have expected.”
Nia swallowed hard, her emotions welling up inside her. “I don’t know if that’s enough. What if he never gets the help he needs? What if he just gets swallowed by the system?”
“That’s something we can’t control,” Malik replied. “But we can be the ones who make sure he doesn’t feel forgotten. You showed him that there’s hope, Nia. That’s something. Not everyone gets that kind of chance.”
Nia nodded, although Malik couldn’t see her. She had tried to do the right thing, but the weight of what happened still hung heavily on her chest. The faces of the students who had been trapped in that building, the sound of Mikey’s voice, shaking with emotion as he apologized—it was all still too fresh.
“Thanks, Malik,” she whispered. “I just… I don’t know if I can move past this. Not yet.”
“You don’t have to. Just take it one day at a time. You did more than anyone else could have done.”
They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, and Nia let the quiet settle in her mind. When she finally spoke again, her voice was steadier.
“I’m going to visit him,” she said softly. “I think I need to see how he’s doing, what’s happening next.”
Malik’s response was immediate. “I think that’s a good idea. But remember, Nia… don’t take on too much. You’ve done your part. Now you need to take care of you.”
Nia thought about that for a moment, and for the first time that day, she allowed herself to feel something other than dread. Maybe it was okay to take a step back, to let things unfold as they would. She had tried to help, and now it was time for Mikey to face the consequences, to make his own decisions.
“Thanks, Malik. I’ll keep that in mind.”
The conversation ended with a few more words of encouragement, and Nia slipped her phone back into her pocket. She reached her street, the familiar sights of her neighborhood offering a momentary sense of peace. But it was fleeting. The sound of sirens still echoed in her mind, and the shadow of Mikey’s future loomed large.
Later that afternoon.
Nia sat in the waiting room of the county jail, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the hem of her jacket. The cold walls, the sterile air, the hum of distant conversations—it was all a stark contrast to the chaos of the night before. She had never imagined she’d find herself in a place like this, waiting to see Mikey, of all people.
A guard walked past, eyeing her briefly before continuing down the hall. Nia didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she focused on the ticking of the clock, every second seeming to drag by. The walls felt like they were closing in, but she forced herself to breathe deeply.
A few minutes later, the door to the visiting room opened, and Mikey was escorted inside. His hands were cuffed, his face drawn and tired. His eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
“Hey,” Nia said quietly, breaking the silence. “How are you doing?”
Mikey shrugged, but the motion was stiff, hesitant. “I don’t know.” His voice cracked. “I never thought it would get this far.”
“I know,” Nia said softly, offering a small, understanding smile. “But you’re here now. That’s the first step.”
He sat down across from her, his gaze dropping to the table between them. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t want any of this. But… sometimes, you get so angry, you just lose control. And when that happens, it’s like nothing else matters.”
“I get it,” Nia replied, her voice gentle. “But Mikey, you do have control. You’ve always had it. You just need to learn how to use it differently.”
Mikey looked up at her then, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and regret. “I don’t know how. I don’t know if I can change.”
“You can,” Nia said firmly. “You’re not the same person you were when you walked into that school. You made a choice. And that’s what matters. Now you just have to keep making the right ones.”
He nodded slowly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’ll try.”
The guard came over to signal that the visit was over, and Mikey was escorted back to his cell. As he disappeared through the door, Nia remained seated, her heart heavy but filled with a small flicker of hope. Mikey had a long road ahead of him, but maybe—just maybe—he could find a way to rebuild.
As she walked out of the jail, the weight of the world still pressing on her shoulders, Nia realized something important. Sometimes, the best you can do is show someone that they’re not alone. That there’s always hope, no matter how dark things get.
