I am here on one side of the glass window, staring at a scared reflection of myself, while the people on the other side take a guess on whether or not I am guilty.

At least I know the other people wrapped up in this mess, though I think they have the wrong people—none of us would commit any crime.

Patricia—the leader of our crew—is on my right. She grew up as the perfect student. Received straight A’s, never missed a library study session, and never, under any circumstances, got in trouble.

Xavier stands to the left of me, which suits us seeing as we have been inseparable since kindergarten. He has been obsessed with animals since he read Frog and Toad. During our years in college, he became a veterinarian, saving animals since 2011.

Alex is the sweetheart: always making the ladies fall in love with him and sucking up to teachers and bosses.

Ryder lives for the environment. He informs others on ways to save the Earth, and he lives up to these, too.

I am the comedic relief. I crack a joke when people are sad. I am incredibly awkward, but I live to be that way. My job is the complete opposite though; I am an accountant.

I’ve known this crew for my entire life. Our friendship has only grown since the beginning, and we tell each other everything. I certainly haven’t done any crimes, and I don’t believe these four have either. Other than the minimal reprimands we heard from our parents, we never got into any trouble through all 34 years of our lives.

Number five, come with me.

Ryder tentatively follows the man with a quick glance towards his friends.

The separations are beginning. The interrogations of the innocent.

Questions using the six question words then diving into them further. Asking for our alibis. Demanding proof. Attempting to crack us. Weeding out the weak. Doing their job.

I stare at myself and then the other three. Bags rest under our eyes from hard, tiring jobs. My hand shakes. Patricia is biting her lip. Alex’s knee bounces. Xavier cracks his knuckles.

Being in a police station just caught up with us. The silence and the red numbers on the clock eerily taunts us.

Number four.

Ryder returns to the line, still with his straight back and leg kicked to the side—he can’t be too scared. Alex is taken to who knows where.

The minute side of the clock switches from eight to nine.

The uncalled for butterflies bump around in my stomach. Everyone avoids my eye contact. I can’t blame them; they’re probably trying to not laugh.

Three.

Alex makes his way back, now in between myself and Ryder as my best friend walks—seemingly confidently—towards the man about to question him to death.

Xavier never was the best with human interaction; that was what the four of his friends were for. We were his interaction. Other interactions were unsuccessful.

The clock on the wall ticks away.

Number one, right this way.

Xavier steps back in line, surprisingly calm, as Patricia steps out.

The queen, the leader of our crew, the goody-two-shoes being interrogated for a crime. I can’t help myself.

A laugh bursts from my mouth. Like lightning striking a tree, the giggle echoes through the silence.

The eyes shift over to me. But I can’t help it. The laughter pours out of me. The pent up tension releases with each breath I take after a longer period of awkward noises. I can feel the eyes boring through the one-way mirror.

The only thing that stops me is Patricia running back to her spot. No one behind her. What happened to the detective? Do I not have to be interrogated?

Suddenly, a light shines in the doorway, and my straight back becomes even straighter. The others fall silent.

Number two. I heard you are trouble.

The light comes closer and closer, yet no one else moves a muscle. The light’s clomping footsteps approach me, yet my head is frozen forward in fear.

I didn’t do anything. Why is he after me? Was it the laugh? Did the others get so scared they pushed me under the bus?

The light shines in my eye, breaking my staring contest with the other one in the mirror. A bead of sweat drips down my head.

Where were you the night of December 16th?

Think.

Uh. At home.

Oh really? I am supposed to believe that stutter?

He cracks down on me with more questions.

Why aren’t you answering? Do you have something to hide?

No.

More cracks leave me confused.

One. Two. Three. Four. Four cracks, yet my back is still straight. Weak, but straight.

Why did the rest of your little friends have alibis? Hanging out at a party with picture evidence? Where is yours? Where were you?

They all had alibis? At a party? No. Xavier said he was working late. Patricia told me she was going to the library. Why would they lie?

I did it.

Finally. A confession.

I look over at my friends, betrayed.

My back crumbles.

I was tired of the questions, tired of the mocking clock, tired of keeping my back up.

I don’t have any other friends.

My back crumbles, and the detective defeats me.