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Manny.
It had to be about Manny. He had been with all of them at the party but after a while Mike had lost track of him. He hadn't thought much about the fate of his friend until the phone had rang requesting him to come up to the police station.
"Michael Doyle" A woman, the same that had called the others in now called his name. He was the last one. He got up slowly, and shakily from the plastic seat and gave on last hesitant glance to his mother before following the woman inside the room. It was small and bright, making him feel even more trapped than he already was.
He blinked a couple times, his eyes adjusting to the light as he stared at the man across from him, a scary, stern looking man. "Mr. Doyle, where were you last night around the hours of 10pm to 3am?" Michael shifted in his seat, he wasn't nervous about the questions but there was something the officers weren't getting to. "I was at a party with my friends for most of the night, but I went home around 12. Why? Is something wrong?" The officer completely ignored his question, yet continued with his. "You would consider yourself to be 'good' friends with Manolo Restrepo?" Michael nodded his head, "Yeah Manny and I have always been - " The officer cut him off abruptly with another question. "Have you and Manny ever gotten into any arguments?" "Well, yeah but - " "Has any of your fights ever escalated?" A disgusted look came over Michael's face as he shook his head in disdain. "What? No, I love Manny. What does this have to do with him?" The officer paused for a moment, taking the time to observe Michael before taking a deep breath, "Manolo was found dead in Angel Creek this morning".
It was like Michael had just fallen through the floor. He felt weightless, confused, angry, empty. "W-what?" His voice cracked slightly, as he clenched the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white. "We are deeply sorry for your loss, but at this moment we need to figure out anything we can so we can help bring him justice". Michael just nodded, subconsciously, he fully wasn't there. He nodded his head yes or no to the proceeding questions, until the officers got the point and released him, telling him to call back if he thought of anything.
He walked calmly out of the room, his mother right there to grab his hand as he suddenly realized it was shaking uncontrollably. "Honey? ... Michael darling, is everything alright?" He just shook his head in response, and his mother lead him carefully out of the station. As soon as they walked out of the station he felt his breath start to hitch in his throat, and the stinging of tears at his eyes. It suddenly became harder to breath, as Michael frantically ripped open the door of his mom's car and grabbed his inhaler sitting in the cupholder with shaky hands. "Michael! What is wrong?" his mother exclaimed from the driver's seat as he took a large inhale from the inhaler.
And exhaled with a huge sob. "Oh god, Michael. Come here" And his mom wrapped him in her arms in the car, brushing his hair affectionately as he cried into her arms.