Fragile

Chapter 3

This feeling. This light, carefree feeling. This was why. 

I didn't realize I had left the floor until I felt the cold air from outside hit me. The man I didn't recognize was practically carrying me now. I didn't want to leave. Why was he making me leave? "I...party..." my brain couldn't compute coherent sentences. Was I really such a lightweight? 

I felt myself being jerked and I suddenly faceplanted into a hard chest. "Warm..." I mumbled. 

"Dude chill," a male voice growled. "We're friends, I'm just taking her home." 

"Really? What's her name?" I recognized that voice. The voice that seemed even more seductive than usual, probably because of the alcohol. 

"What're you? Her boyfriend?" 

"Touch her again and I'll deck you." The threat sounded so violent, yet for some reason I felt like laughing. 

"Noah's mad," My voice babbled with a laugh. 

Suddenly, the world spun and my legs were swept from under me. I groaned from the sudden movement. "I'm not sure if you're naive or stupid," Noah grumbled. 

"Noah... dangerous... person," I tried to speak but my words didn't process. "You don't get to know my secrets!" I pressed my index finger to my lips aggressively. "No tell." 

He sighed. "Do you have medical insurance?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Nevermind, we will find out." 

**** 

I felt like someone was stabbing my brain. My entire body felt like a rock, and my eyes felt swollen shut. White lights were blinding, preventing me from even opening my eyes. I began to shake. Where was I? Why was I here? What happened? 

The last thing I remembered was dancing with Kiera. I had taken a drink from Charles, but I only drank half of what he gave me. How could I have blacked out like this? Didn't alcohol take a few before it was blackout effective? 

"Fay," a honeysuckle voice spoke. "Fay, it's alright. You're at the hospital." 

My eyes forced to slits and I saw a fuzzy silhouette of a man. "Noah?" My throat was raw and I almost choked trying to speak. Why was I like this? What had happened? 

"You were drugged," He spoke, as if reading my mind. "Don't you know not to take drinks from strangers?" 

Charles did this to me? 

"Kiera..." Kiera had a drink too. What happened to her? 

"She's fine," Noah replied. "She's back at the dorm." 

Then why was I here? 

I struggled to sit up and Noah caught me before I could fall. He gently propped me up with pillows before pulling away. I suddenly felt cold. I was scared and armorless. I wanted to curl up and shrivel away. 

"No one knows you're here but me," Noah spoke. His eyes were gentle in comparison to his usual seductive look. He looked genuinely concerned. "One of the lacrosse players spiked a few drinks. It was pretty unlucky that you got one." 

"But... Charles gave me...." Did Charles really drug me? Was I too weak to recognize a predator in front of my own eyes? 

"Judging from his reaction, I don't think he knew," Noah muttered. "It's a tradition among the lacrosse team. They spike drinks to try and get freshmen in bed. It's disgusting, and no one wants to report them because they bring in money for the school. It's also hard to figure out who spiked the drinks." 

My mind was spinning with information. Was I almost date raped? I recalled a man grabbing my arm. A man that wasn't Noah. What had happened in between all this? 

"Charles will keep quiet," he said. "Don't worry, your precious mask will still be intact." 

I didn't even have the energy to refute his dig. My mother was right. I was weak, helpless. I couldn't even pretend to be strong. I was almost raped. In my desperate effort to fit in, I could've been raped. 

"The doctor said you can go once you finish the IV. I'll take you back to the dorms when you're ready." 

"Why did you save me?" I blurted. "Surely it wasn't from the kindness of your heart." 

He raised his eyebrows. "In this situation, a thank you works just fine." 

"Thank you," I forced out. "But why?" 

"If I didn't, who else would?" he asked. "But don't count on guys like me to always come to save you. You were lucky. Learn to protect yourself better." 

My cheeks burned hot with humiliation. He was right. This was my fault. I knew better and still did it anyway in hopes of fitting in. "The world is scary." 

"I'm not telling you to blame yourself," he groaned. "You're not as fragile as you think." 

Fragile. The world is full of hatred and chaos. They like to break fragile things. "What would you know? People are terrible. They like to break and hurt people." 

He seemed taken aback by my sudden outburst. "Yea, some people are shit. What does that have to do with you?" 

"Do you not get it? I was almost..." I couldn't bring myself to say the word. 

"That doesn't make you fragile. Naive and stupid, sure." 

"I thought you told me not to blame myself." 

"You shouldn't. So stop assuming the world is out to get you," he said. "Trust me, people are way more focused on their own issues than whatever fucked up shit you have going on." 

His words felt sharp and I winced slightly. "It's you." 

"What?" 

"The kind of people I should avoid. You." 

He scoffed at me. "Fine. I'll go. Have fun getting back to the dorms." 

I didn't know why, but my heart sank when he actually did leave without even looking back.