The Remembering

Chapters 6 thru 13

Chapter Six
2005

Danyka sat at the desk in the room that she shared with Cora. She was nearly done with the English paper that was due Monday. It was Saturday evening. Cora was at a sleepover for some friend's birthday. Danyka had been invited too, but she did not do sleepovers. She did not have nightmares very often anymore, but she did not want to take the chance of having a nightmare at someone else's house. She finished her paper, clicked save and decided she would wait until tomorrow to print it. She did not want to wake anyone with noise that the printer would make. She put her books away and realized that she was not sleepy. She checked the time and saw that it was almost midnight. Tanner and Abigail were already in bed and she knew that Liam should be home soon from his date.

Danyka went to the kitchen to make herself a snack, then brought it back to her room. She opened the window, sat in the little loveseat and listened to the night air with the warm spring breeze whispering in the wind. She dipped her Oreos into her milk and smiled to herself as she felt the wind touch her skin. She listened to the noises of the night as she thought about the last six years. She felt lucky that when she came home that weekend with Tanner and they decided to keep her. She had a small smile on her face as she bit into another cookie. She would always be grateful to them for always treating her like one of their own. She skipped a couple of grades and now would be graduating in the same class with Liam. She had filled out in all the right places. Or that is what she has been told by all the boys at school. Her hair was long. She had cut it once up to her chin a couple years back but realized quickly that that look was not for her. The boys seemed interested in her. She went on a couple of dates with Logan. He was nice. At first. He was blond with brown eyes. He was tall and had a really skinny build. He played on the football team as a kicker. He showed interest in her when she lent him a pencil in math class. She was not sure about him when he asked her out. But all the girls her age were dating, so she decided that she should too. After a couple of dates and one dance, Logan thought that she wanted to take the next step in their relationship.

It was Homecoming. She wore a midnight blue dress. It was off the shoulder with a sweetheart neckline that cinched at the waist and then flared out and stopped just above the knee. She was more developed than girls her age. Her legs were long. She wore strappy wedged heels in silver. He wore a black tux with a midnight blue and silver striped tie. His blond hair was brushed back. He was very handsome. The look in his eyes made her nervous but she had assumed that it was because it was her first dance. They had gone to dinner and then went to the Homecoming dance. He was very attentive all night. He was respectable and kind. He had made her laugh. He listened to some of her stories. They danced and took pictures. It was when he was driving her home after the dance when things changed. He had drove down a different street. 'We're taking the long way home' he had said. Her stomach had started doing flips, but she had only nodded. When he had stopped in a park, she looked over at him in confusion. "What are we doing here?" Danyka asked.
"I thought we could hang out a little longer." He had said. His smile and his eyes were suddenly different.
Danyka checked her watch. "I really need to be getting home. We are cutting it close to my curfew already."
"Oh, come on, Danyka." He was across the front seat and grabbing her face and kissing her. The kiss was rough and fast and when she tried to take a breath his tongue protruded into her mouth. She let out a moan of protest but before she could react to the unwanted kiss, one of his hands groped her boobs. Everything about the kiss and his hands felt wrong. Finally, she gained her bearings and shoved him away, "No! Stop! You need to take me home now!"
The slap across her face shocked her. "You're such a fucking tease. Come on, Danyka. You know you want it!" He reached for her again. Danyka shoved him away again. "No. I will walk home." He reached for her shoulder and ripped her dress. Danyka had twisted and quickly punched him in the face. She left him in the car screaming in agony, "You bitch! You fucking bitch! You broke my nose." She walked home.