baby | lrh

chapter 4

Penelope Rhodes

It was a typical frat party-everything you would expect all down to the smell of cheap beer and weed and the electronic dance music that had everyone grinding. I dreaded going in but I knew I had to. We walked in and immediately I found Cal dancing. I pulled Hayden through all of the people and finally got to him to find him smiling knowingly.

"I didn't think you'd come," He told me, chuckling and giving me a slight side hug.

"Here I am... Um this is my roommate Hayden," I introduced her and she stuck her hand out in greeting.

"Calum," he introduced himself to her. "Are you new here?" He questioned after, confused as to why he didn't know her.

"Uh, I'm a freshman," She cowered, feeling slightly embarrassed and intimidated.

"That's alright though! Just grab a drink and meet some people," He told her nicely. She smiled at him in appreciation and he handed her a red solo cup which she gladly drank from.

"CAL PAL!!" I heard a voice ring from the other side of the dance floor. He ran up to us and was delighted to see us here.

"Hi, I'm Michael Clifford. Mike or Mikey for short," He introduced himself to us. We told him our names and he was glad we were here.

"Oh, P! You have to try this!!" Mike squealed as he pulled me into the kitchen, going to stand by the alcohol. I turned around to find Calum looking longingly at Michael and Hayden just kind of following with a smile on her face. Her and Michael will be very good friends since their personalities are so alike.

He started mixing what looked like Vodka and Cranberry to make what I think is a Cape Codder. He passed me the cup and I took a sip, feeling the alcohol burn the back of my throat as it went down.

"It's... good," I told him trying to be nice, even though I'm not a big drinker.

"Oh save it. You don't have to lie to him." A drunken god stumbled into the kitchen to meet his friends. "Ashton Irwin," He introduced himself. I knew who he was... he's a senior and plays on the soccer team. He's also an English major and I think, don't clock me on this, but I think Mikey is a Tech major and wants to design video games.

"Penelope Rhodes... it's a pleasure," I introduced as I smiled at him. He smiled back and turned to face Hayden, a smirk on his face.

"And who might this beauty be?" He asked her in a husky voice, getting so close to her face I bet she could smell the alcohol coming off of his breath.

"U-u-h I'm.. H-hayden Jack-kson," She stuttered obviously starstruck as he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"She's a freshman," Mikey added and Ashton's smirk only widened.

"Ahh, I knew I would've remembered that beautiful face. You know, you really shouldn't be under age drinking," He whispered as he got closer to her face, taking a swig of his own beer.

"Is that so?" She said as she took a sip of whatever was in her cup.

"Cal, get her another one of those and P, it's nice to meet you," He smiled as he dragged Hay to the dance floor.

"Dear god I've never seen Ash so into a girl," Cal mumbled and we all laughed. We danced and talked for a while but I knew that I was starting to feel anxious as more people piled in to the party.

Now I remembered why parties really weren't my thing. All of the people started squishing me on the dance floor and my head started to feel fuzzy, partly from all the alcohol I've taken in and partly from the claustrophobia of everyone in here.

I excused myself and wandered around trying to find a bathroom to clear my head in. I walked into numerous bedrooms but couldn't find a bathroom. When I thought I had finally found it, I was pushed against the wall roughly. My head came back and banged the wall and it wasn't until I felt him touching me did I look up to see who it was... Austin.

"Hey, sweetheart. Miss me?" He breathed on my lips as he kissed up my neck, holding onto me tighter than ever before. I couldn't breathe and I felt like I was going to throw up.

"What? Not excited to see me?" He asked, slapping me across the face which brought back all of the memories of all the times he's done this before. "You think you're such a good girl? I can smell the alcohol on your breath," He whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

I was thrashing and squirming to get out of his grip but it was no use. He ran his hands up and down my body like he had done multiple times before but I started to sob as he tried to pull me into the bedroom right next to us.

"Help! Please help me!" I sobbed and screamed for help as I grabbed onto the wall with all of my might, desperately trying not to be in a locked room with him. I kept screaming but it only made him angrier.

He finally pulled me off of the wall, my strength crumbling as I felt defeated that no one was coming to my rescue.

He locked the door behind him and threw me on a bed and climbed on top of me. I squealed and wailed for someone- anyone to come help me. He wiped the tears off my face, no doubt smearing my makeup more than it already was. He ripped off my shirt and couldn't keep his hands off of me.

I cried and screeched until I felt my voice getting hoarse but it didn't stop me. He dipped his hands into my pants and I sobbed even louder. He slipped them off of me as I tried to crawl away from him but it was no use.

"I think it's time we take care of some unfinished business," he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck and started to unbuckle his belt.

Right then, I heard someone at the door, trying to open it although it was locked. I screamed even louder to make sure they didn't leave, making sure they tried to save me. Austin screamed in a rage that we were being interrupted but went back to his prior task before I heard the door crack and break down.

There stood a fuming Luke Hemmings.

He ran in and pulled Austin off of me, hitting and kicking him in the process. He took a punch to the gut and the lip, busting it but it didn't slow him down. He finally punched Austin hard enough to knock him out after screaming things I'd rather not repeat at him.

He saw my quivering and very naked state and ran to one of the draws, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt for me. "This is Cal and Michael's room."

He cradled me in his arms and soothed me as I cried on his shoulder, trying to make it all go away. I didn't even care that it was Luke Hemmings of all people that saved me. He saved me and that was all that mattered.