Dont Be Afraid of Me ~~ A Starkid Fanfiction~~

Chapter 3

[PLEASE READ]

WARNING: This chapter contains triggering plotlines, involving physical abuse. If you have a problem with that, DONT READ. YOU CAN START AFTER THE ITALICS END IF YOU WANT TO JUST SKIP THE TRIGGERING PART.

Dont say I didnt warn you.

I might need to explain why that giggle was so important. 

I never giggle. I'll chuckle and laugh and whatever, but never do I giggle. Only on one occasion have I ever giggled. and that was when I had finally accepted the crush that I had on my last boyfriend, and he told me a joke. And I giggled. Which made it completely obvious that I liked him. And I know what your thinking, 'That doesnt sound like a bad thing'.. Well, it was. It was terrible.  I might not have thought so at the time, but, now that I know what awaited me a few months later, I realized how truly horrible it was. If I had the chance to take it back, I would in a heartbeat. 

Why?

Two months into our relationship, I discovered a stash of... Drugs that Id rather not name... tucked under the arm of the couch. When I attempted to confront him about it, he got hysterically angry, and told me to get out. I told him that if I left, I'd go straight to the cops... And then he beat me senseless. 

When I awoke from my unconsious state, my nose was bleeding and I couldnt see stright. He came in and pretended he wasnt the one who hurt me, offering to drive me home. I could tell he was only acting like this because his mother was around... And for some reason I played along. He shoved me in his car and told me if I told anyone about the drugs or the beatings that he'd actually break my nose instead of just making it bleed, so I kept my mouth shut. 

But the beatings didnt stop.

I got used to them. I'd make up excuses why I had a new bruise every other day, sometimes saying I fell and sometimes saying I got them in my sleep. But everyone could tell when I lied. And this is why I chose U Mich instead of the local community college. I told my friends I had a better shot at an acting career at U Mich, but the real reason? I needed to escape.

And thats why the giggles matter so much.

I made my way back to Lauren's dorm to find Jaime sprawled out on the couch, reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and eating Doritos. "Hey, lady! Did they tell Joey?" Jaime asked as I came in and flopped face first onto the bed. I nodded. "Are you okay?" She asked. I shook my head. "Awh, come here and tell Momma Beatty whats buggin' ya'." She said, patting the seat on the couch next to her. I walked over and sat down next to her. "I giggled." I said, putting my face in my hands. "At what?" Jaime asked. "At Joey." I said. She winced. "Ooh, honey, you've got it bad." She said. "But I dont really know what Ive got." I said. "You seem to have been bitten by the looooOOooooovvvvveeee bug." She said, reaching over and pinching my arm playfully. "But I dont want that!" I said, taking one of the pillows and burying my face in it. "Hey, you're the one who giggled." Jaime argued. "I tried to play it off like it was a question I had to answer but... I dont know." I said before groaning into the pillow. "God, whats wrong with me?!" I asked. Before Jaime could say anything, Lauren, Julia, Sango, Devin, and Lily burst through the door. 

"Soooo, June.... I hear you giggled." Lauren teased. "Did Joey tell you that?!" I asked. "No, we were listening from upstairs... Brian was too." Devin chuckled. "Oh, great, why dont you just tell the whole damn world." I muttered. "Hey, dont be like that! We've got good news for you!" Sango said. I looked up. "What?" I asked. "Well, Joey came back in and we started talking... And... He likes you too!" Lily said, smiling wide. I groaned and shoved the pillow into my face and rolled off the couch and into the floor. "Are you okay?" Devin asked. "No." I said. "Whats wrong?" Julia asked, crawling down into the floor next to me. "I dont want to have a crush on Joey." I said into the pillow. "SO YOU ADMIT YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM, oh, wait, sorry, we're supposed to be quiet, sorry..." Lauren said, red faced. 

The next few days consisted of me avoiding Joey at all costs, which wasnt a big problem considering how short I was, which meant I could hide behind people and under the benches in the  rehersal room, which is where I had chosen to hide on this particular day. I thought I was the only one in the room until...

"Hi." I heard someone say from behind me. I turned around to see Joey, smiling at me like a grown up would smile at a silly four year old. "Wat'cha doin down here?" He asked. I stayed quiet until I thought of something to say. "Hiding." I said in a whisper. "From who?" He asked. "Everyone," I said "I wanted to see how long it took you guys to find me." I said. He held out his hand to help me get out from under the bench. I took his hand and brushed a few cobwebs off my skinny jeans and my blouse. "Do I win something for finding you?" He asked. "You win a game of tag." I said, touching his stomach to signal that he was it and speeding away from him. He chased after me, and since Im not a fast runner, he caught up to me fast. He wrapped his arm around my waist and slung me over his shoulder, spinning me around in the air, despite my squeals that were intended to be me telling him to stop. 

The doors to the rehersal room opened, and there stood Darren and Walker, smirks growing on their faces the minute they saw us spinning. Joey quickly lowered me to the ground and I looked down at my feet, a blush creeping at my cheeks. "Well well well..." Darren said. "Isnt this an interesting sight." Joe chuckled. Joey stood there staring at the boys, as if having some telepathic conversation with them, which left me to stand there, not really sure what to do. I walked back over and crawled under my bench to let them have a little privacy, and not two minutes later did I hear the doors shut. "They're gone." Joey said softly. I just curled up against the wall instead of responding. "Are you gonna talk to me?" He asked. "What if I left?" He asked. I wimpered a little. I was holding one of the scars my ex had given me too tight. It wasnt meant for him, but he must have thought it was. He walked over and sat on the bench, which made me figure he would just wait me out. "Are you okay?" He asked. I looked down at my arm. Shit, the scratch was opened and bleeding through my sleeve. CODE RED, CODE RED. "Uh, no." I said, trying to hide the panic in my voice. "Do you plan on coming out any time soon?" He asked. "Uh..." I said. And then he did what I'd been silently praying he wouldnt do. He looked under the bench to see me and my bloody shirt sleeve. He gasped, and I sat there, staring at him like an idiot.

Was it worth the wait? I hope so! :D