We

six

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It all started my seventh-grade year. I finally realized that the reason I felt nervous around Nate was because I liked him. I didn't like that our friendship was changing, so my twelve-year-old self-decided that she was going to like another boy. I didn't actually date anyone until eighth grade, where I just felt weird dating guys other than Nate, even though he was dating plenty of other girls. Going even closer to now, I knew I wanted a boyfriend my freshman year. My brother had an awesome one, so I wanted one. I started to hang out with more of my brother's football buddies, even though I hang with five of them all the time.

I met Spencer, who was part of the "Holy Trinity," named by the student body, Axel, and Nate making up the other two. He was kind of a douche to everyone but me. I felt like that there was someone who sees me other than the marching band nerd or Axel's little sister. We started dating around Thanksgiving and everything was bliss. He wasn't my first kiss, but he was my first real boyfriend. I really like not having to dwell on my unrequited love or like for Nate.

There was a shift in our relationship in January of that year. Something changed, maybe it was the fact that our seasons were over until May, or maybe it was that I was kind of distant, but Spencer started acting weird, very possessive. He would send me ten texts in a row when I wouldn't reply to his first in a timely fashion, if I missed a phone call, he would call me a 'worthless bitch' or 'a little slut.' And God forbid I be late to anything, he would accuse me of 'whoring around with a bunch of nobodies.'

I didn't think much of it at first. I convinced myself it was just a rough patch and that everything would be back to normal in a few weeks. Those few weeks passed and nothing changed. He dragged me to a party one of those days, I didn't want to go. I already had plans. It was him that was distant that night, so I had to spend the night alone, fending off guys hitting on me. After an hour of this, I decided to look around to see I could find Spencer. 

"Have any of you seen Spencer Marsh?" I asked a group of people. They all shook their head or shrugged.

I began to search the rooms for him, not having any luck. I had no idea whose house this was, but I went upstairs to look for him.

"Spencer?" I called into a room where I thought I heard his voice. The music was too loud for him to hear me, but I took a look and saw him bending down and snort something off the mirror on the table. I didn't know what I was looking at. This wasn't my Spencer. He wouldn't do this.

I took a few steps back and bumped into a lamp in the hallway. Spencer's head swiveled around and saw me. I started to hyperventilate, terrified of the person I was in a relationship with.

"What the fuck are you doing up here you little bitch?" He asked. Before I could get a sound out, I slapped me across the cheek. He shoved us into a room across the hall from where I saw him getting high and locked the door. I felt my body trembling, asking my brain to tell my legs to haul ass out of here and call someone to pick me up. Axel and I had been fighting the past few months because of my relationship with Spencer. Rudy would call my parents. No one in our friend group had a license except Nate, maybe.

I pulled my phone out and pressed number 9 and call. Nine was Nate's jersey number, he requested that I put him on speed dial. The line went through but Spencer ripped my phone out of my hand before I could hear his soothing voice, the one that was going to tell that me everything will be okay, the one that makes me feel butterflies. Before I could get bend down and grab my phone, Spencer slammed me down on the bed.

I started to scream bloody murder, and I could faintly hear Nate's voice over the line. Spencer grabbed my phone and threw it across the room and it shattered. The tears began flowing down and soaking my hair.

"You think you can run? I'm gonna teach you a lesson," Spencer muttered. I started to tell myself that this was the blow talking, or whatever he was on, it couldn't be Spencer Marsh, the golden boy of Rockwell High. He hit me once, twice, I lost count. The tears stopped at one point and everything went numb. I started to regain feeling when he tried to pull up my dress. I tried to push him off, regaining the fight inside me for the first time in months. I started to scream again, but it was like they didn't care the music was too loud and it kept getting louder. I started to cry again. I was a virgin, and I didn't want this to be how I remember what people call the most magical thing they've ever experienced.

Finally, someone burst through the door and pushed Spencer off me, and another person picked me up off the bed. I didn't see who it was, but I recognized their scent as I burrowed my head into their chest and cried. They carried me through the house and downstairs where the music had been shut off and everything was silent. I was placed in the front seat of a car and I opened my eyes to meet Nate's.

There were no words for how grateful I was. I climbed out of my seat and wrapped my arms around his neck and started crying. Nate didn't hesitate to return the hug, holding me for an eternity. I finally pulled away and surveyed the scene. I hadn't noticed the cop cars before now. I looked at him in confusion.

"Ha, funny story. So, I was at the DMV when I got your call, just finishing up. My parents had already driven away in the old car, this truck is mine now. Well, I got your call, and I used the find my friend's thing, thank God you had your location on. I started speeding which is probably not good, the first day with a license. I got pulled over, and I explained the I had gotten a call from my- a friend and that I heard screaming before the line went dead. They gave me a police escort here," Nate explained.

"Thank you," I said in response to my knight in shining armor. Nate went and told the cops that I felt fine and didn't need to the hospital. They told me that I could go home, but I had to go to the station to give my statement if I wanted to press charges. Nate got me settled in the car and we started on our way home. There was no music playing. I have a thing where when something bad happens, life-altering bad, I don't listen to music so I don't ruin what the music means to me. Nate kept turning to look at me.

"I called your brother on my way here. And both sets of parents. They're meeting us at your house. Your parents had just landed actually. It was supposed to be a surprise," he said. I gave him no response and continued to stare forward into the darkness. "Also, I look like shit on my license. I was pissed off, so I've got RBF."

I continued to not respond. We stayed in silence for most of the ride. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner," Nate said as we turned into my neighborhood.

"It's not your fault-" I started.

"But it is. I should've not let you stay with him. He's a dick and you deserve a King. You deserve more than a King. You deserve a god. A heavenly body. A superhero. Not doucheface. He deserves a prison wife that will shiv him in the middle of the night with a toothbrush, not you because you are a goddess. You deserve love, and happiness-" I cut him off this time.

"Happy Birthday Nate." 

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