Cigarettes & Coca-Cola✔️

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Cowardice

That wasn't the response I was expecting.

'What do you mean 'You have been raped' Quin?' I asked my throat immediately tightening.

She looks up at me angrily and runs her hands through her dark- brown hair. 'I was raped, Aviana. He- he forced me to have sex with him.' I stared at her stunned. Was it him? Did Mister Mcdark- dark rape my best friend. I only have known him for a day and he didn't do anything major red-flag-y.

'Are you going to tell me who?' I ask hesitantly.

She nods her head up and down rapidly and a strangled sob left her throat. I stared brokenly at her. I wait for her to respond. It feels like forever before she finally speaks his name;

'Corbin.' She whispers and glances up at me. I stare in shock. That was his name. I knew it was. Corbin, the guy who I haven't stopped thinking about, sexually assaulted my best friend. My heart pounded in my ears and everything became silent. I looked down at my trembling hands, but I couldn't feel the rapid shaking of my body.

It was as if I watched all of this unfold from another perspective. I saw my pale face, the sweat rolling down my forehead, and the clenching and unclenching of my fists.

'Aviana?' Quinlan's voice spoke. I turn my head in her direction and I was suddenly back in my body.

I looked up at her. 'Are you going to tell Arthur?'

'Yes.' She whispers.

'When. When did this happen?' I ask her

She sucks in a deep breath and looks down at her feet. My eyes follow her gaze and I stare at her checkered- Vans as I wait for her response.

'Winter- break,' she interjects when I open my mouth, 'Before you say anything, I know I told you I was with Arthur, but I lied because I was so ashamed.' She says and puts one of her hands on her chest. I cock my head in confusion. Something was off.

'What aren't you telling me, Quin?' I ask.

Her eyes widen and she immediately removed her hand and placed it back in her lap. Her eyes held fear. Her eyes told me she was lying. I didn't exactly know what she was lying about, but whatever it was she wanted it to stay hidden.

'You don't believe me.' She states more than she asks.

I blink and I start to feel the anger rise inside of me, 'Of course I believe you. Your my best friend Quinlan. I never want to see you hurt.'

She cocks her head up and folds her arms in front of her chest. ' I know Ana. This is just a very traumatic thing for me to experience.'

I shake my head trying to register her words. What the fuck is wrong with me? He raped her. She said he did, so I believe her.

I do believe her, don't I?

'Okay Quin, everything is going to fine. I think we should tell your mom, she deserves to know. And then we go to the police.' I state. I stand up to head to her house, but before I could step away from the swing she grabs my wrist with her tiny pale hands.

'No!' She shouts quickly.

I stare at her confused and cocked my eyebrow. 'Quin we need to tell the police. What if he hurts other girls, like your sister. Think of them, be brave for them.' I say softly.

'No. I don't want to tell the police. I just want to forget about it and go on with my life.' She says and stares at me with her pleading eyes.

'Fine. No police, but I still think you should tell your mom. She deserves to know. You once told me that she too went through exactly what you're going through. She can help you find some closure.' I say softly.

'My mom already knows.' She says and looks away from me. I turn around to see what has caught her attention. Arthur Evans is walking towards us with a cigarette dangling between his lips and both his hands in his jean pockets.

'When did you call him?' I ask.

She just shrugs her shoulders and runs up to him. She throws her arms around him and they hold each other for a few minutes.

'Aviana.' He says when they walk up to me.

'Arthur.' I say and place my hands in the back- pockets of my mom- jeans. He takes a drag from his cigarette and blows out the smoke in Quin's face. I cringe and look away.

'That's bad for you, you know?' I say cocking my head in the direction of the cancer-stick.

He releases a chuckle and takes a long drag this time. Mocking me.

'Is that so? Do you know what's also bad for you?' he asks with a sly smirk.

'What?' I ask.

'That stick up your ass.' He says. Quinlan bursts out laughing, I however feel my face growing hot in embarrassment. I bite my lip. The slight pain keeping me on earth and out of my mind. When I was younger I never cared about what people thought of me, I was a happy kid. Always smiling...always eating. Most of my baby pictures were of me and my face full of cupcake frosting or orange Cheeto dust, but when I was about 10 my grandma sat me down and lectured me on what type of clothes I could wear, what I should and shouldn't eat. She ended that conversation with a line that I'll never forget, you're not fat, Ana. You're chubby.

Back then the words hurt, but it rolled off my back, and instead of standing up for myself the words burned into my brain and popped up when I felt most insecure.

'I don't have a stick up my ass.' I say between clenched teeth. My cheeks were still aflame and my hands know clenched into fists.

'Relax. Jesus, learn to take a joke.' Arthur says, his voice laced with sarcasm. I look at Quin for help, but she just laughs with him.

I shake my head. Unbelievable.

I stare down at my phone and read the time, 16:47, 'Well I should head home now. Still need to do a lot of packing.'

I bid them goodbye and start walking home.

☠

I'm about halfway home when a strange man walks up to me. My heart sinks and I keep walking, I speed up m pace when I see him following him. When I see my house I practically sprint up the few stairs that led up to the porch. I quickly slide in the key and unlock the front door.

'Ana is that you?' my mom asks from the kitchen.

Who else would it be? I ask myself in my head. 'Yes, mom. It's me. Your only child.' I say sarcastically.

'Take it down with the attitude.' My father's voice snarls and I jump at the volume.

'Sorry.' I mumble.

'I'm getting sick and tired of your little attitude. We're not one of your little friends Aviana, please do well and remember that.' He says staring holes into me. I just nod my head. I wouldn't even want you as friends, I reply in my head. I wanted to say that, but I'm too much of a coward to do so.

A coward.