The rainstorm has worsened over time, bringing the campus and Palmetto County to a halt. Jerome and Judith are sitting in the student lounge by the window, watching the dark and gloomy atmosphere through the glass.
They're among a small group of people who're hoping for clear skies again. Raindrops splatter onto their shared window, and they trickle into the short patch of grass below. Her bookbag is resting under the tall table beneath their feet.
"It's beautiful, isn't it," he asks without taking his eyes off of the scene. Judith's arms are around her trembling body, and she darts her irises toward him.
"What're you - an art major? It's cold as shit, and I'm not physically or emotionally built for this." Jerome sniggers and meets her gaze. "Can I wear your sweatshirt?"
"I would let you, but I'm not wearing anything underneath it," he tells her, and she shrugs.
"You're a guy," she reminds him with a dry chuckle. "I'm pretty sure no one would say anything."
"You're already wearing a jacket." Judith narrows her eyes at him. His smile drops along with his face, and he returns his attention to the view in front of them. "So, do you, uh, have any plans for the rest of your Thursday when you leave here?"
"If I leave here. This rain doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon," Judy says, her attention on the scene in front of them. "But if I do, my Dad and I made plans to go to Dairy Queen for a little dad-and-daughter time."
"That's dope, Judy. Does he live with you, or are you driving to him," he asks, and her smile fades.
"I don't - drive." Jerome watches Judith look at her hands, and he follows her gaze. "But, yeah, he lives with us; me, my Mom, and my twin sister and brother."
"Can I ask why you don't drive, or should I lay off the questions for now?" She feels warm and safe looking into his deep brown irises. His grin widens as she feels a sense of familiarity.
"I don't think you want to hear about it. It's pretty heavy," Judith warns him, and he shrugs with his lower lip pouted.
"It can't be anything more intense than what I've already seen and heard," he assures her, then glances at her agape lips. She looks down at her fingers and takes a deep, shaky breath.
"I had an older brother - his name was Michael, but we called him Mikey. He was really sweet and protective over me." She briefly smiles at the memory of him. "He wanted to teach me how to ride a bike, but he passed away before he could."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Jerome softly tells her, and as her hands swipe her cheeks of falling tears, she shakes her head.
"It's fine." Judith licks her lips, then draws the bottom one between her teeth. "Um, well, I let that passion go, and my Dad was supposed to help me learn to drive, but he's been busy with work. I'm hoping maybe after we get ice cream and talk, he'll have more time for me."
"I'll pray that it works out for you." She smiles at him, and they turn to gaze out of the window at the same time. "Looks like the storm is getting a little better. Should I walk you to the sorority?"
"You don't have to." She jolts onto her feet, and he stands to his as well. Judith looks him up and down, then sniggers at their height difference; He towers over her by a foot and two inches.
"I was only asking because I didn't know if that's where you wanted to go. There's no way I'm letting you walk out there by yourself," he explains, then steps past her. She follows him with her eyes.
"I don't think I need to be escorted through the dark," she tells him while walking behind him toward the doors. He stands to the side with his left hand pushing the left door open, releasing a rush of wind that sends chills up her spine.
"Suit yourself, but I haven't checked my radio, and whatever storm is blowing this way could easily sweep you up like writing paper." She darts her eyes at him.
"Yeah, and just what I need to feel like an adult is a man hovering over me. How old are you," Judith asks while looking Jerome up and down.
"I'm twenty-four." She belts out a short obnoxious laugh, and he furrows his eyebrows.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Judy lifts her left hand and gently pats his right arm with her lips forming a grin. He glances at where she touched him with a look of confusion, and then he watches her rush into the storm.
When she reaches the pasture between the sorority and the main building, she notices a dark figure looming in front of Alpha Psi Delta with their doors open. She stops in her tracks and squints her eyes at the hooded figure.
"Hey," a brash voice yells from behind her. She gasps, flinches, then whirls around to face them. Her gaze lands on the abdomen of the mystery man in a black cloak. She looks to her right, and the other person is still standing on the porch.
"Listen, whatever sick game you're playing, count me out of it." Judith turns on her heels, and her breathing grows ragged as she takes her first steps away from him. He slowly veers his head to the person watching them, and when they nod, he returns his attention to her.
He sprints after her, and when they reach the doors, he brings his right hand to her mouth and his left arm across her midsection. She screams from his touch, and when he hoists her off the ground, she rapidly kicks the doors.
Judith hears him gasp, and the heat of his breath races down her forehead. He releases his hold on her, and she falls to the pavement with a grunt between her clenched lips. Judith whimpers and watches the man sprint down the quad towards Alpha Psi Delta.
She staggers to her feet, and her hands rush to her backside. Taking a deep breath, she jerks the left door open with her left hand and releases what would sound to most like trapped spirits.
High-pitched ecstatic screams rip past her ears before she steps into the lobby, and upon entry, she instantly wants to walk home.
"Marco," a brunette girl in a white tank top and black dolphin shorts calls out with her arms extended in front of her and a smile on her pale face. A red and white bandana blinds her eyes. She repeats, "Marco?"
"Polo!" When the girl shuffles into the living room of various snickering women, Judith rushes up the second floor, and she's taken aback again.
The sorority sisters singing Sherry by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons can be heard from each open door. She briefly widens her eyes at the screeching of their voices, and she speed-walks toward the next staircase.
The third floor is silent, and she takes a breath of relief then ascends the third and final steps to the fourth floor. Judith sprints towards Kacey's door, and she rapidly knocks three times.
"It's open," Kacey announces. She pushes it back, and her irises dart from one person to the next.
Kacey and Mary are sitting on her bed with their backs against the wall, facing the other bed that two women are sitting on. One is fair-skinned, and the other is as dark as Kacey, but both have large, red afros.
Another is straddling a chair at the foot of Jennifer's bed. Like the others, she's staring at Judy. Her skin is as dark as midnight, and her thick, straightened hair is in a low bun. They're all wearing dolphin shorts and tank tops.
"Hi," Jennifer greets her with a humorous chuckle at the look of confusion that she's expressing.
"Oh, Judith, this is my roommate, Jennifer, and her sister Juniper." Kacey begins the introductory, but Juniper interrupts her.
"Yeah, we met already." Kacey glares at the inattentive girl.
"Yeah, I know, but I'd still like to formally introduce you three to her." Kacey watches her lean back, then fold her arms across her chest before returning her attention to Judy. "Anyway - that's Veronica: one of my best friends."
"It's nice to meet all of you." She gives them a quick, forced smile. "Kacey, I'm freezing right now. Can I borrow some clothes to change into?"
"Yeah, sure." Judith has her arms around her shivering chest, and she's watching her stand and walk toward her dresser. Kacey rummages through each drawer until she has a black pair of dolphin shorts and an off-white shirt with long sleeves. She carries it to Judy.
"I'll be back," she tells her once she has it in her grasp, and Kacey narrows her eyes at her.
"The bathroom is closed if that's where you're headed," she informs her, and Judith lets out a sad sigh.
"What, why," Judy asks her. Her afro is dripping water onto the floor along with her romper that's clinging to her petite frame.
"Because someone broke it before the storm hit, and now we have to wait for Tobias to hopefully show up after the rain clears," Veronica explains.
Tobias is the campus plumber and electrician. He's a sweet older man with only a few teeth left, and after his wife passed, he practically lived on campus out of loneliness.
"If you have to pee, Ms. Ethel has a pot in her office, but you have to dump it immediately after you're done," she informs her, and with a disgusted frown, Judith groans. Mary and Veronica snigger.
"I just need somewhere private to change," Judy explains. "I thankfully don't have to pee right now."
Kacey takes her right arm in her left hand and guides her over the threshold. She shuts the door behind her while Judith stares around the room.
"You can do it in here," Kacey tells her while taking steps back. She sits next to Mary. "We won't look."
"I really can't," she mumbles. Juniper looks at all of them and notices that they're watching Judith. She rolls her eyes, scoffs then thrusts herself to her feet.
"I'll help you," she tells her, and Judy's heart begins to race. She takes a step back and leans into the door as Juniper approaches her.
It's happening again. She's going to see the bruises and laugh - all of them.
When Juniper turns her back to her, shielding her body with hers. A soft breath of air whistles out of Judith's partially open mouth.
"Look away," Jennifer orders them, and they glance at her, then at the nightstand when she does.
Judith's heart rate doesn't slow down, and her trembling hands don't relax, but she drops the fresh clothes at her feet, then tugs her arms out of the sleeves of her leather jacket. She lifts the straps of the romper off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor with her coat.
Her chest, stomach, and upper back are stained with abrasions from David and the crash. Gazing down at them, she feels her heart sink, and Kacey peeks behind her. Kacey's eyes widen with shock, and she veers her body to look past Mary.
"Judith?" She flinches and lifts her chin, watching the brown irises scanning her from head to toe. They look at Kacey, and she asks, "What happened to you?"
"Oh, dear, God," Mary exclaims when she turns to look at her as well. They break their vows one by one to stare at her half-naked and injured quivering body.
Judith has her jaw slightly dropped, and each breath she takes comes out as an asthmatic wheeze. Her eyes burn and well up when she looks at them; First Kacey, then Jennifer, Veronica, Juniper, and when she reaches Mary, her tears glide down her cheeks.