Bailey
I have no idea where she is.
As much as she complains, she's never been late to one of our project training session things. Not this late, at least.
She's not answering her phone.
And when I knocked on her door, no one answered. I didn't even hear anyone rattling around inside.
So it's safe to say I'm a little confused. But, above everything, really, really worried. Scared even.
It's been less than a day since I last saw here at swim training, when stupid fucking Green flipped his shit. And I don't know if I was hallucinating or what, but when I went across to make sure she was okay, I felt something shift. I felt something digging into my chest when I looked at her, which only heightened when she looked at me. The way her eyes widened when she realized it was my hand on her shoulder told me something, even as she froze up.
I wasn't making it up.
Is that why she wasn't answering? Because she was weirded out by whatever it was that changed between us? Whatever switch was flicked?
I really hope not. I'd rather have a sarcastic Melanie than no Melanie at all.
My feet have practically worn through the carpet underneath my feet, my phone clutched tightly in my hand. Waiting. Waiting for her call. Waiting... waiting... wait-
I pick up on the first ring, not even bothering to look at the contact name displayed on the screen.
"Melanie!" there's silence on the other end of the line, a small chuckle brewing.
"Have you fucked up kid? You sound stressed." My breath is ragged with embarrassment, registering the fact that it's the Coach on the other end of the line, not Melanie.
"Uh no... well, sort of. Mel and I were supposed to do something... for the project this morning, but she hasn't been picking up." Deflated, I sink down into the softness of my small couch, gripping my temple between 2 fingers. My brain feels like it's throbbing, and it's not even 11am yet.
"Well, you'd better sort it out, because I need the 2 of you here at 2pm, to sort out relays and what not." My lips spread into a grimace, sensing the afternoon's activities as something I'd much rather avoid. Particularly if Melanie is mad at me.
"Sure, I'll figure it out."
"Alright, see you Whitlock." I end the call, tossing my phone down beside me, readjusting my seated position to place my head in my hands. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I don't even have her friends or roommates number, so that rules that form of communication out. I mean, I guess I could ask around, but how long will that take?
The phone rings again, and I begrudgingly lift my head from my hands. I pick up the phone, actually taking a second to read the flashing contact.
What the...
"Melanie." her name comes out as a breath, relief flooding my body.
"Whitlock." she croaks, her voice soft, far-away almost.
"Are you okay? I've been trying to reach you all morning... I... I..." I hang my head once again, the words I'm searching for unable to materialize. Melanie turns quiet again, a small sniffle flying through the phone. "Melly, what's happened?"
"I'm in hospital. I'm... okay. But sort of not. My friends are here, so I'm fine. Okay." her words his me in my chest. Stress runs through my blood again, a lump forming in my throat.
"What happened? How can I help? How... what-
"You have to promise not to do anything stupid. I'm not telling you unless you promise. It'll only makes things worse." what things?
"Okay, yes. I hereby swear not to do anything stupid." I press my hand to my chest, forgetting that she can't see me.
"It was Jamie." she blurts out, her voice shaky.
"What did he do." a silence spreads through the phone, a suspicious one. Everything in my brain turns red. Just the thought of him doing anything to anyone makes my blood boil, let alone her. "Melanie, what did he do to you."
"He... he had my keys. Remember how I said I thought I lost them? Well, he had them, somehow. And so... he came into my room. And... and... raped me." her voice turns quiet, a large, throaty sob exiting her mouth.
"I'll be there in like... 5 minutes. Which hospital are you at? Where..." my brain's running at a million miles an hour, trying to process the information Melanie just told me. How did this even happen? How did I let this happen? But mostly, I'm thinking about what I'll do to Green when I next see him.
"No. The doctors are discharging me, I'll be back in an hour or so. Just... stay where you are, and stay safe." I silently agree, although every section of my heart is screaming at me to just get up and go to her, no matter how many times she tells me not to.
"So, what are you going to do?" I urge after a minute of silence, my brain in a muddle.
"Talk to the dean. And coach. But... I don't know what I'm going to do, long term. The doctors said they'd help me build a legal case against him, and because my friends were there, to save me from him, it'll apparently be pretty strong... but no one knows how long that will take, or how much it will cost."
"I'll help. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."
"I want you not to do anything stupid. And not to get hurt... please." her soft voice pleads with me, pulling at my heart once again.
"Okay, I promise. Oh, and also, Coach called me just before, asking us to help him out at 2. So... did you want to tell him then? About Green? I'll be right there beside you, if that helps at all."
"Yeah, sure." even through all this distance, I'm still able to tell when she's tired. The way her speech becomes long and tied together, the soft breath that become more common.
"I'll come by your place then, if you're going back there..."
"One of my friends boyfriend's has a friend who's a locksmith, so he fixed the door. Added more locks and stuff. And Green threw the key back at me, so he doesn't have one anymore. Sorry, that's probably confusing." she laughs softly, and I soon find myself joining in, forgetting the confusion overtaking my thoughts.
"Okay, well, I'll see you just before 2 then." I lean back into the couch, an odd sensation whirring in my stomach.
"Okay, bye."
"Bye." Silence takes over the phone, although I don't remove it from beside my ear.
"Hang up the fucking phone Whitlock."
"No thanks. I want to hear your breathing until the day I die." Melanie snorts, a smile beckoning at my own lips.
"Okay loser. Stay creepy." the line beeps, indicating that she's hung up. I place my phone beside me once again, sighing loudly.
Everything Melanie just told me is racing through my brain, too quickly to process right now. Although, one phrase sticks out. A promise that may be hard to keep over the next few hours.
Don't do anything stupid.
...
I here find myself doing something Melanie would probably consider stupid.
I tried to stay calm after I hung up the phone, but I couldn't. The thought of that monster putting his hands on Melanie made me physically sick, and I knew I wouldn't be able to calm down until I faced him. Demanded to know what was wrong with him. Until I made sure he'd never so much as look in the same direction as Melanie ever again.
Fury rushes through my body, making me feel all too hot as I climb the stairs, 2 at a time. I walk down the long corridor of the boys dorm building, stopping right outside Green's door. I don't hesitate, bringing my hand (conveniently already formed as a fist) to the door, it's knock loud and rattling.
The door flies open a few seconds later, his smug grin greeting me.
"How fucking dare you." I grab him by the collar of his shirt, pushing into the room. I throw him against the wall, fear spreading from behind his eyes.
"How dare you put your hands on her? You're a fucking psychopath, you know that?" I scream into his face, pushing him back into the wall.
"Looks like little Melanie's telling tales again." Jamie composes himself, grinning again. I lift my fist, slamming it against his eye forcefully. I don't care if I kill this guy, he's never going near Melanie ever again.
"Everyone knows what you did, you fucking rapist! She has witnesses asshole, you'll be in jail before you can even spell rapist."
"You know what? Fuck you Whitlock. You just have to go and ruin everything, don't you?" catching me by surprise, Jamie lifts a candle off of a nearby table, throwing it into my eye. That only makes me clutch his collar tighter, using all my strength to pull him up the wall further.
"This isn't about me. This is about you hurting someone else." to stop the self-assured grin from spreading across Jamie's face, I ram my fist into Jamie's lip, cutting it slightly.
"Keep telling yourself that buddy. You're just mad I got to fuck her before you did."
Furious heat floods my whole body.
I throw Jamie from the wall to the floor, the thud of his body shaking the floorboards. My hands return to his neck, holding him threateningly as I lower myself to the ground. I place a knee over his upper body, holding him against the floor as my head drops, our faces close.
"Don't you ever fucking talk about her like that." my voice is barely a whisper, my tone cutting the air like a knife.
"Okay tough guy. You don't tell me what to do. I can do whatever the fuck I want." my fist cuts off his gleeful laughter, his head thumping against the ground.
"If you want to live, you're going to do as I fucking say. You're going to quit the swim team, and never even look at Melanie again. With any luck, you'll be expelled or even better, in jail soon enough." I forcefully press my knee against his chest, a wheeze escaping his throat.
"And what are you gonna do, huh? Break into my dorm again and 'threaten' me? What are you going to do, Bailey?"
"Kill you." His fist collides with my face one last time, a cold ring cutting my cheek. I pummel my own fist into his cheek once more, before standing from his body, exiting his room.
Melanie
"Bang. Bang. Bang."
I check the time on my open laptop. If it's him, he's still an hour early.
"Uh, sorry mom, I have to go." I hang up the call with my mom, throwing my phone somewhere on my bed. I've only been home for an hour or so, which I spent talking to my mom's about everything. And waiting anxiously for Bailey to get here.
Persephone looks across at me warily, standing from her bed. I follow her lead, standing a few steps back as she heads to the door. She reaches for the multitude of locks decorating the inside of our door, her fingers working to unlock them nimbly.
I squint at the slowly opening door, breath caught in my throat as I wait for the visitor to be shown. Persephone steps back as she realizes who's standing at the door, a small smile playing on her lips. From my spot next to my bed, the figure's face is out of sight, although there's a spot of blood sitting on the edge of his shirt. What the-
"Melly..."
A/n:
hello friends!
happy weekend, and happy reading!
are we all happy to see jamie get fucked up? because i'm having a dance party to the HSM3 soundtrack rn 💃
anyway, i hope you enjoyed reading, and watch out for (hopefully) another upload in a few hours!
lot's of love, em xx