Wyatt.
I never thought I'd hate a name as much as I hated his. When he stepped into Dominique’s party, with his notorious group of friends, my stomach tied into knots.
He strolled in like he owned the place. I met Dominique’s eyes from across the room, silently asking for an explanation of why he was there.
Dominique shrugged, but his shoulders looked tense. He moved through the dancing crowd of teenagers while I did the same. We stopped Wyatt on his way.
He smirked, like he was expecting it.
“Get out.” Dominique gritted out, his green eyes holding no humour.
“What happened to the open invite, Dom Dom?” He said tauntingly.
“Just get out Wyatt.Nobody wants you here.” I echoed Dominique’s words, harsher.
Over the years Wyatt built a reputation. A really bad one. One built from trouble, lies, fights and deep seated hatred. He was a sour topic for a lot of people.
“Oh come on. Not even for old times sake?” His smirk remained, unshakeable.
Dominique scoffed, his anger covering his shame. “What old times?”
It was through grade eight and half of grade nine when Dominique hung out with Wyatt, frequently. He ended the friendship as soon as he found out what type of guy Wyatt was.
Wyatt laughed, fake humour echoing out. “ I promise not to cause trouble. I'll be good.” He raised his hands in vow.
I wasn't one for violence but he brought up this urge to want to punch him.
Dominique's eyes strayed to me, silently asking for my advice on the matter. With every facial expression, strain of the eye and movement of my eyebrow, I clearly told Dominique to not let Wyatt stay at the party.
My stomach twisted, a bad feeling settling over me.
Dominique sighed, clearly seeing my answer but for some reason he looked back at Wyatt and nodded. “Fine. But if you cause any trouble…”
Wyatt smiled, as if he expected the answer. I wanted to fight it but I shut my mouth.
He walked past us with his friends, blending in with the crowd. Losing sight of him only made me feel worse.
“I didn't just make a mistake? Did I, Leonardo?” Dominique asked, eyes still searching the crowd for the trouble he let in.
I gave him a look.
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Whatever happens, don't say I told you so.”
❄️❄️❄️
“I told you so!” I yell, while we barge into the house, running through the growing crowd.
Everything in the party seems to be the way we left it except for the growing number of guests, who fill every space in the house.
Murmurs and whispers start, with a number of people staring upstairs wondering why the person screamed.
The aftermath of the scream is a tense sort of silence that even the music blasting from the speakers can't disguise.
On the other hand, the rest of the grade twelves decide to ignore the sudden tension and continue dancing and eating their hearts away.
“Everything’s okay!” Dominique stops to assure the crowd. “I'll go check what that was but it was probably nothing!”
He says this, while hiding all his nerves in a convincing smile. The crowd takes that in cheers, the party continuing like it never stopped.
Dominique and I half run half walk up the stairs, so that those with lingering doubts can be at ease. Three boys, from out of nowhere run down the stairs, pushing us out of the way, in their move to get out. Dominique and I almost trip, and as much as we'd like to call those boys back, there's bigger matters we have to face.
A few of the guests notice this, the tension returning. Again, Dominique flashes a convincing smile, easing their stress.
We share a look, honest fear and suspicion lingering in our eyes.
Once we're out of sight, we start sprinting up the second set of stairs, heading for the room on the third floor, where we saw the phones fly out. Dominique trips on a pen, falling knee first on a step.
He grunts as I pull him up and we both continue running, avoiding the pens on the floor.
“You just had to make this harder for us!” I pant out, frustrated.
“Don't blame me. When planning a last minute party, one doesn't squeeze in risks. The last minute party is a risk in itself.”
We're sprinting down the hallway now, Dominique leading the way because he knows exactly which door it is. When we make it to the white door, we pause, panting, preparing ourselves for the worst.
Dominique glances at me, as if to check that I'm still there. He gulps, and I give him a reassuring nod.
He pulls the door open.
At first it seems like there's nothing going on. It's just a normal guest bedroom, with a bed, side table with a lamp that illuminates only the area around it.
The room is dark.
The powerful wind whistling in grabs our attention. A guy stands by the window, his tense back to us. He's staring down at something, muttering curses under his breath.
Dominique and I step wearily in.
My heart jolts, at the sound of a familiar cry. It's broken and hoarse, like she's been crying for a while but is still far from done.
“You're sick! You're sick Wyatt. That's what you are.” Lisa chokes out.
The lamp's little light reflects on her and illuminates her hazel eyes glazed with tears. Lisa wraps her arms around herself. There's a friend beside her. Maggie. A solid confidante, whispering words into her ears.
Lisa listens, the tears trail down her cheeks.
I'm about to speak, but Dominique stops me with his hand, feeling the responsibility to take control of all of it on his own.
Dominique starts out, but his words are cut short when Wyatt turns. His brown eyes, crazed in fury. He charges for Lisa, his only intent, pure violence.
I get there, almost a second too late. I catch the fist Wyatt was about to throw at Lisa, pushing him strongly by his chest to step away from the girls. Lisa and Maggie scream, their terror clear in their shuddered breaths.
When Wyatt acknowledges me, the shock is evident in his face. He doesn't relent in his fight. “Get out Leonardo. You have no business here.”
“What on earth do you think you're doing? Were you really about to fight a girl?” My chest rises and falls, a fire building up within me.
He doesn't respond, instead he manages to slip from my hold and charges again to Lisa, dragging her by her leg and making her fall to the ground in a broken cry.
Dominique’s on it, he pulls Wyatt away with all his might. Wyatt cries out, frustrated. Immediately I block his way from the girls, covering his sight from them.
The girls stay on the ground by the corner, short breaths escaping their lips, terror filled eyes and something else. Something deeper.
“What's going on?” Dominique demands, his cheeks flushed with anger. He struggles greatly at holding Wyatt back.
Wyatt struggles against Dominique's strong hold, like a wild animal. His brown eyes look darker as he glares daggers at Lisa.
“What are you afraid of?” Wyatt says instead, a taunting lilt to his voice.
Dominique and I share a look, not sure who he's talking to.
Wyatt laughs, a loud, taunting sound with long stretch of breaths.
“You're afraid of you're image being tainted, aren't you. You should have thought about that before. You're afraid people won't see you as this perfect —”
“Shut up!” Lisa cries, she holds her hands to her ears. She's still crouched on the floor, Maggie holding her close.
“Shut up! Shut up!” Lisa continues to cry, then it goes hoarse, turning into a faded whisper.
Maggie meets eyes with me and the girl who seemed like a solid rock, looks ready to crumble. To collapse into the overwhelming pain that her friend is in.
I crouch down, hesitant. The world closes in on me, and the tightening in my chest increases, only from the pain that I witness.
Gently, I hold Lisa's shoulder. She stops, her tears coming to a stop as she notices me. The shock passes over her eyes then clear, powerful fear.
“You shouldn't be here.” Lisa croaks out.
“I told you no one should be alone, when they are in pain. No one.” I remind her of the other time I found her crying on the terrace.
Lisa holds my gaze, as if expecting mine to waver. I hold it, solid.
“You're disgusting Lisa.B —” Wyatt cuts through, his tone vile. “ and everyone will know that. You and all those girls.”
“Shut up.” This time it's me who speaks, a firm boldness gripping my words. I turn away from Lisa, only to glare daggers at Wyatt.
Wyatt flashes his eyes to me as if he forgot I was there. He rolls his eyes.
“Just let me go, Dominique.” Wyatt seethes, not giving up on his struggle.
Both of them are sweating, breathing heavily. Dominique looks exhausted, holding him, with all his strength so he doesn't hurt Lisa or Maggie or anyone else in the party.
Wyatt's like a ticking time bomb. The sinister look in his eyes has grown, it's darker, wild and it looks like something that cannot be contained.
Wyatt continues to struggle. “I said let me go! I want to get away from this stupid party. I don't wanna be here!”.
Wyatt curses, loud into the night.
Dominique’s eyes hold mine, the pressure and tension of the situation, settles over us, demanding us to handle it like men when we feel like little boys.
Dominique sighs, a release settling over his tense shoulders as he loosens his hold on Wyatt.
“Wait!” It's Maggie who speaks this time, she waves her hands frantically stopping Dominique from setting Wyatt free.
“We can't let this criminal go.” Maggie says, “the police are coming. I've called them.”
Lisa's breath hitches, her eyes trained on her friend.
An electrified pause ensues.
Dominique breathes, breaking the tense silence with his shocked murmurings.
“Wha- Did you just say police?”
Maggie nods, solemnly. “ Wyatt, is going to be arrested…” she pauses, looking back at Lisa.
Lisa releases a harsh breath. She stares at me, then back to her friend, nodding.
“ Wyatt will be arrested for illegally selling, using and manipulating girls with the images of nudes for minors….one of them being Lisa. Lisa who is still a minor. She's just seventeen..” Maggie's words fade out, hoarse, broken.
Dominique’s shock mirrors mine. We take that in but it's a hard pill to swallow. I can't believe…my ears have heard wrong, I tell myself.
I turn to Lisa, she casts her gaze away, a deep shame washing over her.
Lisa shuts her eyes tightly and for a moment it stays that way. I can see how much she wants to disappear, the despair morphs her face.
Wyatt roars, his fight becomes more violent. The prospect of jail time seems to have awoken something in him. “I said let me go!”
He breaks free from the struggle, shoving a drained Dominique back first.
Dominique falls head first on the floor, the thud louder than my heart beat. I'm up on my feet, battling between helping Dominique and stopping Wyatt.
Wyatt escapes, leaving the room in a staggering run.
Dominique groans, holding his head in his hands and when he pulls away there's blood in his hands. It's small but my heart plummets, a pang shooting through it.
“Dominique. No. No. What did he do to you?” I crouch down, tears springing in my eyes.
“Leo. Don't let him get away. I'm fine.” Dominique pulls a strained smile, it falters.
“Are you insane? You're bleeding.”
“Lisa” I turn behind me but Lisa and her friend are already crawling up to Dominique, concern etched on their faces.
“Let me see it.” Lisa says, her voice sounding stronger than it has been in awhile.
“Not until Leo gets out of here. Go, Leo that criminal is getting away.”
“I'm not leaving you here, especially now.”
“Leo.” It's Maggie, who speaks, her voice a hoarse whisper. Her eyes hold mine, a desperate pain painting the brown in her eyes.
Lisa's gaze is still casted away, ashamed.
Dominique mouths, go.
It's not a second later, before I'm off the ground, running out of the room, and down the first set of steps.
My heart drums, chest tightening as if it cannot hold this amount of pressure. I increase speed, running faster down the stairs.
When I'm downstairs, by the dining, the party is crowded, there's barely space to walk. The room seems to have grown to a greater expanse, yet somehow the walls are closing in. More specifically, the door, that's far and close and that has Wyatt running towards it.
I push past people, shouting for someone to stop Wyatt when I see his blonde tips, further down the dining room, nearing the door with equal struggle.
No one listens. No one moves without a shove. The music is louder. Head splitting. It's mocks the sound of my racing heart.
Everyone's to happy. To lively, their smiles disregarding the situation.
Wyatt's out the door. I run faster, deciding to leave the 'excuse me's' for another time.
Once outside, the cold night air hits me, shocking. I take in a gulp of air, letting myself breathe. The night's quiet but his footsteps are loud.
When I'm down the street, I see him at a close distance, running in the middle of the road. I run after him, using every drop of energy, every source of power. Everything.
As I draw closer to him, Wyatt turns his head while running. The eyes that once held fury, flicker with naked fear. He runs faster, his attempt sloppy and desperate.
He stumbles over a rock, catching himself before the fall but it's enough time I need to be on his tail. I throw myself at him, we fall on the hard floor, with a violent thud. Wyatt groans, pain echoing in his cries.
He struggles but I hold him down.
"Get off of me!" He yells, wild.
"No."
He throws a punch, although sloppy in it's technique, it catches me of guard, painful.
He throws another, and his about to get up and start running. I pull him down, holding him to a choke hold.
We struggle, sweat dripping down out bodies, hearts beating against our rib cages, and a fire building.
"You're..." Wyatt chokes out, trying to escape the chokehold. "You're... always fighting useless battles... fighting for the...wrong... people. First Olivia."
"Keep her name out your mouth." I cut him off, tightening my hold on him. I don't know how much longer I can hold on, my grip is slipping and my bones are weakening.
"...Now fighting for Lisa. B. Not...worth it."
I want to ask him, why. Why he's like this? Why he did such things? Why he hurt Olivia, to get to me, to get to Lisa? Why?
Instead, I say, “Honestly. I feel sorry for you Wyatt. You'll never know what it means to love. And maybe that's the worst punishment you'll ever get.”
For a moment, Wyatt stops struggling, his body tensing. Thinking that he's taking my words to heart, I let myself ease up. Wyatt curses at me, vile words flying out of his tongue. He shoves me, breaking free from the hold and he runs.
He runs.
That's when the police siren echoes, resonant, spreading relief through every bone in my body. It breaks through the troubles of the nigh. Wyatt, in an attempt to escape actually started running straight to the police car.
Once he notices his mistake, he turns, going the other way but the police step out, running after him. Lisa, Dominique and Maggie trail out of their car, pointing at the criminal.
I make my way towards them, with the last bit of strength I have.
"It's over." Dominique says, when I reach him and we share a weak smile.
When the police have him in cuffs, going over his rights, I see the relief in Lisa's eyes. The strength she had dissolves, and she collapses into the arms of her friend.
❄️❄️❄️
A
nother police car came, when Wyatt was driven off. This one with ample room for all of us to fit.
The police, a voluptuous yet strong woman addressed Lisa and Maggie, we pitched in here and there. Apparently Lisa opened up a case against them a few weeks ago. When the news came in that the three other boys Wyatt was doing this with, who ran out of the party were caught as well, Lisa's eyes were alight again, hope driven.
Now, the second police car drives us back to the party, even though it's walking distance. We all sit in the back seat, the screams of Wyatt echoing through our minds.
Dominique groans, turning his back to Lisa as she instructed. She gently parts Dominique’s curly brown hair.
Maggie and I watch, the silence tense but peaceful. A moment of reprieve.
“It's a small cut in your scalp. It'll be fine. I need some cold water, a homemade salve and a bandage. It'll be okay.”
“Thanks.” Dominique says after a moment.
No one moves to do anything. No one says a word. The woman driving us, stares at us through the rear view mirror, her eyes heavy with words.
“I'm sorry we couldn't help you Lisa.” Dominique breaks the silence, regret painting the features of his face.
“Leo was right,” he looked at me. “ I should've never let him in. I'm so stupid sometimes. I—”
“No.” I stop him.
“You're just a good person and you can't help but to see the good in people.”
“ It's a good thing he came.” Lisa says, shocking all of us.
We turn to her.
“I would have never been able to get a hold of the…pictures.” She looks away, when she says the last word.
“He had them on his phone. I broke the memory cards as well. I threw his friends' phones out the window too. They had the pictures as well. They fought me for it but…I did it. The three of them ran off after that. ” Lisa breathes out, a calm settling over her pictures.
“You should be proud.” Maggie says, gently squeezing her shoulders. “ You saved those girls. Their dignity. Their honour. You saved it. You saved those girls a lifetime of shame.”
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
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