Chapter 5- Candace’s House
Chris drove Rhea to Candace's house after school. Rhea thanked Chris and watched him drive off. She turned back to the huge white house behind a metal gate, almost like a mansion. She went and clicked the buzzer. A woman's voice came from the speaker and Rhea thought it was Candace's mom.
"Hello?"
"Um... I'm here to tutor Candace," Rhea said.
"A tutor? Well that's new."
Another voice could be heard in the background. "You can let her in mom, I asked her to help me with my studies."
"Wow, Candace! That's the first from you, I'm so proud."
The buzzer beeped and the gate opened. Rhea gulped, tightened her grip on the sash of her bag and walked up the driveway to the house. She admired the nicely cut front yard as she walk up the stairs of the porch to the maroon double doors. Rhea knocked her knuckles against the door two times and the door flung open. Being startled, Rhea jumped back a bit meeting a woman that looked eerily similar to Candace, only a bit older and with lots of make up.
'Maybe her sister? But I don't remember Candace ever mentioning an older sister around school,' Rhea thought.
"Hi, You must be Candace's tutor?"
"Y-yes, um... I go to the same school as her. I'm Rhea, Rhea Jackson." Rhea held out her hand.
"It's nice to meet you Rhea. I'm Candace's mother." She shook Rhea's hand.
'Mother? Wow, she looks so young,' Rhea thought. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Kindler."
"Oh no, it's Ms. Kindler."
"Oh! Sorry, Ms. Kindler,” Rhea corrected herself.
"It's quite alright, Candace never mentions the divorce. Please come in." Ms. Kindler motioned Rhea to come into the house.
Walking through the door, Rhea saw two grand staircases going up to the second floor and the right led to the living room and the left led to a separate room. On top of the ceiling was a huge, beautiful chandler.
"Candace is upstairs with her friends in her room. They just got home. I'll bring up some drinks, so go ahead." Ms. Kindler pointed up the stairs. "Her room is down the hall to the right."
"Thanks you," Rhea said as she walked up the stairs on the right.
She admired everything as she walked down the halls. There were many paintings and family pictures on the walls. Once she reached the door down the hall on the right, she knocked.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice, Rhea turned the doorknob pushing the white door open. She was met with a huge white room with Candace on her light blue bed with four other girls. Rhea closed the door and just stood there, not knowing what to do.
"Well don't just stand there," Candace said. "Come here." Rhea slowly walked closer to the bed. "Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Riley." Candace pointed to the girl with curly brown hair then to the girl with long blonde hair. "This is Lisa." Candace moved down to the next girl with blonde hair that was tied in pigtails. "That's Penny and last but not least, Ellen." Candace pointed to the last girl with light brown hair that was in a braid. "Girls, this is Rhea Jackson. She’s here to help with school work."
"Isn't she the girl that Chris started to hang out with?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, she is," said Ellen.
Rhea looked down at the carpet as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She bit on her lower lip wanting to run out the door and call Chris to bring her back home. That's when the door opened and Ms. Kindler walked in with a tray that had five glass cups.
"I brought rum~" she sung.
"Finally!" Candace said as she jumped off the bed along with the four other girls.
They all took a cup and sat back down on Candace's bed. Ms. Kindler held out the last cup to Rhea.
"Oh no, sorry, I don't drink alcohol," Rhea said as she backed away.
"You sure? It's really good~"
"Can I just have water? If that's ok?" Rhea asked.
Ms. Kindler shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the room, drinking the cup of rum that was meant for Rhea. Rhea let out a sigh and turned back to the girls.
"Ok, Rhea. You can sit over there," Candace said pointing over to the wooden desk across the bed near the glass door to the balcony.
Rhea nodded and walked over to the desk placing her messenger bag on the chair. She took out her biology textbook and look towards the bed.
"S-so um... we... we should start with homework," Rhea stuttered.
"Great idea!" Candace said as she got off her bed. Candace grabbed her blue backpack and took out a folder. "Here, you can help me do all this homework."
"W-what? B-but I was supposed to only help you with biology."
"Oh right, but can you help me with the other subjects? I'm having trouble." Candace shoved the folder into Rhea's hands. "Thanks."
"B-but-"
"Oh, can you help me with mine too?" Riley said placing her homework on top of Candace's homework folder.
"Mine too," Penny chirped.
"Same here," Lisa said.
Penny and Lisa placed their homework into Rhea's arms.
"Can you do mine too?" Ellen asked, placing her homework on top of everyone else's. "Thanks." Ellen walked back to the bed and started to chat with everyone.
Rhea sighed. She didn't want to get on everyone's bad side. Somehow she knew this would happen, yet she still decided to come. She placed all the girls homework on top of the desk. She still had her own to do but she didn't have a choice. She started with Ellen's homework since it was on the top. While doing Ellen's homework, Rhea eavesdropped on the girls conversation.
"Hey, is everyone free on Saturday?" Riley asked. “‘Cause I'm having a party."
"Sweet, I'm free!" Candace said.
"You planning to invite everyone in school?" Ellen asked.
"Yep, all the popular people. I would invite the non popular kids too, but what's the use if they wouldn’t go, right?" Riley giggled.
"So true," Penny said.
"How would you know? What if they did want to go?" Rhea said without realizing.
Everyone looked at her. Rhea had stopped moving her pencil. She froze and cursed herself.
"What are you saying? That you want to come to my party?" Riley said.
Rhea gulped, "N-no. I-I was just implying." She could feel them gazing at her.
Then the door opened. Rhea thanked God that Ms. Kindler came in.
"Sorry it took so long to get your water, Rhea," Ms. Kindler said placing the glass cup on the desk.
"Thanks."
Ms. Kindler walked out, taking everyone's empty glass with her.
Rhea let out a sigh and went back to Ellen's math homework. She hoped that everyone would go back to their conversation before she interrupted. And luckily, they did. It was like they totally forgot she was there in the room with them.
"So you're going to invite the football team too, right?" Lisa asked.
"Well of course," Riley said. "If I invite the football team, you know who's gonna be there."
Everyone said, "Chris!!" And started to giggle.
"Oh you're gonna invite Leon too, right?" Ellen asked.
"Well of course! Chris is popular, sure, but he can't beat Leon! He's the prince of the school, the most popular guy," Riley said.
'Leon Prescott,' Rhea thought.
Rhea remembered getting bullied by him, she hated him and how he always got away with it. The teachers didn't even bother to stop him just because he's from a rich stubborn family. Rhea thought he was just a jerk. She clenched onto the pencil as negative thoughts about Leon raced through her brain.
"Hey, Rhea!" Candace's voice snapped Rhea out of her thoughts.
Rhea shook her head, "S-sorry, what?"
"I was wondering," Candace started. "What is Chris to you?"
"What is Chris to me?" Rhea repeated the question in confusion.
"Yeah, is he your friend, best friend or maybe boyfriend?"
Rhea blushed, "Chris... Chris is just a good friend, that's all."
"Really? That's it?" Penny asked.
Rhea nodded.
"Hmm~" Candace hummed. "I was sure there was something between you guys, I mean why else would Chris wait by your locker all day?"
"He waits by my locker?" Rhea turned around to look at Candace.
"Yep." Candace nodded her head. "I see him every day waiting at your locker between classes. Sometimes you don't show up, so he always go to class with a sad expression."
"I-I didn't know that," Rhea said, turning back to the worksheets on the desk.
"So do you like him?" Riley asked.
Rhea blushed even harder. "Y-you mean as a friend?"
"No, I mean, do you like like him?"
"Everyone likes Chris," Rhea said.
"Of course everyone likes him! He's strong, kind, smart and gentle. If he had Leon's looks, then I'd go crazy for him!" Riley said.
"I think Chris is fine the way he is," said Rhea.
"Hey? What do you like about Chris?" Candace asked.
“I like his eyes,” Ellen replied. “His eyes have this pinkish or purple hue. I know he’s not albino, but his eyes are so captivating.”
“Ok, Rhea, what about you?” Asked Candace.
"I guess..." An image of Chris came to mind and Rhea smiled at the thought of Chris smiling at her. "His smile."
"His smile?"
Rhea nodded. "His smile always cheers me up whenever I'm feeling down. I know it's a bit weird and cliché but, he's like the sun that brings sunshine into my dark life."
"Awwwwww~" Everyone except Candace awed.
"Candace, she's in love with Chris," Penny said.
"I can see that," Candace mumbled.
"It's so adorable," said Riley.
"I'm actually rooting for her," Lisa said.
Rhea's blush turned to a whole new level of red. "It wouldn't work out. It's just a crush, it'll go away, and I doubt Chris would want to go out with someone like me. I'm happy enough that he's my friend."
"But that's so sad," said Ellen.
"I-I need to get back to work," Rhea said, placing Lisa's work in front of her.
The girls went back to their conversation while they left Rhea with their own work, but Candace kept an eye on her. Rhea decided to stay focused on the work instead of listening to the conversation. She was able to finish everyone's work except her own. She checked her phone and noticed it was 10:46. She didn't know how it had gotten that late. Time flies when you're doing someone else's work, and she hadn't even started hers. Rhea packed up her stuff. She organized everyone's work and stood up. She looked to the girls and they were still socializing.
"Um, Candace?"
Candace looked towards Rhea. "What?"
"It's getting late, I should get going. I left everyone's work on the desk. It’s all complete," said Rhea.
Candace took out her phone checking the time. "Wow it is late."
"God! My dad's gonna kill me if I don't get home," said Penny.
"Yeah, my mom's probably worried right now," said Ellen.
"Alright, we should get home before all of our parents give us a good scolding," said Riley.
Everyone except Candace jumped off the bed, grabbing their work and their backpack before leaving the room, saying goodbye and goodnight to Candace. Rhea was the only one left in the room with Candace.
“I-I um… I should go…” Rhea trailed off, leaving the room.
Rhea walked out into the cold night. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. ‘Better call Chris, but it’s so late, maybe he’s asleep. I don’t want to bother him,’ Rhea thought.
Then she heard beeping sounds from a car. She looked up and saw Chris smiling at her through his car window. Rhea smiled and walked down the driveway to Chris’s car. She sat in the passenger seat and slouched.
“How long have you been waiting here?” Rhea asked.
“Let’s see, I came here around nine and right now is almost eleven, so about two hours.”
“I thought you gave me your number so I could call you to come pick me up.”
Chris shrugged, “Oh well. So how’d it go?” Chris asked.
Rhea bit her lower lip, “Ok… I guess.”
Chris tilted his head, “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I did everyone’s homework while Candace talked to her friends about you.”
“Wait, you did everyone’s homework?” Chris asked in disbelief. Rhea nodded her head. Chris sighed, “I can’t believe her.”
“Can you bring me home? I still have my homework to do.”
“Rhea, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it would turn out like that,” Chris said.
“Of course you wouldn’t. You don’t need to apologize. You didn’t know Candace would ask me to help her, and turns out she didn’t need help. All she wanted was for me to do her homework.”
Chris bit his lower lip, “About that… “
“Huh?”
“Nevermind, let’s get you home.”
Rhea gave him a suspicious look, but shrugged it off. Chris started his car and drove off. The ride from Candace’s house to Rhea’s was only a twenty minute drive. Chris waved goodbye and said goodnight before driving off. Rhea walked up the steps to the front door, taking out her keys and reached for the doorknob. Then her heart sank. The door was unlocked, if it was unlocked then that meant…
All of a sudden the door swung open and stood her dad. Rhea’s eyes widened as he grabbed her by the arm. He yanked her inside and slammed the door shut. He threw Rhea to the floor and glared at her.
“Where the fuck have you been!?” He yelled.
“I-I was helping someone with their homework,” Rhea replied.
“You? Help someone? Ha, real funny. You can’t do anything right! Why would anyone want help from you? The only thing you’re good at is being a punching bag!” He said. “Let me show you.” He slyly smiled.
Rhea’s heart lurched as her dad pulled her by the collar of her shirt. He dragged her all the way down to the basement.
“W-what are you doing?” Rhea asked.
“You’ll see.”
The way he replied sent chills down her spine. He tied her hands together and hung her up to the ceiling of the basement so she was dangling by her arms. Rhea whimpered and started to tear up as she struggled. Not even her toes touched the floor.
“Look! See? You’re my personal punching back,” He chuckled. “Let the fun begin. This will teach you a lesson.” He punched her in the stomach and Rhea’s eyes widened as she gasped. “This is the only house you can go to, no one else’s, you got that!”
Rhea didn’t reply, she only bit her lower lip as tears formed in her honey eyes. He gritted his teeth and punched her again. She gasped and coughed.
“You got that!?” He said again.
“Y-yes,” Rhea mumbled.
“I can’t hear you!” He punched her in the ribs this time.
“Yes!” Rhea cried out.
“Good. And you belong to me,” He said. “Now say it! Who do you belong to?”
“Y-you.”
“What was that!?” He punched her again and Rhea screamed.
“You!”
“That’s right you belong to me and only me! You'll listen to what I say or else you'll be punished more, you got that?!"
"Y-yes."
"Say it louder!" He yell as he punched her ribcage.
"Yes!!"
"Now that's a good girl. You just keep listening to daddy’s orders," He crackled.
Rhea sniffled as tears streamed down her cheeks. "P-please... stop," she quietly pleaded.
“Shut up! I didn't say you could speak, did I?!" He punched her in the gut and Rhea gasped. "Now then, I expect you to keep quiet unless you want more punishment?"
Rhea didn't reply. She just stayed quiet as her tear kept on falling silently. Her dad got annoyed and gritted his teeth.
"Answer me, you damn bitch!"
This time he punched Rhea in the face. She could feel blood dripping from her nose. She looked up again to see his arm cocked back ready to punch her again. Rhea whimpered, screwed her eyes shut and braced herself for the pain that was to come.
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Author's Note
I hope this story is not too abusive for my precious reader, if it's too much for you, you have the choice to not read, but neverless thank you for reading and I want to give a big thanks my new editor who is a good friend of my from school. She is so nice and is willing to help a poor soul like me, so give her a big round of applause XD
-Realpg13