"So you just ran away from him, just out his door and he didn't stop you?" Jo asks me. I nod.
"He had creepy pictures of me." I lie. I want to be able to tell someone about what happened but even as I began to open up to Jo, I switched the story around because trust is not found easily in my body.
A huge part of me kept screaming Niall, Niall, Niall but I don't think I can tell him anything about Harry. I don't want to imagine what he would do.
"I am so sorry you're his victim this year. I would say it normally doesn't last too long, but that's when he actually gets the girl. You are giving him a hard time, probably why he is still here." She says, slipping on her pajama pants. I assume she is kind of correct, considering she doesn't know the full story.
I snuggle under my duvet, emotionally wounded by the events that took place today and sigh. "Have you visited Dominique?" I finally ask as Jo slips under her twin bed.
"I went to the hospital but she was getting stiches. I am going in the morning, to pick her up. I am such a great friend. Or ex-friend, whatever. Do you want to come?" Jo asks. I consider her offer, and think about how lovely it would be to have the dorm to myself. But then again, Dominique was attacked in here and it was because of me.
"Of course, I will come." I smile and Jo switches the light off.
~
Jo shakes me awake and she has wide eyes.
"What?" I sit up.
"Who's Ellie?" she whispers. My heart stops.
"I don't know? Why?" I say quickly.
"You kept saying her name in your sleep. You sounded pretty scared." She whispers. I take the pillow to the left of me and fall back, shoving my face in it.
Not right now, Ellie. I don't need this right now.
"That's strange. Never heard of an Ellie. Can we go now?" I ask, removing the blanket from atop me.
"Girl, you are the one still on pajamas. Put on a raincoat because it's pouring. We'll have to take the bus or get a ride." She says as I walk over to the closet.
I take out Joanna's second rain coat and bit e my lip looking at her. "Sure." She smiles and I slip it on.
"Charlie?"
I turn around and arch my eyebrows. "Why don't you, I mean you didn't really bring a lot of things with you to Uni. Most people bring tons of stuff." She says. I can tell she is trying to ask me why I am so god damn mysterious.
"I was broke, got lucky with a scholarship. I didn'thave much clothes." I whisper, slipping on the same jeans from yesterday.
"Oh." She mumbles. I wonder what she is thinking.
"Well you are always welcome to wear my clothes." She smiles and I nod. Then we leave our dorm, making sure to lock it securely.
We make it about two feet out of the dorm center before Jo starts complaining about how wet her hair is getting even with the hoodie. We run back into shelter and she pulls out her phone and dials a number.
"Hey babe." She speaks into the phone, clearly using her means of seduction.
"I need a ride." She whispers and I hear someone talking on the other line.
"It's pouring. Please?"
It's silent for a moment. "You're going to make us walk alone in the rain?"
I can swear I hear a harsh voice ask, "Who is us?"
"Charlie of course!" she says into the phone and a second later she hangs up.
"He's coming." She smiles at me. Who?
Oh god, who?
Approximately two minutes later a car pulls up, one I recognize extremely well. We run through the rain in a hurry and slip in the car. Zayn turns around to smile at me.
"Good seeing you again, Charlie." I nod at and sink into his leather seats.
"Where to Jo?" he asks her, placing his hand on her knee. She doesn't flinch, but smiles at him. I can't blame her, especially because she doesn't know who he is. To her, he is just a beautiful looking man.
"We're going to visit Dom, can you take us there?" she ask and he nods at her and then looks back at me.
"I am sorry about your friend." He smiles. His smile sends a shiver down my spine and I look around the small back of his car for somewhere to puke, maybe on his face.
"You look like you need a cigarette." He says, reaching into his middle compartment and handing me it. I don't hesitate and light it quickly, missing the calming sensation in which it feels like forever since I smoked.
"You guys disappoint me." Jo laughs, watching us both take large puffs as Zayn begins to drive but I ignore her. I focus on my cigarette and all of the things on my mind. I focus on the thought that I am absolutely terrified in a car with Zayn, not even being alone, but when alone in a car with Harry, I struggle with wanting to be close to him.
But my mom, I remind myself.
I am no CSI agent, I can't just think about all of this and magically it's going to make sense. As much as I want to forget it all, shit keeps happening. I have a feeling it's all going to take me somewhere I don't want to be, but for now, I want to be with my friend. My friend who got hurt because of me.
~
"When do you think she is going to wake up?" Jo taps her foot impatiently . I look down at Dominique.
"They just gave her sleeping meds Jo, she will wake up when she wakes up." I shrug, taking a seat next to her.
After a few moments of silence, I stand up.
"Where are you going?" Jo yawns.
"I am going to go get some food from the cafeteria. Do you want something?" I ask.
"Oh my gosh, yes. A Cocoa Latte would be fantastic." She smiles. I laugh at her wide eyes and walk out of the room.
I walk down the hall to the stair way and open the door. I have walked down two flights of stairs when I begin to regret not taking the elevator. Someone is walking behind me, not sure if I am being followed.
Of course it feels as though I am being fallowed, ai am paranoid fuck. Feeling courageous, I turn around and frown.
"Hello." I say. The mans hifts his hat lower on his head and brushes past me. Feelings of relief rush through me, until...until he turns around.
"You are as beautiful as he says." He grins at me. He's old, I guess. With grey, brown hair and wrinkles swallowing his eyes whole.
"Who are you?" I step back, weighing my options.
Well, I could run. But where has that gotten me before?"
He ignores my question and steps closer. "I have a prpoposition." He smiles.
"Like hell I will listen to you. Who are you? What do you want with me?" I step back, but I am against the wall. The man grabs my wrist and digs his nails into my skin. I begin to squeal but his other hand wrap tightly around my mouth. It all feels so familiar.
"My job is easy. Make sure you stay where you need to be. Where you don't need to be is around Niall Horan. Got it? Stay away from him or we will kill him. You are a bitch, that is what you are. I do not understand why he is so interested in you, but it is my job to keep you away from nosy bastards like Niall Horan." He breathes, his breath smelling of a fresh cigar.
My eyes are wide under his hold but I don't squirm. I focus on breathing through my nose and he removes his hand from wrist. I look down at the purple fingerprints.
"I mean it, Parker. When you're the only apple in the tree, darling, people are going to watch you. They are going to sure as hell make sure you don't fall so the person who wants to eat you, doesn't get a spoiled apple."
"What does Niall have to do with this?"
The man's smile darkens.
"He just got too close to the wrong thing. Stay away from him and he won't get hurt. Tell anyone about this, and you will be standing over another grave wondering what you could have done differently." He squeezes my shoulder so hart I cry out in pain and sink down against the wall as he practically flies down another flight of stairs. I stair down at my throbbing wrist and close my eyes.
Wounded and confused, I decide to lie here, waiting for death to swallow me whole...like it should have ten years ago.