"We have to go," Kevin whispered urgently.
"Why?" I asked. Fear has appeared in Kevin's eyes and I had no idea why. "It might be Blake."
"I know. And I don't want to see him, okay?"
"Well, I kinda need to talk to him," I answered, wanting to look Blake straight in the eyes and ask him if the story that Kevin had just told me was true.
"Please Elijah. Please. I probably lost my job tonight bringing you here, so just please do this one thing for me and get into the car," Kevin pleaded, his eyes darting toward the road, seeing the car coming closer and closer.
"Tell me the rest of the story," I prompted.
"Get into the car and I will tell you everything I know. Please, just please get in," Kevin pleaded getting more urgent by the minute. It was as if he wasn't even seeing me anymore, just talking to me as if I was some ghost, while he kept his eyes firmly on the lights that was coming up the hill.
"We won't get past him in any case. The road just isn't broad enough," I took a more logical approach. Not that it seemed to work completely. Kevin was completely transfixed.
"Please!" Kevin pleaded. "Please, let's go. I can't stand to see Blake. I just can't"
But the words fell on death's ears as the car coming toward us skidded to a halt, blocking our way out, as two black shapes climbed out from either side.
"What the hell do you think you are doing? Are you stupid!" Lucy started to yell, as she ran towards me, hands held high as to slap me silly. However, as I started to duck I found that the abuse wasn't directed at me but at Kevin.
With every slap she yelled out a different word, trying to construct a sentence.
"You! Work! For! Me! And! You! Had! Orders!"
Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap.
"You! Were! Supposed! To! Bring! Elijah! Home!"
"Stop!" I shouted and moved myself between Kevin and Lucy. "I asked him to bring me here."
"You what?" she asked in disbelief. "Kevin is a snake. He doesn't do things for others if he isn't getting anything out of it."
At that moment I felt Blake's hand on my shoulder.
"Don't touch me," I said, and moved closer to Kevin. So far he was the only one that had actually been honest with me. More than that, he was a rapist. I knew that was what Blake has been keeping from me. Both him and Lucy. Kevin was the victim here. Just as I was.
"Please Eljah... I don't know what he told you, and I don't know what he told Alice, but it isn't true," Blake said, begging me with his eyes, looking as if he lost a battle.
"Did you rape him?" I asked, my question directed at Blake, ignoring both Lucy and Kevin.
"It's not that simple... Lots of things happened that night..." Blake said, not once looking me in the eye. Keeping his head low.
"It's a simple yes or no question."
Although I wanted to break down and cry I knew I needed to stay strong. Not just for myself, but also for Kevin. Another victim. What he did wasn't right, but two wrongs has never made a right.
"Elijah..." Blake began, but I cut him off.
"Just a yes or no."
For a moment I believed that Blake would not answer me, that the truth would never come out unless Kevin and I had more time to ourselves so that I could hear the entire story.
"Yes," Blake whispered so softly I almost didn't catch it.
"What?" I asked, and I heard Lucy suck in a breath.
"Yes. I raped Kevin," Blake repeated himself, this time lifting his head and looking me straight in the eyes. His eyes not pleading anymore, rather challenging me to ask how and why he did it, but I wasn't interested.
"I want to go home," I said, turning around to look at Kevin.
"That's a great idea! Let's all go home!" Lucy squealed. "We can get some pizza, and when we are full we can talk all about this. Get all of this sorted out and leave it behind us."
"You misunderstood," I said, turning toward Lucy. "I want Kevin to take me home. To my home. My house. Where my mom is. Where my CD's are. That's where I want to be."
Then I turned toward Blake and looked him straight in the eyes before saying: "And you I never want to see again. Do not talk to me at school. Don't send me messages. I'm done with you."
"But Elijah!" Blake screamed. A terrible sound that echoed through the apple tree surrounding us.
"With immediate effect!" I yelled and I grabbed Kevin by the arm and moved him toward the car.
"Elijah, come on. Just listen to Blake. Please," Lucy said, almost pleading, which was totally out of character for her. She never asked for something politely. She demanded and took it.
"No. I want to go home," I answered as I got into the car, allowing Kevin to close the door and walk around to his side.
I could hear Lucy screaming things at Kevin, but I have already switched off. I have already made my decision. I wasn't going to speak ever again. Every time I spoke things got like this. Every time I opened my mouth I was the one to get hurt. I was tired of it all. I just wanted peace around me. I didn't even want to be here anymore.
"Where to?" Kevin asked from the front seat.
I hesitated for a moment and then said: "Lucy's house. I need to get my stuff."
"I'm sorry Elijah... I didn't mean for things to..."
"Can you just keep your mouth shut and drive please? I really don't feel like talking," I said and watched as Kevin fell silent, leaving me alone with my thoughts of murder, suicide, and romantic death. It was the only things circling my mind, not once letting go of me. Sucking the last bit of light and happiness that I believed in out of me.
It didn't take me long to grab all my stuff at Lucy's. For a moment I felt the intense need to leave everything that she had bought for me, but then again. It wasn't as if she could wear it, and it's kinda rude to give presents back. So I just stuffed all of that in my backpack as well.
Luckily Lucy wasn't there. Blake must have took her up on her offer for pizza. And at this point I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. So within a few minutes I was back in the car with Kevin, my backpack stuffed so full that there was no way it could close anymore.
"You don't have to go back you know," Kevin said from the front seat.
"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled, sure that a frown was on my face.
"I heard Lucy talk about your father. That he was an abusive ass."
"It's not like I have anywhere else to go," I said, looking out of the window, seeing the house where I felt truly at peace disappear behind me.
"You can come and stay with me for a while," Kevin said. "It's nothing big or spectacular, but it's comfy without your parentals moaning about everything."
I didn't answer him. I couldn't. Once again someone I barely knew wanted to help me. The only difference was that he was actually a victim as well. It made sense. He has also been through stuff that might have broken him down a bit. And still I didn't completely trust him. Which was totally normal for me since I barely trusted anyone that came close to me.
"I want to go home," I heard myself say, even though I was thinking of doing the exact opposite.
"Well, take my number at least. If anything happens, just let me know and I will come and get you immediately. No kid needs to live in a house where he is scared all the time," Kevin said, smiling slightly as he handed me a card.
I looked at it for a while after taking it. The scribbling was neat. Kevin had a pretty nice handwriting. Neat, with every single letter and number the exact same size. I heard somewhere that a person with such a neat handwriting was either a perfectionist, or just in total control of their lives. Would it not be nice to be with someone who was in control? Who stood up from a bad place, and now makes a living for himself, building himself up.
"Do me a favor please?" Kevin asked.
"Sure," I said. It was the least that I could do. He probably lost his job because of me tonight.
"Send me a message later to let me know if you are okay please. Otherwise I will never be able to sleep," he said as he stopped right in front of my house.
"I promise," I said as I stepped out of the car, staring up at my house with fear in my heart. Hoping it would not be nearly as bad as I was thinking it was going to be.
"Hey... Elijah... It's not too late to turn around and get back into the car," Kevin said the exact same thing that was on my mind.
What would happen the moment I walk through that door? Would it just be my mom, in tears and hugging me because I was safe? Or would it by my excuse for a father, drunk, wanting to beat me up in the same way he had hit Blake? Was I even sure I wanted either one of that to happen? Could I even handle what was about to happen? Maybe they would both be asleep and I could creep up the stairs and lock my door, ignoring them until morning when I knew that he would be sober and she would be rested?
"I need to do this," I muttered to Kevin, and then walked toward the house.
Every step made my feet feel heavier, as if it was turning into lead. Making it hard to walk straight into what felt like my doom. Kevin starting the car and pulling away felt like hope being taken away. The last light that was still shining on me, disappearing into the darkness, not being able to keep the monsters away from me anymore.
I have lost everything that I held dear. I have lost a best friend and my boyfriend in one night. I had the most wonderful and most terrible date all rolled into one; and that was my very first experience on a date. Would anything ever be able to overshadow that and make me forget about the night that I desperately wanted to escape?
As I turned the handle of the door I heard the scraping on the other side, but trying my best to ignore my fear I turned the knob to see...
"Oh my gawd!" I muttered before I was frozen in a silent scream that seemed to go on forever.
It was him.
He was there.
And there was blood everywhere.
I could not comprehend. I could not allow my mind to process the scene that was playing of in front of me. I refused to take in the blood coming down the stairs, or the smell of the blood that was mixing with a strong smell of alcohol. It was all just too familiar. I have seen this scene before. Once. A long time ago. A time when I also froze in silent horror as a strange man that resembled my father dragged a bloodied body over the floor, heading for the back yard.
"No!!!" I screamed, not wanting to be silent anymore.
"You!" he yelled as he came for me, and I knew that soon I would be face down in the blood beside...
A/N: Officially hiding behind my hands... Not at all what I planned on happening, but like I always say: You can raise your characters to the best of your ability but when they start running around on the page there is nothing you can do about it.
Once again thanks for reading. I know this chapter is coming out one day early, but hopefully that means that the next chapter will be early as well. Remember to comment and vote and share with all of your friends who are just as in love with Elijah as I am!