[WARNING: intense scene during the end, nothing described]
When I went to school Tuesday morning, I asked Ace to hold my hand as we walked into the school. Oakley came up to me and Ace.
"Hey Cam, hey Ace." He said. "Are you two a couple?" He asked. That's what I was hoping for. That way, he would think we were already going to the dance. Just then, as I wished, the bell rang.
"Sorry, we have to go to class." I said dragging Ace with me.
"What was that all about?" He asked. "Why did you want to hold my hand?"
"Okay, the truth is, I already knew that a lot of boys were going to ask me to the dance, so I wanted them to think we were going together so they wouldn't ask me to go to the dance." I said.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Ace said with a look in his eyes like no one could ever stop him from asking. I looked into his beautiful brown eyes, they sparkled in the sunshine coming from the window. He took my two hands in his soft, warm hands and smiled. "Will you go to the dance with me?"
"I don't know... Maybe I could consider it." I said with a smirk. I hugged him. "Of course I will go to the dance with you, Ace." I felt so relieved to be in his arms.
"Good." He said into my shoulder. "I don't think I could see you going with a jock."
"Ace, you're the perfect guy to go with." I said holding his hand. We walked past calculus class where I heard some guys talking to each other.
"So that really hot girl, Camilla, is going to the dance with that nobody Ace." It was Oakley. I cannot believe he would say that. He seems like such a nice guy. I think Ace heard him because when I turned around he was running down the hall.
"Ace... Wait." I said. I ran after him. I grabbed his arm and turned him around. "Look, Ace. I'm sure he didn't mean any of that, he's just jealous." He was holding in his emotions. The sparkle in his eyes had dimmed.
"Maybe, I don't belong here. This isn't a place, where I belong." He said turning around. He walked away and I stood there.
"Ace, don't be ridiculous." I said. "You belong here, with me." He ignored me and walked towards the office. I'm guessing he phoned his sister to pick him up. Within a few minutes Riley was standing in front of the office and Ace went over to her. They hugged and then he and Riley headed out the door.
As Ace and Riley walk out the door I get a text.
"Looks like that nobody Ace, is cheating on Camilla with another girl. She looks way older than him. I wonder how Cam will feel." There was a picture attached to the message.
I opened the picture that someone sent me and it was of Riley and Ace. They were hugging. I saw who they sent it to; it was to almost everyone in our grade. Even to Ace. Probably Riley will see it. What is Ace going to do? I called him immediately.
"Ace... Pick up!" I said, into the phone.
"Why are you calling your boyfriend? Are you going to dump him?" I turned around to see Micah with his iPhone; the picture was on the screen.
"Why would you do that? Ace is my best friend! Why would you ever try and hurt him like that?" I yelled tears almost flowing down my cheeks.
I almost slapped him across the face.
"He didn't do anything to you! You're just a jerk along with all the other guys that think they can take down Ace to get to me." By this time, the tears couldn't stay in longer; my eyes were puffy and my cheeks were stained with tears. I ran down the hall and called Ace. It rang about two times, before he finally picked up.
"Hey Ace," I said quietly. I think he could tell I was crying. "Where are you and Riley?" I asked.
"Just at McDonald's why? Are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine; I will walk down there to meet you guys. Okay?" I asked. "I need to talk to you."
I went to McDonald's and sat down at the booth with them after I ordered fries and a smoothie. What? Can't a girl have a treat once in a while?
"Hey guys. We really need to talk" I said. "Ace, when you and Riley left, you hugged." I said sipping some more of my smoothie. "Well, right after you were gone, Oakley sent something to the entire school." I said sliding my phone on the table with the text open. "I'm really sorry, I wish that hadn't happened." I said as Riley and Ace stared at the text. I ate a few fries and put my face in my hands. "Please don't say you're going to leave the school. I really need you."
"Maybe, I just don't belong there. No one accepts me, for who I am. Or maybe, maybe if I didn't hang around you anymore, people wouldn't bother me. Look, Cam, we can't go to the dance together." He said. Then Ace grabbed his drink and left.
"I'm so sorry." Riley said. "I'll go try and talk some sense into him." She followed Ace leaving me at the table alone.
I sat there trying to comprehend what just happened. Ace is such an amazing guy, how could so many people dis him like that. It's not right.
I gave Oakley a call.
"Hello?"
"Hey Oakley it's Camilla." I sighed quietly.
"Oh hey, you still going to the dance with Ace?" He laughed. "I just don't get why you would go with a freak like him. I mean, you're so hot and could get any other guy but you choose him?"
"Yes, Oakley. I do choose Ace. I choose Ace over any of you guys who just try to take down Ace to get to me. It's not going to work. Even if you do take down Ace I'm never going to go to any guy who thinks they can get me easily. Ace is my best friend. He's everything to me. I'm not going to leave his side. And even though he may be weak, I'm going to stand up for him. Because I love him Oakley. I love Ace. I don't love you, or any other guy at our school. I love Ace. He is my world. And what you're doing to him is not right? Picking on him is not okay." I said.
"Okay, I'll see you around. By the way, tell Ace I'm..." He muffled something, I'm pretty sure he said sorry but I wanted to hear it genuinely.
"Tell Ace what?" I smiled.
"Tell him I'm sorry." He said hanging up directly after.
I looked around the restaurant to see if Riley and Ace had left. When I turned around I saw Ace smiling. He mouthed the words "thank you Camilla" and walked out the door.
I called Micah. I wanted to scream at him but I knew I couldn't.
"Hey Micah, it's Camilla."
"Hey, Camilla,"
"I need you to know that what you did wasn't okay. It hurt Ace and he's really upset about it."
"Oh whatever," he said. "Ace is a big boy, I'm sure he can get over it."
"Micah, that's not the point. It's not okay to pick on someone like that. He's more fragile than you think. He has AIDS you know." I had to make up something but I immediately regretted what I just said.
"AIDS? Oh my god I have to tell everyone! Did he get it from a girl when he hooked up with her?"
"No Micah! It runs in his family okay. It's not his fault." I lied again. Why can't I just tell him that he actually just has cancer?
"Hmmm, I maybe I won't tell everyone. On one condition." He had something horrible planned and I knew it.
I sighed. "Anything," I choked.
"You have to come over to my house tonight," he stated. "And do whatever I tell you."
I gulped. This could turn very bad. "Okay. When do you want me over?" I tried to keep the tears in. But I'll do anything for Ace.
"Ten o'clock. But if you don't come, I'm going to tell everyone he hooked up with a girl and got AIDS from her. Okay?"
"Yes," I swallowed a huge lump in my throat.
As soon as I got off the phone I ran home. I was crying the whole way home.
My parents weren't home so they wouldn't even know that I skipped the rest of the day.
I called Gwen and told her I was at home because I wasn't feeling well.
I just lied down in my bed and sobbed. It was 1:30 and I still had two classes to go to. But I decided to just skip and try to find out a way to get out of this deal with Micah.
He's going to ask me to have sex with him. I know it. And I can't say no. His blackmail was just too good. I know I shouldn't have said yes but there's no other way out of this.
I didn't want to tell anyone. But I didn't know how to get out of the house at ten at night but I had to. That mass text to basically everyone at school was probably already ready on his phone and if I didn't show up at exactly ten, the text would be sent.
Micah and I have a little bit of background. He was really nice up until, well now. We used to be great friends and we talked and hung out a couple times but nothing good ever can out of our relationship as friends.
He was an atheist and every time I told him about God he would get mad at me and question me about God. And when I didn't have the answers, he would tell me that I didn't know anything about my "God" because I didn't know the answers.
By the time three o'clock came around, Gwen immediately noticed me crying when she got home and dragged me into her room.
"What's wrong? Tell me now."
"Nothing, it's just cold outside, my eyes are watering." I lied.
"Spill it," she spat.
"It's nothing, just Ace and I got into a fight, that's all." I lied again. That technically wasn't a lie but it wasn't what I was crying about.
"Are you sure that's all?" She stared me down hoping to get the rest out of me. I didn't budge.
She left and I lied back down on my comfy bed. It was 3:30 and I had a long time to waste until Micah came.
I decided to shave my legs cause I have no idea what Micah is expecting of me tonight. I'm so nervous though. I have a terrible feeling about what's going to happen tonight.
It's only 4:30 now so I have a little time to kill. I pick up my ukulele and start to strum a little. I strum How He Loves; it's just a popular worship song. I hum along to the strumming and just lying there, worrying about tonight.
I can't tell anyone about what's going to happen so I have to keep my mouth shut and I can't cry cause I'll get questioned.
I know God will provide for me. I know he will be there with me. I just don't know how I will get through tonight if Micah does want to have sex with me.
I'm going to get raped and there's nothing I can do about it. He's going to touch me. Micah is going to take my virginity away. I won't be a virgin until after marriage.
How will I ever face my parents after encountering this?
*Five hours later*
It's now 9:30 and my plan is to tell my parents that I have a shift tonight until midnight. That should buy me enough time. I might end up sleeping at his house though so I'm not to sure what my excuse will be tomorrow morning.
I started to head over to Micah's.
He opened the front door for me. "Well hello Camilla, how are you?" He smirked.
"I'm fine, aren't your parents home?" I whispered.
"They're out of town tonight. I figured it would be a great time to get together." He smirked again. "Come on up to my room."
I prayed in my head for God to help me.
"I've got a big King size bed so we should be okay for anything we happen to do tonight."
I looked around his room and saw a bunch of almost naked pictures of girls and I squeezed my eyes shut.
He started to take off his shirt and I admit it was pretty hot. But I knew I didn't want to do anything with him tonight.
He pulled me close to him and whispered, "first thing on the list, kiss me." He smiled.
He brought his lips to mine and kissed me. I've never kissed anyone other than Ace. It felt weird. He continued to "kiss" me although it felt like he was trying to kill me. He started feeling up my shirt for my bra strap. Oh gosh, Lord please help me.
I tried to struggle from his strong grip but he wouldn't budge. I finally got free and he already had my bra off. I felt really uncomfortable.
"Hey baby, come over to my bed." He smiled. "Next on the list is to make out with me in bed."
I internally screamed for help. Micah was going to rape me tonight and I couldn't help it.