Watch your back
Demis POV
I walked into another room with Noah leaving Hayley by herself in the lobby. I was about to go off at this kid. I didn't even want him here in the first place. I closed the door behind us and turned to look at he's smug face "you know, this is how a lot of romantic movies go" Noah smiled. I rolled my eyes and gave him a dirty look. "Listen to me." I said dangerously "you need to stay away from Hayley" I warned
"Why?" He mocked me. "Because I know the kind of person you are, and I know things that you have done, and I haven't forgotten what you tried to do to me" I spat. I looked him dead in the eye. It took all my strength not to strangle him. I watched him in silence waiting for he's response.. he smiled at me.. then he started to chuckle. "Demi. I know you have this weird school girl crush on Hayley, but stay out of it, you don't control me, Ok!" he grinned. School girl crush? Is this kid serious? I am so close to whacking this kid into next week. I do not have a crush on Hayley I care about her and feel a connection with her. I knew he could see how angry I was and I knew he was getting a rise out of it. So I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I wasn't going to let him get the best of me. "Look, all I'm trying to do... is protect her from dirty lying little bastards like you, and I'm warning you now. You do anything to harm her and I'll-" "you'll what?!" Noah cut me off smiling. I was going to say I'll kill you, but I better not. I opened my mouth to say something when Nick walked in the room. "Hey Demi, I was looking for you. Lunch is ready in 20 minutes so start getting the kids settled into the diner" he said looking at us both. He looked a bit puzzled but I could tell he Didnt want to ask. "Yup, ok I'll be there in a minute" I smiled. Nick gave me a shy smile in return and shut the door as he left. I turned my attention back to Noah who was staring at the door. He looked back at me and smiled "mmm I'm starved!" He yelled walking out.
He slammed the door behind him and I wanted to scream. He irritates me in ways I can't understand. I pulled my hair and gave a few deep breathes, I had a few tears from frustration I wiped away before walking out the door. Get a grip Demi, I told myself. I did what I wanted I got him away from Hayley, I just have to keep him away from Hayley which shouldn't be to hard they aren't in the same groups, it's lunch now then after lunch we go back to our group lobbies and I won't have to see him.
I collected myself and came out into the main room where everyone was and started getting kids settled into the diner so we could have lunch.
After everyone was seated I took a seat next to Nick and Chelsea "hey Nick, Demi? I got your kids tie dye stuff done early so I'll drop it off to your lobby after lunch okay?" Chelsea squealed "oh that's awesome!" I cheered "damn can't believe I missed tie dying" nick murmured sarcastically "you missed quite a lot, actually" I said "yeah I guess I did didn't I" he responded. I thought about that day. How excited Hayley was to get a have a new Hoodie and tie dye for the first time. I've been meaning to take her shopping for some new clothes but so much has been happening it has been put on hold. Where is Hayley? I thought. I looked around the room she wasn't with her friends. Ugh that must mean she's with.... oh she's not with Noah either. I waited a bit to see if she'd just gone to the bathroom. "Nick? Have you seen Hayley?" I asked "yeah I saw her talking with Noah before" he answered, I rolled my eyes and grunted "after that?" I said "no but it wasn't that long ago" he said. I got a sick feeling in my gut that something was wrong and I knew I had to listen to it. "I'll be right back, I need to charge my phone" I lied getting up from the table.
I walked out of the main lobby and when I was sure no one could see me I started running. I didn't want anyone to know anything was wrong. I ran straight into the bathroom all the cubicle doors were open. She wasn't there. I was about to panic but I still hadn't checked her room. I didn't even knock I swung the door open not even thinking. "Demi!" Hayley called out in shock. She held her hand on her chest and tried to catch her breath "what the hell?!" She screamed "Hayley. You can't just wonder off! Especially after what happened yesterday of course I'm going to worry, what are you doing?" I cried. She cautiously stood up from the desk chair and started walking towards me slowly "nothing. Let's go have lunch." She said very quietly. She was acting suspicious and she was holding her sleeves. "No, Hunny. What happened?" I said calmly. "What do you mean? Nothing happened, I just wanted to be alone" she said. It was then that I noticed blood on her hands and wrists. I closed my eyes and tried not to let any tears fall. I looked her in the eyes and asked "what's that on your wrist" my eyes were watery, I saw a panicked look on Hayleys face before she tried to bolt to the door, I stood in front of her. "Demi move!" She shouted I kneeled down to her level and let myself cry. she looked scared and upset. Her face was full of so many emotions, yet she was pale and her eyes were dull as she stared at me. When I started crying there was an instant change in her mood she kneeled in front of me, "why are you crying?" She asked gently "Hayley, I don't know what it is, but I care about you so much, and it hurts me to see you like this and I didn't want you to see me like this but I feel like I have no other way, please talk to me.." I said softly. She looked away, she hesitated for a bit..
"Demi.. I'm worthless, I have no purpose and things just never go good for me" she said with a blank expression looking at the floor. "Aw baby girl that is not true-"
"It's not? Then how come my parents haven't come for me? They didn't try to stop the police from taking me. How come I was bullied so much in school? Why do the oth-" she started crying but I stopped her and I embraced her into a hug and held her close to me. "You don't know your worth because you have been around selfish evil people that don't deserve you. You have only been here a week and you have so many friends and I adore you and Nick adores you and the police yesterday that came said that you were very brave and very smart. You don't know your worth because you have never been told or shown it but I'm telling you now.. you are worth something to me" I sobbed. Hayley pulled herself out of my grasp and stood up. she didn't say anything, she just left the room, I followed after her calling out for her. she walked into the bathroom and over to the sink and started to rinse off the dry blood. I tried not to look. "Hayley? why haven't you said anything?" I asked. There was a moment of silence before she spoke "Demi?... what did you need Noah for?" she asked looking at herself in the mirror, I could hear an annoyed tone in her voice. I wasn't sure what to say, "I needed him to help me with something" I said nervously. she stared at me "your lying.." she said. I don't know how she knew I was lying, but I might as well tell her truth, better she hears it from me first then from Noah. "hunny, Noah, he's not a nice kid. I just didn't like seeing him with you.. that's the truth." I said nervously. "yeah he isnt... I dont want to see him again" she signed "wait, why. did he do something?" I questioned getting worked up "no, no, no. he didn't. he's just.... a jerk" she muttered. I believed her, in my head I was celebrating but also concerned as to what changed Hayleys mind so fast and why she felt the need to harm herself, and what did she use? "hunny, what did you use today?" I asked Quietly and sensitively. I could instantly see a look of uncomfort on her face. she looked like she was battling with herself when she gave up and lifted her shirt showing me a knife she had in the waist band of her pants. I covered my mouth with hands I was really surprised to see that. she is very sick. "I need you to give that to me" I asked sternly putting my hand out. she slowly pulled the knife out and gave it to me.
We returned to the Diner. Nick, Hayley and I shared a table with her Friends on the opposite side of the room away from Noah.
After lunch we headed back to the lobby and Chelsea started handing out every body's Tye die stuff and everyone was so excited. I watched as Hayley immediately put her hoodie on, it was a bit big for her which looked cute, it was hard to believe it was her first time doing tie dye, her stuff looked very nice she used purple pink blue and a bit of yellow.
"Hey Demi. I'm gonna set up the wii in here for the kids to play I'll find some 4 player games and everyone can take turns it'll be fun. Whoever doesn't wanna play can just hang out or go in their rooms and chill" Nick said "ok good idea they loved that last year" I responded. We chatted for a bit longer about plans till dinner then when Nick was setting up the wii I went and sat with the kids on the couch and we started shouting at Nick jokingly to hurry up because he was taking so long with setting the wii up.
"Ok it's done!" Nick shouted putting he's hands up in surrender. We all laughed and cheered. "What're we playing Nick?!" I called out "I was thinking Mario Kart?!" He responded "yes!" Everyone agreed. Mario cart was always a crowd favourite and it was up to 4 players and it was also fun to watch other people play while you wait for your turn. I looked over to my right and saw Hayley walking out the door by herself, I immediately got up and followed her outside, as I would have with any other kid.
"Hayley?" I called out, I couldn't see her "hayley?!" I called out a bit louder.
"What?!" She scolded coming around the corner where there was a bunch of trees "what are you doing?" I asked "seriously? Can't I do anything with out you following me?" She groaned "no, what are you doing" I asked "I'm just having a smoke and I'm going into the trees so no one sees me, ok?" She fake smiled. I looked at her hands and she had a massive box of smokes. I'm pretty certain she didn't have that before. "Did you get smokes?" I asked "uhhh yeah..I did" she responded unsure "how? Where from?" I asked quickly "I can't remember" she lied. I rolled my eyes. "Did you sneak off campus?!" I almost screamed shocked
"Ugh! Yes ok me and some friends did. And we were fine! There's a gas station just down the road! Who cares" she screamed lighting it up. I was angry and worried she and some other kids had broken the number 1 rule and left the campus grounds but then I wondered something else "where did you get the money from?" I asked. Hayley choked on her smoke and looked at me "what?" She asked. I knew she heard me. "I said. Where did you get the money to buy a 40 deck. That would have been expensive"
"Oh um- you know. Found some" she said "you just happened to find a bunch of money? Where?" I asked. I kept questioning her until she cracked "ok! Someone brought it for me it's no big deal!" She yelled. I took a step back a little frightened by her. Who would have brought her smokes? Surly no one would have drove all the way down here just to buy her smokes. Not for free anyway. Oh my god. I looked over at her and she looked on edge. "Hayley. What did you do in return for the smokes?" I asked softly "nothing! I don't even know what your talking about" she screamed "hayley. Was it a man or a women.." I asked stern "I don't know. A guy I guess" she said. That was a pretty concerning response. "Did you, do anything for him in return?" I questioned cautiously.
"Ok yes! I fucked him, I fucked a strange guy I met at the gas station for money and you know what!? I enjoyed it and I would do it again and it isn't your concern! Or anyone's business so leave me alone!" She screamed never breaking eye contact with me. I closed my eyes. I felt awful. I didn't even know this had happened I was probably fast asleep thinking her and all the kids were safe but instead she was out selling herself. "Hunny. That isn't good" I whispered "who cares" she brushed me off
I wanted to yell at her
I wanted to hug her
I wanted to go mad at her 'friends' for letting her do that! I had so many emotions and thoughts going through my head
"Why are you still here? Piss off" she said rudely. "Please don't speak to me like that. Have you.. done that before?" I asked a bit hurt also not even wanting to hear the answer
"Yes I have! And my friends don't know. No one does. So keep your mouth shut" she said. I swallowed hard and thought for a minute, she was obviously triggered and very angry. I know I could get in so much trouble for providing smokes for someone underage but it's better then The way she is getting them. "Hunny.." I took a deep breathe "I'll buy you smokes. I don't want you doing that" I told her calmly. She stared at me "why?" She asked "because you can't be sneaking off campus and sleeping with older men. Specially that you don't know, you could get hurt and it's statutory rape. These men can get into a lot of trouble" I told her. She thought about it for a minute and took a deep breathe. "I'm serious I'll buy you smokes but on a few conditions "I said
"What?" She asked "first. You can not tell Anyone!" I said very sternly "yeah I agree" she said looking away "and secondly, your not going to like this but you have to go to the doctors and get tested" I said "what!!" She screamed "Hayley. You have to be tested for STIs" I said sternly "what's an esteay?" She asked confused . Seriously? "You don't know what an STI is?" I asked surprised. She shook her head. "Um. Wow. Ok. Well it's STI not.. whatever you said. And it stands for sexually transmitted infection, and it's a serious problem. And any of the men you have slept with could have had one and not told you. So you have to get tested" I was very surprised she didn't know about safe sex. "What happens if I have that?" She asked scared. I didn't wanna freak her out I didn't tell her that there was some that can't be cured "well.. then you get some medication to fix it, but I'm sure you'll be fine.. did you use protection?" I asked, again she shook her head. "Do you know what that means?" I asked "yeah I know what condoms are. We put some on bananas at school one time" she said.
I nodded "ok well. Maybe you should get a pregnancy test too then.. so those are my conditions and you have to try to not smoke as much okay?" I said. She nodded
"Thank you Demi" she said quietly
"It's ok Hunny, I'll make arrangements for a doctors appointment and take you ASAP"