Then
She brushed back her dark brown hair and sighed. Nigel had forgotten to pick her up. Again. Once again she would either have to hitchhike or walk home. Either way, it would be almost midnight. Dinner would have long over, and her sweet little brother would have had to put his sleepy little self to bed, with no one to protect him. Her stomach growled in indignation. Luckily she had a small red apple for nights like these.
And the worst part was that she had finally won gold in her gymnastics competition, and no one, not even her parents were there to see it. Thirteen years of lonliness
"Nia Akami?" It was him, that skinny little blond boy who had spoken to her many times before in the gymnasium. Not in a flirting manner, but in a I-want-to-be-your-friend kind. What was he doing here? "I was wondering if you need a ride home,"
She smiled slightly. His mother drove a cadillac with all sorts of gadgets. But she often worried that his mother would take one look at her peanut butter skin and drive off.
"Um, thanks Jack, but my ride will be here in a few," she stammered.
He looked disappointed, but shrugged. "If you say so. Also my name is Jaqques, not Jack."
He walked off. She headed off in another direction. Her stomach was growling viciously now, and the apple, nor the cold biting wind against her silver jumpsuit, was helping. She saw a drugstore, its blinking lights illuminating the night sky. She had just enough change to purchase a few donut holes. Mmm, powder.
No sooner had she left the store, three men started trailing behind her.
"Hey there pretty lady,"The first one slurred.
"That's a fine medal you sportin', kid." The second one added.
"Almost as fine as that tight outfit you got on," The third man purred. He raked his eyes over her body, paticularly in places where she shuddered the most.
"Ugh, I wonder why girls want to grow up so fast. They don't have to deal with this type of attention yet." she thought to herself. At thirteen, she had the body of someone fifteen years old. Her chest was well delveloped at a comfortable C. Her hips and thighs had curves for days. She was the adoration and envy of her grade at school. But she wanted people to look at her skills, not her body.
She could tell they were closing in on her, she could smell something foul and alcholic. She just couldn't place a name on it.
One of them placed a greasy palm roughly on her shoulder. She screamed, only for another one tocover her mouth.
"Hey now, no need to fight. We all know you want this," one of them snarled, grinding her butt cheeks together. She struggled to get away but the men's grip was too strong. Another snaked his hands at her chest mimicing the previous man's movements. She felf sick to her stomach. Why was this happening, to her of all people?'
Suddenly, she heard a gunshot. The men all immediately stopped their lewd acts. Behind them was Jacques and his father, with a shotgun.
"Now, unless you boys want trouble, I suggest you leave the little lady alone," his father barked. The three men scrambled immediately.
"Yo man, we was just messin' around," the man who had been fondling her ass called back. He was shut up by another fire of the shotgun.
They decided it was too late to send her home, so she spent a wonderful night at Jacques's house. She bonded really well with his girlfriend, Josee. That is if you exclude the numerous times she called the girl Jessie. She never forgot what he did for her that day.
Now
"Seriously, Nia? It's just a little prank. We'll pretend like the Ice Dancers actually won in the Olympics, then diss them good! After all they did in the Ridonculous Race, they deserve much worse!" Kitty rants, shoving the phone in her face.
"I know, but I've known Jack and Jessie for a long time," Nia begins.
"Pleaaaaaase?" Kitty begs. Nia had played pranks on Jacques and Josee, but this was just too cruel.
"Sorry, Kitty, but it's a no."
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Jacques actually cared about things other than winning gold...
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
For once, she opened up to someone...
Down that old road
She never had to walk home alone again...
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He loved her like a sister.
He was walking her home.
She closed up the locket of all three of them. It was bronze. Perfect.