In The Dark of the Night
January 16, 2008
11:11:14 am
Gotham, USA
Artemis sat in silence beside Jake-Jades new boyfriend. They were both waiting for her to come back from wherever it was that she went. Jake flipped thought the channels as they both sat in the dark on the couch with the light from the TV illuminating their faces. Not finding anything good at 2 in the morning he stopped it on an old episode of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show'. You could tell from the opening music it was going to be a dark episode. One of her serious ones where she talks about really fucked up things. Like: "The girl who was forced to live in a cage for 7 years"…Crap like that. This one had a girl on and Oprah was recapping what they'd said so far with a voiceover and pictures. Then Jake tossed her the clicker after making a face, clearly not impressed with this woman. "Find whatever you want kiddo" he told her, checking his watch again and then stretching his arms out in front of him. Artemis glared at him for the last part of his comment, Jades boyfriends were always calling her stuff like that…This one was more attractive than the rest at least. He had short light brown hair, cut like he was in the army. He was probably 5'11 or something tall, nicely built, his skin was a little tan from being out in the sun, but besides that he seemed pretty normal. Not like that tattooed guy with the skulls on his nose.
Artemis looked back at the TV, Oprah would be more interesting than this guy…probably. They both sat in further silence as a new topic began and Oprah's overdramatic voiceover began again. "RAPE!" She announced with her judgy sentimental tone. "At only 17, a woman if forced to endure living!...With her captives!" She showed a few images, and a couple sound bites of what was to come before heading to commercial.
"I'd kill whoever tried something on one of my sisters" Artemis heard Jake announce from beside her, he looked up over cleaning out is very dirty nails, as he threatened the TV. He'd been around long enough for her to know he had 4 younger sisters, two that still lived in the city.
An overwhelming feeling of knowing fear engulfed Artemis as she thought over what she'd just watched in that 30 second clip. She was almost to scared to ask, and have her fears confirmed. "…What…what IS rape?" She asked him with an emotionless voice, a trait she picked up from her father. Part of her hoped he didn't hear her, another part wanted him to tell her what she was waiting to hear. But an even smaller voice kept biting at her, she already knew.
This question made Jake very awkward. She'd never seen him so still, or so flushed looking. "Well…It's, um, it's like…shit...K it is!...Well, do, do you know what um, Sexual, sexual harassment is?" he asked her trying not to look at her face but still face her for this very serious segment of "What the fuck!". The blonde shook her head 'no' and continued to wait for an answer. "Uh, God! K well…WELL! IT IS!..it's like if..If I were to touch your arm, would you feel uncomfortable?" The small blonde shook her head 'no' again. "K good!, because that, that would be fine, But. But if I were to touch your, um, your, like your leg, or-or put my hand closer to, closer to your, uh, inner leg. Wouldn't that- that would make you feel weird wouldn't it?" He asked again, still trying to avoid eye contact with her, while pointing at his own thigh. He DID have four sisters, this shouldn't be hard for him.
Again Artemis shook her head no, but upon the look on his face she changed her answer to a yes with a nod. "See! You would!" he informed her, ignoring her earlier answer. "That's because it's, it's not right. Because I'm dating your sister, and your like 13!..So, so that would be wrong of me to, um, because I'm 18!" He finished hoping that that age announcement would clear up any further questions.
** … Cameron is 15, he's been 15 for-since June! He totally knows! He fucking knows!
Artemis ignored the voices in her head and pressed on. "But what IS rape?" she asked again looking at him as he pretended to watch the TV. But he couldn't get away from the topic as it was all over Oprah who was back on screen. Jake turned down the TV and looked back at her.
"Uh fu-shit!" He swore under his breath again. "Rape is, like umm. Like sexual harassment. but, but a lot!" He finished with his eyebrows still in a frown, knowing he hadn't finished explaining it.
** "What a good girl!"
"Rape is a horrible thing!" He told her with a deeper frown on his face. "You're usually beaten up a bit-
** "No just relax! I told you everything will be fine, just-
-or a lot.
** "Shut the fuck up! I swear to God I'll cut your face if you make any more noise!
Statistically, it's more often to happen by someone you know-
** "Hey! How's it going?"
-Someone no one expected.
** "It's pretty cool our dads are friends. I haven't seen you in a while, what've you been up to? You look fucking amazing!"
But also by a boyfriend-
** "Want to come over, no one's here"
Who isn't very good for you. So you have to remember to love what is good for you, not what's good to love.
** "Clean yourself up. Just leave when you're fucking done…I'm done!"
If it's, if it's a boyfriend. There will usually be a cycle. Maybe the first time he'll just go too far-
** "Come on, I know what I'm doing. Don't be such a cunt about this. Enjoy it!"
And you'll let him. You'll ignore what you're feeling.
** "Back tomorrow?! I know your mom's gone for a while anyways, right?"
Maybe he'll apologize…But, he won't always.
** "I'm sorry, does this hurt?! Maybe if you just did what I told you the first time, I wouldn't be forced to put you in your place like this. You think I want to do this? "
You'll convince yourself that, this it IS ok. He's not hurting you.
** "I swear to fucking God, if you tell anyone-ANYONE about this I will fuck you so hard, you'll beg for what I just did! YOU made me do this! This is your fault! I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO! YOU MADE ME!"
He won't love you.
** "Open your mouth!"
No matter how many times you tell yourself, he still won't love you.
** "God, you're so good! You like it don't you, I can tell!-loo-look! Look at me!"
He never will.
** "Isn't it better this way? When you just do what I say? Life, it'll just be so much better for us if you just stop! Just do what I say. I don't like hurting you, but you just won't listen. This isn't my fault. "
Jake finished his little speech telling her 'It gets better' and "You know you always have-"
"You know I'll kick anyone's ass why tried shit with you!" Jade finished for her boy-toy. She was standing behind the couch in her usual stance, with one hand on her hip, 3am, and still absolutely gorgeous! "I'm the only one who gets to beat you up!" She warned, as she wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's neck, almost threatening, just to let him know she wasn't fucking around. Her hypnotic eyes locked with her kid sister. "Why are you up anyways?" She questioned, probably just wanting some alone time with her new guy. "Get to bed!" She instructed her, nodding her head towards her own room where was letting her little sister sleep in.
Artemis know better than to question Jade, she pushed herself off the couch, gave a small smile to them both before almost jogging the rest of the way, quickly closing the door. Once inside she slipped her clothes off and grabbed Jades sweatshirt and pulled it on. She knew Jade would be gone again in the morning. This was probably the last time she'd get to see her for…probably years.