Caitlin/Eric Post 'The Easy Way'.
Yes I have made up several characters, because frankly, there aren't enough characters in the show for what I wanted to do.
---
"Look what we got here." The voice only just managed to cut through the music blaring in Caitlin's ears, but she heard it none the less.
She looked up. Mark Jefferson stood ahead of her, one arm resting lazily on the chain link fence beside the football field. His lips were curled up into a dangerous smile that Caitlin recognised all too well from her life in the city. It was the smile muggers and rapists gave to their victims.
Well like hell am I planning to play his cat and mouse game. She thought, even though she felt her heart-rate instinctively quicken.
She continued walking towards him and he took a step out, putting his hands into the pockets of his oversized Letterman jacket.
He now stood directly in her path.
"It's the juvenile delinquent." Declared a voice behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see another football player blocking the path behind her. He had a shaven head and his thick, muscled forearms were crossed in front of his athletic tank top, on which the school emblem was emblazoned like a statement of who this boy was and all he stood for.
Caitlin very swiftly understood that this was not going to be a chance meeting where both parties flung insults and walked away. Her stomach lurched at the idea of trying to escape from two beefy boys, but she knew better than to show it. Caitlin was aware from past experience that it was dangerous to allow an attacker insight to your thoughts, and to show fear was the worst sin.
It only fuelled their desires.
She took a step to the side of Mark, hoping to pass him, but he stepped in front of her. She averted her gaze and did not look at him, attempting once more to step around him. Before she had a chance to react Mark's hands were out of his pockets and connecting with her shoulders, pushing her back.
"It's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you, freak!" He drawled. Caitlin stumbled slightly but managed to stay on her feet. She slowly met his gaze and removed the headphones from her ears.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" She asked innocently. Rage washed quickly over Mark's features, and she felt large, brawny hands shove her roughly from behind. She dropped her bag as she stumbled forward, where Mark caught hold of her and very quickly backed her up and pressed her against the chain link fence that he had been previously resting on. His hands found her wrists and encircled them in a vice-like grip, raising them above her head and pinning them there, rendering her immobile.
"Get off me you son of a bitch!" She screamed, struggling against him and trying in vain to pull her arms free.
"Now, now," He taunted "It isn't very ladylike to cuss like that is it?" She looked him directly in the eye.
"Fuck you." She spat. His large hands moved so that only one held her wrists in place, and with the other, he slapped her viciously in the face. Her head snapped back and she gazed at him in disbelief.
"What have I ever done to you?" She demanded.
"You're trash! You come here and drag your filth everywhere, making this place look bad. You don't deserve to be here! This place doesn't welcome people like you!" Caitlin looked away.
"That much has just been made evident." She muttered.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you bitch!" Yelled Mark once more, faint traces of his spittle wetting her cheeks before he grabbed her face himself and turned her head towards him. His thumb dug painfully into her cheek, just on her jaw-line, and his finger roughly stroked the other side of her face.
"No need to damage you entirely though." He muttered, staring down at her. "We could have a little fun first. Right Dan?" He turned his head to his thuggish friend who stood a few metres away.
"Do whatever the hell you want." He grunted. "It's not like I give a shit." Caitlin's eyes widened as she realised that the two were almost casually discussing her rape. She looked at them with disgust and began to struggle under the hold Mark had on her. He felt her movements and turned back to look at her, pressing his body even closer to hers.
He leant his face down and violently mashed his mouth over hers; she tried to turn her head away and succeeded only in wiping his saliva across her mouth. Feeling her resisting Mark slammed his free hand viciously on the wire beside her head, and bit down hard on her lip. Caitlin tasted coppery blood run into her mouth and pulled her head back, into the wire. Mark released his hold of her, now trembling, lower lip.
"Stay still!" Mark commanded, as he once more lowered his face to hers. "The less you struggle the less this will hurt." As his face drew closer once more Caitlin took a breath, steeling herself, and rammed her head forward She headbutted him painfully in the nose and he released his grip on her as he staggered back. Caitlin took this moment and bolted past him, she scrambled to grab her bag and was just turning away as a heavy body fell on her.
Daniel had tackled her, driving her to the ground. He stood quickly and she scuttled on hands and feet to try and escape once more, but was prevented by his heavy foot connecting with her stomach. She fell on her side, winded, and he savagely kicked her again, crushing her lungs. She recoiled; expecting his foot to come crashing into her once more, but instead heard an angry shout and heavy footfalls thudding down the path towards her.
"Get off her!" Caitlin's vision blurred and her head felt heavy as she turned to look towards the approaching person.
---
Eric raced down the path, unable to believe what he was seeing. Daniel and Mark, both his team-mates on the football team (though he didn't talk to them much as they both played defence and he was offence) were beating the living daylights out of a now crumbled up heap which had once been Caitlin Seeger.
"Get off her!" He shouted angrily, enraged that they would do such a thing. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He shouted again. He reached them and grabbed Daniel's shoulder, pulling him away from Caitlin. Daniel pulled his shoulder from Eric's grip and frowned at him.
"You need to sort out who your allegiances are with." He commented, stepping away from him. Mark did the opposite, and stepped forward. Eric kept Caitlin in view from the corner of his eye.
"We were just having a bit of fun Andersen, surely you can understand that." He said, raising his hands to try and pacify Eric, whose shoulders were shaking from a mixture of anger and weariness from his sprint.
"No, I can't understand that. You've hurt her!" He exclaimed.
"She deserved it." Insisted Mark. "That freak doesn't belong here, she…"
He never finished his sentence. Eric's fist flew sharply and with direct aim into Mark's left eye, and he fell backwards, caught off guard. Eric turned to Daniel who looked confused.
"Get out of here." He ordered. At Daniel's apparent anxiety he grew frustrated, and barked. "Now!" Daniel didn't need to be told again, and he turned and fled towards the car park.
"Freak lover!" Yelled Mark. He stared at Eric with disbelieving eyes, as he took Caitlin by the arm and helped her to stand on shaky legs, one arm snaking around her waist to support her. Eric turned his head and glared at his team-mate.
"Get out of here Mark, before I give you two black eyes." Mark raised a hand to his eye, which was already swelling shut. His entire body tensed, and he looked as though he was about to lunge at Eric, but after a second the mirage was gone and his frame relaxed once more.
"You're going to regret doing that Andersen." He growled threateningly. "You are the company you keep, and hanging out with freaks makes you a freak."
"So if I keep hanging out with you that makes me a jerk then? I think I'll take being a freak." Retorted Eric, malice tingeing his voice. Mark glared once more at Caitlin, who had one hand pressed to her bleeding lip, and didn't seem to notice the hands which still gripped her arm and circled her waist protectively.
"I'll be seeing you." Hissed Mark towards the bruised and bloodied girl. She only gave him an angry, if slightly dazed, stare as he turned on his heel and followed his friend.
As soon as he was out of sight Caitlin relaxed, her entire body sagging back down towards the ground she had just been pulled from. Eric secured his grip on her and lifted her slightly.
"No Caitlin, don't do that. Stay upright."
She must be beaten up if she's actually not fighting me. Thought Eric, turning Caitlin gently and directing her back towards the, now empty, locker rooms. Christ I hope she hasn't got a goddamn concussion or something. She stumbled once or twice as they walked, and just before they got to the doors her feet gave out under her. Eric almost dropped her as she plunged down but quickly managed to shift his weight and pull her back upright.
"No, Caitlin, don't give in to gravity quite yet." She mumbled something incoherent as he kicked open the gym door and steered her down the corridor towards the boy's locker room. He again kicked the door open to prevent him releasing his hold on Caitlin, which he feared was the only thing currently keeping her upright. He directed her over to a bench and she flopped ungracefully back when he lowered her into a sitting position. One hand still pressed down hard on her bleeding lip, the other clutched her stomach.
"Caitlin." Said Eric, waving a hand in front of her face. "Caitlin are you okay?" She continued to act as if he wasn't there, and Eric lifted a hand to her face, softly cupping her cheek in his hand. At his touch her eyes widened and her head flicked up. She saw two brown eyes staring kindly at her.
"I shouldn't be in here." She mumbled, looking up at him. "This is the boy's locker room." At his inquisitive and slightly amused expression she chose to elaborate. "I'm not a boy." Eric couldn't help himself. He laughed as he dropped his hand from her face.
"I'm well aware of that, but I think this time they can make an exception." He whispered gently. He straightened. "I'm going to get the first-aid kit. Promise me that you'll stay conscious while I'm gone. If you've got a concussion and you fall asleep it could be very, very bad." She shook her head and winced.
"I shouldn't have a concussion, even though I did headbutt him pretty hard." She finally pulled her hand away from her lip. Her fingers were coated in a thick layer of sticky, red blood. "I'll stay awake."
"Good." Eric replied. He turned away and hurried to retrieve the first-aid kit from the storage cupboard in the corner of the locker room.
---
Alright, that was the first installment! The next will be along shortly, though no definite dates can be given! Please review and tell me what you think and it may give me incentive to work quicker!
Also, I'd just like to take this moment to reach out to Caitlin's Way fans to vote for the series to be released on DVD at this website:
www. tvshowsondvd. com/showinfo.cfm?showID1184
(just remove the spaces and copy and paste into your address bar)
You have to sign up with them to vote but it's no hassle and they don't ask for any really personal details or anything. It's all totally safe and legit. So please vote and let's hope for its release on DVD one day soon!