CHAPTER 5b

Naomi puts her head in her lap then takes a long pause. Just tell them. Looking up in a rather slow motion, Naomi addresses Jen, Silver, Ade, and Annie with her eyes. ", he? He raped me." Her eyes roll in disgust and she dreads to look at anyone.

"He attacked me and he told me that I couldn't tell or who would I tell." Naomi lets out a much needed sigh after a heavy lifted weight slid off her shoulders. The tears that fell from her eyes were of pain, exsghustion, and comfort. She had no idea that telling someone, anyone, about her shameful secret would make her feel a bit relieved. "It happened the night of that pass the torch ceremony. Silver, I left early, remember? I was so angry and I can't remember why, even-I. I just had to leave and my car wouldn't start." Naomi is pleading with them to believe that she is telling truths and not lies. When Naomi tells them about her car not working, Jen feels a wind of guilt brushing against her shoulders. "So I saw a light on in the building and. I went in, stupidly." Naomi pauses to remember as they stare at her with almost blink facial expressions. She begins to calm down. In her tone now, she isn't trying to make them believe her anymore. She's forcing herself back into that night, to remember. "And he was there. Alone."

Naomi feels her knees getting weak and slowly sits down on the chase, trying hard to recollect her night with Cannon. "I didn't understand."

Naomi suddenly flashes to the switch in Cannon's behavior's the night of the rape. It's only a flash of Cannon's reaction to Naomi rejecting his kiss.

"He kissed me and he hit me...And forced me." Naomi's face changes to the Naomi she's become now. The entire time she reveal the rape to the girls, she was the poor defenseless Naomi. The look that was painted on her face after telling them that Cannon forced her, was fierce. Fierce and vengeful.

"Nae." Silver wanted to hug her and take back all the months of Naomi's suffering alone. Did she believe her? No question. The only thing that was going through Silver's mind was the fact that she didn't tell her or anyone. About Cannon? Silver never really trusted him, not entirely, but she was shock that he was a rapist. "Nae, I'm so sorry." She sits next to Naomi and puts her arms around her shivering friend. The closeness comforts Naomi as she hugs Silver back.

Annie and Ade join in on the hugging. Ade is horrified and a little surprised that her fearless friend was now a victim. Annie felt much sympathy for Naomi, it hurt them all that Naomi had to suffer alone. "Why didn't you tell us. We would have believed you, Nae." Ade pulls back drenched in tears. "I don't know. You all were so angry at me after I lied, so I knew you wouldn't believe me." Naomi manages to sit up from being buried in hugs. "Do you believe me?" Naomi still has to ask as she looks in her friends eyes. "We believe you and we would have from the start. Cannon has to pay for what he's done to you," Annie rubs Naomi's shoulder in assurance after frowning at the thought of Cannon hurting her friend.

"Who is this Cannon?" You can hear the crack of anger in Jen's voice as she stands frozen. "He works at West Bev and-" Before Ade could finsh her sentence, Jen storms out not being able to no longer bare the sight of Naomi.

...

Later that night, Jen's car pulls up in The Cannon's drive way. The squeeling of her tires as she drives at high speed into the driveway is loud enough to wake the entire California state. She is coming from Ryan M's with information about Cannon. Where he stayed? His cell and home number, background information, and everything else. Although she never bothered to tell Ryan M why she needed this information, he sense the explosion that was bursting all over her face. "What do you think you're doing, who are you?" Mr. Cannon rushes out of his home in his robe and slippers, completely unhinged. Jen confidently steps out of her car with a gun in her hand and points it at Cannon. Cannon is terrified as he raises both hands slowly in the air. "Please. What's going on? I don't even know you, please." It was that same artificial begging from Cannon he used on Naomi before the hearing of the sexual harrassement hearing. "Did Naomi beg? Did you stop?"Jen has tears falling from her eyes. "Naomi Clark?" He pretends to be oblivious to Jen's accusations. "Whatever she's told you. This needs to stop. Nothing happened with her, she confessed. She's a liar." As Jen cocks the black baby glock, Cannon's voice yells in fear. "You don't get to touch Naomi, ever. She's my sister and you made a huge mistake. Miles."

"You'll feel guilty if you shoot me. Naomi is making these things up. Just like before. Do you want to have your baby in prison."

"There is no way in the world that I will allow you to go unpunish for raping my little sister."

"You won't shoot me, you can't."

"Don't underestimate what I'd do to protect my sister." With that said, Jen fires the gun at Cannon.

TBC...