The next morning Hannibal lay in bed next to Clarice thinking about Mischa. Maybe he had been to hard on her. After all she was just a kid.
"I know what you're thinking," Clarice said placing her head on his chest. "You did good. She is going through a rough time in her life. Neither one of us had a normal childhood so we don't understand what that time is supposed to be like."
"I hope you're right when you say I did good," he said with a sigh. "She was my little angel for so long and now it is like she has done a one eighty on me."
"She'll come out of it," she promised. "We just have to make sure she knows me love her, punish her when she is bad, and praise her when she is good."
"You make it sound so easy," he said with a laugh.
"We've been through harder times," Clarice explained. "We'll pull through. On a totally different subject have you fixed the dishwasher yet?"
"I'm getting up right now to do that honey," Hannibal said pulling himself out of bed.
"I'll be up in a minute," she said shaking her head and laughing.
Hannibal walked into the kitchen and looked over the counter that separated it from the living room. Mischa was sitting on the couch reading. A glance at the clock told Hannibal it was half past eight.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" he asked.
"Teacher workshop today," Mischa explained turning a page. "No school."
"Oh," Hannibal whispered.
"Look Dad," Mischa said setting her book on the coffee table. "I'm sorry about storming off last night."
"It's alright," he said walking around the diving counter. "You were angry. You haven't learned how to master your anger yet. After ten years of karate lessons some people would have but for some it takes longer."
"Thank you for being understanding dad," she said hopefully. "I'm not asking for my groundation to be let up completely but I was wondering if I could have Friday to go out."
"What's Friday?" he asked.
"Cannibal night at the theater!" Mischa said excitingly. "I've been waiting two months for that night. It's my favorite and New York got tickets."
"New York?" Clarice said with a slight laugh. "What kind of a name is that anyway?"
She had walked into the kitchen without either one of them noticing.
"It's a family thing," Mischa explained. "His mom's name is Florida and his little brother is named Boston. You didn't answer my question dad."
"Honey come here a minute," Hannibal said turning to look at his wife.
"What is it?" Clarice asked walking into the living room and sitting down.
"Mischa wants to know if you can go out Friday with New York," he explained.
"Let's see," Clarice said looking thoughtful. "Friday is in three days. If she is a perfect angel until then I guess it would be alright with me."
"I'm ok with that," Hannibal said. "If you are perfect and I mean perfect until then you can."
"Thank you Daddy!" Mischa said throwing her arms around her father. She got up and ran to her mother and did the same. "Thank you Mommy!"
Clarice and Hannibal couldn't help but smile as they watched their daughter retract to her bedroom.
-------------
Three days later Hannibal stood over the sink next to Clarice doing the dishes.
"Now," she asked handing him another dish. "When is the dishwasher going to get fixed."
"I called the repairman," he explained scrubbing another dish. "He can't get out here until Monday."
"That's acceptable," she said with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Hannibal asked looking at her.
"I'm worried about Mischa," Clarice said.
"You mean the sex, drinking, and drugs?" he asked turning his attention back to the dishes.
"This horror thing she is going through," she explained. "She is gore crazy."
"When I start finding body parts in her room I'll worry," he joked.
"Hannibal be serious," she whispered.
"She'll out grow it," Hannibal assured her.
Clarice opened her mouth too say something but stopped when Mischa walked into the room.
"New York is going to be here any minute," Mischa said in an excited voice. "I can't wait."
"These are those pg-13 horror movies right?" Clarice asked turning to look at her daughter.
"Yes," she said with a sigh. "We won't be sneaking into any 'R' rated movies."
"And you two better not do anything intimate," Hannibal explained. "You are still in trouble. If I even think I smell sex you'll be in major trouble."
"Don't worry," she said kissing her father's cheek as a car honked outside. "I gotta go." She planted a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and raced out of the house.
Mischa climbed into New York's car and flashed him a small smile at him.
"How have you been?" he asked starting up the car. "I haven't heard from you days."
"My parents found my stash," she explained.
"Damn," New York said pulling out of the driveway. "That sucks. I'm surprised they let you go out with my tonight."
"I had to really behave for three days," Mischa said. "It was hard but I did it."
"I'm flattered that you did that for me," he said driving along. "I take it he took your condoms. It's alright I have some in the glove box."
"I'm not doing it tonight," she explained. "I promised my parents."
New York rolled his eyes and kept driving. When he got to the theater he pulled up in the empty lot behind it.
"What are you doing?" she asked. "I told you we aren't going to do it tonight."
"Come off of it," he said smiling. "You know you want to. Just get in the back seat. I promise I'll make it quick."
"I said 'no'," she said sternly.
An angry look crossed New York's face. He grabbed her by the wrist and flung her into the back seat. Mischa started to kick and scream but he was too big for her.
"Get off!" she screaming beating him in the chest.
"Stop it," he ordered fighting to hold her still.
Mischa gave another kick sending her foot right through the back seat passenger's window. A jolt of pain hit her foot. She screamed out in pain.
"Stop whining," New York ordered and slammed her head into the inside of the car door.
--------------------
Fifteen minutes later Mischa sat in the front seat of the car crying softly. She was in so much pain mentally and physically. Her foot her from breaking the window, her head hurt terribly, and her heart hurt. She had loved New York and he had taken advantage of her in the worst way.
"Come on." he said looking at her. "It wasn't that bad."
"I said 'no'," she explained. "And you still did it to me. You held me down and raped me."
"Yea I did," New York said with a sigh. "I was wrong to do it but I needed you."
"We're done," she said opening the car door. "And I'm reporting this."
"Mischa don't!" he cried. "My parents would kill me!"
"I guess you should have thought about that," she said slamming the door.
As soon as the door was shut he raced off. Mischa pulled out her cellphone and dialed 911.
"911," a voice said. "What is your emergency?"
"I was raped," Mischa sobbingly confessed. "I'm hurt pretty bad."
After she explained where she was and how her parents could be contacted she collapsed onto the ground.
