Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi. 'Nuff said.

Author's Note: So I spent most of last night trying to figure out where I was going with this fic, and I have a few ideas. It's not going to be as long as Broken Glass… maybe about ten chapters in total. Don't quote me on that though, because it could change. I mean, I'd planned for Broken Glass to only be eighteen chapters… and that clearly didn't happen.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy.

X

And I Must Scream
Aftermath

X

Bianca spent the majority of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Every time her eyes drooped shut, she panicked, but keeping them open was even worse. Her mind would play tricks on her; she'd start to see figures in the shadows and hear the house creaking, and hope to God that she locked the fucking door because… what if it was him? What if he had somehow followed her home? What if he was already there, standing in her room, watching her and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike? The thought made her palms begin to sweat and her stomach lurch, and as her breathing grew more ragged, her heart hammered and she clawed at her bed sheets, clutching them tightly against her chest — as if it would somehow protect her from whoever was lurking in the darkness of her room.

She managed to work herself up to the point of exhaustion, and at around five-thirty in the morning, just as the sky lightened and the birds outside her window began to chirp, Bianca drifted off into a much needed slumber.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived, and not even two hours later, her alarm startled her out of her sleep. Her muscles ached as she dragged herself from her bed to the washroom across the hall. Locking the door behind her, she avoided the mirror and turned on the shower. As the room became foggy, Bianca carefully peeled off her clothes from the day before, throwing her skirt and underwear into the trash — she would burn them when she got the chance, she decided — and stepping into the tub.

Scorching hot water rained down on her, washing away blood and grime and other bodily fluids she didn't want to identify. After washing her hair, she scrubbed her skin until it was raw and burned under the water's touch, but no matter how hard or how much she scrubbed, it didn't make her feel any less dirty and disgusting. She winced when she slid the cloth between her legs. She could still feel him; his brutal thrusts, his hands all over her, groping and touching and — Bianca swallowed the acid building in the back of her throat, and closed her eyes, trying to forget.

She didn't bother with her makeup — save to cover the bruise on the side of her face, from when he had hit her. Drew was already getting enough flack for being with her; the last thing she wanted was for people to start thinking he was abusive. Or worse, for Drew to get worried. Not that he would. Drew didn't care about her — not like that. He was like every guy she'd dated, and the only reason he put up with her was because she was the only girl at Degrassi who would give him the time of day. Their relationship was purely physical. She was hot, he was hot… it worked.

The drive to school was a long one. She must've hit every red light on the way there, but she didn't even have the strength to get mad about it. She was lost in her own thoughts, and when she finally pulled into her parking space behind the school, she simply sat there, staring ahead, still trying to process what had happened to her. It seemed so surreal; as though it had just been a vivid nightmare. But it wasn't. It was real. It had happened. The soreness between her thighs and bruises on her skin were proof of that, and if that wasn't enough, beneath her lavender-scented body wash, his smell still lingered.

Tap-Tap-Tap

A sudden, incessant tapping noise jarred Bianca from her stupor, and when she looked up she saw Owen standing beside her window. Cutting off the ignition, she opened the door and stepped out, before locking her car and dropping her keys into her purse.

"What?" She asked impatiently, when he just stood there and stared at her like she'd grown an extra head.

The football player quickly snapped back to reality.

"Wake up on the wrong side of bed, Bee?" He sneered. "You look like shit."

"Gee, thanks," Bianca deadpanned. "You know, this is why you can't get a girlfriend."

Owen's eyes darkened at the low blow. Although he'd never admit it, he was sensitive about not being the macho star athlete that all the girls flocked to — and instead, ran from — and Bianca knew this. He managed to not lose his temper, however, and changed the subject.

"There's a party at the Ravine tonight," he said casually, leaning against the basketball post beside her car. "You coming?"

A couple of months ago, she wouldn't have missed it. But that was before Drew, and before… she shook her head.

"No," she said.

Owen threw her an incredulous glance and then laughed.

"Wow," he said disbelievingly, with a mocking grin. "You've been really stuck up since you started hanging out with Torres. You think you're hot stuff now, don't you?" He sneered. "What, you think that because you're with him that that somehow makes you better than the rest of us? Just remember that when he dumps your ass — and he will — you're five seconds of popularity will be over and you'll go back to being Boiler Room Bianca."

"Fuck you, Owen." Bianca hissed, shoving him so hard that he stumbled backwards.

The bell sounded, and she pushed past him without sparing him another glance, flipping him off for good measure as she made her way into the school.

As she walked to her first class, however, Owen's words echoed in the back of her head, and she knew, deep down — even as much as she wanted to deny it — that he was right.

She was always going to be Boiler Room Bianca.

.

.

.

The day seemed to drag on.

Not that that was particularly unusual, as she often felt anxious sitting in class, counting the minutes before she could leave. Before Simpson's crackdown, she wouldn't have bothered even going to class, and the few times that she did, she'd spent the period texting Ron-Ron to keep herself entertained.

But as she sat there, listening to Perrino drone on and on, Bianca found she couldn't sit still. Her hands fidgeted uncontrollably and she could hear her classmates whispering all around her while Perrino had his back turned. Were they talking about her? Did they know?

The room began to spin; the walls were closing in and invisible fingers had curled around her neck, strangling her. She needed some air, but asking Perrino for permission to step out for a moment was out of the question. He hated her. She was a delinquent in his eyes — a troublemaker going nowhere fast.

So, folding her arms on her desk and resting her head, Bianca closed her eyes and waited for the day to be over.

X

Next chapter will be longer than this, I promise.

Anyway, despite how short it is, I hope you liked it.

Please REVIEW and tell me what you think!