ROOM 214 - PHYSICS (4-6)

CHAPTER 4 - It Happens

Jake and I started seeing a lot more of each other from that point. I thought it would be a little weird for Alice and Evee but it wasn't. Everything was still just the way it was.

About a week after Jake and I officially became an item, Evee got sick. I hated it when she wasn't in class. That's when Dr. Oliver would always come and 'check on me' to see if I was doing okay with my work.

It was mostly the same thing each time. Keeping his hand on my back to long, being a little too close when he was telling me something, standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders. And no one else seemed to notice. Or didn't care.

The third day Evee didn't show up for class I was going to skip but he came in just as I was about to leave, so I just took seat in the back. It was Friday so I was counting on her to be at school on Monday.

Class started like normal and sat quietly while he gave his lecture. Then the bell rang.

"Miss Martin don't go anywhere, I need to speak with you. Everyone else can go, and don't forget to turn in the homework on Monday!"

I nervously waited in my seat and put my books in my bag. After everyone was gone he closed the door, and started making his way over to me. My inside voice was telling me to get out of there. But I didn't move.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

He said, sitting in Evee's vacant seat right next to me.

"I just wanted to let you know that you've become one of my best students this semester. And I'd hate to see you mess it up by hanging around the wrong people. I know Evee's your friend, but her and Jake and all those other guys can be bad influences on you."

I noticed his hand was slowly reaching out to sit on top of my own.

"There's nothing wrong with my friends."

"You haven't known them as long as I have. They can get into a lot trouble sometimes. You're too smart for that…and you're too beautiful."

That was the last straw when he touched my hair. I jerked away from him and quickly got up.

"I gotta go."

"No you don't it's lunch time."

"All the more reason for me to hurry up."

I started walking through the tables towards the door, but he got up and blocked my path.

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying,"

He moved closer to the door then locked it. I was trapped.

"You're not going anywhere."

I didn't know what to do. He was walking back towards me and I had no where to go. So with nothing to lose I tried to make a run for it, naturally not getting anywhere. I dropped my bag and my folder as he grabbed me and covered my mouth.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be. You ever say anything about this, I'll kill you. And trust me, they'll never find the body."

He dragged me to one of the tables in the back that was just out of sight if you were looking through the window that was on the door. He bent me over the table, pushing my face onto the cold surface. I felt my jeans being jerked down and I heard a sound like something being unwrapped. A condom. He pinned my arms behind my back and the next thing I felt caused me more pain and humiliation than anything I'd ever gone through in my life. I wanted to die. I couldn't fight him off, I couldn't run away. I wanted to cry, but my stomach was being pressed into the table with so much force that I could barely breathe. When it was finally over, he squeezed my neck and leaned down to my ear, his weight crushing down on my back.

"You breathe one word of this to anyone,and I promise you it'll be the last thing you ever say."

He got up and re-adjusted himself.

"Hurry up and get the fuck out, I've got a class."

I could barely stand up as I tried to pull myself together. I tried to walk normal but it wasn't a completely successful attempt. He was already sitting back at his desk when I went to pick my things up off of the floor where they fell.

"Remember what I said Ava,"

I stood still, afraid to move.

"Don't test me…go on and get the hell out of here."

I quickly opened the door and started speed walking through the hall. I headed for the football field and stood under the bleachers crying my eyes out. I prayed to God that no one would find me there. I wanted to tell somebody. Anybody. But I couldn't.

I pulled myself together after awhile and started to walk back to the main building. Alice caught up with me in the hallway.

"Ava what's up, why didn't you make it to lunch?" I couldn't think of a good excuse.

"Had some uh, work to finish up."

"You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." An obvious lie. Any one with eyes could see that something was wrong.

"Jake didn't do anything did he?"

"No. It's nothing okay?"

"Well if you don't wanna talk about then you don't have to. But don't let Jake see you like this, you know he'll never leave you alone."

I managed to make it through the rest of the day looking somewhat normal. But of course, my mom knew something was up. I went straight to my room after dinner and didn't come out. I didn't answer my phone for anybody. Not even Jake. I just wanted to be left alone.

CHAPTER 5 - Don't Tell

On Monday I tried everything I could not to go to school. But my mom saw through all of it and made me go. I wanted to skip Dr. Oliver's class but there was no where to go and I couldn't do that for the rest of the semester. So I went. Evee was back and waiting on me when I sat down.

"What's up chica, what'd I miss last week?"

"Nothing much. Same old boring stuff." She stared at me.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, why does everybody keep asking me that?"

"Because Alice and Jake said you wouldn't answer any of their phone calls on Friday. And you look like you've been to hell and back."

"I'm just tired. I've got all these projects and stuff due."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay. We'll talk later."

She kept quiet as Dr. Oliver began class and started handing out the worksheets for the day. About fifteen minutes into the class he started to walk around again. My heart was about to jump out of my chest as he neared us. Evee noticed my hand shaking just as he got to our table. So I moved it to rest on my lap. He hovered over me for a second while he stared at my paper.

"Check over number two again, you left something out."

I nodded and he moved on to the table next to us. Then Evee quickly passed me a note that said, 'He did something to you didn't he?' I thought long and hard about what to say. Just as I was getting ready to write her back I heard Dr. Oliver's voice.

"Miss Martin would you like to read that to the class?"

"No."

He came back over to us.

"What did I tell you about passing notes?"

Neither of us said anything.

"Let me have it." he held his hand out, but I sat silently.

"I'm not gonna ask you again Ava. Give me the note."

I felt like dying as he took the piece of paper out of my hand. His eyes scanned over the words as he silently read it.

"Don't move when that bell rings." He said to me, walking back to the front of the room.

"I'll stand outside the door okay?"

Evee whispered. I nodded in response and tried to finish my work.

The bell rang and everyone rushed out of the room. Evee walked slowly to the door mouthing, 'I'm right here.' to me before she left. After the room was cleared out, he walked over to the table just like Friday. He stood over me menacingly, holding the little piece of paper in his hand.

"Miss Henderson wrote this to you?" I didn't answer.

"Do you hear me talking to you?"

Again I didn't say anything. He sighed and balled the paper up in his fist, leaning down to me.

"Did you say something to her?" I shook my head.

"No."

"You didn't? So why would she write this?"

"I don't know. I didn't tell her anything, I swear I didn't."

I felt my eyes start to water as the expression on his face turned from anger to rage. His hand started to squeeze my thigh as he bent closer to my ear.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear to you, that you were gonna keep your mouth shut."

"But I didn't-"

"Shut, up." He suddenly grabbed my neck.

"You keep you fucking, mouth, shut or I'll shut it for you. And tell that little bitch Evee to mind her own damn business or I'll fuck her life up too. Now quit crying and get the fuck out of here."

He let me go and as soon as I'd gathered my things and wiped my face Conner and Ethan burst through the door almost running into me.

"Whoa, sheesh Ava, slow down. Dr. O we've got a problem…"

His voice faded away as I walked into the hallway where Evee and Jake were standing there waiting on me.

"C'mon babe let's take a walk."

He put his arm around me protectively and the three of us walked outside to a secluded part of the lunch area.

"I'm gonna ask you a question, and, I want to tell me the truth okay? Please."

He looked up at Evee before he started, then back at me.

"Did Dr. Oliver do something to you?" I kept my mouth shut.

"Ava you can tell us if he did. Just because he's a great teacher doesn't mean he's a good person. If he did anything we need to know so we can…" She stopped her sentence abruptly.

"I know, for a fact that he's hurt girls before. Or at least one. If somebody else can say something…." I heard her voice tremble.

"Then maybe…maybe we can both get some help." I looked at her questioningly.

"We?" I asked. Jake spoke up after Evee didn't say anything.

"He um…he raped Evee awhile ago. Like two months before you got here. I was the only person she told."

"I didn't think anyone else would believe me. Not even my dad. And I couldn't tell Alice she worships the guy, she'd never believe me."

I stood quietly.

"Listen we have to do something. There's no telling how many other girls he's done this to, and I don't want anyone else to go through it."

"I don't know about this."

"Look I know you're scared. I am too. But if we do it together then we'll have more chances of getting something done."

I though hard about it and decided that they were right. I wouldn't want anyone else to experience this.

"Alright fine. I'll do it"