Dawn looked around. Josh's parents' beach house was crammed with people. The entire senior class was there, and music was pounding through the three floored house. Wall-to-ceiling windows faced the beach on the first floor, and upstairs were tables of food and drinks.
"Aren't you glad you came?" Janice asked, handing Dawn a drink.
"Yes! Thanks for coming a little late. Tyler took forever to call." Dwn said, taking a sip of the innocent-looking coke, then made a face, "Oh, what did you put in this?"
Janice shrugged, "I dunno. Some rum, some other stuff..."
"It tastes awful."
Janice rolled her eyes, "Whatever. You never were one for the alchohol."
"Yes, well, no one in my family holds their liquor well..."
"Ladies, welcome!" Josh came over, slinging an arm over each of their shoulders. He planted a kiss on Janice's cheek, "And what do you think of my soiree."
"It's great, Josh." Dawn said, extracting herself fro, his arm. "Let me guess. You started drinking a little early."
Josh smiled lopsidedly, "OK, so a little early."
Dawn laughed, "I'm gonna go fine Violet. See you two later." She iwnked at Janice before going off in search of more people.
"Dawn!"
She turned and waved at Gretchen, "Hey, Gretchen-"
"Your boyfriend's outside." Grethcen cut her off.
"He's what?"
"I don't know, but Tyler is out there and he looks really, really pi-"
A strong hand closed over Dawn's arm, "I thought you said you weren't coming."
Dawn looked up at Tyler and tried not to look as scared as she felt, "I changed my mind, Tyler. I meant to tell you-"
He shook his head and began to drag her towards the door, "I hate it when you lie to me, Dawn."
"Tyler, you're hurting me." She cried, as he pulled her outside, the grip on her arm tightening in the same spot as the bruise Spike had found earlier. Dawn caught a glimpse of Josh and Janice coming towards them, both worried.
"Get in the car, Dawn."
"Tyler, please. Be reasonable-"
I said GET IN THE CAR." He pushed her, hard, sending her slamming into the side of the car.
Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she slid to the gorund.
"What's going one here, Tyler?" Josh demanded, looking completely sober by now.
"None of your business." Tyler snapped, looking down and Dawn, his eyes softening again, "Dawn, come on."
He bent and lifted her up so she was tanding, "Tyler, you hurt me."
He sighed nad pulled her to him, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Dawnie, but you make me so mad, sometimes."
She leaned on him, trying to pull herself together.
"Let's go home, OK?" He asked, tilting her chin up. Dawn nodded.
"Are you OK, Dawn?" Janice asked, glaring at Tyler.
"I'm fine." Dawn said quietly, glancing at the gathering crowd behind Janice, "I'm OK."
~*~
Dawn looked at herself in the mirror. Bruises now dotted both arms and her left shoulder.
"Looks like more long sleeves." She murmured, pulling her t-shirt on over her head and climbing into bed.
"Aren't you glad you came?" Janice asked, handing Dawn a drink.
"Yes! Thanks for coming a little late. Tyler took forever to call." Dwn said, taking a sip of the innocent-looking coke, then made a face, "Oh, what did you put in this?"
Janice shrugged, "I dunno. Some rum, some other stuff..."
"It tastes awful."
Janice rolled her eyes, "Whatever. You never were one for the alchohol."
"Yes, well, no one in my family holds their liquor well..."
"Ladies, welcome!" Josh came over, slinging an arm over each of their shoulders. He planted a kiss on Janice's cheek, "And what do you think of my soiree."
"It's great, Josh." Dawn said, extracting herself fro, his arm. "Let me guess. You started drinking a little early."
Josh smiled lopsidedly, "OK, so a little early."
Dawn laughed, "I'm gonna go fine Violet. See you two later." She iwnked at Janice before going off in search of more people.
"Dawn!"
She turned and waved at Gretchen, "Hey, Gretchen-"
"Your boyfriend's outside." Grethcen cut her off.
"He's what?"
"I don't know, but Tyler is out there and he looks really, really pi-"
A strong hand closed over Dawn's arm, "I thought you said you weren't coming."
Dawn looked up at Tyler and tried not to look as scared as she felt, "I changed my mind, Tyler. I meant to tell you-"
He shook his head and began to drag her towards the door, "I hate it when you lie to me, Dawn."
"Tyler, you're hurting me." She cried, as he pulled her outside, the grip on her arm tightening in the same spot as the bruise Spike had found earlier. Dawn caught a glimpse of Josh and Janice coming towards them, both worried.
"Get in the car, Dawn."
"Tyler, please. Be reasonable-"
I said GET IN THE CAR." He pushed her, hard, sending her slamming into the side of the car.
Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she slid to the gorund.
"What's going one here, Tyler?" Josh demanded, looking completely sober by now.
"None of your business." Tyler snapped, looking down and Dawn, his eyes softening again, "Dawn, come on."
He bent and lifted her up so she was tanding, "Tyler, you hurt me."
He sighed nad pulled her to him, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Dawnie, but you make me so mad, sometimes."
She leaned on him, trying to pull herself together.
"Let's go home, OK?" He asked, tilting her chin up. Dawn nodded.
"Are you OK, Dawn?" Janice asked, glaring at Tyler.
"I'm fine." Dawn said quietly, glancing at the gathering crowd behind Janice, "I'm OK."
~*~
Dawn looked at herself in the mirror. Bruises now dotted both arms and her left shoulder.
"Looks like more long sleeves." She murmured, pulling her t-shirt on over her head and climbing into bed.