Sorry that this took so long to write out.
I also wanted to state that, and in no way did I intend to sound like a commercial, but if you or anyone you know is suffering from abuse, help is available. Please see a trusted friend, family member, teacher, counselor, or even the authority.
Everyone is beautiful, smart, needed, and important.
ALEX
"Here goes nothing." I looked to Myra who nodded. All the other girls put on encouraging faces.
"During the night of the homecoming dance two of our cheerleaders were attacked and sexually assaulted." The second I said that all of the boys were in uproar.
"What the hell," said Edward.
"No one told us," screamed Peter.
"You should have said something," demanded Four.
"Is this true," asked Uriah.
"Who was it," pressed Zeke.
"Alright, alright, shut up," I yelled. "Look, I understand you folks are upset that we didn't say anything, but honestly we had to focus on helping those two girls. It wasn't just one on one that they were attacked. There were twelve boys involved. We had to show them that they had nothing to be afraid of."
"When Shauna and I saw them," said Lauren. "And this was a couple days after the incident, they were still shaken up about everything. It took them a whole week for us to convince them to talk to the Principal or to contact the Police."
"They were terribly beyond frightened," added Tris.
"I know you all are smart enough to figure out the two girls we speak of and to figure out who the eight boys from Dauntless are," I finished.
"Wait a minute," said Evan, one of the basketball players who was dating Becca. "You said there were twelve involved."
"There were four other students who the victims couldn't identify," I answered. "But thanks to new evidence, we were able to do just that. They apparently attend Navy Pier Prep." Immediately all the boys started to murmur.
"Troy, Victor, and Al," stated Edward. "They were three of the eight who were identified?"
"Yes," answered Tris.
"Along with Drake, Clayson, Michael, and Bradley," named Peter.
"Yes," Lauren huffed out.
"And Landon," Eric spat out as he stared at me. I knew what was going through his head right now.
"That's why you confronted him in the cafeteria, isn't it," questioned Aidan. Before I could answer Lauren spoke up.
"Now, now. Before things start getting personal, we need to move on. Along with this new evidence came another situation."
"What kind of evidence are we talking about exactly," asked Dominic.
"A video," I answered as I glanced at Aidan to see smoke coming out of him. He was totally fuming right now. "They recorded the assault of Rachel and Tara and sent it out to a select few. That's how we were able to identify the other four students. Like Lauren said, when we found this video, another video was shown to us. Lauren, Tris, and myself will also be filing charges against these boys."
"What does it show in the second video that includes you three getting involved," asked Zeke.
"It's actually a live feed almost like," answered Tris. "But apparently the boys who belong to this stupid, idiot, asshole-ish club choose their favorite of the week and Lauren, Alex, and I have been up there. So we could only see videos of ourselves." She paused and looked around. "I suggest to all of you girls, whoever used the last shower stall on the left, closest to coaches' office, also come and report to the Principal's office tomorrow morning when Commissioner Kent comes down."
"The last shower stall," asked Giselle. "Almost all of us go in there. It's the most private one."
"Not anymore," Lauren said.
"They've been video taping us in the shower," I finished which sent everyone into an even greater commotion. Aidan suddenly stood up.
"Why wait until tomorrow, why doesn't Dad do something now?"
"The Principal has been notified, the boys in question are on lock down right now," I answered. "Dad doesn't want anyone in the girl's locker room until he had get the crime scene investigators, forensics, and even a tech crew down here." Aidan threw something against the wall and it shattered.
"I can't believe you Alex!" He stalked his way down the bleachers.
"Now wait just one minute Aidan Kent!" There standing in his way was none other than Rachel.
"You," my brother roared.
"There is no need to get angry right now. This is exactly what us girls did when we found out they were allowed to come back on campus. I know what's going on in your head, believe me, I've been there. I wanted them to pay. Hell, I wanted them to die for what they did. But right now this isn't about those boys. Right now you and every other guy in here needs to focus on one thing. Your sister, Lauren, Tris," she said looking at us.
"Myra, Shauna, Marlene," she said turning towards them. "All of these girls on the squad, and even all the others who became my friend. Like Molly and Lynn." They smiled at her. "They all helped me to realize that if I hold on to what those boys did that I will never move on. That I will always be some bitter, sad, messed up, freaked out wreck. Trust me, I'm not completely over it. I still wake up sometimes having nightmares about it. In fact, I'm getting scared standing in front of you, even though I know you wouldn't do such a thing. Tara finally let someone hug her last week. And this happened to us a little over a month ago."
I half expected her to break down, but she didn't.
"The most important thing isn't those idiot boys. It's me. It's Tara. It's your sister, Alex."
Rachel looked at me once more and I noticed that so did Aidan. He seemed to calm down a bit.
"Right now," Rachel continued turning back to Aidan. "That's all Alex or any of the girls need. They just need a friend or a brother to care for them, to stand by them, to laugh with them, to love THEM. That's what I got from all these girls here. And now I'm suggesting that you give them that as well. Tomorrow is another day. Another day when those boys will get theirs. Right now, deal with what's in front of you." Half of us girls had started crying. "That's what they did for Tara and I. That's what helps wake me up in the morning. To know that after all of that, someone still cares about me. That's what you all need to do."
Silence filled the gym for a good couples minutes.
"May I just say," Zeke said standing up. "That I'm sorry for..."
"I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me," Rachel interrupted. "I just wanted people to be strong for me, because right now I'm still scared. I know that's how all the girls feel. Scared." Zeke nodded.
"Regardless, it wasn't right for the guys and I to treat you and Tara any differently when the girls accepted you back on the squad," Zeke stated.
"ZeKe is right," agreed Four. "We should have trusted our girls and put a little more faith in them." He glanced at Tris and they shared a small smile.
"Rach," I walked up to her and she turned and hugged me. "You didn't have to come."
"I wanted to. You'll need them, as much as I needed you." She let go and went to hug some of the other girls, before I noticed Tori come in and walk her back out.
I cried a single tear and it rolled down my cheek onto Eric's shirt. That night I slept in Aidan and Eric's room. Justin came by and slept on the floor. Added security according to him. As much as we told the guys we were alright, since Landon them were on lockdown, they still watched over us that night, until they we're sure that those boys were off campus.
Aidan and Eric were a little upset, you could tell. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be totally forgiven, especially since they knew why I confronted Landon in the cafeteria those few weeks ago.
But Aidan was put into big brother mode by Rachel and knew that Dad would be fixing everything in the morning. Eric hadn't said anything to me yet. So, when he pulled me into him to go sleep, I was a little shocked. Aidan let it past, only because I think he was in the room.
It felt awkward for me though. I shuffled in his arms as another tear escaped.
"Alex, I know now, why you couldn't tell me," Eric whispered in my hair. "It was like that pact that the guys and I all made during football camp. Something that was meant to stay between friends, something no one elsewhere as supposed to know."
"Yet, you told me," I looked up at him.
"I told you because I started to trust you. I felt that I could share anything with you about my past, and you forgave me and became a trusted friend and a even more wonderful girlfriend. But Alex," explained Eric. "I feel hurt that you didn't trust me enough to at least tell me that YOU were in danger."
"Eric I..."
"No Alex. I told you the other night I didn't care about whatever was going with Rachel and Tara and that's partially true. This though Alex. This was big. That could have been you. You could have been in that building next to Rachel and Tara. Yet you didn't think to tell Aidan or I."
"Eric..."
"Let me continue." My lips started to tremble. This all was going to come out now, whether I liked it or not. "Alexandria Kent, you have no idea how much I care about you, how much you mean to me. I would stop at nothing to keep you safe, and it's not just because I promised your Dad or the fact that I am best friends with your brother. It's because I am completely head over heels for you. Do you not see that?"
"I do, Eric. I trust you with everything..."
"But this one huge secret, Alex."
"I saw what you did to Landon that night he slapped me in the cafeteria. Eric, you would have been in so much trouble as it is."
"To protect you, it would have been worth it."
"Eric!"
"Alex!"
I noticed some movement on the ground and floor. I didn't want to wake up my brother or Justin, so I scooted in even more to Eric.
"Listen to me Eric. I trust you, I care about you, too. I know that you would have done something and I am so grateful to have you in my life. I was just really scared. I... I just..." I looked down and felt Eric's hand lift my head back up to look at him. "Eric, I'm sorry that I didn't at least tell you about me when we first found out. I just wanted to forget about it. I didn't even want to think about it. We just started dating and I wanted us to just be okay. I don't know."
"You were being a little selfish Alex. I know we're both new to this relationship thing, but I believe we're both supposed to lean on each other and be open about things."
"I'm really sorry Eric. Please don't take this as a sign of me not trusting you, because believe me I am completely confident in you and I."
"So am I, Alex. Just please promise me this one thing."
"Anything."
"No more secrets, Alex. At least none that concern you. I want to be in your life, Alex. No lies, no hiding, no holding back. I want all of it, Alex." I nodded. "Promise me."
"I promise, Eric. No more secrets."
"And I promise you Alex," he said as he moved his body to face mine and pressed his lips to my neck. "That you will never have to second guess my feelings for you ever." He moved to kiss my chin and then right below my mouth. "That I will take the good and the bad days." He gave me a soft kiss. "That no matter what," Eric kissed my forehead. "I will be there for you, to protect you, care for you. I'll be anything you want me to be, as long as you want me there."
Eric's lips that moved against mine as he spoke those last words finally kissed me hard. I swear if my brother and Justin weren't sleeping in the same room, I would have let Eric take my shirt off and allow this to turn into a totally heated make out session. There was nothing that could describe how I felt about him making that promise. It was hard to contain myself in that moment and I knew it was like that for Eric, too.
"Alex," Eric pleaded when I slowly pushed him away. He closed the inches between us again, squeezed my waist, and hooked my leg around him.
"Eric, my brother and Justin," I cautioned.
"Let's go to your room then," Eric breathed down my neck. "I just want some alone time with you right now."
I cuddled back into Eric, if there was more space for me to cuddle into. We were already so close. "I promise Eric, one day you will."
Eric smiled and softly kissed me. "I'm not going to lie. I like that promise."
The next morning, my Dad came as agreed. There was a total of twelve different police officers that took statements and did interviews. My dad had sent a few others to the homes of the boys that attended Navy Pier Prep.
They discovered the camera in the girls locker room. Of course on there were fingerprints of Drake and Troy. They found the URL address or whatever it was and tracked it to Clayson's laptop in his dorm room. Email addresses that subscribed to the site pinpointed other boys at Navy Pier.
There was no denying the videos on the site, showcasing what happened Homecoming night. There was also edited showers videos that had previously been recorded, yet not released on the website, of Shauna, Myra, Deena, and Jessie. Regardless of what my Dad said about their being enough evidence against them, those four girls filed police reports as well.
By the time the afternoon rolled around, all the boys were charged and arrested and this time my Dad assured all of us, including Rachel and Tara, that this nightmare was almost over.
"Of course their lawyers will attempt to get the most lenient punishment possible. However, if I have anything to do with it, these boys will be sent to jail forever," my Dad said looking around. "Don't worry about them anymore."
That statement alone sent Rachel and Tara to tears. Rachel's parents were there and so were Tara's. They continually thanked my father and he said that none of this would have been possible, if not for Rachel and Tara's friends.
As Rachel hugged me, I couldn't believe that we were friends. If you had told me that the girl who hated me from the moment I arrived at Dauntless Academy, the girl who I got into a fight with twice, or that the girl who made it hard for me to date Eric, would end up becoming my friend, I would have laughed in your face. Right now though, to see the tears of joy as she ran back to her parents and embraced them, that was one of the most happiest times of my life.
"I am the proudest father right now," my dad said as he walked over with Aidan and hugged me. "This is the same girl that you got into a fight with earlier this year, isn't she?" I nodded as my dad pulled back. "You are so brave and so understanding, just like your mother." My Dad's hand ran down my cheek and he kissed my forehead. He looked over at Aidan. "Take care of each other and I'll see you two this weekend."
"Bye, Dad." Aidan and my Dad did a quick hug. Eric approached us and offered my Dad a handshake.
I stayed seated between Eric and Aidan barely paying attention to whatever silly story Uriah was telling. All I was watching were two girls being loved by their parents. A tear rolled down my cheek. I was grateful for everything I had and I was going to face things with all the strength I had. If Rachel and Tara could do it, then why couldn't I? I smiled and rested my head on Eric's shoulder. I'm so glad that Rachel Cook and Tara Reid became my friends.
