Just a little bit of dark this time it's not so bad.
Ch. 10 No One Will Understand
(FITZ)
"Everyone is eating at The Dot today, why don't we skip tutoring and join them," I suggest to Clare when our math class lets out.
"Fitz you need to study and I can't," she argues.
"I'll buy you lunch and I think I can skip one day," I comment showing her my score from yesterday's pop quiz.
"You got a 76 Fitz that's great," she grins proudly and holds up her hand for a high five.
"Thanks," I smile high fiving her, "it's still a C…I think but it's 18 points higher than my last test."
"You did great I'm really proud of you, I guess we can skip the session for today but you go ahead I brought my own lunch," Clare replies her voice going timid and sort of sad at the end.
"No you're coming, I meant everyone will be there I know Adam is coming and Eli and like I said before I'll buy you lunch. Why don't you bring Maya, I'll get her lunch too," I offer.
"You really want to buy both of us lunch?" She questions as she puts her backpack in her locker.
"I work there I get a discount, c'mon let's go find Maya," I remark putting my arm loosely around her shoulders. We start walking down the hall and I see her stepbrother glaring at us but he doesn't do or say anything then we find Owen. "Hey Clare's coming with us and I thought we should invite Maya, and probably you're brother and Zig too," I tell him.
"Already done, Maya took some convincing but I told her Clare was coming and I'd buy her lunch," Owen comments.
"Funny that's what I said," I laugh.
We start walking to the front doors and are joined by Maya, Tris, Zig, Adam, Eli, Drew and Bianca. We all walk to The Dot together and move some tables so we can all sit together. Owen and I pay for Clare and Maya, the girls seem to cheer up a little away from school, they seem less…jumpy and sad. After we eat Clare, Maya and Bianca go back to use the washroom, I still don't understand why girls go in packs but with them gone I turn to Owen.
"Is it just me or do Clare and Maya seem happier away from the school?" I ask him trying to keep my voice low but Adam, who is sitting right next to me, overhears.
"That's how Maya is in band practice, happy, laughing, writing songs. She's like a totally different person than in school, I was starting to think Clare was just permanently depressed, she says her mom is sick so I figured she was stressed but she was so different here during lunch," Adam comments.
"Yeah the question is why?" Owen asks just as the girls come out of the washroom.
Our group walks back to school together and the closer we get to school the quieter and more tense the girls get. We drop Maya, Tris and Zig at their geography class, Adam and Eli leave us to get to their own classes and the five of us walk to our lockers to get our backpacks and then walk to art class. Clare stays with us the whole time and keeps looking around nervously.
"Are you and Maya coming to Will's Halloween party?" Owen asks Clare when we get into class.
"Yeah so is Jake," Clare says quietly.
"Drew and I better go shopping this weekend, the party is Monday and tomorrow he has his football game," Bianca comments.
Miss Dawes calls the class to attention as the bell rings and we stop talking. Clare is pretty silent throughout art, working on her abstract painting. When the bell rings Owen offers to walk Clare to French on his way to auto shop, her class is in the opposite direction of auto shop but she still shrugs. Drew and I both have a spare right now and we go outside to get a start on our homework.
"You working tomorrow or coming to the game?" Drew asks while I'm trying to figure out a math problem.
"I'm working after the game so I'll be there," I tell him.
"Cool," he grins.
"I wish Maya and Clare would come to the games but their parents won't let them," I comment.
"Yeah which is weird because I remember that Clare at least used to go to games last year," Drew remarks.
"Adam said Maya and Clare's mom has been sick, maybe that has something to do with it," I suggest but I'm not sure I believe it myself.
About ten minutes before the bell is going to ring I say goodbye to Drew and walk to The Dot. I stash my backpack in my employee locker, change into a work t-shirt and after using the washroom I clock in. It doesn't take too long before kids start pouring in from DeGrassi, first is the football players coming in for a snack before practice. Drew and Owen among them, they nod to me, order food and sit with the football players. Of course they're all in here for about ten minutes before they have to run back to school for practice. We're busy until about 6 when most kids are headed home for dinner and then I go on my lunch. I spend my whole lunch thinking, and worrying, about Maya and Clare, I'm sure that something isn't right, the way they're all quiet at school but Clare's so at ease with me during our tutoring sessions and even in art class. Adam says Maya's the same way in band rehearsal, it can't be school so what is it?
(MAYA)
"Maya in the middle," Jake orders when we go out to the truck to drive to school Monday morning, it also happens to be Halloween. Glen and Jake went out to get our costumes that weekend and they said we wouldn't see them until after school. I knew that if Glen and Jake picked them out they would be bad.
"She doesn't have band practice today it's Halloween," Clare argues for me.
"I still say she sits in the middle," Jake says again but his voice growls a little.
I get in the middle and as soon as Jake is in and backed out of the driveway he starts to fondle me. This morning at breakfast Glen had told us it was a special day; the last time he told us it was a special day was two weeks ago for Jake's birthday. After having to endure Jake's nonstop fondling, having to wear those terrible outfits to school he then violently raped us both before dinner. Then after dinner he ate his cake off us and raped us both again and the two of us were forced to sleep together in Jake's bed with him and he fondled us throughout the night. That was the last special day we went through and I didn't want to know what this special day was going to mean for us.
Jake feels up my legs and shirt all the way to school, as we pull in I see some kids in costume. Marisol is a sexy nurse, her costume shows so much skin I'm sure she'll get in trouble with Simpson. K.C. is dressed as a pirate; Reese is a punk rocker, which doesn't look all that much different from his normal clothes but he put green streaks in his hair and a fake nose ring on. Jake parks and the three of us get out, Jake walks behind us to the front doors but thankfully leaves us once we're inside. Eli, who is dressed like a vampire, and Adam, dressed like Frankenstein, come up to us and I leave my older sister with her friends. I walk to my locker and find Tris and Zig, Tris is dressed like a cowboy but Zig is not dressed up.
"Hey Maya, you're coming to the party tonight right?" Tris questions.
"Yeah me, Clare and Jake," I squeeze my stepbrother's name out of my teeth with a great effort.
"I'm gonna be a rock star what are you coming as?" Zig asks me.
"I don't know yet Glen hasn't showed us our costumes," I reply without thinking about it.
"You're stepdad picked out your costumes?" Tris questions squeezing his eyebrows together as we start walking to French class.
"Yeah he and Jake went out this weekend," I answer.
"Why didn't you and Clare go?" Zig inquires.
"We…we couldn't, had stuff to do at home so they went to get costumes for us," I tell them which is basically true I'm just leaving out some details.
Tris and Zig just shrug and we sit down in class, we practice reading French phrases in class. After French Tris and I walk to Math but Zig has a different class this period. Mr. Armstrong seems to be particularly boring today or maybe it's just that I'm fearing what this evening is going to hold for me and Clare. At lunch Tris and I walk to our lockers putting our books away and then we start walking with our lunches outside to meet Zig. We pass by the memorial garden on our way and I see Fitz getting tutored by Clare, Fitz smiles at me and waves. Clare looks up when he waves and smiles at me too, I smile back but the smile drops when I see Jake.
"Maya I need to talk to you," Jake says and I instantly tense up, "she'll meet you in a few minutes." Jake doesn't wait for Tris to answer simply takes my arm and pulls me aside hiding me behind a bank of lockers. "Have you two been talking me up to Bianca?" Jake asks.
Jake has a major crush on Bianca which is absolutely hopeless because she's dating Drew and if I was dating Drew then I would never break up with him. Still Jake has been telling me and Clare to talk to Bianca and tell her how wonderful Jake is. Of course we never would tell anyone Jake is wonderful person because he is anything but wonderful.
"Yes," I lie.
"She'll still barely look at me," Jake retorts.
"Duh she's dating Drew, he's QB1 and one of the hottest guys in the school why in the hell would she look at you?!" I scream in my head but of course don't say any of it. "Maybe she's just not interested," I answer timidly and before he can do anything I slip from under his arm and run away.
I look back over my shoulder to see if Jake is following me but looking back means I'm not looking forward and run into somebody. I hit them so hard I'm knocked back and fall on my butt making an oof sound when I hit the floor.
"Sorry Maya are you okay?" Owen apologizes as he helps me stand up.
"Yeah I'm fine," I tell him smiling a little.
"You running from somebody? Do I need to beat someone up?" He asks.
I'd love to tell him yes and have him beat Jake but fear keeps me from talking and I simply shake my head. "No I'm just late meeting your brother and Zig for lunch," I respond.
Owen lets go of me and moves aside, I don't run again and simply walk out to meet Zig and Tris.
(CLARE)
Maya and I were still doing our chores when Glen came home and we went to the door to greet him. I take his jacket and Maya his briefcase and he walks into the living room.
"You girls won't be making dinner tonight because of this party. You know it's a privilege that you two are going to this party," Glen remarks.
"We know," Maya and I say together submissively.
"I'm sure you're wondering what your costumes are, Jake fetch the costumes son," Glen instructs.
Jake runs upstairs and Glen motions for us to sit with him on the sofa so we sit on either side of him. Glen begins softly caressing up and down our legs and doesn't stop until Jake comes down with our costumes.
"Maya you'll be a French maid, it even came with a feather duster," Jake says holding up her costume.
Jake also has a pair of black spiked heels for Maya; her costume consisted of a pair of white thigh high stockings and a black dress that had a scoop neck. The skirt was short and looked like it would barely cover the top of the stockings. The sleeves puffed and would go to her bicep and cover her shoulders at least. The dress was all black but came with a little apron with white trim; the skirt had a white underskirt that sort of made it look like her slip was showing.
"You already have a choker so you will not be using the one with the costume. Now put your costume on," Glen instructs.
Maya takes the costume, stands and gets out of her uniform; we're no longer shy about stripping in front of Jake or Glen as we have to do it so often. Maya is not given a bra but she rarely is even when we're in public, her breasts are still coming in and it isn't generally noticeable when she isn't wearing a bra so Glen rarely allows her one. Maya puts the costume on, Glen even removes her ankle bracelet, but then he takes off her G-string telling her she can't wear them at the party and Maya looks horrified.
"How am I going to wear this without underwear?" She asks in a voice constricted by embarrassment.
"Neither of you will be wearing any type of underwear at this party, Clare strip down before we present you with your costume," Glen commands and I stand up.
"If I'm not wearing a bra people will notice," I argue timidly as I begin taking off my uniform.
"Don't worry we thought of that, your costume was picked specifically to keep your boobs from bouncing too much," Jake informs in me a lecherously vile hiss.
"Spread your legs a little," Glen instructs when I'm naked. I do as instructed and Glen takes off my ankle bracelet and my shoes. "You will be a beer wench Clare," Glen informs me handing me a pair of sheer white knee high stockings that have crimson bows at the tops.
I sit on the sofa again to put them on; they come just a couple of inches above my knees. When I have those on Jake hands me a pair of red patent leather spiked heels, crimson of course with straps around the ankles. I put them on and Jake has to help me stand up, when I'm standing Glen produces a tiny little white blouse that has short cap lace sleeves and doesn't even fully cover my breasts when I put it on.
"Here's your dress," Jake grins producing a dress, if you could call it that, from behind his back.
I take the dress which has been unlaced so I can get it on, the skirt part has a white ruffle underskirt which makes the skirt poof out a little, and will make it very difficult to hide the fact that I don't have underwear on. The skirt is crimson in color and has a black stripe that goes around about an inch and half from the hem. There is a fake little apron at the front, with a red and black checkerboard pattern, the apron is trimmed by crimson ribbon that goes up to crimson bows at my hip bones and then trimmed by lace. The bodice portion of the dress is black, red ribbon tied in a bow at the center of my breasts is in the middle of the bodice, and there's red trim around the bodice. Thankfully the bodice covers what the little blouse doesn't but I will have to be extremely careful about how I move. Jake turns me around and begins lacing the bodice, pulling it extremely tight and pushing my breasts together to force as much of my cleavage to pop out as possible. I have my crimson choker like Maya has her black one and Jake hands me two crimson bows attached to hair ties.
"Put your hair in pigtails," Glen instructs. I can hardly move and Maya has to help me with my hair. "You both look wonderful, you'll stay down here with me while Jake goes to change into his costume," Glen grins in licentious lewdness.
Glen sits on the sofa making Maya and I sit on either side of him, he barely has to lift our skirts to access what he wants. Then our Stepfather proceeds to finger us both, we close our eyes and just wait for him to finish, neither of us move or make a sound. It's several minutes before Jake comes back down the stairs but Glen continues to finger us. I keep my eyes closed and I'm sure that Maya does too.
"Well what do you think?" I hear Jake ask.
"Well girls how do you like Jake's costume?" Glen questions and we open our eyes. Jake and Glen's dark perverse humor becomes clearly evident when Jake is dressed as a cop! "Don't you like Jake's costume?" Glen asks again when we don't answer and by his tone of voice we know that if we don't answer yes we'll be punished.
"Yes," Maya and I answer together even though it makes me want to throw up and I'm sure that Maya feels the same.
"Good," Glen smiles removing his fingers from us and then he wipes his fingers on our legs just under our skirts. Glen stands and helps us stand, and then slaps us both on the ass as we try to walk. "Home by ten with it being a school night so that we can enjoy your costumes, Jake you can enjoy them at the party as long as you can do it without drawing attention. Oh and girls don't forget your accessories," Glen says handing Maya her little black feather duster and me a fake beer mug.
We take our accessories and walk to Jake's truck, these heels are next to impossible to walk in and every step we take is very shaky.
"Let's see Maya you sit in the middle a…" Jake begins but I cut him off.
"No I'll sit in the middle both ways," I speak up trying to save my sister from Jake's assault for as long as I can.
"You keep speaking when it's not your turn Clare; we're going to have to stop you from doing that. Maya sit in the middle and if you speak out again Clare I will go back inside and get the biggest dildo we have and make you wear that at the party," Jake warns me.
"I'll be okay Clare, don't get punished," Maya begs me.
I nod silently and Jake opens the truck door, Maya struggles to get in and crawl into the middle so Jake helps her and spanks her hard before she sits down. I bite my lip to stop myself from saying anything so I'm not punished. Getting into the truck with these shoes is also next to impossible and Jake helps me too, squeezing my breasts hard once I'm seated. I strangle a whimper in my throat and hold in the tear that pools at the corner of my eye. Jake laughs closing the truck door and going around to the driver's side, he fondles Maya for the whole drive. My sister stays silent but grabs my hand and holds on, I close my eyes trying to remember a better happier time in our lives and squeeze Maya's hand. Jake parks at the party and I see a bunch of cars, most of which I recognize. Eli's, Owen's, Fitz's and Drew's cars are all here. I'm sure many of our other friends are here because I know most of the school was coming.
Jake has to help us out of the truck and we walk slowly to the front door as Maya and I are still trying to walk in these shoes. Will's house is bigger than Adam's, two stories and the party looks like it's all downstairs, there's a big back yard that some kids are in, a large great room and what looks like a rec room from here all for the party. Wills parents aren't home and I recognize everyone from school but all eyes are on us as soon as we walk in and I know it's because of what Maya and I are wearing. It's not like we're the only ones here in sexy costumes or showing skin; Marisol is in her sexy nurse costume she wore at school. Drew is a gladiator and wearing no top just the tunic and sandals with a fake sword and bicep cuffs. Bianca a Grecian goddess which consists of a little white tunic that barely covers her torso, she has a gold headband and gold arm cuffs along with gold high heel sandals that lace all the way around her calves to just below her knees. Jenna, standing with K.C. the pirate and Dave the baseball player, is dressed as Tinkerbelle and her and Bianca's costumes really don't cover any more than our costumes, and Marisol's costume covers less. The difference is that Maya and I don't usually dress like this and I'm sure we look uncomfortable, we feel uncomfortable especially without underwear.
"Clare?!" Owen questions approaching through the crowd.
"Maya?!" Fitz asks approaching with Owen; they both have the same shocked and almost slightly angry tone in their voices when they say our names.
Owen is dressed as a sailor only his shirt has no sleeves, but he has the white dress pants, black tie, black combat boots and a white sailors hat. The fact that his shirt has no sleeves means his muscles are being shown off which I'd appreciate more if I wasn't so uncomfortable. Fitz is dressed in combat fatigues that consist of combat boots, camouflage pants, an army green tank top and a camouflage hat plus dog togs that I believe to be real.
"Why are you guys dressed like that?" Owen inquires; there are so many inflections in his tone I can't pick them all out.
"We tried to stop them but they insisted on wearing them," Jake says and to those that don't know any better he truly sounds like a worried protective brother.
Jake walks past us into the party which has now resumed and only a few people are still staring at us. Maya tries to take a step down the stairs and she falters but Fitz catches her and she smiles at him. Thank goodness I was the only one behind her to see her butt flash. After Fitz helps Maya stand and find her footing Owen holds his hand out to me and I take it letting him help me down the two steps. Owen and Fitz keep holding our hands to help us walk as we make our way into the party crowd a little. Drew, Bianca, Adam, Eli, Tris and Zig all make their way over to us and once we're standing still near the stairs Fitz and Owen let go of our hands. Adam, Eli and Tris are all dressed as they were at school, Zig is wearing ripped jeans a black shirt and leather jacket with his hair gelled and a fake plastic guitar on his back.
"Your parents won't let you come to a football game but they'll let you go to a party in those costumes?" Bianca queries with her eyebrows pinched together.
"I thought Jake and Glen were picking out your costumes?" Tris questions looking at Maya and I flash her a warning look because she shouldn't have told them that.
"They did but they got us this hideous horse costume we never could have worn so we went out last minute and got these. It was all the costume shop had left that would fit us. We wore them in rebellion," I make a quick excuse and believe everyone buys it.
"You both look really nice it's just…" Fitz sort of stumbles over his words and Owen finishes the sentence for him.
"You two are showing way more of you than we're used to. It's a little risky even for rebellion," Owen comments.
"Yeah we're a little uncomfortable but we wanted to prove a point," I reply and bite my lip.
We all stand there awkwardly and silently for a few minutes and then the groups being to splinter off. Tris and Zig take my sisters arms and lead her off; Eli and Adam take my arms and lead me away leaving Drew, Bianca, Fitz and Owen still standing there.
"You look a little pale you want something to drink?" Eli offers.
"Yeah thanks," I smile. Eli lets go of my arm but Adam still holds me so I don't fall, Eli brings me back a cup of orange punch and I sip at it setting down the fake beer mug. We talk and mingle for a little bit and then I see Jake in the hallway motioning for me with his head. "Umm I'm going to use the washroom," I tell Eli and Adam and they nod.
I leave them and precariously make my way to where Jake is; as I walk I look around the party for my sister but don't see her. When I get to Jake he motions for me to go down the hall then he turns and follows me, taking me around a corner and into a laundry room.
"I knew there had to be an unlocked door down here somewhere," he remarks closing the door when we're both inside, "I just had some fun with your sister and now it's your turn."
He tells me to turn around and bend over and I obey, he forces my legs apart and I hear a zipper. Then Jake rapes me at the party, I don't think he could have raped Maya too unless he didn't ejaculate. Not that it matters as I'm sure both Maya and I will be raped later tonight. At least it's quick and the loud music from the party drowns out the sounds of me being forced into the washing machine as Jake rapes me. When he's done he tells me to find a washroom and clean up. He leaves the laundry room and I find paper towels in there cleaning up a little before going out. I look for a washroom and find Fitz in the hall; he gives me a curious look and looks past me to see where I came from.
"Clare are you okay?" He asks suddenly beside me, this bodice is much too tight and after what Jake just did I can hardly breathe.
"Yeah I'm fine but can you find my sister and check on her I can't find her anywhere?" I request of Fitz.
"Yeah sure," Fitz nods looking at me a second longer before disappearing into the party again.
I see the washroom but there's a line so I go back into the laundry room seeing a little sink and finish cleaning up. This bodice just seems to get tighter and tighter, every time I bend or try and take a deep breath it just constricts around my ribs more. After cleaning my legs I lean on the dryer just trying to breathe but the more I try the more it feels like I can't.
"Clare?" It's Owen's voice calling for me from the hall but I don't respond I'm just trying to breathe. Owen comes in and walks over putting his arm around me, "Are you okay? Fitz said you asked him to find Maya but he said you didn't look so good," Owen informs me.
"I can't breathe, the bodice is too tight," I tell him. He reaches his arm around trying to untie it but Jake made it too tight. "Who the hell tied this?" Owen asks reaching into his pocket.
"Jake," I admit softly just as he opens a small switch blade he had concealed in his pocket and cuts through all the laces. "You carry around a knife?" I question taking a deep breath and feeling how sore my ribs are from having been so tightly constrained.
"Never know when you might need one," Owen grins as the dress starts to open and I have to hold my arms to my chest to keep anything from being exposed. "Hang on," Owen says bending down and removing the laces from his boots which he then uses to replace the cut laces in my bodice.
"What about your shoes?" I ask.
"I'll be fine, my shoes will stay on I don't think your dress will," Owen says lacing the bodice again but only tight enough to keep it up.
"Thanks," I smile softly at Owen after he's laced up my dress.
"No problem, are you okay? You want to lay down somewhere? Want some water?" He asks.
"Yeah I think both of those might be good," I reply feeling somewhat light headed.
Owen puts his arm around my waist lightly to direct me out of the laundry room but when I trip on these ridiculous shoes Owen swoops me up into his arms. The feeling of being in his arms is like nothing I've felt before, I feel so safe and my stomach fills with butterflies, my heart beating fast and for once it's not with fear. Owen grins at me and I find myself smiling at him, happily smiling at him not forced, not hiding anything but a genuine smile. For a brief second in time while I'm in the safety of Owen's arms I forget all about Glen and his sadistic abuse. I forget all about Jake and his perversions, all about Mom's death and the humiliating horror that my life and Maya's life has become. For a brief second amongst all the rapes, abuse, punishments and daily embarrassing terrors that Maya and I are subject to it all goes away and I'm just a normal teenage girl falling for a boy.
"Are you not wearing any panties?" Owen inquires and I realize his arm is under my butt and then it all comes back, the happiness fades, the normalcy disappears and I'm back to fear and shame.
I bite my lip, look away and nod. Owen doesn't say anything while we're in the hall but he finds a door and sets me down. He tries the handle but it's locked again so he takes out his knife again and picks the lock. Owen turns on the light peeks in then picks me up again and brings me into the room. It appears to be a guest room and office, there's a futon sofa on one wall and at the other is a desk, the room is small but it doesn't matter. When we're inside Owen sets me on the sofa and sits next to me.
"Why aren't you wearing panties?" Owen asks with a concerned tone but I hear a hint of lust in it. Not vile lecherous lust like Glen or Jake but simply interested lust vaguely lacing his tone because he's a teenage guy.
I bite my lip and look down, I don't know what to say, tears flood my eyes as everything Maya and I have been subject to for the last month flashes in my mind. I wish I could tell him that I could reveal it all and never leave the safety of his arms again but I can't. He might think I'm crazy and even if he doesn't what can he do? Even if we were to get Maya and go to the cops they wouldn't believe us, they'd still have to do an investigation and if Glen and Jake aren't arrested and kept in custody Maya and I would pay with our lives or worse.
"Clare I can't believe your rebellion would go so far to come to a party full of teenage guys with no panties," Owen comments when I don't answer. He reaches out to take my hand but I flinch away instinctively.
"I…I was wearing some," I tell him in a shaky breath.
"What do you mean you were wearing some? What happened to them?" He inquires and his voice is picking up some anger.
"I…went looking for the washroom…" I trip over a lie to tell him because I can't reveal the truth, "and this boy pulled me into the laundry room."
"Clare did he rape you?" Owen asks with incredible fear and anger mixed in his voice.
I shake my head and chew on my lower lip a second while I construct a lie in my head. My salty tears trickling from my eyes get caught at the corner of my lip; I taste the salt water, such a familiar taste now, one that I've tasted at least once a day recently.
"No he…I think he meant to, he took my panties off and used his fingers a bit but I managed to get away and ran into Fitz."
It's such twisted mix of lie and truth, Jake raped me in the laundry room and possibly Maya too but terror of Glen's wrath keeps me from telling Owen. He's silent for a few seconds and finally I look over at him, Owen is so tense he looks like a statue but he's bright red with rage. Owen's fists are clenched so tight that his knuckles are bright white and his jaw clenched so tightly that I can see the corners of his jaw bone poking into his cheeks.
"Who?" Owen questions with a growl.
I'm certain that I can't just name someone because by the look in Owen's eyes I can see that he would go find them and beat first and ask questions later.
"I don't know he was wearing a mask and it was dark, I didn't see him," I tell Owen but he still looks pissed so I change the subject. "Were you going to get me some water?"
Owen finally relaxes just a little, unclenching his jaw and fist as he lets out a breath. "Yeah, I'm gonna find Fitz and Maya too, stay here and lock the door don't let anyone in I'll pick the lock again," Owen instructs and I nod. "Let's get off these ridiculous shoes too," Owen says kneeling down before me and then looking up at me again. "May I?" He asks lifting the heel of my right shoe onto his leg so he can take off the buckle.
A soft smile creeps across one side of my mouth, my tears dry up and my heart skips a beat. Being very gentle Owen removes my shoes then stands up and helps me up, we walk to the door he tells me he'll be right back and reminds me not to open the door to anyone then he leaves and I lock the door behind him. I go back to the sofa but with Owen gone I don't feel nearly as safe and I curl onto the sofa. I hope Owen doesn't go beat up every boy wearing a mask but I don't think he will. I wish I didn't have to lie to him but what else could I do? If we told and Glen and Jake were not immediately arrested and kept they would come for us and I'm sure that our fate would be worse than our mothers.
Update next Sunday starting in Fitz pov at the party just after he leaves Clare to find Maya.