Still don't own them.
Azar allowed Rachel to stay home from school the next day, "But your going next week, young lady, you've missed two weeks already!" Rachel just smirked, next week was the play, so she would be missing most of her classes anyway.
As it was Friday, so the others where in class, Rachel spent the day trying to catch up on her missed school work. She sat on her bed in a short sleeved shirt that Azar had loaned her, she still had to get her clothes from her room, and did her math. "What the hell did I do wrong here? You can't take the square root of a negative number." she asked herself aloud as she looked at the negative seven on her paper.
"You forgot to carry the sign." came Dick's voice from the door. She looked up and saw all her friends standing in her door. She looked at her clock, it was three thirty.
"You have the day off and you spend it doing homework?" Gar asked.
"I have two weeks worth." she shrugged. She stood up and went to get some sock and shoes on.
"Hold up." Gar said.
"What?" she asked.
"You're wearing a short sleeved shirt." he said.
"And?" she asked.
"We have never seen you out of your sweatshirt of the hood." Kori said.
"Unless you were in a hospital gown." Vic said, "This is different."
"Your bruises are almost gone." Jenny said.
"Are we gonna do this or what?" called Wally from the back.
"Let's go." Rachel said, a small smile on her face.
"Wait up a sec." Gar said, taking a plastic grocery bag from behind his back. Rachel saw that what ever was in it was dark, but other than that, she had no idea as to it's contents. "Here you go." he said, tossing it to her.
"What is it?" she asked, half afraid that he was going through with his promise to commemorate her new life with a prank.
"Just open it." he said. She still looked a little weary.
"Don't worry." Vic said, "I told him that I'd cream him if he did anything funny."
"But that's impossible." Jenny said as Rachel untied the handles of the bag, "Gar's not funny."
"Ha ha ha." Gar said as he watched Rachel open the bag. She pulled out a dark piece of material.
"What is it?" Aggie, who had pushed her way to the front, asked.
"A cloak." Rachel said, a small smile on her face, "But who finished it?"
"Gar did." Kori said plainly. "This week in class."
She looked at Gar who had a small smile on his face too. "Thanks." she said, it was all she could muster.
"I knew that it meant a lot to you." he said, shrugging as though it was nothing, "Besides, it was the least I could do after-" he still partially blamed himself for what happened to Rachel.
She cut him off by giving him a hug. She quickly recovered, however, and put it on a hanger. She then hung the hanger in the top of the window frame to admire the effect.
"You did really well." she said, looking quickly at Gar, before returning her glance to the cloak.
"Thanks." he said.
"Well, aren't you going to model it for us?" Jenny asked.
"No." Gar said, "Let's let her arms show a while longer."
As they left, Wally and Jericho, who had been in the back, looked into the room to see what all the commotion was about. All they saw, however, was the clock hanging from the top of the window frame.
"What's with the cape thingy?" Wally asked Jericho, who just shrugged. (1)
Lots of memories filled Rachel as Vic pulled up to her house. Correction: old house. Few of them good.
"Let's get this over with." Gar said what was on her mind.
"I want to apologize for what ever you see in here now." Rachel said.
"There's no need." Dick said, "That was him, not you."
They walked in the front door and were bombarded with a stench of stale alcohol and cigar smoke. Beer cans and Jack bottles were everywhere. They walked up the stairs to Rachel's old room and were horrified at the sight. It seemed her father had trashed everything in there. Clothes were thrown everywhere, some ripped, others knotted. Her mattress was no longer on her bed, the sheets looking like he slashed them. The drawers of her dresser were all pulled out and broken, her mirror was busted, looking like he punched it. Her stereo was busted, her cd's looked liked he threw them like Frisbees or broke them in half. But none of these things Rachel cared for. They were materials, just things. She quickly ducked under her bed, looking for something. She found it and prayed he hadn't. She took it out from under there and was relieved to see the small lock still in place. She dug through her bedside table drawer and found the key. She hoped he hadn't gotten into it and replaced it and the key, though the part in the back of her mind that was being sensible knew that he was too drunk to accomplish this. She took a deep breath of relief when she found the contents undisturbed. In it was the broche her mother gave her, a picture of her mother and her at the park, some of her drawings, the ticket stub from when she, Gar, Kori, Dick and Vic went to the movies in the beginning of the school year, a picture from when she Jenny, Jericho and Wally went to the mall and took group pictures in a booth (the only reason she smiled was because Wally told a joke and then Jericho poked her in the side), and the card Azar gave her the first time she met her.
Rachel locked the box back up and stood. She had what she wanted, now the rest was a salvage job. The other's helped her sort through her clothes, pitching those that were ripped, trying to untie the knots in the others. They gathered the stuff that wasn't broke or ruined and took it into a guest room where they could sort out what Rachel wanted to keep and what she wanted to pitch. They just left the stuff that was to be pitched, a cleaning crew would be by later to clean everything out, then there would be an auction in which half the proceeds would be put into a trust fund for Rachel and the rest would be given to her guardian for Rachel's needs.
Rachel then went to her father's study. She opened the safe to find it still half full of cash, which surprised her, she thought it would be empty. The other's jaws dropped when she began to take stacks of twenties out. She placed them in the firebox Azar had loaned her and when she was done, she locked it and put the key in her pocket. She looked up to see the others still gaping.
"You'll catch flies like that." she said. They quickly closed their mouths. "Who wants to go shopping?" she joked.
She did have to go shopping though, her father had only left a handful of usable clothes and she wanted to personalize her room a bit. She only took Jenny and Wally for this, the boys being employed to keep Kori busy because Rachel shuddered at the thought of what Kori would want to do to her wardrobe and room, she had nightmares of herself in a pink, lacey dress, standing in the middle of a pink room.
"What about this?" Jenny asked, holding up a hoodie.
"I already have one of those." Rachel said, pointing to Wally who had been dragged along so he could hold everything. He murmured something under the pile.
"What did he say?" she asked Jenny.
"He said we should have brought someone else to help him carry the bags." Jenny interpreted.
"Who?" Rachel asked, "Jericho had guitar lessons and Kori would be suspicious if one of the other's were missing."
Wally mumbled something. Jenny once again relayed the gripe, "He said one of them could of pretended to have practice."
"That's an idea." Rachel said, "We'll keep that in mind for next time."
Wally made a noise. "He just groaned." Jenny said.
"Well, I think that's enough stuff." Rachel said, "Let's go pay for what we got here, then I'll get you guys lunch."
Wally made another noise, Jenny hit him. "He said, 'finally'."
That night, they all went for pizza. Remembering the last time, and circumventing any problems, they deciding ahead of time to order personal pizzas. Bee joined them, having just gotten done with her singing lessons.
"You sing?" Jenny asked her.
"Yep." Bee said, "You're looking at the next pop sensation! As soon as I convince my parents that singing is a real profession and that being a lawyer is over-rated."
"Why aren't you in the play?" Rachel asked.
"I sing, I don't act." Bee said.
"Oh."
"How is the play coming along?" Bee asked.
"It is coming along greatly!' Kori said, "I am most excited for it to begin!"
"Don't remind me." Dick groaned.
"What's the matter?" Gar asked, "Getting stage fright?"
"No." Dick said, but no one was convinced.
"Don't worry man," Vic said, "You'll do fine."
"That's why I 'm in props and scenery." Rachel said.
"I hear that." Jenny agreed.
The rest of the evening was spent peacefully, everyone talking and laughing, even Rachel.
Rachel was adjusting, she thought, pretty well. She no longer thought of suicide, flippantly, let alone seriously, and felt happy with Azar and the monks.
But as adjusted as she was, as happy as she was, she still felt sad that her father was dead. As much pain as he caused her, as much hurt, anger, or sadness he gave her, a small part of her missed him. She didn't understand this, it confused her. So to get rid of the overwhelming nature of it all, she did what Azar told her to do when she was having a sensory overload, she meditated.
She was in one such meditation when a knock came at her door. She looked at the clock, still to early to be Jenny, and Azar was doing something with the Monks. Her curiosity overriding her irritation, she answered her door. There stood Dick.
"Come in." she said.
"Thanks." he said.
"Any thing on your mind?" she asked.
"Actually, I came here to ask you that." he said, "Need to talk?"
"About?" she asked.
"I know what it's like to be an orphan, to no longer have family." he said, "I figured I was the most able to talk to you about it."
At first she was silent, then, "It's just weird, you know?" she admitted.
"As a matter of fact, I do." he said, "It will be.":
"I mean, I love Azar in a way, and will be forever grateful, but it's just-" she looked for the words to describe what she wanted to say, "I dunno." she finished lamely.
"I know." he said, "Believe it or know I know exactly what you mean."
"I don't know if you do though." she said. He gave her a questioning glance and she elaborated, "I mean, from what I've gathered, your parents loved you. I don't know if mine loved me. I mean, I think my mother did, but she left so early, that I hardly remember anything about her, I mean I remember some things, mostly because I copied them and do them now, but other than that-. And I doubt that my father loved me. He only kept me around because I created the image of a family. He told me so a thousand times. And then, when he- when he-." she fell silent.
"It's ok, Rachel." he said, "He can't hurt you anymore."
"You don't understand!" she exclaimed, "None of you do."
"We're trying, Rachel." Dick said, "We really are."
"But you can't understand because I haven't told you. Any of you." she said, hanging her head, tears falling from her eyes.
"You haven't told us what?" Dick asked, "Rachel, we're only here to help."
"I know." she said, taking a deep breath. Should she tell him? Could she tell him? Could he be told, would he understand? "My- my father-" she started. God this was hard.
"It's ok, Rachel." Dick said, "We know what he did to you."
"He raped me." she said quickly and quietly. (2)
"What?" Dick asked.
"He raped me." she said, "My father, my 'daddy-dearest' raped me. He-" she stopped.
"Rachel-" Dick began, but was cut off.
"And the worst part of it all is that I miss him!" she suddenly said, "I miss the son of a bitch that did this to me! I miss him!" with this she burst out crying.
"It's ok, Rachel, it's only natural." he soothed, "It's only natural to miss him. He was your father. You're going to."
"But it's not!" she yelled, "I shouldn't miss him after he-"
"No matter what he did to you, he was still your father."
"When will I stop?" she asked him.
"I don't know." he said, "I wish I could give you an answer, I really wish I could, but I can't. You'll forget when you're ready to forget."
"Believe me, I'm ready."
Dick promised not to tell any of the others, and he kept it. Three days later, however, things got- complicated. She was in Spanish, lost in though, when the teacher called on her.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" she asked the teacher. Senor Lopez was not pleased.
"I realize that you just got back, Senorita Rachel, but please try to pay attention! Now, lea el parafo segundo." (3)
After she read the second paragraph and the teacher separated them into groups to translate the following story, Dick asked if she was alright.
"I don't know." she said.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I-" she took a breath, "I'm late."
"What?" Dick asked, clearly lost, "But you were on time for class."
"Not that kind of late. I'm late late." she said.
"Oh, shit." Dick said after it sunk in.
"What the hell am I going to do?" she demanded in a whisper.
"After practice, we'll tell the others that we have some Spanish homework to do. We'll go some where and get a test."
"Oh, god." she moaned.
"It'll be alright, Rachel." Dick said, "It'll be alright."
"Thanks." she said.
"Senorita Rachel and Senor Dick," the teacher called, "Are you already done with the translation?" They quickly apologized and began their translation.
"Ugh." Gar said, "I swear if Garth gets any meaner in his direction, I'm going to quit!"
"He's just nervous because the play is soon." Vic said.
"Doesn't mean he can take it out on us." Gar complained.
"He was most tense and short today." Kori agreed.
"I got just the thing!" Vic said, "How bout we all go to my place and have a video game tournament?"
"I'm there!" Gar called out.
"It would be glorious!" Kori squealed, jumping up and down.
"How 'bout it you two?" Vic asked Dick and Rachel.
"Yeah, come on, Rea-chel." Gar said, "It's been a while since you've been in a gaming tournament! I'll take it easy on you."
"I've never been in a 'gaming tournament' because I don't play video games." she said.
"We got some Spanish homework to do anyway." Dick said, "We didn't finish our translation."
"Ouch for you." Vic said, "Guess we'll see you two tomorrow then."
"See ya." Gar said.
"Bye." Dick said, giving Kori a hug. Rachel waved then the two groups went their separate ways.
Dick waited until they were out of range, then pulled Rachel by the arm. "Come one." he said, "I know a out of the way place we can go to. Know one will ever find out."
Rachel followed as Dick led her to the outskirts of town. "Aren't we kind of close to where Vic lives?" she asked.
"Yes, but if I know them, they're to busy with their video games to come here." he said, "Besides, Vic hardly ever comes in here since he got his license. He prefers to drive to the store on the other side of town."
They walked into the small shop and looked at the isle markers. They found the isle they needed then headed down to find the pregnancy tests. They were looking at all the different types when they heard the bell chime that meant someone else was entering the store.
"Man, I can't believe you offered to have a gaming tournament with out eats!" they heard Gar's voice. They quickly ducked.
"Never come here, huh?" Rachel demanded at a whisper. Dick motioned for her to be quiet. He quickly grabbed a test that claimed to be 99 accurate, then walked to the front of the store.
"Hush up, man." Vic's voice said, "We'll be outta here in no time."
"Why have we not come to this store before?" Kori asked.
"I like the other store." Vic said, "This one was just closer."
Dick and Rachel reached the end of their isle that was closest to the cash register. Dick looked around and quickly ducked back in. He motioned that they were in the front of the store. Rachel looked around and grabbed two magazines. She shoved one in Dick face and planted her nose in the other.
She held her breath. She prayed that they wouldn't be seen. But thirty two breathless seconds later, "Rachel? Dick? What are you two doing here?" Gar asked.
"Um, looking at magazines?" Dick said.
"I thought that you two had Spanish homework to do." Vic asked.
"We need an article to translate into Spanish." Rachel quickly lied.
"On motorcycles and women with no clothes?" Kori asked. Rachel looked at the magazine in her hands, grateful to find that it was the motorcycle magazine and not the other. She saw Dick flush.
"Um, yes?" she said.
"What ever." Vic said, "If you two wanted to be alone, all you had to do was say so."
"That's not what this is at all!" Dick said. Kori paled and tears were forming in her eyes.
"What's that?" Gar asked, pointing to the pregnancy test that Dick still held.
"Um, um, it's a test." he said lamely.
"I'll explain in a minute, not here." Rachel said. She grabbed the test out of Dick hands and went to pay for it.
"My house is closer." Vic said, "We'll go there."
Vic, Gar and Kori walked a little a head of Rachel and Dick, both who had their heads held low. Dick was thinking of the mess that he made, and Rachel was wondering how she was going to tell the others. Telling Dick was one thing- it just sort of came out then- but she didn't know if she could do it again. Dick looked over and saw her wringing her hands.
"It'll be ok." he said.
"Will it?" she asked.
Vic led them up his front porch and into his living room. "Now what the hell is going on?" he demanded.
"That can wait a few minutes." Dick said, "Can Rachel use your bathroom?"
"She can use it while you explain what's happening." Vic said.
"This is something I need to explain." Rachel said. "Dick has nothing to do with it other than he knows and was trying to help me."
"It's the second door on the right." Gar said.
"Thank you." Rachel said. She headed back and proceeded to take the test. When she came out they all looked at her. "I need to wait a few minutes." she said.
"Now may you explain what is happening?" Kori asked.
"You all should sit down." she said. She followed Vic and the others to Vic's living room and everyone sat down. Gar, Vic and Kori sat on the couch, Rachel and Dick on the chairs. Rachel took a deep breath. Tears were building in her eyes.
"It'll be ok." Dick said. She nodded.
She took a deep breath, "On the night I- I tried to commit suicide, several things had happened. Both at school," she looked at Gar who looked down, still ashamed of his actions, "and at home. I had gone home to find that my father had had a business dinner that I was unaware of. He was upset that I had not cleaned up, that I wasn't there, and that he had had to cancel his appointment with Nancy. The meeting had gone well, and he and Slade went out to celebrate. When he came back, he was very drunk. He went up to my room to beat me, but in his drunken state, went farther than that." Tears were now rolling down her face. She took a few shuddering breaths, "He said- he said that he'd teach me to not come home. He said he'd take away everything I had. Everything. And he did. He- he raped me that night. He took whatever pride and dignity I had, along with my-" but here her voice broke and the tears that had been silently rolling down her cheeks gave way to sobs. Gar rushed up and took her in a hug that conveyed all the sympathy he had. Kori and Vic soon followed suite. Dick took up the explanation from there.
"She told me Sunday when I went to talk to her about not having her parents anymore. Today in Spanish, she told me she was late. I came up with the plan. She was going to find out then, if she is, we were going to go from there."
The others let go of Rachel and she wiped her eyes. Kori went over to Dick, "I am most sorry for what I thought." she said to both him and Rachel.
"Me too." Vic said.
"Rachel-" Gar said, but she cut him off after looking at her watch.
"It's ready now." she said. She stood up and went back to the bathroom. The others stayed in the living room. Five minutes later she came out, tears in her eyes. But these tears were different than those she cried earlier. "It's negative." she said, a small smile of relief creeping onto her face, "I'm not."
Notes:
1) The "cape-thingy" incident is brought to you by the ingenious, if not slightly crazy, mind of teenyugiohpotterphantom, it was their idea. And I'm just kidding, they are not crazy. Well, not totally.
2) You thougt she was going to tell Gar first, didn't you! I tricked you! Actually, I thought she was going to tell Gar first, but it seemed to fit into the conversation.
3) Yeah, my Spanish is a good deal rusty, but I think it says "Read the second paragraph" that's what it's supposed to say anyway.
So, what did you think? A little too much? (Her being late that is) Lemme know! Please!
Oh, and if you find yourself on and looking for a good story to read, I highly suggest the stories on my Favorite Stories list, or any story by any of the authors on my Favorite Authors list. I promise you will not be disappointed, especially if you, like me, are an avid ReaxGar fan. Seriously, check them out!
Til next time!