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Chapter 14

I am strong,

I stand tall

Nothing will break me

I will not fall

My heart will not break

Standing still through all my fears

Time will pass and things will heal

As the world goes by with my silent tears

. . . . . . . . . . .It was a poem that she had memorized since early age. She had practically engraved it on her heart, using it as her fortified wall against all pain. Sometimes it worked. . . .sometimes it didn't. Yet, she kept it close to her heart and repeated it silently in her head whenever she was about to cry. . . whenever the pain was too much.

It stopped her from falling apart.

Looking to her left, she watched as Jennifer trudged slowly forward, keeping a slow but determined pace. She couldn't see the girl's face behind the curtain of her dark hair. A frown decorated her features. Knowing how the girl was feeling, she could guess that Jennifer was probably struggling not to cry. . . . . or maybe she gave up already.

'. . . . Jennifer. . . . '

Suddenly, the aforementioned girl stumbled over an uneven edge in the sidewalk. She tilted for a moment before straightening. Grabbing onto the wall, she steadied herself. But she stopped altogether for a moment. Brushing back the dark curtain with a pale hand, Jennifer turned toward her friend. A thin frown brushed her features as she studied the brunette's face.

"Raylyn," she mumbled her voice dead and numb, "Don't look at me like that. I'm fine. You'll be fine. . . .Everything will."

With that, she adjusted the pack on her shoulders and began walking a bit faster down the sidewalk. Raylyn stared at her retreating back for a moment simply wondering. Would she ever know the Jennifer she had once known?

Looking up slowly with saddened eyes, Raylyn stared after her. No, she couldn't . . . she would never be the same. Suddenly, Jennifer curtly turned around the corner. With a poignant sigh, Raylyn ran to catch up with her.

"Jennifer," she cried out a bit as she turned the corner, "Wait up. . . You walk too. . . . fast. . . ."

After cutting around the corner, Raylyn saw Jennifer's form suddenly stop and stiffen noticeably. About to complain to Jennifer about her speed, Raylyn was cut off when she soon too stopped and grew numb as a chilling coldness swept through her as if Death itself had touched her.

In her head she slowly began mumbling the poem.

. . . . I am strong. . . .

Raylyn heard her steps coming closer as she approached them, her black, rubber shoes slithering into the flickering, harsh glow of the streetlight.

. . . . .I stand tall. . . . .

The light cast a florescent glare on her black pants. . .then on her black hoodie…

. . . . . . Nothing will break me. . . . . .

"Hey, Raylyn," she whispered from her upturned lips.

She was going to snap soon. This was going to slow drive her insane.

"Hi, Needy," she fearfully breathed back in short breaths.

Raylyn watched as the stormy blue eyes she had loved so much flicked from her and jerkily turned to Jennifer. Those same beautiful eyes were suddenly swathed in a boiling hatred. She saw her hands suddenly tighten into fists. A cold flame of bitter disgust ran rampant through her stiff form.

"So that bitch is here too," she snarled, her thin lips turning into a smirk as she watched her wince slightly.

Jennifer shook for a moment, nearly falling, but she stood, her face dull and stoic. Her lips straightened into a thin line. Clutching the straps of her pack tightly, she stared at her blankly.

Her face didn't shift the slightest bit as she took a step closer, a barely contained violence igniting her body. The same malevolent grin tugging at her lips. Jennifer stood still as she stepped another step closer. . . .

. . . . . I will not fall. . . .

"You damn slut," she sneered, her eyes vivid with amusement at her pain, "You just wont go away will you? This world doesn't need shit like you. There isn't a damn thing you're good for."

Jennifer's eyes stared straight at her, her eyes hard and cold.

Needy seemed to enjoy this new Jennifer, one who didn't cry, didn't react. With an excited smile, she threw more threats at her.

"Stupid, stupid girl," she whispered in her ear, grabbing her shoulders from behind her, "Don't you know that no one loves you? That you just need to. . . die?"

Jennifer didn't blink.

Raylyn felt she had to stop her.

. . . . . .My heart will not break. . . . . .

Raylyn had seen Jennifer's spirit slowly die, taking everything away from her and leaving her as a dead shell of the person she once was. As hard as Needy tried, her comments wouldn't work on her deadened form.

Seeing her resist her and succeed, Needy's face twisted in rage. With an angry frown on her face, she shoved her forward from behind, throwing her several feet before she fell to the ground. Her pack was knocked off as she stood slowly, brushing off her knees lightly. Looking up, Jennifer's face was still numb, devoid of any emotions. There was no anger, . . . . no sadness. . . .

Needy was not happy.

. . . .Standing still through all my fears. . . .

Her face warped with a burning and unquenchable rancor, she snarled and with a slight blur, disappeared for a moment. Suddenly, she was there, standing before Jennifer. She grabbed her by her arms and lifted her so she was eye-to- eye with her. "Cry you little bitch," she declared as spittle flew from her cursing lips onto her pale face, "Cry!"

Raylyn stifled a cry of surprise and ran toward the two, determined that this time she wouldn't just stand by and watch. She wouldn't let Jennifer be broken again.

Jennifer remained dead. She simply lifted her eyes to her slowly. Her lips suddenly twitched. With a sad voice she whispered to her, "I won't cry. . . . I won't cry for your sake. Needy, I pity you."

Needy's darkly painted face suddenly froze, her mask suddenly cracking a bit to reveal a shocked pause in her anger. With a painful smile, Jennifer slowly leaned forward, closer to the girl's shocked form and. . . . . kissed her softly.

Raylyn froze in her tracks, only feet away from the two.

Her eyes already wide, Needy's eyelids blew black in surprise as she felt Jennifer's warm lips on her own. For just a moment, as she stood there, reveling in the tenderness of the kiss, the drugs running through her system seemed to slow down, letting her enjoy this one moment of freedom. She closed her eyes and let herself melt into the kiss, struck by how gentle her lips were.

Jennifer didn't want this to end, but she knew it had to as Needy's hands loosened around her arms and dropped her to her feet. Clenching her eyes shut, she kissed her roughly on the lips and dug into her pocket, withdrawing a metal needle. A clear fluid bubbled lightly in the clear tube behind it. A tear slipped down her cheek as she pulled back on the needle.

. . . . . Time will pass and things will heal. . . . .

Then, rushing her arm toward the skin beneath Needy's shoulder, she stabbed the needle into her arm, pressing down on the pump and filling her body with the clear liquid. Needy's mouth jerked away from hers as she screamed in pain. Her arm swung wildly and she batted her away roughly.

Looking at her arm, Needy angrily swatted at the needle sticking out of her shoulder and turned her fierce gaze to Jennifer. She slowly stalked toward her, her face angrier than ever. Reaching out for her, she grabbed for her shoulder when she suddenly, she stopped. Her face suddenly twisted in pain. Grabbing her head, a terrible wail retched from her throat.

Raylyn stared Needy's writhing form twist and spin around on the ground, screaming like a wounded animal. Her eyes were wide and stretched, bloodied nerves running rampant through her eyes, as her howls grew wilder and more pained. Needy's body jerked and twisted as spasms wrenched through her body. Seeing her kicking feet and flailing limbs smack the ground, Raylyn felt her nerves on edge and stepped closer to her form. . .

"Raylyn, don't touch her!"

Jerking away from her, Raylyn looked up to see Jennifer staring at Needy, her hand out and warding Raylyn back. Slowly, she stepped toward Needy's still wildly flailing form. Her howls grew worse as Jennifer approached her slowly. She clawed at the ground but seemed unable to reach her as her body jerked around. Raylyn watched as she stepped closer, the darkly haired girl saying something slowly under her breath. Raylyn strained her ear to listen.

"Four. . .Three. . . Two. . ."

Raylyn frowned in confusion. . . What was she doing?. . . . .

"One."

Suddenly, Needy grew still. Very still. With a sad sigh, Jennifer bent down and picked up the syringe that had been cast aside. Placing it carefully in her pocket, she walked toward Needy, bending to her knees.

"It was a medicine for her," she explained to Raylyn, her eyes cast down as she brushed some of her blonde bangs out of her face, "She was drugged."

"How. . .How did you know?" Raylyn stared unbelievingly at Jennifer.

Turning her eyes toward Raylyn, she whispered "I didn't."

"Then. . then how-"

Jennifer looked down at the ground, "I had to take my chances. This is a basic counter-drug that acts as a sedative while reducing or eliminating the effects of any other drugs present in the body. My father needed it. . . .before he died."

She looked back at Needy, "I was just lucky it worked. I had to take my chances."

Raylyn breathed out a breath of relief and squatted down beside Jennifer. "So. . .," she mumbled slowly, "Who did that to her?"

Jennifer's eyes turned hard and her lips thinned. "I don't know, but it was _some_ drug."

"I would say Chip," Raylyn started, "But he's never done anything _this_ bad. . . ."

Remaining silent, Jennifer suddenly stood up. Raylyn looked at her with question in her eyes. "What should we-"

"Grab her legs," Jennifer cut her off, reaching down for Needy's arms, "I'll take her arms. We'll take her to your place until she wakes up. I don't know what we'll do if we go back to my place. . ."

"Right."

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