"The one who first grabbed me was tall, and he had brown, long hair that was pulled back into a pony tail. He had a goatee.. He was wearing a black jacket, zipped all the way up. He had on khaki shorts and blue, white, and black tennis shoes. I never caught his eye color. His nose was long, and kind of hooked at the end. He had an eyebrow piercing. He smelled like smoke." The artist did his best trying to capture the image of the men Tori explained. The police station called the school to access records so they could have Tori point out who was who.
"Does she have to go to school? I can't let her go there. She could get hurt again," I said, holding Tori.
Officer Wallace's jaw tightened. "We aren't permitted to right her out of school, but she can stay out if necessary. You're sick, yes? Just have her take you to the doctor's. Now, Tori, if you come back with us, we can test for, uh.. traces of DNA in.. Yeah." I stand, along with Tori. "Jade, you're not allowed back here. Why don't you go call her parents?"
"Yeah that'll happen," I mutter. "I'll just call Trina. Tori, let me know when you're done. I love you." She doesn't answer as she grimly follows the officers into the hall. I pull out my phone and call her sister.
"Hello?"
"Uh. Hey. It's Jade."
"Oh! Hey, Jade. How're you feeling? Tori told me you were sick."
I shook my head. "I'm really not the one you should be worried about, Trina."
I hear nothing for a minute. "..What happened?"
I sit back down on the chair, kicking my legs up on the desk in the room. "Tori, uh. Tori got raped and beaten this afternoon. We're at the police station, so you should pro-" Trina hung up on me. Sitting in complete silence for ten more minutes, I felt myself starting to fall asleep again. I gave in, allowing myself to rest.
I woke up to a door slam. Trina had her arms around Tori, and I stood, coughing. I actually felt worse than before. Staggering slowly to the Vega sister, I fell to my knees, getting nauseous. "Oh, man," I mumbled, a warm sensation traveling up my stomach beginning to reach my throat. Tori rushed to my side. "I'm gonna be sick," I said with a moan. Trina found me a trashcan, and soon after, I was hurling up the soup from this morning.
Trina and Tori helped me stand. "I'll drive you to Cat's house," the older Vega offered.
"My car," I muttered, before puking some more.
"I'll get it, Jade," Tori whispered.
I looked up at my girlfriend. "You'll be alone.."
She shook her head. "I'm not afraid anymore. I can't let.. what happened.. consume my every thought. I'm alive. They're gonna catch the guys who did it. I still have the strongest girlfriend in the world."
"Is she bigger than me?" I joked.
"Nah. She is you." Tori leaned in for a kiss on the lips, but I turned my head.
"I can't get you sick, baby. I love you, though." Trina, who decided to go back to the Vega household to knock some sense into her parents, helped me to my car, and Tori drove me back to Cat's. She helped me up to Cat's room, and cuddled with me till I fell asleep.
When I woke up, the room was completely dark. I was covered in a cold, clammy sweat. I realized that I was completely alone. Finding some inner strength, I waltzed out of the bedroom, making my way to the staircase. I gripped the railing tightly, and slowly descended down the steps. When I reached the bottom, I saw the backs of Cat, Robbie, Tori, and Andre, sitting in that order on the couch. I coughed again, and they all turned around. Immediately, Andre and Robbie stood, running over to help me to the couch. I nodded in thanks, sitting where Andre used to sit, which was on the end, next to Tori. Andre sat in the middle of the sofa, while Robbie resumed his spot next to Cat. I snuggled into Tori, and she hummed softly. Honestly, with what she's been through, it should be me comforting her. But I'm too sick to move from the position I'm in. Tori runs her hand through my hair, and I begin to recognize the tune she's humming; it's that song she and Andre sang two years ago for that record label. The one he made out of that kiddie song.
What was it called? Song 2 U or something?
Yeah.
I leaned up and kissed Tori's check, then settled back down, placing my head on her shoulder. "I love you," I whispered, unable to speak any louder.
"I love you, too," she whispers back, holding my hand. The others in the group laugh on whatever happened on the screen, but all I care about is Tori right now. "I should get the DNA results in the morning. We can swing by the doctor's office, maybe get some coffee, and come back home and rest. We both need it," Tori says. I agreed to her suggestion.
"Tori?" I sputtered, feeling a tightening in my chest. I scrambled to my feet, but fell to my knees. I hacked furiously. "I-I can't breath." The next time I coughed, blood splattered down my mouth. My blood chilled, my hands becoming pale. I heard various amounts of shouting, and I felt touches along my back and sides.
Then, all I was aware of was black.
A nice, soothing black that took all sorrows away.
But I knew I had to fight it. So I fought, and fought, and fought.
"I don't know what you've been used to, never been with a girl like you.."
Wheredid that even come from? It sounded strained, and near-empty. But it willed me to push on.