(Edited)

THE PAST

June closed the door behind her. For a moment, she leaned with her back against it, her fingers spread across her racing heart. She felt it pounding in her chest. Did this night truly happen? Closing her eyes, she could still feel his lips upon hers, his fingers across her cheek, his body pressed against hers.

"Oh June... I really, really like you."

A wide smile tugged its way across her mouth, butterflies raced through her body. She felt so happy she could dance. He was so sweet, so gentle... She wrapped her arms around herself, pretending it was Juan who was holding her. Oh, how she wished it was already Monday, so she could see him again!

Pushing herself away from the door, she entered the living room. The night-light next to her mother's bed was still on. June walked towards her and sat down on the edge of the bed, listening to her labored breathing.

"I'm home, mom," she said softly, not knowing if she was asleep or not.

Her eyes slowly opened, a sleepy smile spreading across her face. She scooted a little to the side. June took off her shoes and laid down next to her mother.

"Did you have a good time?" She laid her fragile hand across June's. "I assume you did. Your eyes are shining, my dear."

June's cheeks started to glow and she nodded, at least tried to, the motion hindered with her head on the pillow.

"Did you and Juan Carlos dance?"

"We did," she answered quietly, and after that confession her mother's eyes started to sparkle too. "He brought me home, almost two hours ago, but we didn't want the night to end, so before I had the chance to go inside he asked if we could go to the park. Oh Mom, he was so sweet, we were finally able to talk, and we danced – and... and we kissed." She dropped her eyes. "I was so nervous, but he was so sweet and patient... and I think he was nervous too." Skittishly she looked up; it felt strange to talk about it with her mom. But seeing the wide smile on her mother's face showed her she had made the right choice. Her mother's happiness meant just as much to her as the kiss she had shared with Juan.

"I can't wait to meet him. You should invite him over soon."

Hesitantly, she nodded. "He promised to text me so we can pick a date."

Her mom lifted her hand and caressed her hair. "I'm glad you enjoyed your first prom, sweetheart. Didn't I tell you that you two would be fine?"

"You did," June answered softly. She snuggled up closer to her mother, pulled the blanket over her shoulder and closed her eyes.

Once June knew that her mother was deep asleep, she eased herself out of the bed and made her way back to her own room.

As June had expected, Jordy stood at her door the next morning. What she hadn't expected, was that she would bring Beth and Shawna with her – Jordy's eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

Shawna's hand laid on her shoulder in a comforting way and Beth stared forward, looking at her with her cold glance.

June was unsettled, she had expected Jordy to come at some point today, to talk about what had happened with her cousin, maybe to apologize again for setting them up. But looking at her friends now, she really wasn't sure what was going on.

"Hey Junie..." Jordy gave her a tight hug. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night and I'm sorry for all this. It's just... I find this really hard." She wiped her eyes.

"What happened?" June asked. A bad feeling nestled inside her stomach.

"I'll tell you in a minute. Come, let's go to your room."

The girls greeted June's mother and went upstairs. Beth sat down on June's desk chair, the other three took a seat at the bed, with their backs against the wall.

"How was last night, June?" Jordy asked. "When Juan brought you home?"

June laced her fingers. Her friend lacked her usual enthusiasm. June's eyes shot to Beth, but the got such a dirty look in return that she felt a pang in her chest. She looked down at her knees, feeling a little disappointed because she had the feeling her friends didn't truly want to know how her evening had gone. "It was... nice," she muttered. "But please tell me what's going on, you obviously aren't here to hear my stories about Juan."

Beth snorted dismissively. June clenched her fists, she was frustrated that her friend kept being so demeaning when she spoke of Juan while she didn't even know him, but she knew this wasn't the right moment to say something about it.

Jordy's voice interrupted her inner rantings.

"Rodey was stabbed and dumped in an alley last night."

Shocked, June looked up. "W-what?"

Jordy rubbed her eyes, her shoulders slumped down. "I don't know exactly what happened but when they found him he had drugs in his system and had stabbed three times in the stomach. He's in the ICU now."

June's eyes widened and she covered her mouth withher hand. "Oh God, that's horrible! Will he – will he make it?"

"We don't know yet," she answered with a bent head. A tear glided down her cheek.

"Oh Jor... I – I don't know what to say."

"Well, you could at least promise us that you are going to stay away from that psycho," Beth taunted.

June's eyes shot forward. "What – what, who do you mean?"

"Oh come on, June." The dark eyes of her friend were smoldering. "Jordy told me what happened yesterday; that Rodey groped you and that Juan Carlos saved you from him. Isn't it obvious! He took his revenge! Do I really need to explain to you how their sick minds work? You left with him, I would even dare to guess that your tongue was down in that guy's throat! In his mind you're his. And everyone who dares to touch you from now on, will get a clear message they shouldn't do that again."

June shook her head. "No... he isn't like that." She turned her face towards Jordy. "You don't believe that, right?"

Jordy's gaze stayed fixed on her legs. Her blue hair took her face from sight. "Shawna saw Rodey leave, with Juan's date. And I... I saw her whispering with Mateo earlier on."

"But that doesn't mean..."

Beth cursed, so loud and rude that June's head snapped in her direction in shock. Next to her Shawna flinched, pressing her hands against her ears as she always did when people were yelling.

"His brother raped my sister! He drugged her, he did God knows what to her and then if that wasn't bad enough he showed it to the whole school! Why the hell wouldn't his little brother be able to do this? His own blood!He's insane, he's dangerous and his little brother obviously has got a screw loose too! The fact that he's even still talking to his brother says enough, right? No sane person would do that, no normal human being would want to be seen with a rapist!"

June bent her head. She thought back to yesterday; to his embraces, the soft tone in which he had talked to her. She had seen his anger when they talked about Rodey, but he had controlled himself, nothing had convinced her that he wanted to do something as extreme as stabbing his classmate. A tear glided down her cheek. But what if her friends were right? What if he... what if he had really stabbed someone? Someone who was fighting for his life now, only because she hadn't been clearer when she said she didn't want him to touch her?

She pulled up her knees and pressed her face against them. Everything had been so perfect yesterday and now everything seemed to be collapsing around her. When she closed her eyes she could still see his face, his smile, those shining eyes... no she couldn't believe he was really capable of doing something so horrible.

Her phone buzzed on her desk. She looked up, but Beth had picked up the device already. With a disapproving look she watched the screen. "Well, you can dump him now."

June held out her hand. "Give it to me."

Beth tossed the phone towards her and clumsily June caught it. It was an unknown number, but she couldn't think of anyone but Juan who would be sending her a text. Her fingers were shaking as she opened the message.

Hey! Did you sleep well? I really enjoyed last night, I hope to see you soon again. 3

June felt her cheeks getting hot. Three times she read the message, her eyes kept drifting to the heart at the end. It was impossible that these were the words of someone who almost killed a boy yesterday, right?

"Is Beth right? Is it Juan?" Jordy asked softly.

With a sigh June showed her friend the message.

"Oh June... you like each other so much..." she sighed. "I hope... I really hope it's just a coincidence and that he has nothing to do with it..."

Beth grabbed the phone out of Jordy's hands, read the text and dropped the phone. "This just makes me want to puke." She stood up, rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

A new sigh left Jordy's mouth. "This must be calling up a lot of memories for her."

"I get it," June muttered. She refused to believe that Juan was just like his brother – but still. They got along really well; they must, if Juan liked him enough to tell him he was falling in love with her. If someone knew his brother was a rapist, he wouldn't do things like that, right? It didn't make sense, someone would cut the ties with such a person immediately. Right? It shouldn't matter that they were family…

"What are you going to do now?" Shawna asked softly.

June bit her lip. "I'm not going to judge him just based off of suspicions. I want to ask him if he had something to do with this and I hope – I just really hope he didn't."

Jordy laid a hand on her knee and squeezed. She said nothing.

June picked up her phone, stared at the screen for a while and typed back a message: Hey! Could you come over this afternoon?

A second later a new message popped up. Sure! :)

June wiped her eyes, she could effortlessly imagine his smile. "Yesterday felt so perfect... It was all too good to be true," she muttered, putting away her phone.

Jordy's hand glided to hers and squeezed. This time there was no pep-talk; clearly, she believed Juan was the one who had stabbed her cousin.

June wished she could go back to bed, to wake up again and that her stories about Juan would be the only reason her friends were in her room now.