"Seriously? Has anyone told you two how off-key you are when you sing?" giggled Dawn. "You are making my ears bleed!" She continued laughing as Austin leaned forward from the back seat and sang even louder.
"Hey!" called Austin suddenly as he stopped singing. "Did anyone remind them to pick up some food that Stacey can eat? I mean she can't do smores and stuff."
"I'm sure they would remember but if you want to hand me my purse I'll get my phone and give Kristy or Shannon a call." Said Dawn as she turned to peer in the backseat.
"Dude, your purse isn't here." Said Austin as he flipped on a light to check. He quickly felt the floor underneath both seats. "Nope, are you sure you brought it?"
"Damn!" swore Dawn. "Ok I'm going to run back inside and get it; hopefully they'll hear me knocking."
"Dawn, why not just wait until Stacey comes out? I'm sure she found it while cleaning." Suggested Pete as he flipped thru the radio stations.
Dawn wrinkled her nose as she weighed her options. "Nah, I'd rather I had it. I don't like the thought of Cokie going through my stuff." She quickly opened the door and stepped out. As she began walking quickly towards the darkened restaurant she heard her name being called.
"Dawn!" yelled Pete out of his window. "Want us to come with?"
Dawn turned and waved and blew Pete a kiss as she approached the door. She peered in but could only make out one person vacuuming in a corner. She began knocking loudly hoping Stacey or someone would hear her.
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Oh Logan, you don't know it yet but you are going to ask me to prom! Thought Cokie as she danced across the floor with the vacuum. I can see us being announced King and Queen and all those stupid babysitter's green with jealousy .Suddenly she was startled out of her fantasy by a loud banging. She glanced over her shoulder as she saw Dawn Schafer banging on the door. With a loud sigh, she left the vacuum turned on and jogged towards the door.
She quickly undid the locks and stuck her head out. "Duh! Can you read Dawn? We're closed…." Spat out Cokie. "Go home and sulk in your room for another 3 years." She began to shut the door and jumped when Dawn forced her way through.
"Cokie, shut up!" she replied. "I am just here to get my purse and I'll be gone. We're just waiting for Stacey anyway."
Dawn quickly walked towards the table where she had been sitting. Due to the dim lighting she didn't see the cord and tripped, thus shutting off the vacuum with an angry groan.
"Dammit Schafer! Now I have to go plug it in again." Whined Cokie.
Dawn quickly turned to give Cokie a piece of her mind when she heard a muffled cry.
"Cokie, where's Stacey?"
"She's in the back office hopefully getting fired." Gloated Cokie as she began walking towards the plug.
"Why would she get fired? She seems to know her job pretty well"
Cokie spun around quickly. "Because Troy doesn't want us bringing our boyfriends here that's why!"
She looked at dawn curiously. "Schafer? What's your deal? You're all pale and goth-like?"
Dawn grabbed Cokie's arm to steady herself. "T-t-t-troy who?" she whispered.
"What the hell is your deal? Troy Addison? Our boss?" She shook her arm free from Dawn's grip. "Get your purse and go!"
Dawn turned towards the back of the restaurant and wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking. "He's going to hurt her like he hurt me. Oh my God."
"What are you mumbling about? I swear to God, I don't know why people hired you guys to baby-sit, you all act like you're high all the time…" said Cokie as she shook her head in disbelief.
"Cokie, we've got to help her. He does awful things when he's mad." Dawn began shaking again as tears coursed down her face. "He can't ruin her life like he ruined mine!"
She turned and ran towards the back of the restaurant while Cokie stared after her in disbelief.
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"Troy, please no. Please don't do this." Pleaded Stacey as she wrestled on the desk with him as he tried to pull her shorts down. She could feel the stinging slap across her face where he had already hit her.
"I said shut your goddamn mouth!" roared Troy. He couldn't believe what a fight this one was putting up. He had succeeded in tearing off her shirt and bra but could not get her shorts undone. He raised his hand and smacked her cheek again laughing when she recoiled from the sting. He clenched his fist and put it up to her face. "You make one more sound and I will break your pretty little nose. Do you hear me?"
"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER AGAIN!" Screamed Dawn as she barged through the door.
Troy whipped around in surprise and Stacey screamed. "Dawn! Help me! Please help me!"
Dawn lunged at Troy catching him off balance with his pants around his ankles and succeeded in knocking him off the desk into a file cabinet. She quickly threw her arms around Stacey and began rocking back and forth. She heard Stacey scream and turned to see Troy looking at her with a face of pure hatred.
"Didn't I teach you a lesson already you stupid pathetic slut?" He spat pointing his finger at Dawn. Dawn quickly stood between him and Stacey.
"You will not touch her again Troy. You will have to kill me to do it." Said Dawn quietly.
"Shut up and save the dramatics. Let me finish what I started. I'm guessing it was so good the first time you came back for seconds eh Dawn?" He laughed menacingly.
Dawn raised herself to her full height. "I'm serious Troy, I have been walking around like I have been dead ever since you raped me when I was 15 years old. You ruined my life. I have come to realize that my friends love me in spite of me hating myself. It was all because of what you did to me. So go ahead and kill me. But you will never touch any of my friends and destroy them like you destroyed me. " She could hear Stacey sobbing behind her. "I'll kill you or you will kill me but you will not touch Stacey again."
Troy narrowed his eyes and glared at Dawn. He cocked his fist and aimed for Dawn's jaw. Dawn closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. Stacey began screaming as she saw him advance closer. Suddenly there was a loud crash, and he fell over sideways, knocked out. The girls quickly looked at him lying on the ground, a small trickle of blood coming from the back of his head then glanced at where he once stood. They saw Cokie standing there with a broken beer bottle in her hand, her face ashen grey.