Chapter 35

I was having another session with Molly, she was improving so much. Every time we had a session she talked more and more and her mother told me that she was doing the same at home too, their relationship was getting stronger. This was actually going to be our last session, I was going to miss her but happy that she didn't need me anymore, that is the goal after all. We are playing checkers.

"How is school going?" I ask her.

"Okay...I guess. I hate school." She tells me.

"Well, when I was your age I loved school, I never wanted to leave. But it wasn't until high school that I just wanted to leave so I stopped trying and it was a really big mistake."

"Because of your dad?" She asks, I nod my head.

"Yeah...I know it's hard right now and it feels like it doesn't matter right now but school is important. You will appreciate it a lot more when you're older." I tell her.

"And now your back in school?" She asks me.

"Yes because I wanted to help kids like you."

"Well you are good at it." She replies.

"Thank you." I smile as we continue to play checkers.

"Iris?"

"Yeah?"

"What made you go back? Why after all this time?"

"I realized I wanted to do more with my life and stop being scared." I told her.

"Did someone help you?"

"Yeah, someone helped me." I smile.

"Good." She smiled back, "I'm nervous, what if I'm not ready?"

"Oh you are ready, I can't get you to stop talking now!" We both laughed as I heard a voice outside the door.

"That must be your mom."

I start putting the checkers away when she walks in with a smile for both of us. "Did you have fun with Iris?" She asks her.

"Yeah!" She said excitedly, "I kicked her butt at checkers!"

"Hey, I won one game...but she did very good today. I think she's going to do great but you know if anything changes I'm here." I tell her mom as she smiles at me.

"Thank you Iris, thanks for helping me." Molly says as she hugs my waist.

"Your welcome." I replied trying to not get emotional, I have to get use to it, I watched them walk away, she would turn around a couple of times and wave at me, which I would do the same.

I walk in my apartment, I go into my room and sit next to Luna. It was a emotional day for me. I couldn't believe I actually made a difference in someone's life. I wanted to lie again when she asked me if someone helped me but couldn't this time, some tears go down my cheeks. I pet Luna's head as she licks my hand,"We're doing fine, aren't we? Come on, lets get you some dinner."

She jumps off the bed and excitedly goes into the dining room where she knows her food bowl is. She starts eating her dinner while I start to make mine when someone knocks on my front door. Why is it so easy for people to get into my building? I look into the peephole and it's Nick.

"How did you get in?" I ask as I open up the door.

"Your neighbor was coming home at the same time, he let me in." He tells me.

"You couldn't have rung my buzzer?"

"I didn't think you would talk to me." He says to me, "And I wanted to apologize, you were right I crossed the line the other day."

"It's fine. Was there anything else you needed?"

"Yeah, I thought we could go over next weeks test."

"Okay, just for a little bit, I've had a long day and I'm already tired." I tell him.

"Whatever you say." He smiles as I let him in, I put Luna in her room.

We sit at my dining room table and start quizzing each other for the test. He is trying so hard to be charming and not ask me out.

"Okay, I think we're ready." He smiles as he closes his book.

"Yeah, it looks like it." I say, "Well, you should go."

"Yeah, good idea." He replies as he stands up and I walk him to the front door, "I'll see you in class then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you in class."

"You know Iris, you really are beautiful." He tells me.

"Thanks." I only say just wanting him to leave.

"It's just a shame you won't give me a chance...we really could be good together." He smirks as he runs his finger down my arm, I am so done with him now! I take his hand and twist it really hard, he shouts out in pain.

"I have told you over and over again to not touch me. Don't ever touch me again! Now get out asshole!" I say with force, "I thought for a second us being study partners was actually going well but I was wrong, so now you can forget it!" I finish saying as I twist it just a little more so he knows I mean it.

"Okay!" He shouts, and I let go of his arm, "I don't get you! I tried to be nice and be good with you but now you're just pissing me off and its time to do what I was suppose to do all along." He says as he starts to lunge at me.

I take my hand and using the heel of my hand I hit him in the nose, his nose immediately fills with blood. "You bitch! You broke my nose!" He shouts as he once again comes after me, I duck and make him trip using my body.

I try to go for my cellphone but he gets back up and grabs it out of my hand. He is behind me holding my arms "Code B now!" He shouts out at no one. I step on his foot, headbutt him with the back of my head and flip him over my shoulder.

As I am grabbing my cellphone again and out of nowhere 4 men crash through my windows. I can hear Luna barking in the other room. "Put the phone down!" They shout, I do what they say. One of them steps on my cellphone. They keep pointing their guns at me.

"You bitch!" Nick shouts again as he holds his nose.

"Who are you guys? Whatever you want, take it." I tell them, I have my hands up.

"Well, you see the thing is Iris, we're here for you." Nick says with a grin.

"What do you want?"

"It's simple...killing you." He said like it was nothing, "But before we do, I gotta do this." He slaps me so hard I fall to the floor and he takes me by my hair so I have to look at him and he plants a gross kiss on my lips, "I've been dying to do that." Once he pulls away far enough I slap him.

"That was not very smart." He said while holding his cheek, he smiled like he enjoyed it.

"I'm going to die anyways, might as well." I say, inside I was terrified knowing these were going to be my final moments. The one thing I knew how to do was not show weakness, I was going to stay strong no matter what. I just wish I knew why. Why were they doing this? Why did they want to kill me? What have I done to deserve this?

"It's a pity, you really are beautiful." Nick says as he rubs my face and touches the side of my mouth where a little blood was from him slapping me, "It's time." I close my eyes, ready to be killed, Nick is the only one to cock his gun, the others are still just pointing them at me. Not one person looks like they don't want to do this, they all have evil smiles on their faces. I feel a small tear go down my cheek just waiting for them to kill me.

Out of nowhere I hear another bang and 3 people barge in, it scared me. They were all wearing black, one was a woman for sure, another one was wearing goggles and before I could see the third one the woman turned off my lights. The guy with the goggles came to me and signaled me to go under my table for cover, it was so loud I couldn't quite hear him to well. While the third guy was fighting I heard gun shots and I cover my ears and shout as he used the man he was fighting as a human shield. The woman completely knocked out the man she was fighting.

"You! We've finally got you!" Nick shouted, he suddenly started to speak french out of nowhere, I have no idea what he said, it sounded like some sort of challenge. Nick put his gun down so they could fight hand to hand as the man in black replied to him also speaking french...his voice sounded familiar. Every time Nick tried to punch him the man would block him and punch him in the face, he grabbed Nick by the head and kneed him in the face twice and when Nick hunched down in pain he kicked him in the face. The man in black started to turn towards me but Nick started to stand up grabbing his gun, the woman shouted to him, my ears were ringing, the man in black turned back around to Nick and kicked him so hard Nick fell out of the window.

Everything was so overwhelming, I was still so scared, it felt like a lifetime that they fought but in reality it was only for a few minutes. I am breathing heavy, trying not to faint and I get out from under the table. Three of the men they fought were passed out and the fourth was dead. The man in black turned from the window where he had looked down to where he had kicked Nick and he emerged from the shadows and for the first time I could see him and I couldn't believe my eyes, I thought he was an illusion.

"Steve?"

He's back and saved her! How is she going to take this?