Chapter 3
(About 300 miles down the road...)
"Every little thing I do... never seems enough for you... you don't wanna lose it again... but I'm not like them. Baby when you finally, get to love somebody, that's why... It's gonna be me..." Chloe sat in the passenger seat of Brady's van, dancing to the music and singing at the top of her lungs.
Brady glanced at her with his eyebrows raised. "You know, I'm always learning new things about you Chloe, but I would have never figured that you would know ALL the words to an NSync song."
Chloe laughed and turned down the radio slightly. "Well... it's one of my guilty pleasures, I guess. Your sister bought me the CD last year, and it's kinda addictive."
"Why is it a guilty pleasure?"
Chloe improved her posture and spoke in a mock-serious tone. "Because no *serious* opera diva would listen to teen pop. We'll just chalk it up to the little bit of 'actual' teenager, I have left in me, right?"
Brady grinned at her. "There's nothing wrong with that... No reason to be ashamed."
Chloe sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well, thank God for that... Hey, Brady... can we stop at the next gas station or convenience store that we see?"
"Why? Didn't my sister fill the cooler with enough snack food and beverages for you?"
"Oh, no no no. It's not that. I have to visit the little girl's room, and I want to buy a couple things too."
"Alright, there's a small town up the road here, so I'll stop at the first place I see."
Chloe smiled sweetly at him. "Thaaaaank you."
Chloe returned her attention to the radio and fiddled with the stations until she found another one with good reception. About 15 miles down the road, Brady saw a gas station and pulled in. Chloe asked Brady to get her a bottle of aspirin, and some sunscreen while she went to the bathroom. Riding in the van all day had made her right arm get red from the sun shining on it, and she wanted to keep it from getting worse on the rest of the trip.
Brady gave her a quick kiss and went inside to make some purchases, as Chloe walked around to the back of the building. Standing on the other side of the men's room was an middle aged man in a tattered brown jacket smoking a cigarette. Chloe smiled politely at him as she tried to turn the knob on the door to the ladies' room. It wouldn't turn, and the man muttered under his breath. "Gotta get the key from the store."
Chloe smiled at him again. "Thanks..." She turned and walked around the building to go inside the store. Brady saw her come in and waved at her from over a rack. She smiled at him and motioned with her hand that she had to get a key to use the bathroom. She went up to the counter and spoke to the young blonde woman behind the counter.
"Hi... I need the key to the bathroom in the back please."
The woman smiled and handed her a key on a large metal ring. "Here ya go... Just turn the light off when you leave."
"Thanks..." Chloe smiled at the woman, waved at Brady and went back outside.
When she reached the bathrooms, the man was still standing in the same spot. When he saw her, he threw his cigarette on the ground and mashed it with his foot. All of a sudden, Chloe felt that there wasn't something quite right about this man or this situation. She felt a chill crawl up her spine, but shook it off. It was broad daylight after all, and she shouldn't be worried. She assured herself that she would quickly use the bathroom and get back to Brady, and the feeling would be as good as gone.
She slowly turned they key in the lock, looking downward. She opened the door, turned the light on and stepped inside the small, but clean bathroom. She let the door fall shut behind her as she stepped closer to the toilet. She paused for a moment because she hadn't heard the door click shut, and turned around to make sure it was shut all the way. It was cracked slightly open and as she stepped over to close it, a large hand grabbed the edge of the door and threw it open almost knocking Chloe off of her feet. The man in the brown jacket put one dirty hand on Chloe's mouth and used his other arm to grab her around the waist and pull her to him. He backed up and shut the door with one foot.
Chloe tried to scream through his hand, but it was too muffled for anyone to hear and she knew he door was locked behind them anyway. He shook his head at her. "Now, now, don't scream, pretty one. It won't do you any good. It will only make this worse for you. Promise me you won't scream, okay?"
Chloe nodded her head as the tears began to roll down her face. He moved his hand away from her mouth and placed it on her chin. He grabbed her tighter and moved her across the room pressing her to the wall. He glared at her and looked her up and down. "Boy, you sure are beautiful. Your hair, your eyes, your body... You look like a pretty little rich girl, that's for sure."
He moved one hand to the front pocket on her jeans and placed one finger inside her pocket. "Is there where you keep all your traveling money, pretty one?"
Chloe shook her head and breathed deeply. "No... I don't have any money. I swear. My boyfriend is in the store, he's carrying all of our money."
He examined her pockets quickly and saw that they were indeed empty. He moved his face in closer to hers and she could feel the stench of his breath on her face. He had fully pressed his body into hers and there was no she could move away from him. Chloe tried to stop the tears but couldn't as a deep sob erupted from her mouth.
"Well, since you don't have any money... I'll just have to get my prize in another way."
Chloe shuddered as he ran one hand from her waist and up to her chest, cupping her left breast. He moved his head down and gave her a rough kiss on her exposed neck. As he backed off a little and moved one hand to undo his belt, Chloe saw this as her only opportunity to save herself.
She watched him closely as she opened her mouth, and using all of the power she had in her body, screamed at the top of her lungs. "BRAAAAAAAADY!!!"
***
(About 300 miles down the road...)
"Every little thing I do... never seems enough for you... you don't wanna lose it again... but I'm not like them. Baby when you finally, get to love somebody, that's why... It's gonna be me..." Chloe sat in the passenger seat of Brady's van, dancing to the music and singing at the top of her lungs.
Brady glanced at her with his eyebrows raised. "You know, I'm always learning new things about you Chloe, but I would have never figured that you would know ALL the words to an NSync song."
Chloe laughed and turned down the radio slightly. "Well... it's one of my guilty pleasures, I guess. Your sister bought me the CD last year, and it's kinda addictive."
"Why is it a guilty pleasure?"
Chloe improved her posture and spoke in a mock-serious tone. "Because no *serious* opera diva would listen to teen pop. We'll just chalk it up to the little bit of 'actual' teenager, I have left in me, right?"
Brady grinned at her. "There's nothing wrong with that... No reason to be ashamed."
Chloe sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well, thank God for that... Hey, Brady... can we stop at the next gas station or convenience store that we see?"
"Why? Didn't my sister fill the cooler with enough snack food and beverages for you?"
"Oh, no no no. It's not that. I have to visit the little girl's room, and I want to buy a couple things too."
"Alright, there's a small town up the road here, so I'll stop at the first place I see."
Chloe smiled sweetly at him. "Thaaaaank you."
Chloe returned her attention to the radio and fiddled with the stations until she found another one with good reception. About 15 miles down the road, Brady saw a gas station and pulled in. Chloe asked Brady to get her a bottle of aspirin, and some sunscreen while she went to the bathroom. Riding in the van all day had made her right arm get red from the sun shining on it, and she wanted to keep it from getting worse on the rest of the trip.
Brady gave her a quick kiss and went inside to make some purchases, as Chloe walked around to the back of the building. Standing on the other side of the men's room was an middle aged man in a tattered brown jacket smoking a cigarette. Chloe smiled politely at him as she tried to turn the knob on the door to the ladies' room. It wouldn't turn, and the man muttered under his breath. "Gotta get the key from the store."
Chloe smiled at him again. "Thanks..." She turned and walked around the building to go inside the store. Brady saw her come in and waved at her from over a rack. She smiled at him and motioned with her hand that she had to get a key to use the bathroom. She went up to the counter and spoke to the young blonde woman behind the counter.
"Hi... I need the key to the bathroom in the back please."
The woman smiled and handed her a key on a large metal ring. "Here ya go... Just turn the light off when you leave."
"Thanks..." Chloe smiled at the woman, waved at Brady and went back outside.
When she reached the bathrooms, the man was still standing in the same spot. When he saw her, he threw his cigarette on the ground and mashed it with his foot. All of a sudden, Chloe felt that there wasn't something quite right about this man or this situation. She felt a chill crawl up her spine, but shook it off. It was broad daylight after all, and she shouldn't be worried. She assured herself that she would quickly use the bathroom and get back to Brady, and the feeling would be as good as gone.
She slowly turned they key in the lock, looking downward. She opened the door, turned the light on and stepped inside the small, but clean bathroom. She let the door fall shut behind her as she stepped closer to the toilet. She paused for a moment because she hadn't heard the door click shut, and turned around to make sure it was shut all the way. It was cracked slightly open and as she stepped over to close it, a large hand grabbed the edge of the door and threw it open almost knocking Chloe off of her feet. The man in the brown jacket put one dirty hand on Chloe's mouth and used his other arm to grab her around the waist and pull her to him. He backed up and shut the door with one foot.
Chloe tried to scream through his hand, but it was too muffled for anyone to hear and she knew he door was locked behind them anyway. He shook his head at her. "Now, now, don't scream, pretty one. It won't do you any good. It will only make this worse for you. Promise me you won't scream, okay?"
Chloe nodded her head as the tears began to roll down her face. He moved his hand away from her mouth and placed it on her chin. He grabbed her tighter and moved her across the room pressing her to the wall. He glared at her and looked her up and down. "Boy, you sure are beautiful. Your hair, your eyes, your body... You look like a pretty little rich girl, that's for sure."
He moved one hand to the front pocket on her jeans and placed one finger inside her pocket. "Is there where you keep all your traveling money, pretty one?"
Chloe shook her head and breathed deeply. "No... I don't have any money. I swear. My boyfriend is in the store, he's carrying all of our money."
He examined her pockets quickly and saw that they were indeed empty. He moved his face in closer to hers and she could feel the stench of his breath on her face. He had fully pressed his body into hers and there was no she could move away from him. Chloe tried to stop the tears but couldn't as a deep sob erupted from her mouth.
"Well, since you don't have any money... I'll just have to get my prize in another way."
Chloe shuddered as he ran one hand from her waist and up to her chest, cupping her left breast. He moved his head down and gave her a rough kiss on her exposed neck. As he backed off a little and moved one hand to undo his belt, Chloe saw this as her only opportunity to save herself.
She watched him closely as she opened her mouth, and using all of the power she had in her body, screamed at the top of her lungs. "BRAAAAAAAADY!!!"
***