So here's the final chapter. The whole story has been taken directly from the show so far, and I was wondering if you wanted me to continue with me making up a couple of chapters and take you through the trial and things like that. Your choice. Let me know. Thanks.
Once again, none of these characters or storylines belong to me.
"What you did changed my life," I read out loud to my counsellor from a journal assignment she had gotten me to write. "I still can't sleep without my light on. Sometimes, I look under the bed, worried you might be there. I made a mistake going upstairs with you, but Dean, you made more than a mistake. You made a choice."
"An important distinction."
"Well, yeah. Because this whole thing belongs on Mr. Evil's conscience."
"And your conscience?"
"I said no. So, how could I feel responsible?"
"You've stopped blaming yourself."
"Yeah, I have."
"Excellent progress. And, we'll keep working on it. Same time next week?"
"Ms. Sovet? Therapy is great but. . ."
"I strongly recommend that you continue. I'll pencil you in anyway."
"Pencil away. But it is a waste of an appointment. I'm over this."
"That was great guys. Take a break," I told the squad after an awesome rehearsal of a new routine.
"Paige, that choreography kills."
"I try. The crowd tomorrow won't know what hit them."
"Spinner. Finally decided to join the Spirit Squad?" Hazel asked as Spinner walked into the gym.
"Ha ha. Dream on. I just got the final name for tomorrow's tourney. Bardell." He glared at me. "Your boyfriend's back." He left.
"Hazel. . . he's coming to my school." I had gotten so far. I was supposed to be past this. But when he said Dean was coming, All I could were his eyes.
"Paige. Back so soon?" Ms. Sovet asked.
"I wanted to ask about pressing charged. Against Dean."
"Wow. Okay. We'll have to set up a meeting with your mom."
"No, I know. But what actually happens?"
"Well, the police will get involved. You'll probably be asked to testify."
"And then we send him to jail?"
"If there's enough evidence, yes."
"Well, I had all those doctors exams."
"And they assured us that you were injury free and that you hadn't developed any STD's, but. . ."
"They're not evidence."
"Unfortunately, Paige, the longer you wait to report it, the less physical evidence there is. We don't have DNA samples or pictures of bruising."
"So what? I got to court, tell the truth, and could still loose?"
"Possibly."
I couldn't believe this. "But that's so unfair."
"Hold on. Don't get too discouraged. If this is what you want, then we'll make the best case we can."
"Forget it. I just thought I'd ask."
Score one more win for Dean.
I was sitting outside the school when JT tapped on the window and started performing his latest mime routine. I rolled my eyes and went inside. He met me at the door.
"Hey, come on, wind tunnel man. That's comic gold," he said, following me.
"I thought mimes were supposed to be silent."
"Paige, are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Like at practice?"
"No, for once, it's not about you. It's about me not cheering tomorrow."
"What? We need you."
"Deal with it."
"Why?"
How could I make JT understand without telling him. "It's really none of your business."
"If I'm sweating in some mascot costume, and you're at home watching TV, it is my business."
Someone's coming tomorrow. From Bardell. I can't see him."
"Did he dump you or something?"
Dump me. Why hadn't he done that before we went upstairs. In fact, why had he been interested in the first place? "Or something," I answered weakly.
"Well. . . just give him some of your world-famous attitude. Show him who's boss."
Dean knew that he was boss. He knew that he had control of me. "Is that why you've been stalking me? To give me a pep talk?"
JT didn't respond. He just gave me a smile and walked off. I had no choice but to go the next day. I didn't want to, and I didn't know how I was going to, but I had to go.
I scanned my room. Cheerleading outfit, pom-poms, Our Lady Peace poster. Everything that was so stupid, but still so important to me. My alarm clock went off. I quickly switched it off. I was already ready and dressed. Well, dressed at least. I could never be ready.
"Are you going to be okay?" Hazel asked as we walked in to school. The bus from Bardell pulled up.
"I'm staying far away from him."
"Paige. Are we doing elevator formation first or. . ." Manny was asking. I didn't care. I looked over to the bus. I saw Dean. I flashed back to that night, his eyes angry and cold. "Paige? Paige?"
"Let's go," Hazel said, pulling me away from my thoughts.
"Spirit!" a voice called. I kept going. He ran up to me. He still thought it was all just a joke. "Hold up. So, what's in a day's plan. A little rah-rah cheering, or another serenade from your little girl band?" His smell. I was choking on his smell.
"This is my school, and I don't want to see or talk to you again." I turned around and went into the school, but he followed me.
"Lighten up. We had fun."
"Fun!?" I exclaimed, incredulous. "You think what you did to me was fun!?"
He turned to Hazel. "Night of the party, you were there. Tell me, who did Spirit come to see?" Hazel didn't say anything. "Right. Me."
"I said no."
"Everyone there saw a girl who wanted it. Bad. And she got it. Go shake your little pom-poms and look cute, Spirit." He started walking backwards and grinned. "I got a game."
"We can beat them," I told Hazel confidently after looking over the competition.
Dean came up and mimicked me. "Yeah? You think so Spirit? Good luck."
"I'll see you later," I said to Hazel and ran off.
"You told Spinner?" I asked Hazel as we sat by the busses, eating lunch.
"I wanted him to understand."
"Well, what did he say?"
"He didn't believe me."
"He thinks I. . . I wanted it. Right? I'm going home."
"Paige."
"You were right. I should have stayed there. Dean wins again." I turned around and saw Manny talking with Dean. He was acting exactly like he had with me.
"Hey, Paige. I can't wait for half-time. I'm nailing that flip. What's going on?" Manny asked as I started walking with her.
"Um, earlier, I saw you and Dean talk outside."
"He started talking to me."
"Don't be alone with him, okay? Someone warned me about him once, and I should have listened. He seems nice-"
"He is nice."
"Manny, what do you know? You talked to him for five minutes!" I was so frustrated with her.
"I know you guys had a date. And I know he never called you back. I know you're jealous. Get over it."
"Oh fearless leader," JT called. I was sitting on the steps outside the school
"Go away," I told him. I was on the verge of tears again.
"You say that all the time, but we both know you don't mean it."
"Yeah, well, this time I do."
"Paige, the squad needs you."
I got up and stormed away. But JT wasn't giving up that easily. "Leave me alone!"
"He's just some stupid guy, right?"
You mean Dean? Bardell's resident sports hero? . . and rapist? Yeah. He raped me. And no one in the world seems to be able to do anything about it."
JT looked shocked for a minute, then angry. For a little guy, he certainly had his rage. He stormed off to the gym. He had forgotten his mascot head.
"JT," I called. He didn't turn around. I followed him into the school, but he disappeared into the gym way before I got there.
Everyone was cheering. The game was getting heated. A play was about to stat when JT stormed onto the court and pushes Dean from behind. Dean turned around, and JT tried to punch him. Dean was a wall- he couldn't feel it. JT finally hit him, waving his hands around like crazy. Dean thought it was hilarious. I didn't know what to do. I just stood off to the side of the court and watched, fearing for JT.
"Too much for you, Mr. Rapist?" JT fumed?
Dean had stayed calm until JT had called him a rapist. He picked JT up and threw him down. Dean sat on him, and was about to punch him hard when the ref finally caught his arm. I breathed a sigh of relief. The ref sent Dean to his bus.
"To the principal's office. Now!" Mr. Armstrong commanded JT.
I still didn't know what to do. When JT passed me, he took his head and gave me a sympathetic smile. I ran after him.
"Paige," someone called after me. I turned around. Spinner was standing there. I didn't need anymore now. This was enough. "What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"JT in the mascot outfit attacking Dean? That's not nothing."
I turned around to ignore him, but he turned me around. I was ready to yell at him. "Spin, could you just-" I broke off. I couldn't be angry at him. I was ready to cry again. Spinner knew the answer to his next question.
"Something happened to you."
"I just got what I asked for, right?"
"He took it too far. Like Hazel said. Right? Didn't he?"
I didn't get a chance to answer. Dean came out of the gym and headed for the doors. Spinner took off after him. "Hey! Hey! You're not going anywhere!"
He finally caught up with Dean by the busses and shoves him into the bus. Dean pushes him off.
"Your mascot came at me."
"You think that's what this is?"
"Spinner, please," I begged.
"What? He deserves it."
"Spinner. . ."
"Water boy your boyfriend?" Dean asked, smirking.
I knew what I had to do. This was the final straw. He couldn't get away with this any longer. "I have one thing to say to you Dean. Get ready, because I am coming after you this time. Not like Spinner or the mascot. For real."
He had no response to that. He turned around and got on the bus. It worked. I scared him. And I was going to continue scaring him. He could never get away with this.
"You're sure?" Ms. Sovet asked when I told her my plan.
"Mom and I talked. I wanna press charges."
"Good. Now it's a legal matter. So no more conversations with Dean. Okay?"
"Fine by me."
"So. . . Tuesday?"
"Three o'clock sharp. You can write it in pen this time. I wanna scare him, Ms. Sovet. So bad he doesn't this of ever doing this to someone else."
I walked out of the guidance office and Spinner was waiting for me. "Hey. What are you doing here? Should you be in your hair net?" We walked towards some benches.
"I traded a shift, so I could spend lunch with you." He held two sandwiches and two drinks.
"Wow. Lucky Me."
We sat down and I took a bite. "Um, we're not all like Dean, you know. Some of us are good guys."
"I know. That's why I wanted to ask. Year-end dance. You going with anyone?"
"No."
"So then. . . go with me. I owe you a date anyway, right?"
"Yeah. You do." I laughed. Spinner smiled. This was how things were supposed to be.
Once again, none of these characters or storylines belong to me.
"What you did changed my life," I read out loud to my counsellor from a journal assignment she had gotten me to write. "I still can't sleep without my light on. Sometimes, I look under the bed, worried you might be there. I made a mistake going upstairs with you, but Dean, you made more than a mistake. You made a choice."
"An important distinction."
"Well, yeah. Because this whole thing belongs on Mr. Evil's conscience."
"And your conscience?"
"I said no. So, how could I feel responsible?"
"You've stopped blaming yourself."
"Yeah, I have."
"Excellent progress. And, we'll keep working on it. Same time next week?"
"Ms. Sovet? Therapy is great but. . ."
"I strongly recommend that you continue. I'll pencil you in anyway."
"Pencil away. But it is a waste of an appointment. I'm over this."
"That was great guys. Take a break," I told the squad after an awesome rehearsal of a new routine.
"Paige, that choreography kills."
"I try. The crowd tomorrow won't know what hit them."
"Spinner. Finally decided to join the Spirit Squad?" Hazel asked as Spinner walked into the gym.
"Ha ha. Dream on. I just got the final name for tomorrow's tourney. Bardell." He glared at me. "Your boyfriend's back." He left.
"Hazel. . . he's coming to my school." I had gotten so far. I was supposed to be past this. But when he said Dean was coming, All I could were his eyes.
"Paige. Back so soon?" Ms. Sovet asked.
"I wanted to ask about pressing charged. Against Dean."
"Wow. Okay. We'll have to set up a meeting with your mom."
"No, I know. But what actually happens?"
"Well, the police will get involved. You'll probably be asked to testify."
"And then we send him to jail?"
"If there's enough evidence, yes."
"Well, I had all those doctors exams."
"And they assured us that you were injury free and that you hadn't developed any STD's, but. . ."
"They're not evidence."
"Unfortunately, Paige, the longer you wait to report it, the less physical evidence there is. We don't have DNA samples or pictures of bruising."
"So what? I got to court, tell the truth, and could still loose?"
"Possibly."
I couldn't believe this. "But that's so unfair."
"Hold on. Don't get too discouraged. If this is what you want, then we'll make the best case we can."
"Forget it. I just thought I'd ask."
Score one more win for Dean.
I was sitting outside the school when JT tapped on the window and started performing his latest mime routine. I rolled my eyes and went inside. He met me at the door.
"Hey, come on, wind tunnel man. That's comic gold," he said, following me.
"I thought mimes were supposed to be silent."
"Paige, are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Like at practice?"
"No, for once, it's not about you. It's about me not cheering tomorrow."
"What? We need you."
"Deal with it."
"Why?"
How could I make JT understand without telling him. "It's really none of your business."
"If I'm sweating in some mascot costume, and you're at home watching TV, it is my business."
Someone's coming tomorrow. From Bardell. I can't see him."
"Did he dump you or something?"
Dump me. Why hadn't he done that before we went upstairs. In fact, why had he been interested in the first place? "Or something," I answered weakly.
"Well. . . just give him some of your world-famous attitude. Show him who's boss."
Dean knew that he was boss. He knew that he had control of me. "Is that why you've been stalking me? To give me a pep talk?"
JT didn't respond. He just gave me a smile and walked off. I had no choice but to go the next day. I didn't want to, and I didn't know how I was going to, but I had to go.
I scanned my room. Cheerleading outfit, pom-poms, Our Lady Peace poster. Everything that was so stupid, but still so important to me. My alarm clock went off. I quickly switched it off. I was already ready and dressed. Well, dressed at least. I could never be ready.
"Are you going to be okay?" Hazel asked as we walked in to school. The bus from Bardell pulled up.
"I'm staying far away from him."
"Paige. Are we doing elevator formation first or. . ." Manny was asking. I didn't care. I looked over to the bus. I saw Dean. I flashed back to that night, his eyes angry and cold. "Paige? Paige?"
"Let's go," Hazel said, pulling me away from my thoughts.
"Spirit!" a voice called. I kept going. He ran up to me. He still thought it was all just a joke. "Hold up. So, what's in a day's plan. A little rah-rah cheering, or another serenade from your little girl band?" His smell. I was choking on his smell.
"This is my school, and I don't want to see or talk to you again." I turned around and went into the school, but he followed me.
"Lighten up. We had fun."
"Fun!?" I exclaimed, incredulous. "You think what you did to me was fun!?"
He turned to Hazel. "Night of the party, you were there. Tell me, who did Spirit come to see?" Hazel didn't say anything. "Right. Me."
"I said no."
"Everyone there saw a girl who wanted it. Bad. And she got it. Go shake your little pom-poms and look cute, Spirit." He started walking backwards and grinned. "I got a game."
"We can beat them," I told Hazel confidently after looking over the competition.
Dean came up and mimicked me. "Yeah? You think so Spirit? Good luck."
"I'll see you later," I said to Hazel and ran off.
"You told Spinner?" I asked Hazel as we sat by the busses, eating lunch.
"I wanted him to understand."
"Well, what did he say?"
"He didn't believe me."
"He thinks I. . . I wanted it. Right? I'm going home."
"Paige."
"You were right. I should have stayed there. Dean wins again." I turned around and saw Manny talking with Dean. He was acting exactly like he had with me.
"Hey, Paige. I can't wait for half-time. I'm nailing that flip. What's going on?" Manny asked as I started walking with her.
"Um, earlier, I saw you and Dean talk outside."
"He started talking to me."
"Don't be alone with him, okay? Someone warned me about him once, and I should have listened. He seems nice-"
"He is nice."
"Manny, what do you know? You talked to him for five minutes!" I was so frustrated with her.
"I know you guys had a date. And I know he never called you back. I know you're jealous. Get over it."
"Oh fearless leader," JT called. I was sitting on the steps outside the school
"Go away," I told him. I was on the verge of tears again.
"You say that all the time, but we both know you don't mean it."
"Yeah, well, this time I do."
"Paige, the squad needs you."
I got up and stormed away. But JT wasn't giving up that easily. "Leave me alone!"
"He's just some stupid guy, right?"
You mean Dean? Bardell's resident sports hero? . . and rapist? Yeah. He raped me. And no one in the world seems to be able to do anything about it."
JT looked shocked for a minute, then angry. For a little guy, he certainly had his rage. He stormed off to the gym. He had forgotten his mascot head.
"JT," I called. He didn't turn around. I followed him into the school, but he disappeared into the gym way before I got there.
Everyone was cheering. The game was getting heated. A play was about to stat when JT stormed onto the court and pushes Dean from behind. Dean turned around, and JT tried to punch him. Dean was a wall- he couldn't feel it. JT finally hit him, waving his hands around like crazy. Dean thought it was hilarious. I didn't know what to do. I just stood off to the side of the court and watched, fearing for JT.
"Too much for you, Mr. Rapist?" JT fumed?
Dean had stayed calm until JT had called him a rapist. He picked JT up and threw him down. Dean sat on him, and was about to punch him hard when the ref finally caught his arm. I breathed a sigh of relief. The ref sent Dean to his bus.
"To the principal's office. Now!" Mr. Armstrong commanded JT.
I still didn't know what to do. When JT passed me, he took his head and gave me a sympathetic smile. I ran after him.
"Paige," someone called after me. I turned around. Spinner was standing there. I didn't need anymore now. This was enough. "What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"JT in the mascot outfit attacking Dean? That's not nothing."
I turned around to ignore him, but he turned me around. I was ready to yell at him. "Spin, could you just-" I broke off. I couldn't be angry at him. I was ready to cry again. Spinner knew the answer to his next question.
"Something happened to you."
"I just got what I asked for, right?"
"He took it too far. Like Hazel said. Right? Didn't he?"
I didn't get a chance to answer. Dean came out of the gym and headed for the doors. Spinner took off after him. "Hey! Hey! You're not going anywhere!"
He finally caught up with Dean by the busses and shoves him into the bus. Dean pushes him off.
"Your mascot came at me."
"You think that's what this is?"
"Spinner, please," I begged.
"What? He deserves it."
"Spinner. . ."
"Water boy your boyfriend?" Dean asked, smirking.
I knew what I had to do. This was the final straw. He couldn't get away with this any longer. "I have one thing to say to you Dean. Get ready, because I am coming after you this time. Not like Spinner or the mascot. For real."
He had no response to that. He turned around and got on the bus. It worked. I scared him. And I was going to continue scaring him. He could never get away with this.
"You're sure?" Ms. Sovet asked when I told her my plan.
"Mom and I talked. I wanna press charges."
"Good. Now it's a legal matter. So no more conversations with Dean. Okay?"
"Fine by me."
"So. . . Tuesday?"
"Three o'clock sharp. You can write it in pen this time. I wanna scare him, Ms. Sovet. So bad he doesn't this of ever doing this to someone else."
I walked out of the guidance office and Spinner was waiting for me. "Hey. What are you doing here? Should you be in your hair net?" We walked towards some benches.
"I traded a shift, so I could spend lunch with you." He held two sandwiches and two drinks.
"Wow. Lucky Me."
We sat down and I took a bite. "Um, we're not all like Dean, you know. Some of us are good guys."
"I know. That's why I wanted to ask. Year-end dance. You going with anyone?"
"No."
"So then. . . go with me. I owe you a date anyway, right?"
"Yeah. You do." I laughed. Spinner smiled. This was how things were supposed to be.