I woke the next morning to find TJ already sitting up in my bed, staring at the wall.
Her hair is out of whack and her eyes are all squinty with sleep, but she looks
no worse for the ware. I push myself up off the floor and go sit beside her on my bed.
"Are you ready to go to the police station?" I ask cupping her face.
She moves her head in a way to make her cheek rub against my palm.
"Couldn't we just stay here, and you can hold me a little longer.
"No." I answer quickly knowing the idea is so tempting that if I think about it, I'd go
along with it and the day would be at a loss. "I promise when we get back I'll hold you forever."
"I didn't think so, but it was worth the shot."
"TJ, I promise you, if you just come with me and report Mark, I'll hold for forever when we get
back here."
Tricia nods and slides off the bed.
"I have to take a shower first, I feel so dirty right now."
"You can't." I tell her. "Then you'll wash off whatever residue you might have on you, I bet
they'll need for evidence."
"There is no 'residue' Luis, he didn't rape me, I told you that."
"Than what happened, tell me please?" I mildly beg.
"You really want to know? Fine, he put his fingers inside of me, then her forced me to go down
on him. Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?" She shouts.
Dwayne stirs in his bed and I think for certain that she woke him. Luckily the Cowboy could sleep
through a German air-raid without so much as batting an eye. Still, maybe it would be better if he
got up. He could help me deal with what I just heard. I feel a chill run the length of my spine as
tears begin to spill from Tricia's eyes again and the story unravels from her mouth. How could
someone be that inhuman, that vile, that desperate? How could someone have to balls to touch
my girl like that?
When she leaves to change her clothes, I tell her I'll meet her in the senior lot in an hour. Quickly
I jump into a pair of jeans and shirt of my own and before I even tide the laces on my sneakers,
I'm running out of the room.
The next thing I know, I'm banging savagely on Mark Cross's dorm door. It can't be any later the
7:30 AM and I'm positive I've already woken up the entire floor with my screams of 'Mark get
your puck ass out here now!' When the door finally swings open, I reach in, grab a fist full of
linebacker chest hair and pull him out.
I have no idea where the strength to haul him out into the hallway came from, he's 75 pounds
heavier than me, some how ever though I found a way.
At one point I someone yells out
"Luis Mendoza, is beating the shit out of Mark Cross."
But I'm too busy pummeling the other boy to really notice.
Suddenly I fell myself picked up from behind ad am yanked off of Mark. The person who dare get
involved will be punished severely, I assure you.
"Jesus, Luis, chill out." Okay, maybe not. I recognize that voice and turn my head to see Futlon
beside, which must mean his very large boyfriend is the one holding me.
"Put me down Portman!" I shout kicking him in the shin, probably not one of my better ideas.
"What the hell got into you dude?" Portman put me down and rubbed his shin.
"That son of a bitch, forced himself on TJ, last night!" I accuse.
A murmur arise amongst the few people still milling around in the corridor and the Bash Brothers
look ready to implode. It's never a pretty sight when they get angry like that, fortunately for
Mark, one of the people in a nearby room had, had the sense to go to the office and get an
administrator. We all disbanded at the sight of dean Buckley and the dean's assistant Mr.
Rockwell.
By the time I get too the lot Tricia-Jean is waiting for me, as I get closer her face changes from
melancholy to worried.
"What happened to you?"
"Huh?" I look at her confused as he wipes a spot of blood away from the corner of my mouth.
"You're bleeding."
"Oh..." I'm not just pretending to not know about the blood, I really didn't realize it was there, or
else I would've washed it off so she didn't notice. I was so wrapped up in demolish Mark in there,
I must not have even felt the few good hits he landed on me, in his struggle to fight back. I must
have been really enraged.
"You didn't... please tell me you didn't..." TJ unexpectedly exclaims.
"What?"
"Please tell me you didn't go after Mark."
"Well is honesty important to you?" I inquire as we continue our stroll toward her car.
"Very." She responds.
"Then I can't tell you that."
"Ugh." She groans, sticking a key in the lock of a brand new, shiny, black, Corvette convertible.
"These are your wheels?" I gesture to the car. It's a standard shift too, very hot for a girl to drive
a stick.
"Yeah, don't try to change the subject." We get in and she starts the engine. "Why did you go and
do a stupid thing like try to beat up Mark Cross?"
"I didn't try, I did beat up Mark Cross, beside it was worth it." That is the end of the
conversation.
After the reports are filed and the questions answered, TJ is so worked up that she lets me drive
home. Not that I mind being behind the wheel of a Vet, I don't however like seeing her like this,
it's heart retching. I lead her back up to my room and hold her like I promised I would, as much
for my benefit as her own.
A few minutes later she asks to called her parents and I give the phone. I'm sitting at my desk and
can hear her side of the conversation.
"Yes, I filed charges with the police. Yes, I have someone with me, I don't want to be alone. A
really good friend, I trust him with my life. That would be great, I'm sure he'd be willing to come
up with me for the weekend. Hold on." She puts her hand over the mouth piece and I nod yes
before she even get to ask. "He said he'll come. Luis Mendoza. No, he's Cuban. No Daddy, I like
him a lot. No, we can't discuss this later. If you and mother want me to come home this weekend,
Luis is coming with me. Fine. Fine. Fine. Clear as crystal Daddy. Love you too. Goodbye."
Why do I not think this is going to be a romantic, fun filled weekend?
Her hair is out of whack and her eyes are all squinty with sleep, but she looks
no worse for the ware. I push myself up off the floor and go sit beside her on my bed.
"Are you ready to go to the police station?" I ask cupping her face.
She moves her head in a way to make her cheek rub against my palm.
"Couldn't we just stay here, and you can hold me a little longer.
"No." I answer quickly knowing the idea is so tempting that if I think about it, I'd go
along with it and the day would be at a loss. "I promise when we get back I'll hold you forever."
"I didn't think so, but it was worth the shot."
"TJ, I promise you, if you just come with me and report Mark, I'll hold for forever when we get
back here."
Tricia nods and slides off the bed.
"I have to take a shower first, I feel so dirty right now."
"You can't." I tell her. "Then you'll wash off whatever residue you might have on you, I bet
they'll need for evidence."
"There is no 'residue' Luis, he didn't rape me, I told you that."
"Than what happened, tell me please?" I mildly beg.
"You really want to know? Fine, he put his fingers inside of me, then her forced me to go down
on him. Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?" She shouts.
Dwayne stirs in his bed and I think for certain that she woke him. Luckily the Cowboy could sleep
through a German air-raid without so much as batting an eye. Still, maybe it would be better if he
got up. He could help me deal with what I just heard. I feel a chill run the length of my spine as
tears begin to spill from Tricia's eyes again and the story unravels from her mouth. How could
someone be that inhuman, that vile, that desperate? How could someone have to balls to touch
my girl like that?
When she leaves to change her clothes, I tell her I'll meet her in the senior lot in an hour. Quickly
I jump into a pair of jeans and shirt of my own and before I even tide the laces on my sneakers,
I'm running out of the room.
The next thing I know, I'm banging savagely on Mark Cross's dorm door. It can't be any later the
7:30 AM and I'm positive I've already woken up the entire floor with my screams of 'Mark get
your puck ass out here now!' When the door finally swings open, I reach in, grab a fist full of
linebacker chest hair and pull him out.
I have no idea where the strength to haul him out into the hallway came from, he's 75 pounds
heavier than me, some how ever though I found a way.
At one point I someone yells out
"Luis Mendoza, is beating the shit out of Mark Cross."
But I'm too busy pummeling the other boy to really notice.
Suddenly I fell myself picked up from behind ad am yanked off of Mark. The person who dare get
involved will be punished severely, I assure you.
"Jesus, Luis, chill out." Okay, maybe not. I recognize that voice and turn my head to see Futlon
beside, which must mean his very large boyfriend is the one holding me.
"Put me down Portman!" I shout kicking him in the shin, probably not one of my better ideas.
"What the hell got into you dude?" Portman put me down and rubbed his shin.
"That son of a bitch, forced himself on TJ, last night!" I accuse.
A murmur arise amongst the few people still milling around in the corridor and the Bash Brothers
look ready to implode. It's never a pretty sight when they get angry like that, fortunately for
Mark, one of the people in a nearby room had, had the sense to go to the office and get an
administrator. We all disbanded at the sight of dean Buckley and the dean's assistant Mr.
Rockwell.
By the time I get too the lot Tricia-Jean is waiting for me, as I get closer her face changes from
melancholy to worried.
"What happened to you?"
"Huh?" I look at her confused as he wipes a spot of blood away from the corner of my mouth.
"You're bleeding."
"Oh..." I'm not just pretending to not know about the blood, I really didn't realize it was there, or
else I would've washed it off so she didn't notice. I was so wrapped up in demolish Mark in there,
I must not have even felt the few good hits he landed on me, in his struggle to fight back. I must
have been really enraged.
"You didn't... please tell me you didn't..." TJ unexpectedly exclaims.
"What?"
"Please tell me you didn't go after Mark."
"Well is honesty important to you?" I inquire as we continue our stroll toward her car.
"Very." She responds.
"Then I can't tell you that."
"Ugh." She groans, sticking a key in the lock of a brand new, shiny, black, Corvette convertible.
"These are your wheels?" I gesture to the car. It's a standard shift too, very hot for a girl to drive
a stick.
"Yeah, don't try to change the subject." We get in and she starts the engine. "Why did you go and
do a stupid thing like try to beat up Mark Cross?"
"I didn't try, I did beat up Mark Cross, beside it was worth it." That is the end of the
conversation.
After the reports are filed and the questions answered, TJ is so worked up that she lets me drive
home. Not that I mind being behind the wheel of a Vet, I don't however like seeing her like this,
it's heart retching. I lead her back up to my room and hold her like I promised I would, as much
for my benefit as her own.
A few minutes later she asks to called her parents and I give the phone. I'm sitting at my desk and
can hear her side of the conversation.
"Yes, I filed charges with the police. Yes, I have someone with me, I don't want to be alone. A
really good friend, I trust him with my life. That would be great, I'm sure he'd be willing to come
up with me for the weekend. Hold on." She puts her hand over the mouth piece and I nod yes
before she even get to ask. "He said he'll come. Luis Mendoza. No, he's Cuban. No Daddy, I like
him a lot. No, we can't discuss this later. If you and mother want me to come home this weekend,
Luis is coming with me. Fine. Fine. Fine. Clear as crystal Daddy. Love you too. Goodbye."
Why do I not think this is going to be a romantic, fun filled weekend?