A/N: Hey all and welcome to chapter two of Shadow In The Night. thanks everyone who reviewed. i'm considering introducing a self-injury plotline, but i can't really decide. tell me what you guys think. um...yeah. i never know how to end author notes.
At school on Monday, Lily was standing at her locker. She was almost surely going to be late for homeroom, she hadn't done any homework, and now she couldn't find her book for English. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. Ray took his hand away slowly, palm out, fingers spread, in a gesture of surrender.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Ray, I'm fine, just couldn't sleep last night."
Apparently she didn't remember him walking her home. "What do you –" Ray stopped, sighed uncomfortably, and started over. "What do you remember about Friday night?"
Lily stiffened. "I went to the dance, came home, took a shower, and went to bed," she said in a too-casual tone. "Why?"
Ray sighed. So she wasn't going to tell him anything. "Nothing. It's nothing. Come on, we better get to class."
"I'm Question Mark, and I'm wondering. What's with this whole violence against women thing? I mean, every other day it seems like you hear about another woman who was raped and murdered or another guy who killed his wife. Where does it end? What do you think, Shady?"
"Huh?" Lily looked up, a confused and tired look on her face. "Oh, uh, I dunno."
"You with us, Shady?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just tired."
"You know what I'm tired of? All this talking!" Ray said. "Smog, hit it!"
The opening riffs of a song came on in the background while the DJs took off their headphones.
"Are you okay, Lily?" asked Robbie.
"Yeah, you seem a little down," commented Travis.
"No, really, I'm okay, I just couldn't sleep last night."
"Is it the topic? I mean, if it bothers you, we can change it."
"No, really, I'm okay." Lily nodded and tried to smile. "It's fine."
Robbie still looked concerned, and he changed the topic when they were back on the air. Ray knew why Lily was bothered, but he didn't say anything. Soon the broadcast was over and everyone was leaving. Travis reached out to touch Lily's arm, but she shied away, not thinking. Travis paused, not sure what to think, and Lily stood there, petrified, knowing that Travis would never hurt her but unable to stop her body from thinking he would. She floundered for something to say, but when she couldn't think of anything, she ran from the studio, shaking her head and sighing, unable to sort out her shattered life. She hoped none of the guys had followed her, hoped they wouldn't see her go into the cul-de-sac next to the building and cry.
At school on Monday, Lily was standing at her locker. She was almost surely going to be late for homeroom, she hadn't done any homework, and now she couldn't find her book for English. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. Ray took his hand away slowly, palm out, fingers spread, in a gesture of surrender.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Ray, I'm fine, just couldn't sleep last night."
Apparently she didn't remember him walking her home. "What do you –" Ray stopped, sighed uncomfortably, and started over. "What do you remember about Friday night?"
Lily stiffened. "I went to the dance, came home, took a shower, and went to bed," she said in a too-casual tone. "Why?"
Ray sighed. So she wasn't going to tell him anything. "Nothing. It's nothing. Come on, we better get to class."
"I'm Question Mark, and I'm wondering. What's with this whole violence against women thing? I mean, every other day it seems like you hear about another woman who was raped and murdered or another guy who killed his wife. Where does it end? What do you think, Shady?"
"Huh?" Lily looked up, a confused and tired look on her face. "Oh, uh, I dunno."
"You with us, Shady?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just tired."
"You know what I'm tired of? All this talking!" Ray said. "Smog, hit it!"
The opening riffs of a song came on in the background while the DJs took off their headphones.
"Are you okay, Lily?" asked Robbie.
"Yeah, you seem a little down," commented Travis.
"No, really, I'm okay, I just couldn't sleep last night."
"Is it the topic? I mean, if it bothers you, we can change it."
"No, really, I'm okay." Lily nodded and tried to smile. "It's fine."
Robbie still looked concerned, and he changed the topic when they were back on the air. Ray knew why Lily was bothered, but he didn't say anything. Soon the broadcast was over and everyone was leaving. Travis reached out to touch Lily's arm, but she shied away, not thinking. Travis paused, not sure what to think, and Lily stood there, petrified, knowing that Travis would never hurt her but unable to stop her body from thinking he would. She floundered for something to say, but when she couldn't think of anything, she ran from the studio, shaking her head and sighing, unable to sort out her shattered life. She hoped none of the guys had followed her, hoped they wouldn't see her go into the cul-de-sac next to the building and cry.
