Chapter Thirteen: Back to Normal
~*Bianca*~
It had been nearly a week since what Jimmy referred to as "the incident" had happened, and I was finally starting to get back to normal, but a few things were definitely "off" about me.
I'd repaired my relationship with Manny, but talking to Craig about anything other than the weather was still out of her league.
Jimmy had been getting suspicious of my reactions to Craig, so I was trying as hard as possible to get over it. But my attacker had the same complexion as Craig, all she could remember was the dark hair, dark eyes, and height. All the same, and in her nightmares, the man turned into Craig.
I was recovering alright, at least I thought. The bruises on my face were still pretty bad, the doctor had been right about that, but they looked worse than they were. Emotionally, I was getting there. Of the five nights since the attack, I had only spent one alone, and that was because I needed to prove to myself I could still sleep without Jimmy right there. The test didn't go well, I got maybe an hour of sleep, spending most of the night under the covers, shivering in fear.
I didn't know where the fear of being alone came from. I had been an independent person my entire life, walking to school everyday by myself at six, being left home for weeks at a time when I was 12. Here I was now, surrounded by my friends and boyfriend, and I was scared as a mouse.
I had also gotten in the habit of taking multiple showers a day. It wasn't really intentional, just the slightest bit of sweat or dirt, and I felt dirty, to the point that I would obsess over the grime on my body. I figured being ultra clean couldn't be a bad thing, right?
It was Saturday, and Paige had invited Jimmy and I to go to the beach, along with Spinner, Hazel, Ashley, her new boyfriend Bryce, Manny, Craig, Marco, and Dylan. I was sitting in the sand in a beach chair with Paige, Hazel, and Manny. Much to the guys' chagrin, I wasn't even in a bathing suit.
"What good's a beach without the girlies in the bikinis?" Spinner asked.
"You can look at Jimmy's sexy stuff, Spin." I replied, adjusting my sunglasses.
"Just ain't the same, Bianca." Spinner sighed. Everyone had been flabbergasted when they found out what happened, and had made every effort to smooth things over with me. They had been incredibly kind to me the past week, stopping by house at all hours to see if I needed anything.
"You're going to be back to normal in no time." Marco said, giving me a gentle hug.
"Thanks." I replied. "The doctor seems to think so too."
"She cleared you already?" Paige asked, lowering her sunglasses to look at me.
"She says I'm making a wonderful recovery."
"That's great, baby." Jimmy said, kissing my shoulder.
Jimmy. Now there was a complicated subject. We were already close to begin with, but since the incident he'd been fiercely protective, almost smothering me. My head told me I should be telling Jimmy not to worry so much, that I was a big girl, but my heart loved the attention, and melted every time I saw him. And when he looked in my eyes, something in turned in my tummy, every time. It couldn't be a bad thing, right? But what if it was love?
~*Jimmy*~
"Jimmy!" Spinner had found a basketball court and was dragging me to play. "Come on, play with me." He pouted like a little kid until I finally relented.
We walked to the ball court, Spinner complaining about Paige's recent fascination with the Hilton sisters, making small talk. Once we'd passed the ball around though, Spinner was ready to get to the real reason he'd hunted down the court.
"How's Bianca?"
"She's ok, I guess." I stopped dribbling and held the ball. "She's not the same as before, Spin."
"Something terrible happened to her, Jimmy. She's going to need some time to get over it." Spinner replied.
I nodded, and dribbled the ball a few times. "The sparkle's gone."
"The what?"
"Her eyes...they used to have this sparkle to them." I replied wistfully. "It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The sparkle's gone."
"It'll come back, Jimmy."
"How do I make it come back?" I looked at Spinner. He had been in this situation before, with Paige.
"Just be there for her. That's all you can do."
I gave up playing basketball and sat on the side of the court. "She won't talk to me about it."
"She will eventually, Jimmy." Spinner sat down next to me. "One of these days, she's going to need to open up. All you can do is be there for her when she needs you."
I bit my lip. "I want to do something now though."
"You can't, Jimmy. Let her heal on her own time."
"I want to make the pain go away. It drives me crazy, hearing her scream in her sleep, not being able to help." I looked at the ground and sighed. "I want to protect her."
"I know, I know." Spinner replied.
"What kind of person could do something like that to her...monster..." I muttered.
Spinner patted my back reassuringly. "She's going to be okay, Jimmy. Just be there for her."
"Guys, what are you doing? Marco and Dylan are having issues with the fire, and Craig's too much of a rock star to help." Paige looked at us at the edge of the court, hands on her hips.
"Be right there." Spinner said.
"I want her back the way she was." I said.
"She will be, Jimmy. I promise. Soon." Spinner replied.
~*Manny*~
"Okay, everybody, gather round, I have an announcement to make." Paige called as everyone was roasting hot dogs.
Spinner, Jimmy, Bianca, Hazel, Marco, Ashley, Bryce, Craig, and I all looked at Paige, meanwhile, Paige's brother Dylan just gave her THE LOOK.
"Don't you mean WE have an announcement to make?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Whatever." Paige replied. "Fine, Dylan, go ahead."
"Okay, our parents own this beach house in the Caribbean..." Dylan started.
"And as you know, they're currently on they're second honeymoon in Europe." Paige interrupted.
"Leaving the house all alone, all summer long." Dylan interrupted her and shot her another look. Paige gave him a mischievous grin and interrupted him again.
"You may remember our Uncle David is a pilot and has one of those little planes." She said.
"So what Paige is trying to say, who wants to spend a week in the Caribbean for practically nothing?" Dylan asked.
I almost fell over at the news, and looked at Craig excitedly. A week in the Caribbean? With no parents? Craig looked at me and smiled.
"Wow!" I said.
"So, is everybody going?" Paige asked.
Everyone said yes, and were buzzing excitedly, until a meek voice said softly, "I can't."
We all looked at Bianca, who was currently staring at the sand.
"Oh c'mon, B. You need a change of scenery." Paige said.
"Come on, Bianca, please?" I asked, grabbing her arm.
"Yeah, baby. It'll be fun." Jimmy said, tipping her chin up to look at him.
She looked around at all of us, who were smiling encouragingly at her. Finally, she gave us a small smile.
"Okay."
"Whoo-hoo! This is gonna be the best vacation ever!" Paige said.
~*Bianca*~
It had been nearly a week since what Jimmy referred to as "the incident" had happened, and I was finally starting to get back to normal, but a few things were definitely "off" about me.
I'd repaired my relationship with Manny, but talking to Craig about anything other than the weather was still out of her league.
Jimmy had been getting suspicious of my reactions to Craig, so I was trying as hard as possible to get over it. But my attacker had the same complexion as Craig, all she could remember was the dark hair, dark eyes, and height. All the same, and in her nightmares, the man turned into Craig.
I was recovering alright, at least I thought. The bruises on my face were still pretty bad, the doctor had been right about that, but they looked worse than they were. Emotionally, I was getting there. Of the five nights since the attack, I had only spent one alone, and that was because I needed to prove to myself I could still sleep without Jimmy right there. The test didn't go well, I got maybe an hour of sleep, spending most of the night under the covers, shivering in fear.
I didn't know where the fear of being alone came from. I had been an independent person my entire life, walking to school everyday by myself at six, being left home for weeks at a time when I was 12. Here I was now, surrounded by my friends and boyfriend, and I was scared as a mouse.
I had also gotten in the habit of taking multiple showers a day. It wasn't really intentional, just the slightest bit of sweat or dirt, and I felt dirty, to the point that I would obsess over the grime on my body. I figured being ultra clean couldn't be a bad thing, right?
It was Saturday, and Paige had invited Jimmy and I to go to the beach, along with Spinner, Hazel, Ashley, her new boyfriend Bryce, Manny, Craig, Marco, and Dylan. I was sitting in the sand in a beach chair with Paige, Hazel, and Manny. Much to the guys' chagrin, I wasn't even in a bathing suit.
"What good's a beach without the girlies in the bikinis?" Spinner asked.
"You can look at Jimmy's sexy stuff, Spin." I replied, adjusting my sunglasses.
"Just ain't the same, Bianca." Spinner sighed. Everyone had been flabbergasted when they found out what happened, and had made every effort to smooth things over with me. They had been incredibly kind to me the past week, stopping by house at all hours to see if I needed anything.
"You're going to be back to normal in no time." Marco said, giving me a gentle hug.
"Thanks." I replied. "The doctor seems to think so too."
"She cleared you already?" Paige asked, lowering her sunglasses to look at me.
"She says I'm making a wonderful recovery."
"That's great, baby." Jimmy said, kissing my shoulder.
Jimmy. Now there was a complicated subject. We were already close to begin with, but since the incident he'd been fiercely protective, almost smothering me. My head told me I should be telling Jimmy not to worry so much, that I was a big girl, but my heart loved the attention, and melted every time I saw him. And when he looked in my eyes, something in turned in my tummy, every time. It couldn't be a bad thing, right? But what if it was love?
~*Jimmy*~
"Jimmy!" Spinner had found a basketball court and was dragging me to play. "Come on, play with me." He pouted like a little kid until I finally relented.
We walked to the ball court, Spinner complaining about Paige's recent fascination with the Hilton sisters, making small talk. Once we'd passed the ball around though, Spinner was ready to get to the real reason he'd hunted down the court.
"How's Bianca?"
"She's ok, I guess." I stopped dribbling and held the ball. "She's not the same as before, Spin."
"Something terrible happened to her, Jimmy. She's going to need some time to get over it." Spinner replied.
I nodded, and dribbled the ball a few times. "The sparkle's gone."
"The what?"
"Her eyes...they used to have this sparkle to them." I replied wistfully. "It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The sparkle's gone."
"It'll come back, Jimmy."
"How do I make it come back?" I looked at Spinner. He had been in this situation before, with Paige.
"Just be there for her. That's all you can do."
I gave up playing basketball and sat on the side of the court. "She won't talk to me about it."
"She will eventually, Jimmy." Spinner sat down next to me. "One of these days, she's going to need to open up. All you can do is be there for her when she needs you."
I bit my lip. "I want to do something now though."
"You can't, Jimmy. Let her heal on her own time."
"I want to make the pain go away. It drives me crazy, hearing her scream in her sleep, not being able to help." I looked at the ground and sighed. "I want to protect her."
"I know, I know." Spinner replied.
"What kind of person could do something like that to her...monster..." I muttered.
Spinner patted my back reassuringly. "She's going to be okay, Jimmy. Just be there for her."
"Guys, what are you doing? Marco and Dylan are having issues with the fire, and Craig's too much of a rock star to help." Paige looked at us at the edge of the court, hands on her hips.
"Be right there." Spinner said.
"I want her back the way she was." I said.
"She will be, Jimmy. I promise. Soon." Spinner replied.
~*Manny*~
"Okay, everybody, gather round, I have an announcement to make." Paige called as everyone was roasting hot dogs.
Spinner, Jimmy, Bianca, Hazel, Marco, Ashley, Bryce, Craig, and I all looked at Paige, meanwhile, Paige's brother Dylan just gave her THE LOOK.
"Don't you mean WE have an announcement to make?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Whatever." Paige replied. "Fine, Dylan, go ahead."
"Okay, our parents own this beach house in the Caribbean..." Dylan started.
"And as you know, they're currently on they're second honeymoon in Europe." Paige interrupted.
"Leaving the house all alone, all summer long." Dylan interrupted her and shot her another look. Paige gave him a mischievous grin and interrupted him again.
"You may remember our Uncle David is a pilot and has one of those little planes." She said.
"So what Paige is trying to say, who wants to spend a week in the Caribbean for practically nothing?" Dylan asked.
I almost fell over at the news, and looked at Craig excitedly. A week in the Caribbean? With no parents? Craig looked at me and smiled.
"Wow!" I said.
"So, is everybody going?" Paige asked.
Everyone said yes, and were buzzing excitedly, until a meek voice said softly, "I can't."
We all looked at Bianca, who was currently staring at the sand.
"Oh c'mon, B. You need a change of scenery." Paige said.
"Come on, Bianca, please?" I asked, grabbing her arm.
"Yeah, baby. It'll be fun." Jimmy said, tipping her chin up to look at him.
She looked around at all of us, who were smiling encouragingly at her. Finally, she gave us a small smile.
"Okay."
"Whoo-hoo! This is gonna be the best vacation ever!" Paige said.
