Disclaimer: Still don't own it! I do own a very tasty chocolate rabbit
though! *munch munch munch* Since there were no flames, I will have to
provide the fire for this weenie roast and s'more-fest myself! *lights a
campfire, then passes out sticks, hot dogs and marshmallows* Gather 'round,
kids- chapter 13 is now up!
As for the song of the chapter recommendation: Tonic's "If You Could Only See".
Chapter Thirteen: Savior
He shook as he waited in the hospital lounge- not from the bitter autumnal cold which he'd just escaped, but from a combination of panic, shock, and sorrow.
Helga had been raped. Violated. Poor, sweet, lovely Helga, whose life had been hell enough for one person, had been sexually assaulted by her roommate's ex-boyfriend. His hands involuntarily balled into fists.
"Arnold? Arnold Stewart?" The nurse who'd gone to check on Helga was now tapping on his shoulder. "She can see you now. Matter of fact, she's been asking to."
"Thank you, ma'am," he replied softly, rising out of his chair.
"You're more than welcome." She led him to Helga's room silently and left him inside, closing the door behind him.
"Helga?" he said, trying to control the level of sadness in his voice. "Helga, honey, are you awake?" He went further into the room and found her with the privacy curtain pulled around her bed. He opened it up enough to stick his head in, and gasped unintentionally.
Three fingertip-sized bruises marked the left side of her mouth, while a giant bruise under her right eye suggested her being hit. Her eyes, only half-open and staring ahead, showed only fear and repulsion.
"I've been used, Arnold," she said, suddenly and in an unfamiliar voice. "I told you I loved you once, and we decided it was the heat of the moment. Then I find out that you love me in return, and it's wonderful. I was saving myself for you, please believe me."
"Of course I do," he whispered, wondering where this was going.
"If you don't want to be with me anymore, I understand."
He stared at her, his green eyes blazing intensely. "Why would I stop loving you because some creep attacked you?"
"Because... because..." She started sobbing, burying her face in her pillow. "Because I'm scared now. I wasn't before- at least, I was to a degree- but now it terrifies and disgusts me." He knew what she meant by "it", and just nodded. "I don't think I can ever do it again- all I'll see is his awful eyes, hating me while he hurt me."
He felt his heart drop. "If it makes you feel any better, they've already arrested him. He'll never be allowed into the University of Maine system again."
"I don't care about him!" she screamed. "What's my family going to think of me? What if I'm pregnant? –I can never speak to Kristi again..."
Before he could stop himself, he shouted, "Helga, it's not your fault!" She shrank back into her bed from his voice, and he forced himself to calm down before he continued. "It's not your fault, baby doll. The only person to blame is Tyler." He rushed the bed, holding her tight to his chest, as tears slipped from his emerald eyes. "It's not your fault. You didn't bring this onto yourself. D- don't lie to yourself that way. I love you, even if someone's taken away that privilege I longed for so much." He could feel himself begin shaking again as he knelt on the floor, his legs no longer able to support him, then buried his face in her chest and wept.
'He really and truly loves me,' she thought, a beam of happiness penetrating the haze of confused fear Tyler had left. 'He loves me enough to be jealous of Tyler for taking my virginity.' She mustered the courage to finally speak, if only in a whisper, "I love you too, Arnold. I never knew you could be so poetic."
He looked up. "Someone had to fill the void 'anonymous' left," he replied simply. "Do you feel better?"
"A little." She hugged his head closer, stroking his hair. "Thank you, thank you so much, my savior and my friend."
He glanced at her with a sly grin. "Now who's being poetic?"
***
A/N: Hope you're enjoying the hot dogs and s'mores! I got so much feedback from you guys, especially RuffRider, on chapter 12. Thanks buddy.
You may have noticed the rating has gone back down to PG-13, as I felt after re-reading chapter 12 that it was not as graphic or violent as I thought it might be. Things ARE going to get deeper here, so watch out!
Chapter 14, So Far Away, is next! Please remember to review! Luvs... -PopStarOE
As for the song of the chapter recommendation: Tonic's "If You Could Only See".
Chapter Thirteen: Savior
He shook as he waited in the hospital lounge- not from the bitter autumnal cold which he'd just escaped, but from a combination of panic, shock, and sorrow.
Helga had been raped. Violated. Poor, sweet, lovely Helga, whose life had been hell enough for one person, had been sexually assaulted by her roommate's ex-boyfriend. His hands involuntarily balled into fists.
"Arnold? Arnold Stewart?" The nurse who'd gone to check on Helga was now tapping on his shoulder. "She can see you now. Matter of fact, she's been asking to."
"Thank you, ma'am," he replied softly, rising out of his chair.
"You're more than welcome." She led him to Helga's room silently and left him inside, closing the door behind him.
"Helga?" he said, trying to control the level of sadness in his voice. "Helga, honey, are you awake?" He went further into the room and found her with the privacy curtain pulled around her bed. He opened it up enough to stick his head in, and gasped unintentionally.
Three fingertip-sized bruises marked the left side of her mouth, while a giant bruise under her right eye suggested her being hit. Her eyes, only half-open and staring ahead, showed only fear and repulsion.
"I've been used, Arnold," she said, suddenly and in an unfamiliar voice. "I told you I loved you once, and we decided it was the heat of the moment. Then I find out that you love me in return, and it's wonderful. I was saving myself for you, please believe me."
"Of course I do," he whispered, wondering where this was going.
"If you don't want to be with me anymore, I understand."
He stared at her, his green eyes blazing intensely. "Why would I stop loving you because some creep attacked you?"
"Because... because..." She started sobbing, burying her face in her pillow. "Because I'm scared now. I wasn't before- at least, I was to a degree- but now it terrifies and disgusts me." He knew what she meant by "it", and just nodded. "I don't think I can ever do it again- all I'll see is his awful eyes, hating me while he hurt me."
He felt his heart drop. "If it makes you feel any better, they've already arrested him. He'll never be allowed into the University of Maine system again."
"I don't care about him!" she screamed. "What's my family going to think of me? What if I'm pregnant? –I can never speak to Kristi again..."
Before he could stop himself, he shouted, "Helga, it's not your fault!" She shrank back into her bed from his voice, and he forced himself to calm down before he continued. "It's not your fault, baby doll. The only person to blame is Tyler." He rushed the bed, holding her tight to his chest, as tears slipped from his emerald eyes. "It's not your fault. You didn't bring this onto yourself. D- don't lie to yourself that way. I love you, even if someone's taken away that privilege I longed for so much." He could feel himself begin shaking again as he knelt on the floor, his legs no longer able to support him, then buried his face in her chest and wept.
'He really and truly loves me,' she thought, a beam of happiness penetrating the haze of confused fear Tyler had left. 'He loves me enough to be jealous of Tyler for taking my virginity.' She mustered the courage to finally speak, if only in a whisper, "I love you too, Arnold. I never knew you could be so poetic."
He looked up. "Someone had to fill the void 'anonymous' left," he replied simply. "Do you feel better?"
"A little." She hugged his head closer, stroking his hair. "Thank you, thank you so much, my savior and my friend."
He glanced at her with a sly grin. "Now who's being poetic?"
***
A/N: Hope you're enjoying the hot dogs and s'mores! I got so much feedback from you guys, especially RuffRider, on chapter 12. Thanks buddy.
You may have noticed the rating has gone back down to PG-13, as I felt after re-reading chapter 12 that it was not as graphic or violent as I thought it might be. Things ARE going to get deeper here, so watch out!
Chapter 14, So Far Away, is next! Please remember to review! Luvs... -PopStarOE