Chapter 4: Talk

(Lunch Time)

Nina went into the bathroom and hurried to one of the empty stalls. The moment that she was inside, she started to cry.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the stall and froze.

"It's me," Maria whispered, "I just want to talk," she added.

"About Connor?" Nina asked in a cracked voice.

"About what happened," Maria said seriously, "whether or NOT it proves Connor's innocence," she told Nina.

"You'd believe me if I told you Connor's guilty?" Nina asked her voice filled with hope.

"I'll believe what I get from the facts," Maria responded firmly, "is there anywhere where we can talk privately."

"Follow me," Nina said and stepped out of the bathroom, "I'll be okay," she said when she saw Maria's eyes widen when she saw Nina's reddened eyes, "let's go," she said and they exited the bathroom.

(After School)

Alden and Brock walked out of school laughing their heads off. Someone had let out helium into the class next door to them and Nina ended up being among those whose voices still sounded like a chipmunk. Both of them knew that it had to Connor but without proof Connor didn't get busted. But neither friend minded it one bit. They both felt that a bitch like Nina deserved it.

Suddenly Maria blocked them off.

"Which one of you did it?" Sharon demanded.

"Did what?" Alden asked

"Which one of you hung around Connor a lot at the party?" Maria demanded.

"I found him after he started to get drunk on the punch," Alden admitted, "is there something wrong?" he asked.

"What do you remember?" Maria asked darkly.

"What's up with this interrogation anyway?" Brock asked suspiciously.

"I was out of it most of the night," Alden confessed, "Brock had to…." he continued but was stopped when Brock covered his mouth.

"Are you accusing one of us?" Brock asked in disbelief, "please tell that you don't BELIEVE that Nina was raped?"

"She told me about it," Maria responded, "trust me, she was raped," she said firmly.

"So what?" Alden asked, "you believe that it was one of us?"

"I don't know what to believe," Maria admitted, "Connor was drunk, Nina was half drunk," she listed.

"She was intoxicated?" Brock asked and Maria nodded, "then how can she know for sure what happened then?" he demanded.

"She remembers some parts of that night clearly," Maria stated, "she remembers being attacked and held down by a male strong than her," she started.

"Which throws out Connor," Brock declared and Alden snickered.

"She remembers being raped even though during the rape her rapist's face is a blur," Maria continued after giving them an angry glare.

"Then how could she confirm that it was Connor?" Alden asked frankly.

"Because another clear memory that she has is pushing off someone off of her sometime after the rape," Maria said, "she had momentarily lost consciousness during the whole ordeal and when she regained it all she felt was the pressure of someone on top of her," she said and both boy's eyes widened, "she used all her strength and eventually pushed the person off of her and he fell to the floor," she said, "and when she looked down, she saw Connor," she concluded.

Both boys stood stiff in shock.

"Was he naked?" Alden asked suddenly and Brock nudged him with a disgusted look on his face, "well you usually remove something," he said.

"He was fully clothed," Maria told them, "but what's weird is that he suddenly disappeared," she said and Brock looked unconvinced while Alden raised a confused eyebrow, "Nina was devastated and had hidden her face momentarily in disbelief and bawled her eyes out," she said, "but when she looked up she saw no one and hadn't heard the door open it makes this horrible creaking sound because the hinges need greasing."

"So what did he do?" Alden demanded, "hide in a closet?"

"That could be it!" Maria cried.

"But how do you know that Connor had company when Nina claims they were together that night?" Brock asked.

"Can't say for sure," Maria admitted, "but we better move before someone hears us," she added and they all agreed and hurried away from the school.

But they didn't notice Connor watching them from a good hiding place. He had heard everything and worse yet, believed that he might know Nina's true rapist.

End Chapter 4

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