Love Ridden

Chapter Nineteen

Keeping It Together

Emma sat in her bedroom with her back against the door. Jay had been knocking for twenty minutes. He kept asking her to open the door. She could tell he was getting aggravated but she didn't care. She wanted to be alone. She slammed her head back against the door and let out an annoyed sigh, "Jay, just go away!"

"Emma! Come on just open the door."

"I want to be alone, Jay."

"Fine. I'm leaving."

She heard him walk down the stairs and then heard the front door slam. She sighed and stood up. She walked over to her dresser and put on a skirt and a halter top. She looked in her mirror and made sure she looked ok. She quietly opened her door and left the house. She got in her car and pulled away. She drove to the Ravine. Jay told her that no one would go there anymore. But, she had been hearing about kids going back there after not being able to find anywhere else to go.

She parked her car and got out. She looked around. She didn't see anyone she knew. She walked over to a group of girls, "What are ya on?"

They all looked at her and a brunette stepped over to her, "Well, some of us are drinking. Others are stoned. Some are rolling. Some are tripping..."

Emma smiled, "Where can I trip?"

The girl laughed, "So, you wanna see Lucy in the sky with diamonds?"

Emma nodded.

"Go see that man over there." She pointed to a guy surrounded by people.

"Thanks." Emma walked over, "Hi, I wanna trip."

The guy in the middle of everyone stepped out, "How much?"

Emma looked at him, "Jeff?"

His eyes widened, "Well, hello Heaven."

"It's Emma."

"Whatever. How much do you want?"

Emma sighed, "30 bucks worth."

"Alright. I'll give you 15 hit. That's a special price for ya."

Emma smiled and held out her money. Jeff pulled out the acid. He took the money and handed her the sheet, "Bye."

Emma walked away and sat at an empty bench. She looked at what Jeff gave her. It was in a Sweet Breath bottle. She took off the cover and let two drop fall on to her tongue. She put the cover back on and in to her pocket. She sat there, waiting.

An hour later, Emma was sitting with the brunette girl. Emma looked at her, "I don't remember your name."

The girl laughed, "Bevan."

Emma laughed, "Jeff should be calling you Heaven, it suits you better."

"Who's Jeff?"

"Acid boy."

She looked confused, "I thought his name was Jared...Oh well."

Emma sighed and looked around at everyone, "It looks like their faces are peeling."

Bevan laughed, "It does..."

They sat there for a few hours occasionally getting up to talk to random people and tell them their faces were peeling. Emma was walking back to her bench when Jeff stepped in front of her, "I was in jail because of you."

Emma rolled her eyes, "I never called the cops."

"So? You had to be the prude princess."

Emma pushed past him, "Whatever."

He grabbed her arm, "Word was you like the van. Then you pussy whipped Jay. Didn't need to come down here anymore, did ya? Why you back?"

She pulled her arm away from his grip, "Because I'm dealing with my issues."

"What issues are those? Mommy and Daddy don't agree on what prom dress you can get it?"

Emma laughed, "That was lame. And no."

He grabbed her arm again and dragged her behind a tree. He pinned her against it, "I think we should have another go. What do you think?"

"No."

He smiled, "Yes. But, this time, I should kick your ass before I start." He grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground. He went to kick her in her stomach but she screamed.

"No! Don't please! I'm pregnant." She started to cry. He trip was totally gone now.

He picked her up by her hair, "What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"And you're doing acid? How stupid are you?"

"Shut up. Just let me go."

He slapped her across the fast, "Don't tell me to shut up." Her head hit the tree when he slapped her. It hit so hard, she was unconscious. Jeff looked at her and shook her a little, "Wake up, bitch." When she didn't move he let go of her and she fell to the ground. Jeff ran out of there.

20 minutes later - Jay

Jay parked and got out. He was at the Ravine. Manny followed him out of the car, "Jay, her car's here."

"Go check it out. I'm gonna ask around."

Manny nodded and walked towards Emma's car. Jay walked in to the crowd of people. He stopped a few people asking if they had seen her. Everyone said no. He walked over to a bench and saw Emma's bag. He looked at the girl sitting on the bench, "What's Emma?"

The girl laughed, "M&M? She went over there with Acid Boy, or Jared...Wait maybe it was Jeff..."

Jay walked in to the area that was mostly trees. He started to call out her name. He almost tripped and he looked at what he tripped over, it was Emma. Jay fell to his knees, "Em! Emma! Wake up." He picked her up and walked back to his car. Manny was there waiting, "Go get her bag. It's over by that bench. Take her to the hospital in her car. I'm gonna find Jeff."

Manny had tears in her eyes as she ran over to the bench and grabbed Emma's bag. She ran back over to Jay. She opened the backseat door for him and tears filled her eyes as he put her in, "She's ok? Right, Jay?"

Jay sighed, "Go. Now."

"Fine. Call Sean. Get him to help."

Hospital

Manny parked the car in front of the ER doors. She left the keys in the car and her door opened as she ran inside, "Help! My friend is hurt!"

Two male security guys came over, "Where is she?" one asked.

"In the car out front. She's in the back seat." The one who asked looked at the other and told him to get a paramedic.

He sat Manny down, "What happened?"

"I don't know. We found her like this. She was at the Ravine and..." Manny looked up as a few paramedics were wheeling Emma in on a gurney, "She's pregnant."

"Miss, what's your name?"

"Manny Santos."

"Ok, I'm Tom. What's your friend's name?"

"Emma Nelson."

"Now tell me who is we?"

Manny closed her eyes, "We? Oh...Jay and me."

"Who's Jay?"

"Jay's her boyfriend. He went...He...Never mind..."

"Where did he go Manny?"

"I don't know exactly. He said he was going to find the guy who did this."

"Did he say who it was?"

"Jeff...I can't remember his last name. But he was arrested before. Recently. He beat her up before and tried to rape her...Can I see her?"

"Follow me." Tom and Manny stood up. They walked through a bunch of doors. Tom stopped at a desk and was whispering to an old woman. He turned around and look at Manny, "You can't see her right now."

"I have to! She's like my sister! Please?"

Tom shook his head, "She's in surgery. She lost the baby. And now she's losing too much blood."

Jay and Sean walked up behind them. Jay stopped, "What?"

Manny turned around, "Jay..."

Tom walked over to them, "What happened?"

"I don't know."

"Did you find the person who did this?"

Jay shook his head, "Someone else got to him first."

"Who?"

Jay shook his head again, "No idea."

Sean stepped over to Manny, "Let's get some coffee, ok?"

Manny nodded and they left Jay and Tom.

Jay put both hands on his head and sighed, "She lost the baby?"

Tom nodded, "Were you the father?"

"Yeah...We only just found out. Emma didn't even know what she wanted to do..."

A doctor came out, "Tom, who's here with Ms. Nelson?"

Tom nodded towards Jay, "Him."

"I'm Dr. Daniels. Does Ms. Nelson do drugs?"

Jay was about to lie, then stopped, "Occasionally."

"Well, tonight was one of those nights. She had acid in her pants pocket and in her system. However, that in no way led to her being here. It looks like she received a blow to the back of her head. She always has a hand print on the side of her face. She also suffered from, I'm guessing, a fall. Something pierced through her stomach..."

Jay cut him off, "No. No. I picked her up. I didn't see anything."

"Well, were you looking for anything?" Tom asker.

"No. I just wanted to get her out of there."

The doctor sighed and continued, "Whatever pierced her side went through to her stomach. Bad news is, she lost the baby in the process."

"When can I see her?"

"You can go see her now. She's asleep. She's in room 204. Tom will take you."

Tom put a hand on Jay's shoulder, "Right this way."

Drugs stopped working when I was born
But all the fairy dust I breathe
Is doing nothing to relieve
The strife of broken Autumn leaves in the sand

I'm still high on the music
As my inner child cries
For she may lose it

And the incense in my eyes
Can't save the sin between your thighs
Because you stabbed me with your lies
You're not the only one that's broken

Whore, fuck your drugsI introduced you anyway
You're a slave
Spun undone, I met you in an alleyway
And I'm never okay

Cause I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together
I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together

My bones are scratched and so forlorn
And all the Prozac that I take
Is only lulling me to make up
This forced smile that is fake for all the doctors

But I'll get by
For the music
Stand as an object
So they can use it

So go snort your loved white powder
I'll just play my music louder
And get my drugs from the counter at the pharmacy

Whore, fuck your drugs
I introduced you anyway
You're a slave
Spun undone, I met you in an alleyway
And I'm never okay

Cos I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together
Oh, I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together
Oh, I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together
Oh, I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together
And they'll never know

Song: Keeping it together

Owned By: Katy Rose