Change was inevitable; it was bound to happen. In any other person, Chelsea would understand the changes in their lifestyle; Raven was not one of these people.
Chelsea had known Raven ever since kindergarten when they first met. She knew ever up and down about this girl. Raven also knew everything about Chelsea that is to say except for Chelsea's big secret she was hiding.
Chelsea could see how Raven was morphing before her eyes. She barely was home late at nights, and was dressing way too provocative for herself. It was all Parker. He had some control over her and was making her change right before their eyes. Eddie of course had noticed all this too. Raven would come home late at night either drunk as a skunk or totally oblivious to anything. Both friends suspected that Parker had gotten her into drugs; although no one would dare ask Raven.
One night when Raven snuck out of the house, Chelsea decided she should have a talk with Eddie. They had to figure some way to get through to Raven and make her see how she was not being herself. Chelsea crept past Aunt Lo's room and quietly opened Eddie's door. She peeked in and noticed Eddie staring out the window watching Raven get into Parker's car.
"Eddie!" she whispered.
Eddie jumped back on the bed and grabbed his chest as he looked up at her.
"Jesus Chels! You seriously scared the shit out of me." He said as he got up from the edge and sat down on the couch across the room. Chelsea sat down on Eddie's bed and crossed both legs. They had to talk about all this.
"I'm worried about Rae." Chelsea started.
"I know Chels, me too. Parker has really changed her. I mean she isn't all giddy and fun like she always is." Eddie said with a sad look on his face. "She's not Raven anymore."
Chelsea noticed the hurt look on Eddie's face as she moved onto the couch with him.
"I know Eddie. She is sneaking out all the time and drinking way too much. She came home the other night and passed out in the bathroom."
"Chelsea I don't understand how she got this way. I mean she won't even hang with us anymore." Eddie got up and walked into his closet to hit something. He was so angry with how Parker just walked in and changed their lives. He was sure that Parker was giving Raven drugs and he was scared that he would use them to get her into bed.
"Eddie she has changed more than you know." Chelsea said as tears formed in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" he asked, hoping not to hear what he knew would be coming.
"She is having sex with him." Chelsea blurted out as she put her face in her hands.
Eddie felt like his heart was in his stomach. Sex. Raven and Parker having sex. The images made him want to throw up. How could some punk like him get Raven? He couldn't believe Raven had given herself up to him either. They all talked about their perfect relationships when they would finally give themselves up to another. Raven had always said she wanted to be in love with someone before all that.
"Eddie are you okay?" Chelsea asked. She noticed Eddie hadn't said a word since she told him about Raven and Parker. She had wondered if he was jealous or angry; she couldn't really put two and two together.
"I hate that fucker!" Eddie yelled as Chelsea shushed him. They couldn't wake up Lo and get Raven in trouble. They wanted to talk to her before anything else went on.
"I mean Rae always told us she would never have sex unless she was in love. You and her always told me that. I mean if you can wait she sure as hell can!" Eddie was beginning to get furious. He couldn't believe how Raven was acting. Eddie did notice that Chelsea had her head in her hands and was beginning to shake with sobs.
He walked over to the side of the bed where Chelsea was and sat down. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him.
"Chels what's wrong?" he asked as he held her as she continued to sob.
Chelsea knew she had to tell Eddie about what happened to her. She was worried that the same thing would happen to Raven if no one was looking out for her. She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked him in the eye.
"Eddie you know about that thing that Raven was trying to get me to tell her?" she said through the sobs.
"You mean your secret?" he asked.
Chelsea nodded her head and began to cry again. This was the time that she had to tell him. Only Eddie would hear it from her lips; she knew she could trust him with anything.
"Chelsea listen," Eddie started, "you can tell me anything. I'm always here for you. Please help me to understand what's hurting you." He said as he smoothed her hair back.
Before Chelsea could think she blurted out "I had sex with Ben!"
Eddie was shocked beyond anything. Chelsea had sex? This was something he didn't expect to hear. Wait he thought to himself, why is she so upset about that?
"Chelsea is that what you have been hiding?" he asked. "You shouldn't feel so bad that that happened. You and Ben were together for a long time and were in love. Sex was just the last step." He said as he tried to comfort her.
"That's not it Eddie." She said as she started to cry again. "I didn't have sex with Ben…."
Eddie was confused. "You just said that you and Ben…."
"Ben raped me!" Chelsea said as the tears fell from her eyes. "He hit me and forced me to have sex with him. He told me if I told anyone he would hurt them. And he knew I would tell you and Rae. I ran off and hid at a relative's house because I didn't want you all to see the bruises and cuts." Chelsea was sobbing uncontrollably now as the visions were coming back to her.
"There were cuts?" Edie said as tears started to form in his own eyes.
"He hit me and cut me all over my body. I haven't shown anyone the scars because they hurt to much to look at!" she yelled as she lay down on the bed. Her body felt numb, yet relieved that she had finally let out the dark secret that was hurting her and scaring her as well.
Eddie couldn't believe what Chelsea had just told him. She was raped? He felt angry at himself that he didn't notice the signs and that he wasn't there for her. All he knew to do right now was to pick her up and put her in his arms and hold her.
Chelsea screamed in his sweater as the hot tears stung her already red eyes. She couldn't help it anymore. She had to realize the fact that she was raped and was a victim. Eddie knew everything now. All she did was scream and cry in pain until her throat was dry and sore. Eddie rocked her back and forth as he tried to fight back his own tears he felt coming on.
"Chelsea I want you to know I am so sorry I wasn't there for you. You know I would have…"
"I know Eddie." Chelsea said as she lifted her head up. "I had to tell you because…..its hurting me to see Raven putting herself in the same situation as I was in. I don't want my best friend to ever go through what I went through."
Eddie had to see the scar that Chelsea was talking about. He wanted to see what that asshole Ben did to her. "Chelsea I need to see where he hurt you." Eddie watched as Chelsea pulled her shirt down to her chest to reveal the noticeable scar across her right breast. Eddie lightly touched it and felt the tears roll down his face. He hugged Chelsea one more time and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. You know I love you Chels and I am always here to talk or whatever."
"I know Eddie, thank you for saying that. I'm just worried now about Raven. She is sneaking out for something and we need to know what it is." Chelsea said as she got up off the bed.
"What do you intend to do?"
"We are going to go to Parker's and bring her back. I'm not going to watch him mess her life up for his own doings. That's our best friend over there and I swear to God he will not hurt her like Ben hurt me." She said as she made her way out the door.
Eddie followed her out his door and down the steps. Both friends walked to the front door and quietly opened it not to wake Lo. Eddie decided they should take his car so they could rive Raven home incase she would fight them against going.
As they made their way down the street they began to hear the loud music coming from Parker's end. They knew there was some party going on, but they also knew they had to get in and get Raven. They got out of the car and made their way up the driveway to the front door.
"Ok we get in and find Raven and then were out." Eddie said as he opened the door. People were everywhere. A game of beer pong was being played as crowds of guys watched as two girls made out down the hall. The music was blaring and impossible to get any word out with it on. Chelsea grabbed onto Eddie's wrist and made their way into the kitchen.
As Chelsea got into the kitchen she bumped into V, the girl who she had met with Alec at the last party.
"Chelsea! Back to party some more?" V said as she went to grab her a drink.
"V I'm not here to party, I'm here to find Raven. Have you seen her anywhere?"
"Oh you mean that chick that's been hooking up with Parker? Umm I don't know, they usually head upstairs with the gang so check up there." V said as she went to walk off.
"V wait up! Who's the gang you're talking about?" Chelsea asked.
V turned around and looked at Chelsea up and down. "She never told you about them?" she asked.
Chelsea shook her head and looked back at her. "No she hasn't….Raven hasn't been telling me a lot lately." She said as she looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry maybe its better you didn't know about them, their Parker's friends from school. There known to get in a lot of trouble. Mainly it's a drinking, smoking gang you know how it is. It's hard to hang with them……your friend Raven must be very popular with them if she's hanging with them." V said as she walked off out of sight.
Chelsea couldn't believe it. Raven was hanging out with drinkers and smokers. She hated people who smoked. What had changed now? Chelsea had to find her and get her home and away from Parker. Something bad was happening to her and she had t find out.
Chelsea walked up the stairs and down the long hallway to the only closed door. She took a deep breath afraid of what she would see. She opened the door and walked in. Immediately she saw a group of boys sitting on the floor smoking pot with beer surrounding them.
"Hey baby you come for a good time?" one of the boys asked.
"Where's Raven?" Chelsea asked disgusted as she made her way through the beer and food on the floor.
"Oh you mean that hot chick that's been with Parker? Yo she has been with him in the other room. But you can stay with us if you want baby." After the boy finished talking Chelsea quickly closed the door and shook herself off.
"Disgusting!" she said out loud. Ok now she had to find Raven and get out of this place. She made her way to the door the boys told her about and pressed her ear up to the door. She could hear faint talking and finally put together the conversation between Raven and Parker.
"Raven you know I want to do that."
"I know I am just not into doing that I'm sorry."
"Look you're the one who snuck out so why are you being a little bitch? Since when have you not wanted to fuck?"
Chelsea had had enough after she heard Raven start to cry and a loud noise came about. She threw open the door and found Raven on the floor with Parker looming over her. Her shirt was off and her sweats were ripped. She could tell Raven had been crying because of the mascara that was covering her cheeks.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Parker yelled at Chelsea.
"Get the hell off of her!" Eddie yelled as he came running up the steps. He ran into the room and pushed Parker into the wall. He must have been drunk because he sat down on the bed and laughed. Eddie picked up Raven and he and Chelsea walked out of the house and to his car. He helped her in the backseat and closed the door.
When they got to Lo's house they were surprised to see the lights in the living room were on.
Raven obviously drunk laughed and said "Uh oh busted!" she opened her side of the car door and stumbled her way to the front door. However, Lo opened the door before Raven got a grasp on it.
"Jesus Raven! Get inside right now! You two better get in here as well!" Lo said as she pushed the three inside and led them to the couch.
"Raven what the hell is the matter with you? You could have gotten hurt or attacked. Worse is that your dressed like a slut! If you ever sneak out again I'm going to call your parents and inform them of your behavior. I'm so ashamed right now!" Before anyone could say anything, Lo got up and made her way to the stairs.
Raven got up and tried to get to the stairs as well. "I really need sleep! Tired and drunk is me." Raven was so out of it she didn't know what she was saying. Chelsea and Eddie each took her arm and lead her up the stairs into the room they were sharing.
"Nighty Night Eddie T!" Raven said as she grabbed his arms and planted a wet kiss on his lips. Eddie was shocked and excited she was kissing him but knew it was due to the alcohol.
"Nighty Night Chelsea D!" Again Raven pulled Chelsea in and kissed her hard on the lips. Chelsea was shocked as well; drinking really changed Raven. As soon as Raven pulled away she immediately fell to the ground passed out.
"I'll help you get her into bed." Eddie said.
After they got Raven into bed Eddie decided it was best if they all stayed with Raven to make sure she was okay. The two friends climbed into Raven's bed and each put their head on her shoulder. They slowly drifted into a watchful sleep. It was about an hour later that Raven woke up to see both her best friends watching over her and sleeping with her.
A small smile left her lips as a tear ran down her cheeks.
"Always there for you no matter what."
Anther tear left Raven's face as she reached down and pulled her sweats down past her hipbone and noticed the small cut that had dried on her skin.
This would only be the beginning.
Hey Hey guys! It's been forever since I updated and I'm sorry. I have the flu and am really sick but thought it would make me feel better if I wrote this. You know what would really make me feel better? A LOT OF REVIEWS! Please help me continue with all your great reviews and comments and ideas! I love writing for you guys!
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