She is now fully bandaged and dressed, when she sits up and gets ready to tell her story.

"It started a couple months after we first moved to Chino. Dad was depressed without mom and turned to drinking and sometimes even drugs. I knew I shouldn't be around him when he was in his "moods" so I tried to stay out of the house. It was easier said than done because I was new and I didn't know anyone. So one day I was just sitting in front of my house, when daddy dearest went through one of his moods. He comes running out of the house, drunk out of his mind, and starts dragging me by my hair. I start screaming when Trey was walking out of his apartment next door. He saw me and ran up to me and my dad and knocked him out cold. That was the when I first met Trey and the first time he helped me."

She stops takes a deep breath and continues.

"A couple more months went by and I accomplished staying away from dad without a hitch, thanks to Trey. Until one day, I come home and he was going crazy. He accused me of stealing his money and…and…"

Trey pulls her close and she looks at him…

"Gimme my money you stupid whore."

"But I didn't take it daddy."

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!"

"Daddy, stop it please! I didn't do it; I was next door all day."

"You were probably fucking that faggot too."

"Daddy please stop. No!"

"And he pulled out a knife from one of the kitchen drawers. He came at me with it, I was able to dodge most of them with only cuts on my arms but I tripped over a chair leg and fell. I screamed…"

She stopped and you can see the tears present on her face. She buried her face in Trey's shirt as he continued for her.

"I heard her scream and I ran next door. I kicked down the door but I was too late. That bastard already carved her like a fucking turkey. I tackled him down and we started wrestling on the ground and let's just say; I won."

Everyone in the room was silent. Sandy already knew the story but it looked like it was the first time he had heard it as well.

Trey still has his arm around me even though we had both finished telling the story. Everyone is looking at us as if they are expecting more. Marissa finally regains consciousness after she has missed everything.

"Wha…what happened?"

"You passed out after you saw my little boo boo."

"Oh, I'm sorry for starting that fight at the mall the other day."

"Whatever its fine."

"No, is not. I just went a little crazy when Ryan said…"

"Are you sure your okay, Marissa? You look pale."

I look over to Ryan and I see that he is trying to stop her from saying something.

"What did he say?"

Marissa gave Ryan a weird look and shook off the interruption.

"I told him that I loved him and he said, love you too, Donna."

Everyone now looked at Ryan. He looked around the room nervously, got up and mumbled something about the pool house.

I look over at Trey and he was switching glances from me to where his brother had once been. Trey gets ups and follows his brother's exit.

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I'm now in the bathroom, emptying whatever was in my stomach into the toilet bowl. After I finish I collapse onto the cool tiled floor. I feel the coolness on my face. I hear a knock on the door but I don't move.

"Ry"

Its Trey's voice but I still don't move. He opens the door and sits on the floor next to me.

"Ry, what did you two do?"

"I took advantage of her when she was vulnerable."

"But what did you do exactly?"

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"I'm sorry Sandy"

"For what?"

"For disrupting normal life for you and your family."

He smiles and puts his arm around me.

"I took a chance representing you two but I knew what I was getting into from day one."

I smile and kiss him on the cheek,

"Thank you Sandy, you're the dad I never had.

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"Do you love her?"

"I don't know."

"Then why did you say it?"

"I don't know."

"Was it on purpose?"

"Fuck Trey I don't know."

"Ry, calm down. I need to know these answers."

"Why?"

"Because we, me and Donna, are kind-of involved."

"I know, I think everyone knows."

"I mean a little more than anyone thinks."