Chapter 26:

6:45 Friday Night at the game.

Julie and her mom slide into the row with Matt's grandma.

Mrs. Saracen: "Hey Julie hunny."

"Hey Mrs. Saracen."

She gives her a very soft hug and notices Julie is wearing a shirt that's too big and her sling.

"Matty told me what happened Julie. I hope you are doing alright."

Julie smiles. "I think I am. I'm trying to be alright."

Just then the teams run onto the field and over to the sidelines. Julie notices Tim and her dad chatting intensely.

She turns to her mom who is getting Gracie settled on the ground with her coloring books and crayons.

"Mom…?"

"What hun?" Tami follows Julie's eyes and sees Eric and Tim speaking heatedly. She notices them looking above them and turns to look up the stands.

Her heart rate increases.

Julie looks up as well and her eyes widened in shock and fear as she sees JD and his father 5 or 6 rows behind them.

She sucks in a breath and clenches a fist full of her shirt in her hand and then hisses in pain as she realizes she did this with her bad arm.

JD pales as he looks into Julie's frightened face. He can't deny that she looks absolutely terrified of him.

Tami try's to turn Julie around but with no luck.

Julie stares right at JD who stares right back.

"Julie… Julie hun… people are noticing… turn around."

Julie swallows and allows herself to be turned around. She looks at the field and sees her dad and Tim staring at her.

She swallows again.

He can't be here. Why is he here? Does he hate me this much he has to torture me again? She thinks.

"Julie…?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go?"

She's confused. She looks into her mother's eyes. "Go where?"

"Home?"

"Oh… Um… No. I came to watch the game. That is what I'll do."

Tami nods but hugs her daughter close to her and knows she won't be going anywhere alone tonight.

Julie smiles what she hopes looks like a real smile at her dad and Tim and they both turn to do their team thing.

Julie slowly takes another look up at JD and notices he has big black circles under his eyes. He is wearing an oversized hoodie and jeans. He is standing 3 feet from his father who is turned away talking to some man. She thinks about what she is seeing. He looks miserable.

JD notices Julie looking. He wants to talk to her. He flashes a smile at her.

Julie turns back around. He did not just smile at me… did he? What the heck?

Many eyes have found Julie and JD and are wondering if any confrontation will happen.

One specific person is wondering how the McCoy's can even show up. They should know Miss Taylor would be here, her dad is the coach after all. She has the right to be here… but a would be rapist… nope he deserves a jail cell… or a bullet… He should not be around all these young girls… easy victims for this predator…. Hell, look at all the cheerleaders, prancing around in front of him, he'll definitely like that… and of course he sits right behind Miss Taylor. No…. this kid is effed up. Someone needs to….

BOOM

"That's the start of the game folks… Panthers have the ball…."

Julie notices after a while that she is shaking. I'm not cold. I'm fine. Everything is fine. Look at all these people. I am safe. I am not alone. Tim is so sweet, he keeps glancing at me every chance he gets. I am safe. I'd rather be in my bed cuddled up with Jake the giraffe and Tim. I really hope they win and we can just go home. Maybe Tim can sneak in my window. Or I could sneak out and go to his house…

8:30 – Half Time

JD "Dad, I'm going to get a soda. Is that okay?"

Joe "Yeah son, Get me a hot dog will ya?" He hands him a $10.00 bill.

"Okay…" He carefully heads out around the side away from the Taylors.

Julie noticed him leaving and thinks – Where is he going? He shouldn't be allowed to just go off on his own.

She looks at her mother who is talking to three church ladies who are passing Gracie around. She looks at Mrs. Saracen who is talking heatedly with Mr. Garrity.

Julie - No one even cares that he left on his own… what if he went to hurt someone else?

Julie – "Mom, I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick."

"Okay hun" Tami says distractedly.

Julie went down to the bathroom next to the concession stand. She noticed JD in line for food and sped up so he wouldn't see her. Someone else saw her though. Someone who was watching JD and noticed him look up at just the wrong moment for Julie Taylor.

JD noticed Julie bolt into the bathroom and before he could stop himself he went towards the door.

I'll just wait outside and she'll have to talk to me when she comes out.

He pulled up his hood so no one would notice him.

But someone did notice him and made a decision right then that would change the little town of Dillion for years to come.

Unknown - No. Boy, you won't be terrorizing any more girls in Dillion… or anywhere for that matter. And you will not hurt that little blonde again."

Julie finished her business a little slower than usual thanks to the sling. She knew the 3rd quarter would have started and she wanted to get back to her mother.

She stepped out of the bathroom and screamed when a hooded JD came towards her.

"NO STOP GO AWAY!" She yelled.

JD pulled her to the side of the building.

"Shhh… I just want to talk."

"Talk?"

"I swear… look."

He backed up and held his hands up.

Julie swallowed and scooted as far back as she could. She had her back against the brick wall. Her eyes flitted around looking for help or an escape. She only saw a few people who were too far to hear her and she didn't have a way out.

"Wh… what do you want to talk about?" She managed to croak out. She was scared. Scared and alone. Again. DAMNIT. She thought in her head.

"I just… I'm…"

"What JD? Are you going to apologize from breaking my wrist?"

He shook his head. "No Jul…"

"NO! Are you going to apologize for cracking three of my ribs?"

He shook his head again. "Julie…"

"NO! Are you going to apologize for trying to RAPE me?"

He moved forward and she screamed again.

"AHHHH! HELP HELP HELP!"

"SHHHH." He covered her mouth and pushed her against the wall.

"Julie… I AM sorry for hurting you. I seriously don't remember everything from that night. I've been trying to remember. I was drunk and emotional but I would never want to hurt anyone. Besides… I liked you. You're so beautiful… You make me feel..."

BANG

Julie would never know how she made him feel because at that moment his eyes widened in fear and his hand slipped off of her and he fell to the ground. Instantly a red puddle of blood began forming around his head coming from his neck. She looked down at him and saw him puff out his last breath.

Someone had shot JD McCoy in the neck. He was dead.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" She screamed!

She stepped sideways towards the concession stand as hundreds of people were moving around her.

She tripped over JD's feet and fell on her butt.

Someone put their hand on her shoulder and she screamed again.

"AHHHH!"

"Julie, Shhh… it's okay."

Julie looked up and saw that it was Nurse Lisa from the hospital.

She grabbed her with her good hand and hugged her.

"It's going to be okay Julie. Relax and take some breathes."

"He…. He…"

"Shhh. It's alright."

"He's dead?"

"Yes… it looks that way. Breathe."

She complied and took a breath.

Suddenly she felt warm arms around her waist and she was standing and being pulled against a warm, hard body.

Tim.

"Tim?" She asked.

"Yeah Jules. I'm here." He hugged her close. A huge crowd had formed around her and another around JD's body.

Unknown – Good. He's dead. I can't believe he touched her again. Piece of shit. Time to talk to the sheriff though. Damn.

Days later it would be discovered that they had video footage of the whole incident and the man that Julie would never know would be hailed a hero for stopping a second attack.

Julie wasn't sure if JD would have hurt her again but she spent the next few weeks in and out of nightmares and therapist sessions going over all the details. Several times she snuck Tim in her window and on those nights the nightmares would be few and far between.

Julie knew her recovery was a work in progress but she was thankful that JD would never bother her again.

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