Chapter One-Hundred and Forty

Claire looked up from her book as John walked into his room, smiling as he collapsed into his bed beside her. "Glad you're home." She brushed her fingers though his hair, leaning down to kiss his lips until he jerked away from her. "John-"

"I can't kiss you." He stated, showing her the bandage on his arm where Ernest had taken his blood draw. "Not until the last few tests come back."

Claire nodded, moving to snuggle up to his chest until he moved away from her to go sit in his beanbag chair. "What's wrong?" She asked, knowing that he almost never turned down her cuddles.

He shook his head, picking at a loose thread in the beanbag. "Nothing."

"John. What's wrong?" She swung her legs over the side of his bed, leaning forward as he refused to look at her.

"It's nothing." He insisted, forcing the memories back as Chance rested her head on his lap. "I'm fine."

"John-"

"I was raped!" He screamed, tears spilling over his cheeks as he finally spoke the words he'd been dodging for more than a week. "I was raped, Claire."

She nodded, standing to leave his room and let him be in his safe place to cool down. "Let me know when you want to talk. I'm here for you, Sugar." She smiled, thinking of someway she could try to make this better for him. "I'll make some spaghetti for dinner tonight."

"No." He shook his head, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep it down. "Just water."

She bit her lip, noticing that he'd dropped weight again. "Okay…" She closed his door, picking Amelia up as she tried to go inside. "He wants to be alone." She whispered, taking the child downstairs with her.

Amelia leaned back, looking at the redhead with curious eyes. "What does 'raped' mean?" She asked, wondering why John was so upset about it.

Claire handed her to her mother, fighting back tears as she finally thought about John having lost his virginity against his will. "Ask your mom." She stated, rushing to the basement where Kaylie and the others were all playing a bunch of old records and dancing to distract from their emotions.

Kaylie's jaw dropped when she heard the news. "They raped him?" She asked, her pale skin turning red with anger. "I'm gonna bust some heads." She growled, standing to leave.

Brian caught her arm just as she reached the stairs, yelping as she pushed him into the wall and held a knife to his pants. "Kay-"

"They fucking raped him. Either let me go castrate a few dildo riding faggots, or lose your balls to Luna here." She growled, pushing off of him and placing her knife in its sheath. She stormed up the stairs, ignoring the crowd behind her as she marched up to John's bedroom.

She pushed the door open, crossing her arms over her chest as John lifted his broken gaze to her. "Where were they?" She asked, sitting on the bed to talk to him.

He dropped his gaze, drawing his knees up farther to his chest and making his notebook fall onto the bed beside him. "I don't remember."

"Bull shit." She stated, knowing that John Bender always remembered even if he said he didn't. "Don't lie to me Kurtis. I know that you remember more than you say. Where are they?"

John swallowed, scratching his arm until Chance forced him to pet her. "I'm not telling you."

"Fucking tell me who did this."

"No."

"Johnathan Kurtis Bender."

"I'm not telling you!"

"John!"

"NO!" He pushed her off of his bed, burying himself under a mountain of pillows and blankets as he felt a panic attack starting to take hold. "They'll get you too."

Kaylie growled in frustration, grabbing the back of John's t-shirt and pulling him from the fluffy fort he'd built himself. "John. You saved me when I almost got raped. Let me do this."

He shook his head, twisting out of her grip like a cat. "Get out."

"John-"

"GET OUT!" He screamed, making Chance go on the defensive and nip at Kaylie until she finally left.

"Goddamn it John!" She yelled, stomping her foot as she stormed out of the house. "I'm going for a walk." She stated to Vernon as she passed him on her way out. "Don't wait up."