Hope's POV
It amazes me that even though I am bundled up in my cozy bed I feel so cold. I don't think I've ever felt this cold in my entire life. Scratch that. I do not feel cold. I feel empty. Numb, empty, and terribly afraid. Ever since I got home from the police station, my parents have been fighting. I do not know what their fighting is about since their door is sealed shut, but I can still make out the sound of their livid screams.
I hear a knock on my bedroom door and I immediately prop myself up in bed. It's probably my mom coming to check up on me. My mom doesn't seem to have the ability to leave me alone for more than an hour, and it's getting on my last nerve. She's still my mom though, and I cannot allow myself to shut her out.
"Come in." I call out meekly.
A startled gasp escapes from my lips when the door creeks open and I see Miranda standing in the doorway. What is she doing here? I thought she was mad at me? Is she still? I've been so preoccupied with my family that I forgot to think about how this would effect my relationship with Miranda.
"Hope!" Miranda exclaims as tears begin to spill out of her hazel eyes. Less than a second later Miranda is laying with me in bed and hugging me tightly. Wow. I'm guessing she's not angry anymore.
"I am so sorry." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.
"You're sorry? Are you kidding me? Hope, you were just raped! If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I knew that Owen's intentions weren't pure, yet I didn't do anything to get you out of the situation. Well I tried to, but then I gave up..." Miranda starts to ramble.
"Miranda, please stop. What happened wasn't your fault. You tried to talk some sense into me, but I didn't listen. I don't blame you at all. If anything, I blame myself for saying such terrible things to you." I say as I avoid looking into my friend's eyes.
"I forgive you, Hope. You're my best friend, and sometimes best friends say things to each other that they don't mean. Please don't blame yourself for what happened. It was all Owen's fault. He was the one who took you to his car and raped you!" Miranda exclaims.
Wait, how does Miranda know it was Owen? Well, she probably figured after she saw us dancing together. Still, how does she know about what happened in the car? Does all of Rosewood already know? My life is officially over...
"H-How did you know that it happened in his car?" I ask in a shaky voice.
"Your mom called my mom this morning and told her everything. Obviously my mom told me about what happened, and as soon as I heard the news I knew I had to see you." Miranda says with a sad smile.
"Oh Miranda... For a second I thought that all of Rosewood knew." I say as I breathe out a sigh of relief.
"Hope, I thought your mom told you." Miranda murmurs as she avoids looking into my eyes.
"Told me what?" I ask with confusion in my voice.
"About the reporters. The police arrested Owen about an hour ago, and now they're everywhere." Miranda whispers.
I respond by springing to my feet and storming over to the window in my room that over looks the front yard. I peer outside and gasp when I see reporters and news trucks circling around my block. Why didn't my parents tell me that this was going on? What if I had walked outside and been bombarded with questions?
"H-Hope..." Miranda says as she rests a hand on my shoulder.
"My life is officially over. How does everyone know that this happened to me? Obviously people know that Owen was arrested for rape, but how do they know that I was his victim. My mom told me that the identities of rape victims are kept anonymous..." I ramble.
"Technically they're supposed to be kept anonymous, but unfortunately it's not always possible. Rosewood is a small town, Hope. I'm sure people saw you leave the party with Owen, and those low life scumbags probably sent tips to the reposters." Miranda says with disgust in her voice.
"B-But that's so unfair! Now everyone is going to know my secret! I'm going to be labeled as the girl who was raped by Owen Labrie. Everyone is going to hate me. Oh my God! My life is over!" I say as I burry my head in a pillow and continue to sob.
"No one is going to hate you. Owen raped you, and it was his own fault. How could anyone blame you for what happened, Hope? Besides, I'm sure this will blow over quickly. As soon as another interesting story pops up, everyone will forget all about what happened with Owen." Miranda says as she rests a hand on my back.
"This is Rosewood, Miranda. It could take years for something interesting to happen around here! I'll probably be the talk of the town until we graduate." I tell her bitterly.
Miranda open her mouth to speak but no words come out. Even she knows I'm right. A high profile rape case is the most interesting thing that's ever come out of this pathetic town.
"Hope, it's gonna be okay. I promise. I'll be by your side regardless of what happens in the future." Miranda says as she pulls me in for a long hug.
"Why are you being so nice to me? After everything I said at the party last night I thought you'd be pissed." I confess.
"Well I was, but that's already forgotten. Don't worry, Hope. I'm completely over it. Let's just focus on getting you better, okay?" Miranda suggests.
"Thank you, Miranda. You're being so good to me today." I say through my tears.
"Please. What are best friends for?" Miranda asks as she continues to hug me as though her life depends on it.
Gregory's POV
I'm sitting downstairs on the couch and trying to distract myself with a book when Miranda enters the living room. Tears are pouring out of her eyes, and she looks incredibly distraught. I don't think I've seen her this upset since she was seven years old and subjected to sit through time out. I hope she doesn't feel guilty about what happened to my little sister. What happened that night wasn't Miranda's fault in the slightest.
"Are you okay?" I ask her gently.
"No, not really. You should know that I told Hope about the reporters." Miranda spits out.
Ever since the police arrested Owen, reporters have been circling the neighborhood. The publicity is taking a toll on my mother, and she wanted to wait until tomorrow to talk to Hope about the reporters. Why would Miranda bring something like that up? She knows it's not her place.
"You shouldn't have done that." I say with a breathy sigh.
"Someone had to, and I knew it wasn't going to be any of you people." Miranda says as she shakes her head slowly.
"W-what are you talking about?" I ask with confusion in my voice.
"You never tell Hope anything! Everyone in America knows about your family's history except for her! What are you guys going to do? Wait until one of the reporters tells Hope the truth about Nick and the room? Do you have any idea how hurt she'll be? She's trusted you for all of these years, and when she finds out you've been lying..." Miranda starts to ramble.
"With all do respect Miranda, we've never lied to Hope. We've kept a lot from her, but we've never lied. Besides, I don't see how any of this is your business." I say as I begin to raise my voice.
"Of course it's my business, Gregory! In case you're forgetting, Hope is my best friend. I hate that she's hurt, and I'm terrified that she'll figure out the truth in the midst of all this publicity. You need to talk to her." Miranda says as her tone turns serious.
Part of me knows that Miranda is right. Hope is such a sensitive soul, and my biggest fear is that someone will tell her about the room before our mother has the chance to talk with her about it. Even though Hope is already fourteen, she's still my innocent baby sister. If we tell her about Nick, she'll lose that innocence. I know it's bound to happen eventually, but I want to preserve Hope's adolescence for as long as possible.
"Listen, Miranda, I get what you're trying to say. You think that we're doing a disservice to Hope by keeping the truth for her, and believe me, I've thought the same thing a time or twenty. What you don't understand, however, is that I lived in fear for most of my childhood. Even after I left the room, I would have nightmares about Nick and everything that happened to my mother. Did you know that I used to sneak into Hope's room after my parents fell asleep? I did that because I was afraid that someone would take her while she was sleeping. I also refused to let her walk to school by herself, and I absolutely hated when she slept over at your house for the longest time..." I start to ramble.
"Gregory-" Miranda interrupts.
"No, let me finish. I know now that my fears were irrational. I've come to realize that even though there is evil in the world, the chances of Hope being taken like my mother was are slim to none. Still, there are times when I am absolutely terrified. I wish I could forget about everything that happened to me in that stupid room, but I can't. I have to find ways to deal with what happened, but why should Hope have to deal with it too? She's lucky, Miranda. My parents kept her sheltered, and as a result she feels safe in her own skin. As soon as we tell her about Nick, there is no going back. Hope's sense of security will be altered completely, and I don't want to see that happen. Not yet at least." I say as tears begin to form in my own eyes.
"Gregory, do you honestly think that Hope still feels safe in her own skin? Last night she was raped! That innocent and carefree girl is already gone, so you may as well tell her they truth before someone else does. Besides, Hope is fourteen now. She's strong enough to get through this, Gregory. She has you." Miranda says as her voice begins to soften.
"I don't know what to do, Miranda. I just don't know." I say as I shake my head slowly.
"Promise me you'll at least think about telling her." Miranda begs.
"Miranda, I've been thinking about it for the past fourteen years." I confess.
Line Break
My mom has always liked having a set routine. My dad says it's her way of keeping everything organized, but I think I think it's her way of making sure she feels in control. Even when we were in the room, my mom had a set time for nearly everything. In the mornings we would do math, in the afternoons we would read, and at night we would eat. We're free now, but my mom still has little things she always does. For example, every night at five thirty my mom starts cooking dinner. It's six fifteen, and my mom hasn't entered the kitchen. This can only mean one thing: my mom is gone.
Even though I'm practically an adult, I absolutely hate when my mom is gone. Every time I see her laying lifelessly in bed, I feel sick. Still, I promised myself years ago that I'd always take care of my mother during her spells. That's why I finally build up the courage to get my ass off the couch, and make my way to her bedroom. To my complete surprise, my mother's eyes aren't closed. They're wide open, and she's staring directly at me. My mom isn't gone after all.
"Hi, sweetheart." My mom mutters as she sits up in bed.
"Hi, Mom." I say as I make my towards the bed and take a seat next to her.
My mom responds by running her hands through my tamed curls. Then, she kisses my forehead and pulls me in for a tight hug.
"You're getting so big. I can't believe how handsome you are. You look so much like your daddy." My mom whispers into my ear.
"T-thanks." I say with a deep blush.
"Tell me, what are you doing up here?" My mom asks as she reluctantly breaks the hug.
"I already told you. I'm staying home for a few weeks. I don't want to go back to the dorms with everything going on..." I start to ramble.
"I mean, what are you doing in my room? I thought you had studying to do." My mom clarifies.
"I do, but it doesn't seem to be very productive at the moment. It's not like I can get anything done while Hope is so hurt. Why are you still in bed? It's almost six thirty, and you normally cook dinner at five thirty." I say as I stare into my mom's hazel eyes.
"Well, today is anything but normal. I don't exactly feel like cooking, so I thought I'd order a pizza." My mom says with a shrug.
"A pizza? That's not like you at all. Where is Dad? Maybe he can call it in for you." I suggest.
"Honey, your father and I got into a fight. He went to see his mother, so I doubt he'll be joining us for dinner." My mom says with a breathy sigh.
"Y-you and Dad got into a fight? What was it about?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.
"He seems to think that now is the appropriate time to tell Hope about Nick and the room. It's absolutely absurd, Gregory! Do we honestly want to complicate things even more?" My mom asks me rhetorically.
"Well, Miranda seems to think we should tell Hope the truth too." I blurt out nervously.
"Miranda? What does Miranda have to do with any of this?" My mom asks as she furrows her brow in confusion.
"We had a long talk this afternoon after she visited Hope. She's worried that the reporters will bring up Nick, and honestly so am I. I know the plan has always been to tell Hope after she turned sixteen, but don't you think the circumstances have changed a bit?" I ask my mother gently.
My mom responds by picking up a picture of five year old Hope and holding it in front of my face. The picture nearly brings tears to my eyes, but fortunately I am able to hold them back for the time being.
"Do you want to tell this little girl about Nick? I sure as hell don't!" My mom says as she begins to raise her voice.
"Mom, Hope is five in that picture. She isn't that little girl anymore." I say with a breathy sigh.
"Maybe not, but she's still a little girl." My mom argues.
"She's fourteen." I remind her.
"Exactly, she's only fourteen. Gregory, Hope still sleeps with a nightlight and a teddy bear. She loves boy bands and..." My mom starts to ramble.
"She's not a virgin." I interrupt.
"E-Excuse me?" My mom asks as her eyes grow wide with shock.
"You heard me. Hope isn't a virgin. She's seen a penis." I say as I avoid looking into my mother's eyes.
"How dare you say that, Gregory! Hope didn't chose to lose her virginity, okay! Even if she did, virginity isn't an indicator of maturity. What if someone had hurt Hope when she was seven or eight? Would you still consider her old enough to hear the truth?" My mom asks as she begins raise her voice.
"Of course not, but Hope isn't seven or eight. She's fourteen, and you can't keep sheltering her from the truth. If she finds out about Nick from someone who isn't you, she'll be devastated. I know you're trying to help Hope, but I'm starting to think you're hurting her." I confess.
"I thought you would understand my position, Gregory. As much as I love your father, he doesn't understand like we do. You-you were the only person I had for five years, and I thought you'd always be on my side." My mom says as tears begin to form in her eyes.
"Mom, I do understand your position and I'll always be on your side. I love you more than anything in the entire world, but I love Hope too. I know your trying to do what's best for her, but I feel like your emotions alter your perspective." I mutter.
"Oh, so now I'm a terrible mother?" My mom asks me angrily.
"No! You're the best mom in the world, but no one is perfect. I'm just trying to be honest with you, Mommy. You need to realize that Hope isn't going to be a little girl forever." I say as I reach for my mother's hand.
"No, Gregory. What I need is for you to leave me. I don't want to see you right now. You've disappointed me." My mom says as she jerks her hand away from mine.
"Wow. You've always been good at shutting people out, but I never thought you'd do that to me. You didn't just disappoint me, Mom. You hurt me even more than Nick did." I say before storming out of the bedroom and slamming the door behind me.
AN: What did you think of this chapter? Did you like the Miranda scenes? What did you think of Aria and Gregory's fight at the end? Whose side are you on? Please review and tell me what you thought!
I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry about that. The truth is, I'm trying to get over my first real heartbreak and I haven't been that motivated to write any of my stories. I've been trying super hard, but things just don't seem to be working out. Some of the reviews I got didn't exactly help either :(. I really appreciate that so many people are invested in my story, but it's really upsetting when I see reviews that say things like "are you dead", "this better be worth the wait", or anything that starts with "I'm not trying to be rude..." That being said, thanks to everyone who continues to support me and my writing. I'll try my best to have a new update next Thursday.