I don't know when running has started to feel so natural to me but the second I'm out of the school doors and my feet or hitting the pavement as my book bag swings at my side, it feels natural to be running...safe.

Fighting back means not running away.

I know that.

I have to get off campus first and really figure out what I'm going to do. I can't feel this way anymore, I can't feel defeated and like Adrian and his crew of nightmares is going to ruin everyday of my life. I can't let my life feel any worse or let any of this hurt my mother. I know I should tell her everything. I will. I have to fight back.

I'm going to fight back.

I just don't know how yet.

But I do know I need Dimitri to do it.

I've only know him for a little while but I know he's one of the few people that will help me no matter what.

As if sensing I need him, the cell phone in my pocket vibrates and chimes.

I stop running at a red stop light and look at the screen knowing it can only be Dimitri.

Are you okay?

His question throws me for me a bit as if he was there at school and saw me take off or knew something was wrong. I look around to see if he's watching me from a distance but it's just me at a four way stop light waiting to cross the street. I reply.

I need to see you. I need your help

His response is immediate. I can almost feel his urgency through the phone.

Why? What's wrong? Did Victoria do something?
Another question that makes me wonder if Dimitri knows what happened today at school.

I want to ask him what he means but I decide it'd be easier to just see him in person. I feel and think better when I see him in person.

Can I come see you?

A second later I add, I'm already halfway to the city, in case he says now for any reason.

Dimitri's the one person who's helped me and actually made me feel better through all of this. I know he won't turn me a way. I know his answer a second before he sends it.

Tell me what street you're on and I'll pick you up

What feels like a second after I send him the street I'm on, I'm climbing into his car, letting out a breath of relief feeling safe and away from the nightmare of school.

"What's going on? What happened?" he asks immediately.

I lean my head back against the headrest and close my eyes, letting the entirety of what happened finally hit me. I'd been holding in because I knew once I started crying, It'd bee too hard to stop and then I wouldn't be able to run. I was safe now and I could cry freely.

I did.

It started silently at first, tears silently streaming down my cheeks and when I can't seem to completely wipe the tears away I'm sobbing and struggling to catch my breath as I cry.

And Dimitri lets me cry. We're parked on the street he picked me up on and he lets me cry. He doesn't try to reach out and touch and comfort me which is a relief actually.

Being touched by any one, even the thought of it is unnerving to me. The feel of Jesse's arm around my shoulder makes me recoil right now even thinking about it. The night before, when my mom brushed my arm to hand me a dish, I flinched. I know deep down none of these people would ever really hurt me, I can't stop being scared.

He simply let's me cry and then hands me tissue after tissue once I start to quiet down.

"Are you hurt?" he asks gently.

I can feel him looking me over form his side of the car, trying to see if it's anything physical that's bothering me. Besides the bruises from being shoved into the lockers, my suddenly aching ankle from running too hard, and scars and bruises that are slow in healing from that night, there's nothing physically wrong with me.

I shake my head as I wipe my face and sniffle.

Almost reluctantly he says with a sigh, "My sister had something to do with this...didn't she?"

I look up and meet his saddened eyes. All of this is really starting to ruin everyone's lives. None of this would've happened if I had come forward sooner.

"How do you know that?"

He sighs again, sadly, before deciding to pull away from the curb and drive toward the city. "Something she said this morning...I know my sister. She's been, admittedly my favorite sister-I know a brother isn't supposed to say that but it's true. Me and Victoria are close since we're the youngest and Sonya and Karolina are close because they're the oldest. Victoria's always been the sister I was closest too. So when she starts acting weird..."

His voice trails off and I still don't know how he knew Victoria had something to do with all of this. He focuses on driving and I take the opportunity to speak, grateful I don't have to look at his sad eyes while he drives.

"That night...when it happened...when Adrian, Jesse, and Ralph..." I can barely manage to get it out. "After it happened and I thought it was all over...I forgot they took...pictures."

The car jerks to a sudden stop as Dimitri brakes in the middle of the street and cars behind us honk as they go around. He pulls to the side of the rode again and puts the car in park.

"I...I was trying to forget that night and I forgot about the picture but today when I went to school..." I start crying silently again. "Everyone's seen it. Oh my gosh, Dimitri, that picture is going to get around town and when my mother sees it it's going to kill her. She'll think hit's her fault."

I cry as he sits in silence and lets all of this sink in.

"Victoria did this didn't she," he whispers, voice low.

I nod. "It's probably because I tried to bring her into this."

"I can't believe this," he murmurs. "I knew she was upset but I didn't think..."

"She's just hurting and confused," I tried to reason and defend what she did but I was finding it hard.

"You don't have to defend her," he says turning to face me, sadness in his eyes still. "She made her choice and despite everything she's been through she made the wrong one. To make her hurt go away she hurt someone else."

He tells me about the conversation they had this morning. I tell him about what happened completely and soon it's clear Victoria did this so that she wouldn't end up an outcast like me.

"She wants to be normal," I say as Dimitri finally pulls out to the road again. "Popular too. I wanted the same things when I started dating Adrian," I admit, reflecting back.

"This has gone way too far," he says as we near the city.

"I know...which is why I know I have to go to the police."

Dimitri is surprised by my words and the car jerks again to a stop but after taking a second to look over at me in surprise he continues driving again.

"Are you sure?"

I nod even though he's looking at the road.

"No more trying to avoid this and letting them hurt me. I hate feeling this way...like the world is closing in on me...I just want this to be over and you and your mother and grandmother were right when you said I have to fight back for this to be over and I'm going to. I'll even eventually talk to my mother about this because that picture is going to get back to her sooner or later. But...I need your help."

He glances from me to the road as if assessing that I'm serious about this and that I won't back out of it a second later. When I don't he nods.

"Of course. I told you I'd stand by you through this and I meant it."

That is a slight weight off my shoulders and it feels good. "Thank you."

He nods and lets out a breathy sigh that seems to sum up the gravity of this situation. "So, what do we do first?"

I let out a similar sigh and say, "The police...I have to go to the police and tell them everything."