This chapter contains talk of sexual assault (It's not too bad, but still... it's all bad...). If you do not want to read it, don't. This is just a warning.

"Hello, this is Mary Denvick. Can you please have Cheri come to my class room at the end of the hour? Yes, I just need to talk with her. No, she isn't in trouble. Alright, thanks," she said to Mrs. Greene.

Waiting to talk to Cheri was nerve-wracking for Mary. What if she was right? What could she do? Would she really call Stan and risk not only her life, but Marshall's as well? She didn't think she would do that to him. But she might have to for Cheri. It might be her only choice. Marshall would understand right?

There was a soft knock on the door, and Mary snapped back to reality. Practically falling off her chair she jumped up, and walked quickly to the door. Opening it up, she found Cheri on the other side. She was shaking slightly, and looked as if she would rather be anywhere but there. Mary understood that. Cheri had every right to be nervous.

"H-hey. You uh, needed me?" Cheri asked her.

"Yes, I need to talk to you," seeing the fear flicker in her eyes, Mary quickly added, "I only want to help. Everything will be alright. Why don't you come in and sit down."

"Alright, I suppose," she managed while looking up and down the hallway, as if she were looking for someone she would rather not find.

Cheri sat down in a desk and Mary leaned against the one beside it. It was quite for a few moments. Mary was wracking her brain for something to say. She had to say it just the right way as to not frighten the scared girl from saying anything at all.

"I don't know what happened to you," Mary began, "but I want to help you. You are probably scared to tell me what's wrong because it was bad, but don't be. Something happened to you. Someone hurt you right? That's why you are limping and why your arm hurts. Who was it?"

And that is when Cheri broke down and cried. It was also when Mary knew she was right.

Eventually the tears stopped and the sobs subsided. Cheri began to relax, Mary let go of the girl she had been holding.

Making eye contact with her, Mary gently asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I know what will happen if I do," she said. "You will go to the nurse. Then I will get in big trouble."

"This isn't your fault. No one will be mad at you," Mary tried.

"How do you know?" Cheri snapped. "How do you know anything? Why do you even care?"

Mary was shocked. Did this girl think she didn't matter? Did she think she wasn't worth the time?

"Why do I care? I care because it is my job to care. I am here to help you learn, to watch you grow, and to help you when you need it. I am trying to help you because you are worth it. Please let me help you."

"I can't tell you unless you promise not to tell."

"Cheri, I…"

"That's the only way I will tell you," Cheri assured her.

"I will tell you what. You tell me what happened and let me help you. In return I will not tell anybody in the school."

"Or the cops?" Cheri asked suspicious.

"Or the cops," Mary promised. "I may lose my job, but it would be worth it..."

"Alright, it's just I'm really scared. He made me promise not to tell," she told Mary.

She looked like she was about to cry again so Mary pulled her in for a hug. She seemed like a nice person, and Mary really did want to help her.

"I will keep you safe. You can trust me," she told Cheri as she ran her hand over her hair.

Cheri nodded her head and started her story.

"It started when my mom died. My dad became a drunk and he would hit me. It was never too bad. The hardest part was explaining the cuts and bruises. He met my step mom in a bar. They got married three months later. They fight all the time, and the fights often turn violent. Nothing I ever do is good enough for them." She broke of and stared at the wall for a minute before she continued.

"I was fourteen before my dad did anything else."

"What do you mean? What else?" Mary asked her but she avoided eye contact.

"He never, uh, raped me, but other stuff."

"Like what? It's alright, you can tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Mary could see Cheri building up the walls around her memories.

"If you don't want to talk about it you don't have to, but if you want my help, I need to know what you went through. Even if it's hard to talk about."

"He took pictures of me. He touched me sometimes too," she said as a few tears ran down her face.

"Okay, it's going to be fine. Can you tell me about what happened before you were gone?"

"I came home, but I was six minutes late because I had to walk again, and I sprained my ankle really bad in gym. That's why I'm limping. Anyway, I walked in the door and set my backpack on the table. I grabbed a glass of water, and then my dad walked in the kitchen. He was so drunk he could hardly stand. He grabbed my glass and chucked it at the wall and smacked me a few times. I fell to the ground. He got on top of me and started grinding against me. I pushed him off and he hit his head on the wall. I ran to my room, but I don't have a lock in my door, so eventually he came in too. I really want to stop," she begged Mary.

"I know, but you are doing so good. You will be alright," Mary encouraged.

"He grabbed me by my hair and threw me against the wall. I hit it so hard, I think I broke a few ribs. My arm hit my dresser too. I couldn't move. He just left me there. I don't know where he went but he left the house. I blacked out for awhile, because when I woke up it was dark. I finally got onto my bed and just laid there I was in so much pain. That's why I didn't come to school."

"You never went to the emergency room?" Mary asked in shock.

"No, no one took me. My parents hate me. They really do too."

"You need to get checked out. You could be bleeding internally. I will take you. Come on, she said, worried about the girl.

"I don't want to go, though," Cheri said, suddenly afraid. "Will you stay with me?"

"I wouldn't leave you for anything," Mary said. She meant it too. She knew she had to help Cheri. Mary knew also knew Cheri wouldn't tell anyone else about what happened to her either. Mary might just be the only one who can save her. And sometimes, even thought she doesn't like to admit it, Mary needs a little help. Cheri's only lifelines for the moment were her and Marshall. They would have to be enough.

Mary checked her rearview mirror again. The same black SUV was still behind her. It had followed her from a parking lot close to the school, and she worried. She took a left turn and sighed in relief as the vehicle went straight. She shrugged it off and started worrying about the visit to the ER.

"She's so clueless, it's great. She will never know what's coming. Neither of them will," he snickered into the phone. "Now?" he asked the voice.

"No, not yet. Let them live a while longer."

He sighed as he watched her turn and was forced, by this stupid man, to let her go.

"Don't worry," the voice soothed, "you will get the girl soon enough and I will have my prize-- that stupid Marshal. You know what the best part is?"

"Hmm?"

"She told us everything herself without even knowing it!" he smiled.

The driver couldn't help but grin as well.