Aren't y'all loving the fast updates? haha! That's because of your reviews people! I really appreciate them. ANYWAY, little note on this chapter; do not criticise my knowledge in this one because this is exactly how it happens in this exact situation. Don't knock my knowledge on this one because they say 'write what you know' and that's exactly what I've done. I appreciate criticism on every chapter but please don't criticise the way things happen in this because it is how it happens. Thank you.
Previously…
I must have drifted off to sleep at some point because when I woke up it was getting dark outside, meaning it was around six o'clock. Alex was just lying next to me, holding me tightly to her and crying silently at the state I was in.
"Mr. Douglas…" I choked out to her, alerting her of my new-found consciousness. She looked confused at the mention of my Spanish teacher and I knew I would have to continue. "He ra… he…" I couldn't find the words, I couldn't make them come out of my mouth so instead I slowly moved my hands and made a sex motion with them, pushing two fingers through a circle I'd made with my fingers from my right hand.
"Oh my god… he raped you?" She asked in disbelief. I nodded slowly, scared of what was about to happen. "Oh my God, Sonny!" She yelled as realisation hit. "Sonny!" She yelled again, causing my mom to appear in my bedroom almost instantly.
"What, Alex, honey, what?" She asked, slightly exasperatedly from running up the stairs.
"She's been raped."
Mitchie's POV
I watched as my mom's face fell, followed by her body as she crumpled to the floor in sobs much like I had done previously. This was what I was terrified of but I knew why Alex had told her, she knew as well as I did that if we kept this one to ourselves he would just do it again and I couldn't live with myself if his next target was Alex.
"W… What?" My mom choked out, trying to regain some of her composure and sitting on the edge of my double bed next to me. I couldn't respond and I think Alex knew that so she did it for me.
"She was raped…" Alex trailed off, scratching the back of her neck nervously. She was still crying but like my own, which had restarted, her tears were silent.
"What aren't you telling me?" My mom growled angrily.
"It was Mr. Douglas." She finished, earning a gasp of shock from my mom who looked like she was about to lose it completely. "Mitchie, I'm so sorry…" Alex trailed off, rubbing my bare shoulder gently. I hadn't noticed her take my blazer off me so she must have done it in my sleep but I was thankful for it, I was overheating as it was.
"Oh, my poor baby… I promise… Mitchie, I'll fix this… He'll… We'll go to the school tomorrow." My mom stammered out, probably completely unsure of what else to say or do. I nodded in agreement and before I knew it she had pulled both Alex and I into a tight, loving embrace. "No one will ever touch you again, my darling… No one will hurt you again." She whispered softly into my ear, pushing back slightly so we all ended up lying down on my bed. My mom was on my left with her arm underneath my neck whilst Alex was on my right with her arm slung protectively over my stomach. Despite what had happened I felt kind of content with the two people I cared about the most next to me and before I could stop it I fell asleep.
I dreamt about him that night, he was the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep, of course, so I wasn't shocked when I was being shaken awake by my mom and Alex at four thirty in the morning. Both of them wore concerned looks on their faces and the second my eyes opened fully, Alex pulled me into a tight hug. "Babe, you were screaming. Were you dreaming about it?" She asked quietly. I nodded into her shoulder and felt my mom begin to stroke my hair wordlessly.
"Thank you for waking me." I whispered back to the both of them, feeling Alex gently push me back into a lying down position to go back to sleep. I felt the weight of the bed shift and noticed that my mom was moving to get up. Before she had chance to leave the bed I quickly grabbed her wrist and kept a firm hold on her. "Please don't leave me, Mommy." I asked her helplessly, feeling absurdly like a vulnerable five year old.
"I'll never leave you, baby." She replied, climbing back into the bed and pulling the comforter over us all. "Not ever." As she moved into the bed she accidentally lay on my arm and I whipped it back at lightning speed, not liking the sudden, unexpected contact. "Sorry, honey." My mom sounded tired as she kissed the top of my head and we all drifted off to sleep again.
When I woke up again it was getting light and my bed was empty. I began to panic about the whereabouts of Alex and my mom, terrified that he'd got to them. He'd already spiked my mom's drink once and made a worrying comment about Alex yesterday; I honestly wouldn't have put it past him.
My terrifying thoughts were quickly cut short when Alex emerged from my bedroom door with a small, nervous smile. "You're awake," She commented as if I wasn't fully aware.
"Yeah. How are you?" I asked, trying to make small talk to avoid the inevitable conversation we were about to have. She shook her head and removed the towel from the top of her head, revealing her slightly damp hair.
"I should be asking you that, but I'm fine. How are you?" She asked sincerely, taking a seat on the bed next to me and loosely holding my hand in hers with a sad smile.
"I'm fine." I told her honestly, well, partially honestly. "I could be a lot worse. I just want to get today over with…" I trailed off nervously, knowing that one of us would have to bring the taboo subject up. "What's going to happen to me, Alex?" I asked her, knowing full well that she'd have spoken to my mom about it.
"Well, your mom left for work about five minutes ago, she told me to tell you that you need to go to the guidance counsellor first thing and sit down with her and tell her everything. She said she's got to teach today and it's too late to arrange a cover teacher so you need to go along with whatever Miss Taylor tells you to do because she knows what to do. She said that you'll probably have to give a statement and they may take you away but she told me to promise you that she knows for a fact you won't be in any trouble." Alex told me cautiously, probably terrified of triggering my crying again. I nodded quietly, drawing shapes on the back of Alex's hands with my slightly bitten nails. "Are you ready to get up now?" She continued, her eyes boring into mine.
"Can I… You won't leave me, will you? I mean, like, you won't make me go through it on my own?" I asked expectantly, silently praying that she wouldn't.
"Of course I won't, I'm going to be here for you every step of the way." She responded within an instant. She quickly and cautiously pecked the top of my head and then proceeded to pull me up from my bed. I smiled softly at her and gripped her hands tightly.
She turned around to face me and smiled almost genuinely at me. Her eyes were sad, like she knew that I wasn't really okay and there was nothing that she could do about it, so I smiled brightly at her to try and reassure her that I was okay. Or maybe I was trying to tell myself that. "Can I have a good morning kiss?" I asked her hopefully. She grinned at me, as if she was proud and slowly pressed her soft lips to mine.
They were so much softer than his, more comforting… I wanted her lips on mine, I didn't want his there. I was her territory, no one had the right to touch me like he did except for my beautiful girlfriend. I cautiously pressed my tongue to her lips in an attempt to deepen the kiss which thankfully she accepted. I was worried that she might think I wasn't ready but our tongues began the usual battle for dominance and we both smiled into the kiss. Normality was the key.
"What time is it?" I asked her as I pulled away. Alex pulled her phone from her bra and checked the time, her eyes widening in horror.
"Shit, it's seven thirty; you need to get ready quickly because I know you won't leave the house without showering and putting a shit tonne of makeup on." She exclaimed, replacing her phone and pulling away.
I managed to get ready in just under an hour, record time for me since Alex was left in charge of straightening my hair whilst I did my makeup, and by eight forty we were parking in the school parking lot. Alex drove because my car was still at school after leaving it there the day before. Alex got out of the car and when I made no attempt to exit either she came around to my side to open the door. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly, taking my shaking hand in her own. I shook my head softly to let her know that I wasn't and she sighed. "Mitch, I promise it will all be okay. He's not going to hurt you again, he won't even look at you again and if I see him between here and the counsellor's office I will put him in a morgue, okay? He won't get near you. I swear." She told me genuinely.
I looked around the parking lot, taking in as much of the school as possible. My eyes landed on the window to his classroom in the second block. I could just about make out his outline, I think. "He's here, isn't he?" I asked her in a monotone.
"I think so, babe, but he won't be for long. You just have to get out of the car and come with me, okay?" She tried to reason with me but I simply shook my head and stayed firmly where I was. "Mitchie, do you trust me?"
"More than anyone else in the world." I told her honestly, turning to face her for the first time since we got in the car. She had tears building up in her eyes but she was trying to smile reassuringly at me.
"Then come with me, I promise, no one is going to hurt you." She cooed softly before kissing the top of my head and inhaling deeply. "I'm going to be strong for both of us because you don't have to be. No one is going to expect you to cope with this on your own and I'm not going to leave you. I'm going to be here every single fucking step of the way and I will help as much as I can." I believed her, so nodding silently I unbuckled my seatbelt and as soon as my heel-clad feet touched the floor, Alex wrapped her arm protectively around my waist. Firmly. She was letting me know that she was there and she was silently warning anybody that could possibly hurt me away.
We reached the guidance counsellor's office. I'd only ever had one encounter with the woman when she asked me if I thought Alex might benefit from some sort of anger management after she beat the living crap out of a girl that gave her a funny look in the corridor. I almost laughed at the memory, remembering the woman's face when I laughed in it at the thought of Alex having anger management or behavioural therapy of any kind. "I'm scared, Lexi." I whispered honestly to her as she raised her fist to knock on the door. She paused momentarily but continued to knock.
"Don't be, I'm not going to leave your side. I swear." She replied, tightening her grip on my waist and kissing my cheek softly.
I heard Mrs. Taylor's voice calling us from the other side of the door and took in a shaky breath; I knew that this was it. I knew that I was about to relive everything that happened yesterday.
We sat down silently in the comfortable beanbag chairs opposite her desk, Alex never once disconnected her hand from mine and it felt like a huge confidence boost. "What's wrong? Mitchie, you don't look like yourself." She questioned kindly. I quickly whipped my phone from my pocket to check my reflection and noticed that all of the color had drained from my face, leaving me a sickly pale green color. I'd felt like I was on the verge of throwing up since it happened so I was sort of getting used to the feeling.
"No… I need to tell you something important," I began nervously, shaking with every word I spoke. Alex must have noticed because she tightened her grip on my hand and squeezed it gently to remind me that she was there. "I don't like the way that Mr. Douglas treated me in his detention. He was rough and inappropriate, he's bruised my wrists from grabbing me too hard and he locked the door, refusing to let me leave which I know is against the school rules." I told her, leaving out the main parts and rolling up the sleeves of my blazer to reveal my slightly purple wrists. Mrs Taylor examined them closely after propping her glasses on her nose, then nodded slowly.
"And what would you like to see done about this? Obviously he cannot get away with that." She said. I refused to look at Alex, I knew she'd give me a disappointed look considering I hadn't told her the main part.
"I want him dismissed. He can't do that to kids." I told her, tears forming in my eyes again. I looked up to face Alex and the disapproving look on her face was enough to cause my body to begin shaking with sobs again. "Please don't look at me like that… I can't," I told her simply. She knew what I meant and shook her head.
"Mitch, sweetheart, you have to. Like you just said, he can't do that to kids." She told me in a firm voice. I knew then that if I didn't do it then either she would or my mom would; there was no going back. I saw the pleading look in her eyes and couldn't fight it any more.
"What else happened, Mitchie?" Mrs Taylor asked firmly. She knew something else was going on. I shook my head firmly to let her know that I wasn't ready. The slightly large woman got up from her seat with a loud cry of protest from the old wooden chair, and kneeled down in front of me to look at my face which by now was being flooded by tears as I sobbed freely. Alex quickly pulled me in for a hug, obviously sensing my discomfort at having a teacher so close to me. "Michelle, what. Else. Happened?" She asked again, slowly stressing every word. I swallowed harshly, not entirely expecting my next words to escape from my lips with such force.
"I had sex with him!" I yelled into Alex's neck, earning a gasp from Mrs Taylor. Alex ran her hand through my hair soothingly as I cried into her neck and Mrs Taylor sat on the floor, completely shocked.
"Shh, baby it's going to be okay. You're okay now; he's not going to hurt you again. I've got you. As long as I'm breathing no one will ever harm you again." Alex whispered her soothing words as she ran her fingers softly through her hair. I heard Mrs Taylor shuffling around and soon she was on the phone, calling for the police who quickly came into school.
Before they arrived Mrs Taylor sent a note to my mom who phoned her office and said she was too busy but she was fully aware of the circumstances. She had me write down a statement about exactly what happened and Alex had to write one too. She just had to write what I told her and about the state I was in when she saw me afterwards. I guessed that eventually my mom would have to do one too. By the time the police officers for me finally got into school they took our statements and spoke to me, explaining what was going to happen.
"Can Alex stay with me? Please? She promised she'd be here every step of the way. I can't do this without her." I whispered helplessly to the kind police woman that was filling out forms in the conference room of the school.
"Mitch, you don't have to ask that. I'm coming." Alex stepped in assertively. She seemed determined.
"No you're not. Alex, you need to go to your lesson." Alex turned to Mrs Taylor with her eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Do you really think that I'm going to leave my girlfriend on her own to deal with this? If you believe that for one second then you're deluded. I'm going even if I have to run behind the car." Alex said, earning a small, choked chuckle from the police woman. "I don't care what you say, I'm staying with her." She quickly added when she noticed that Mrs Taylor was about to argue with her.
"I'll call your parents and ask them if it's okay for you to leave lessons. If they say no then you're to go without a fight, understood?" She said, opening up the school's database on the conference room computer to find Alex's mom's number. "I'll have to explain to them where you're going and they may want to know why…" She muttered quietly, probably hoping that we wouldn't catch it.
"That's fine." Alex and I both said at the same time.
After a long and very detailed phone call to Jerry, Alex received the permission she needed to come with me. We rode in the police car in silence, Alex's hand grasping mine firmly as if to remind me constantly that she was there and she wasn't going anywhere, which I was extremely grateful for. I really needed her.
Once we arrived at the station the police officer that had originally been taking care of us handed us over to another two non-uniformed police women. They took us into a different car and took us on a long drive to an old police house around an hour away. The house was re-decorated to accommodate witnesses and victims. There were three rooms upstairs, not including the bathroom. There was the medical room which played host to a lot of fancy medical equipment, a video room which simply had two red couches and a lot of cameras and microphones in the room, and the third room, which we weren't allowed in, was the room where the other police officer watched the video interview which was taking place.
It was midday by the time we arrived there and we got straight down to the video interview, which Alex wasn't allowed into. It took nearly two hours, minus a cigarette break halfway through, for me to complete my video interview, giving every last filthy detail about what happened. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry a lot, I did. I shook a lot of the time and refused to make eye-contact with the police lady, DS Pearson.
At two thirty Alex and I were curled up on a couch together in the former living room downstairs. There were a few old VCRs in there alongside an old battered television. Between us we decided to watch Toy Story whilst we waited for the doctors to arrive so they could perform my medical examination, which was apparently crucial evidence.
I'd been told that a police officer had been to my house to take my clothes from the day and Alex and I had received texts from Bethan telling us that they'd all watched him being arrested at work and that his classroom had been sectioned off to prevent anyone from going in there and tampering with evidence. We'd both decided to play oblivious; I did not want it getting around school.
After Toy Story, Mulan and Pocahontas we were halfway through watching the first Harry Potter movie when the doctors finally arrived. It was almost eight o'clock by the time they did and by eight thirty I was wishing they hadn't.
I'd been ordered to change in the bathroom from my school uniform to a hospital gown which I'd been provided with. I had to remove my underwear as well which was when it really hit me that they were going to have to touch me down there. Alex was in the bathroom with me, folding my school uniform to prevent it from creasing, when she noticed the horrified, stunned expression on my face.
"Baby, I know that it will be tough but you know you need to do this. After this it will be over and we can go home, okay?" She asked with a small smile, trying to reassure me that it was going to be okay.
I felt my throat drying up rapidly and when I managed to get my words out, they were croaky and hoarse. "Will you come in with me?" I pleaded quietly, my eyes watering at the thought of what was about to happen.
"Of course I will, beautiful." She replied with a soft smile. I heard the police lady that had to watch my video interview in the other room call Alex out and she left with an apologetic smile. I stared at myself in the mirror; I was ghostly pale, the hospital gown made me look fat and I felt like a total mess. My eyes had dark bags underneath them, probably from stress, and my mascara was still smudged from the last time I cried (at some point during Pocahontas.) "Mitchie?" I heard Alex call quietly from the other side of the door, pulling me from my thoughts of self-hatred.
"Coming," I responded shakily. I followed Alex, her hand holding mine firmly, through the small hallway of the house and into the medical room. The complex looking computer was fired up and the lights were all on, causing a greenish tint to my bare skin. Two male doctors and the female police lady were waiting for us in there. I was told to sit on the bed, which I did, whilst a doctor wrapped a strap around my arm tightly to increase my blood-flow. Before I knew it, a very long, thick, sharp needle was piercing the indent on the inside of my elbow and I was literally screaming in the doctor's face and squeezing the life out of poor Alex's hand.
Once I'd had my injection-wound covered I was pushed down onto the bed so I was lying down. I had my feet together but my knees spread, leaving my most private area, the area only intended for Alex to see, exposed to whoever walked down that end of the bed. The police lady stayed up by my head, taking notes of some sort about the examination whilst the two doctors fiddled with the computer and some other machinery. "I don't want to see it." I croaked out, referring to seeing what the doctors were going to do to me. Seeing it would only make it scarier and more realistic.
"That's fine; I'll just finish writing this then I'll stop you from having to watch." She told me, not looking up from her notepad. A few seconds later she put it down and picked up a large black towel which was folded on the small white table. She quickly unfolded it and held it up above my waist to block my view. Alex was standing next to me, holding my hand tightly and stroking the pad of her thumb against the back of my hand.
The doctors started to do what they had to, I felt myself being poked, prodded and entered by swabbing equipment. It was enough to have me in hysterics; it was safe to say that the experience was traumatic for me. I literally had tears streaming down my face, I'd never cried so much in front of anyone before, not even my mom. Alex knew how much it was truly hurting me, like, it physically caused me pain the way that they were touching me. I felt sick to my stomach and just desperately wanted it to be over. "Shh, it'll be over soon," "You're doing so well, beautiful," "Everything will be okay," "I'm here," and "I know it hurts now but it'll be worth it," were just some of the reassuring words Alex whispered softly into my ear as she stroked my hair with her free hand and allowed me to continuously squeeze her other hand as tightly as I could, probably resulting in a bruised hand.
It took an excruciatingly long time for them to finish everything they had to and then we were finally free to leave. The police officers drove us home and dropped us to my house. I was tired and drained from the day that had finally ended. All I wanted was to cuddle up to my girlfriend and go to sleep, I wanted her to hold me and protect me whilst I drifted off to slumber on her chest. I was dreading waking up to another nightmare but I was so tired that I just had to sleep.
"Hey, honey, how are you?" My mom asked tentatively the second we sauntered through the door. I had my head resting heavily on Alex's shoulder and her arm wrapped securely around my waist. Upon hearing my mom's voice I opened my eyes slightly and shook my head tiredly, rubbing my extremely heavy eyelids.
"Coping, you?" I responded simplistically. I wasn't in the mood to talk. Everything was aching and moving my lips was yet another thing that was uncomfortable for me. I was physically and emotionally drained after the long, traumatic day. All I wanted was to cuddle my girlfriend and drift off to sleep.
"I've been so worried about you. How was it?" My mom asked cautiously; she was clearly trying not to trigger anything emotional for me.
"I'd honestly rather not talk about it, I'd just like to go to sleep please." I admitted quietly, lifting my head from Alex's shoulder and covering my mouth with my hand to conceal my yawn. "Can Lexi stay tonight, pretty please?" I asked hopefully, highly doubting that my mom would say no given the circumstances. I made it quite clear since it happened that I didn't want her to leave me.
"She can stay in the spare bedroom." My mom told me firmly.
"Mom, I promise you that after yesterday there is no way in hell we'll be doing anything together. Please, mom. I just want her to hold me and be there for me tonight." I practically begged, slipping my arm to tangle with Alex's so I could rest it around her waist whilst her own kept its tight grip on my hip which was furthest away from her. I gripped tightly at the fabric of her school blazer and dug my nails into her skin, causing her to wince slightly. I was determined not to let go.
"Okay, fine. I believe you and I trust you both. Do you want me in there with you again?" She agreed with an eyebrow raised. I loosened my grip on Alex's blazer and simply allowed my arm to lazily rest around her small waist.
"I think I'll be okay with just Lexi tonight, but if you want to stay as well then you're more than welcome." I told her quietly. I wanted lots of company because I felt safe with Alex and my mom and I didn't want either of them to leave me, however I guessed that if I woke up screaming again I would wake my mom too and she was not a very pleasant person when she was suffering from sleep deprivation.
"Okay, sweetheart, you know that if you need anything you can come straight to me, don't hesitate to wake me up. I know you're going to need me for a while now. Alex, you too, if you're struggling with her tonight for whatever reason just come and fetch me."
"We will do, Sonny, goodnight." Alex bade my mom kindly, removing her hand from my hip and slipping it into my own, tangling our fingers together just the way I liked it. "Come on, beautiful, you need to sleep." She told me, as if I wasn't already fully aware and more than willing to comply.
"Night, mom, I love you." I told my mom, gingerly placing a soft kiss on her forehead before following Alex up the stairs.
"I love you too. Sleep well, girls!" She called to us as we reached the middle of the staircase.
The next chapter is where it all gets good. I know this one was a little crap but I figured I'd make it realistic.
You know the drill on the reviews/update deal, guys! I love your opinions.