Chapter 3

Beverly Ann was standing at the base of the stairs when she heard Rick tell the girls, "It's over." As he raced to the door, he gave Beverly Ann a defeated glance and let out a sad sigh. Beverly Ann knew that the girls were old enough to solve their own problems, but she desperately wanted to offer the same support her sister had for years. She decided that she would give the girls a few minutes alone, then go up and ask what was going on.

After Rick made his huge declaration, Natalie, Tootie, and Blair entered the bedroom. Jo was once again face down on her bed, her body shaking from her sobs.

"What the hell is Rick doing? How could he do that? Jo, what in the world is going on today? Are the fates just playing a cruel joke on us or are you and Rick just trying to drive us crazy?" Natalie shouted without taking a breath or waiting for an answer to any of her questions.

Blair gently placed a hand on Natalie's shoulder. "Calm down, Nat. Let Jo have some time."

"No, Blair," Jo responded with a sniff, "she deserves to know the truth." Jo got up and turned around to face her friends. "You see . . . " Jo began.

"Girl, what happened to your face?" Tootie asked interrupting Jo's explanation.

Jo brought her left hand up to the gash on her cheek. It had long stopped bleeding, but it still hurt when she touched it. "Well, guys, um, uh . . ."

Blair went up to stand by her friend and gently guided her to sit down. "It's okay, Jo. We're here for you." Blair sat next to Jo and gently placed her hand on top of her friend's hand.

Jo shook her head in acknowledgement while trying to draw the strength from Blair. "Guys, I was attacked."

"Attacked?" Natalie and Tootie asked in unison. They were shocked at what they were hearing.

"Yeah, uh, I was at the center and, um, well I was . . ." Jo was having trouble voicing what had happened to her. So she finished her sentence by saying ". . . stupid. I made a mistake and I guess I got what I deserved."

Blair leaned close to her friend. "Jo," Blair said, "you did not deserve this. I told you that before."

Jo abruptly turned on Blair all of a sudden. "What if I did Blair," Jo retorted. "I mean I have done a lot of horrible things in the past. I was a bully and a jerk. I was vulgar and mean and threatened anyone who would get in my way. I mean, I even hit you at one time. Why would I of all people deserve to be happy?"

"But Jo," argued Blair, "you are also smart and sweet and protective."

"And caring and helpful and supportive," added Natalie coming up to sit on Jo's other side and grasping her left hand.

"And funny and strong and talented," said Tootie as she came up and sat next to Natalie.

"And the best friend anyone could ever ask for," concluded Blair.

Jo smiled a shy smile at Blair. "Thanks," she mouthed.

At that moment, Beverly Ann entered the bedroom and broke the touching moment of the girls just sitting together holding hands. "What's going on?" asked Beverly Ann. "I have Casey downstairs watching Pippa and Andy, Rick just stormed out of the house talking about it being over, and I am awaiting the arrival of Jeff, Snake, and . . . "

All of a sudden Jo looked up with a pained expression on her face as she finished Beverly Ann's sentence ". . . my father." Jo brought her hand to her mouth as she said, "Excuse me," as she abruptly rose from the bed, rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door.

"What's with her?" asked Beverly Ann.

"I think we need to catch you up to speed," said Blair as she went down and guided Beverly Ann up to Jo's bed to sit down. "About seven years ago, one of my friends, Harrison Andrews, transferred to Bates from Switzerland . . ."

"Friends? More like future couple of the century," Natalie and Tootie quipped as they laughed and nudged each other.

Blair just glared at her friends and continued, "Anyway, he was supposed to ask me to a cotillion that was being held at the High Crest Country Club,"

"And she was dropped like yesterday's news," Natalie joked.

"Yeah, she was not center of attention for once," Tootie added.

Blair ignored her friends' verbal jabs, "but he took Jo instead. I tried to convince her not to go, but she needed to prove that she could survive in my world. I knew that she would face trouble, but I never thought that Harrison would try to take advantage of her."

Natalie and Tootie stopped laughing. "What?" they asked together.

"We never told you guys the whole story. You know that Jo came home early and Harrison tried to return her shoe . . ." Tootie and Natalie nodded in unison. "Well, the truth is that he took Jo to the ninth green and tried to force himself on her." Natalie, Tootie, and Beverly Ann looked on in shock. "When Jo resisted, he tried to make her relax by pushing her down into a big sand trap."

"Blair," Tootie interjected, "he didn't . . ."

"No, Tootie. She hit him with Mrs. Garrett's shoe and ran home."

"She must have been so scared," replied Natalie remembering her own narrow escape from being the victim of sexual assault.

"She was shook up," answered Blair, "but she didn't want anyone to worry about her. She was too proud to admit that she misjudged his character."

"How do you know all this, Blair?" Natalie asked with a questioning look on her face.

"We talked about it," Blair responded.

Tootie did her customary chuckle of disbelief and said, "You . . . and Jo . . . our Jo . . . talked?"

"Yes, Tootie."

"Without yelling?"

"Yes, Tootie. When you guys went back upstairs after raiding the snack machine, I had a long talk with Jo in the lounge. She told me everything about how Harrison acted all suave and well mannered. He was the perfect gentleman, until they got to the club that is. Then, he invited her outside to take a walk with him before the dance. He was so convincing as a nice guy. It is easy to see how anyone, even Jo, could fall for his charm." Blair paused and shook her head in dismay. "I just can't believe I never saw it before."

"Saw what, Blair?" asked Tootie.

"Natalie was right, sort of. Harrison was not in flux, he was in heat. All he wanted was sexual gratification and he thought Jo would give it to him."

"You mean," said Natalie, "he thought she was easy?"

Blair nodded her head yes.

"Jo may have played Easy Rider, but easy? Never," confirmed Tootie.

"Yeah, I mean Jo was just so, I don't know, careful. She didn't even go too far with Eddie."

"I know, Nat, I know. Jo, despite what people may think, is not that kind of girl either. It was all appearances." Tears were beginning to form in Blair's eyes.

Beverly Ann, who had been unusually quiet throughout the entire conversation, finally spoke up. "What is it Blair?" she asked.

"She looked so vulnerable after the dance, I thought that Harrison had broken her, but she was so strong through the whole ordeal. Although she fought past it, I know that she never forgot. It was the one time she admitted to letting her guard down. And tonight, tonight I saw that same look of defeat in her eyes. Who would have guessed that lightning would strike the same person twice." Blair turned toward Natalie with tears falling freely down her face now. As she reached up to wipe them away she quipped, "Nat, your fates were working overtime on this one."

"What are you talking about, Blair?" Natalie asked.

"He came back," Blair answered.

"Who? Harrison?"

"Yes, Tootie." Blair wiped her eyes again. "He has been stalking Jo ever since, plotting his revenge."

"Blair," Beverly Ann interjected, "people don't really stalk others that long. I mean, Jo even moved to California."

"Beverly Ann, you don't know what lengths people in my social circle are willing to go to in order to get what they want. Someone like Harrison would not let a girl who is below him reject his advances. His ego is too strong for that. When you are made of money, you get what you are after no matter what the cost."

"Blair, what's the bottom line here?" asked Natalie.

"Nat, Harrison stalked Jo. He knows everything about her – about us. And he . . . he raped her and beat her up."

Beverly Ann, Natalie, and Tootie all gasped, but it was the youngest who spoke first.

"Poor, Jo," said Tootie shaking her head.

"No wonder she came running in without talking to us," replied Natalie.

"Guys, I promised her that I wouldn't tell you," said Blair.

"It would make a great headline "BILLIONAIRE BATTERS BRONX BOMBSHELL AND BRIDE-TO-BE FOR BOYHOOD BELITTLEMENT AND BADLY BRUISED EGO," mused Natalie as she slipped into journalist mode.

"Focus Nat," said Tootie snapping her fingers inches from Natalie's face.

"Oh, right. Well, what's she going to do now? Have the creep arrested?" asked Natalie.

"I don't know," replied Blair shaking her head. "I just don't know."