Chapter five:: A Close Call

When we finally pulled apart Reid led me into another room where people were mostly just hanging out and talking. Some were doing other things in the corner that, if sober, they would be embarrassed of.

"So how was your Christmas?"

"It was alright. My mother and her boyfriend came into town to visit. Dad came home from London." I tried to hide my distaste for my mother but he still caught it.

"What? Is the boyfriend an asshole or something?

I groaned, "No, that's the problem. It would be so much easier to hate him if he was a prick. Instead he's this super nice guy who has to keep paying for dinner and making my mother happy. Why can't life cut me a break?"

He laughed, "You have problems."

"You have no idea." I leaned back on the couch and felt his arm snake around my neck.

"Did they at least get you anything good for Christmas?"

"Well she did get me this awesome little elephant figurine that holds tea lights."

"That's it?"

"Plus money, clothes, and spa treatments. I liked the elephant more than the other shit though. They took me out to dinner but I claimed stomach problems in the middle of it. I couldn't take one more second of Mr. Nice Guy."

He laughed, "What about your dad?"

"Um, he got me a really nice painting. It's got a bunch of wildflowers on the bottom, a beautiful little meadow, all set under a starlit night. Kind of a day meets night sort of thing. Along with the usual gifts money, new phone."

"Anything else interesting," he prompted, frowning.

I played dumb, "No, that was pretty much it." I ran my fingers along the necklace for good measure.

He groaned, "You'd better tell me you like it this instant or I'll take it back."

I smiled ear to ear, "Reid, it's beautiful and I love it. Thank you."

He smiled back at me. "It's about damn time. I've been waiting for that for five days, where've you been at?"

I frowned, that was the million dollar question.

….

Holy shit. I was upstairs in one of the houses many bedrooms. The party was still in full swing downstairs from the sound of it. I looked at the guy currently licking my neck as if it were his own personal ice cream cone. It wasn't Reid. Fucking shit, it was one of Aaron Abbott's goonies. This was not good. And by god what was with the tongue thing, he was like a Komodo dragon or something.

"Hey Komodo, cut it out, I'm going back downstairs" I said, attempting to squirm out from under him. From the look of his glazed over eyes he was way gone. How had I ended up here with this idiot? I mean I've taken guys upstairs at parties before but I always remembered it and always when I was in the right frame of mind.

"No, you're not," he said continuing to molest my neck. His hands began sliding up under my shirt.

"Oh, hell no," I said, shoving his hand away and sitting up, "You're not getting any from me buddy."

"Why not? Everyone else has," he said with a laugh.

Before I could stop myself I slapped the living hell out of him. If I wasn't afraid of repercussions I'd be proud of myself. "No they fucking haven't you piece of shit."

He slapped me back with a force that made me fall back on the bed, face stinging, and things went blurry for a moment.

"Now when you came up here you told me all the things you were going to do for me and you're not leaving until you do them." He began unzipping his pants and I opened my mouth to scream. I let out about half of one before he threw his hand over my mouth and muffled it. With his other hand he undid the button on my pants.

My eyes widened in horror and I struggled to get out from underneath his weight. It was no use. Reid. I begged mentally for him to come and find me. I was still struggling underneath him trying to get out but unfortunately this aided him in sliding my jeans down further. As he grabbed my underwear I started crying and my mind filled with some kind of black emotion. It was then that the door came flying open. Reid took in the scene and I felt an unparalleled shame. I wanted nothing more at that moment than for him to be as far away from me as possible. As soon as I thought it he flew across the room as if some invisible person had thrown him. I looked towards Reid, his eyes were black.

I yanked my jeans back up and hurried over to Reid who wrapped me into his arms. He looked confused.

"Your eyes," I said to him, my voice shaking.

His eyebrows furrowed further and he was about to say something when Komodo moved in the corner.

Reid began pummeling him, his face twisted with fury, and I shook off my confusion. I ran over to Reid and grabbed his arm, he swung around to face me, his eyes still pitch black. My terror escalated and I yanked on his arm.

"Reid, let's go, please," I begged him.

He shook his head. "Please, come with me." I placed a hand on his arm and began backing up slowly towards the door. I ran a hand across my eyes, wiping away the tears and looked back at him, his eyes were normal. We walked out into the hallway and he braced himself against the wall.

He gently took my hand and led me down the stairs and into his car. He turned on the car and put the heat all the way up before turning to me and placing a hand on my cheek,

"Are you okay Jenna?"

I stared at him for a moment and nodded.

"What happened back there? You were right next to me and when I looked back you were gone. How did you end up in that room?"

I shook my head and started crying again.

"You can tell me Jenna, you don't have to be ashamed."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't remember how I got there."

His brow furrowed again, "Did someone slip you something?"

"No," I whispered.

"Are you having one of those post traumatic moments?"

I bit my lip and looked into beautiful blue eyes. Should I tell him? God knows I've wanted to tell someone for so long. For the past two months I've wanted to tell someone. I'd never gotten hurt before now from it. I looked away from him, "I just don't remember. Reid, what did you do to him. Your eyes…."

This time he looked away, "I didn't do anything. I wish I had done more."

I leaned over and wrapped my arms around his neck. He didn't want to tell me what happened, that was fine, I had my own secrets too. "Thank you Reid," I said, my face buried into his neck. I wanted him to know that I was grateful.

...

After making sure Jenna got home okay Reid met up with they boys at Caleb's. He was the last to arrive and when he did they looked up at him, questions in their eyes.

"What's going on Reid. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything Caleb. Jesus fucking Christ."

Tyler cut Caleb off, "Just tell us what happened Reid."

He filled them in quickly on Jenna's close call.

"That's horrible but I don't get what that has to do with us," Pogue said from beside the fireplace.

"Jenna Used. I saw her eyes turn black, it was only for a moment, but they did. How is that possible?"

The boys were silent.

Caleb was the first one to speak, "Are you sure that's what you saw?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. She doesn't even know she did it, she thought it was me."

Tyler ran his hands through his hair, "It's not possible Reid."

"I KNOW THAT. But it doesn't change the fact that she Used. She lied to me afterwards. In my car I asked her what happened and she said she couldn't remember."

Caleb looked at him, "Find out Reid. Tyler, ask you dad if he knows anything about how this could happen."

Pogue sighed audibly in the corner, "Here we go again. Isn't senior year supposed to be easy?"