A/N: This chapter has a major, MAJOR trigger warning because a main character gets sexually assaulted. If you are sensitive to topics concerning SA or simply do not want to read the nitty gritty details, I highly advise that you skip this chapter. This chapter exists to build character development for several characters. It is, however, not necessary to read this chapter to understand what happened to the character who was attacked. Please please PUH-LEEZ skip this chapter if you must!
***Monaco by Bad Bunny
Looking back on the past three weeks, William can't help but feel a sense of sheer exhaustion wash over him. Even though Kadic's soccer season had come to an end with the championship match almost a month ago, it has been a relentless few weeks of trying to keep all the balls in the air. His life has become a constant juggling act with his efforts to maintain a perfect balance between the academic demands of Kadic, the late-night Replika missions run by Jeremie and Herve, and his role as a substitute player for FC Versailles 78.
In the whirlwind of responsibilities, he had done his best to make sure his relationship with Aelita didn't end up as an unintended casualty of the chaos. Even so, with all the pressure on his shoulders, sometimes their relationship does end up taking a bit of a backseat. Luckily for him, Aelita is a gentle and understanding girlfriend, and her unwavering support spurs him onward.
He sits up in bed, glancing at the clock on his nightstand. 05:10, five minutes before his alarm is supposed to go off. He sighs heavily. He had skipped last night's Replika mission in the hopes that getting to sleep early would help him feel his best this morning, but it seems his efforts were futile. He still feels immensely rundown and unprepared for the match today. After winning against Le Mans last weekend, Versailles is up against Niort today in the Coupe de France. It's going to be a challenging game against the fellow Championnat National team vying for advancement in the tournament standings. In the back of his mind, he's thankful that he's only a substitute player and not a starter for now.
William rubs his eyes and swings his legs over the side of the bed. He stands up and stretches, his back cracking in several places. He lets out another heavy sigh and trudges over to his closet. He pulls out his warm-up gear and a fresh pair of socks and underwear. He changes into his clothes, his mind still half-asleep. He sits down on the edge of his bed and pulls on his socks and shoes.
As he ties his laces, he can't help but feel a sense of excitement begin to bubble up inside him. He may not be starting, but he'll still get to play a few minutes on the field. The prospect of playing professional soccer is a dream come true for him, and he'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.
William finishes tying his shoes and stands up. He grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder. He makes his way out of his dorm room, closing the door quietly to avoid disturbing Bastien, who is still sound asleep. He heads for his car.
The drive to the training center is uneventful, and William arrives with plenty of time to spare. He parks his car and makes his way into the locker room.
"Morning, William," his coach greets him.
"Good morning, Coach," William replies.
"Excited for the game?"
"Yeah. I can't wait."
"Good. You're gonna get some time on the pitch today, so be ready."
"I will." William sets his bag down on a bench.
The rest of the team starts to trickle in, and soon, the locker room is filled with the sounds of chatter and laughter.
"Alright, boys," the coach calls out, "it's time to get serious. We've got a tough game ahead of us, and we can't afford to lose."
The players fall silent, their attention on the coach.
"Niort is a strong team, and they're not going to go down without a fight. But we're Versailles, and we're one of the best in the league. We can beat them, and we will beat them. Now, let's get on that bus and show Niort what we're made of."
The players cheer, their spirits high. They file out of the locker room and onto the bus, ready for the game.
William sits down in the front row of the bus, his thoughts racing. He knows he needs to focus on the game, but his mind keeps drifting back to Aelita. He clenches his jaw. He wishes she could be there to watch him play, but he knows that's not possible.
The bus pulls out of the parking lot, and the players settle in for the hour-long drive to Niort.
Sissi hums along to the music playing from her speaker as she toys with her hair in front of the mirror. She's dressed to the nines, her makeup perfectly applied and her outfit impeccable.
"Aelita, are you okay?" Sissi asks.
Aelita sits on Sissi's bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. She's dressed in a simple black dress and her hair is pulled back in a ponytail.
"I'm fine," Aelita replies, her voice quiet.
"You don't seem fine. You've been acting weird all week."
"I'm just tired. I've been studying a lot lately."
"Well, you need to relax. That's what tonight is all about."
"I guess."
"Come on, Lita. Live a little. It'll be fun, I promise."
Aelita sighs. "Okay."
"That's the spirit." Sissi turns back to the mirror and continues to primp.
Aelita sighs softly. It's not the whole truth, but it's not a lie either. She has been studying a lot, but that's not the reason she's feeling so down.
She's worried about William. She knows how important the game against Niort is to him, and she wishes she could be there to support him. But she knows it's not possible to be at every single one of his games.
Still though, she can't help but feel guilty. She's been so wrapped up in her own problems that she's barely had time to think about William and his needs. She resolves to make it up to him when he gets back. She glances at the clock. It's almost time to leave for the party. She stands up and smooths out her dress.
"Ready?" Sissi asks, turning to face her.
"Eh. Not really. Something doesn't feel right. I'm not in the mood for a party," Aelita replies.
"Nonsense. You'll have a great time, I promise."
"No, seriously. I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Maybe we should stay in tonight."
"Don't be ridiculous. What could go wrong? It's just a party. Come on, let's go."
Aelita sighs again. "Okay."
"Here," Sissi says, handing her friend a filled shot glass. "Maybe a little pregaming will help you feel better."
Aelita eyes the shot warily. "I don't know, Sis."
"Just one. It'll loosen you up."
"Fine." Aelita downs the shot, scrunching up her face at the bitter taste.
"Atta girl," Sissi says, grinning. "Now, let's go have some fun."
Aelita follows Sissi out of the room, her stomach churning with anxiety.
They make their way to the elevator and head down to the lobby.
"I called us a cab. It should be here any minute," Sissi says.
"Great," Aelita replies with a voice lacking enthusiasm.
"Don't worry, Lita. We'll have a great time, I promise."
"I hope so."
"I know so." Sissi waves an arm in the air, signaling for the taxi.
The cab pulls up, and the girls climb in.
"Where to?" the driver asks.
Sissi pulls out her phone. "8 Avenue de la Sérénade, Garches, please."
"You got it."
The cab pulls away from the curb, and the girls are on their way.
"Honestly, I can't believe you scored an invite to this party," Aelita says.
"I know, right? Everyone who's anyone is gonna be there. It's gonna be epic."
"I sure hope so."
"It will be. Trust me."
After a short drive, the cab pulls up to the venue, and the girls get out.
"Wow," Aelita says, her eyes wide. "This place is pretty nice for a house party."
"I know, right? The host must be loaded," Sissi says, tugging on Aelita's arm. "Let's go inside."
Aelita follows her friend inside, her nerves on edge. The interior of the house is packed with people, the music is blaring, and the energy is palpable. "This is insane," Aelita says, her voice barely audible over the noise.
"I know, right? Let's get a drink."
Aelita grumbles but follows her friend.
The girls make their way to the kitchen, where a makeshift bar has been set up.
"What can I get you ladies?" the bartender asks.
"Two shots of tequila, please," Sissi replies.
Aelita scrunches her nose but says nothing.
The bartender pours two shots and slides them across the counter.
Sissi picks up a shot and hands it to Aelita. "Cheers," she says, clinking her shot glass against Aelita's.
"Cheers," Aelita replies, her voice lacking enthusiasm.
The girls down their shots, the liquor burning their throats.
"Another round, please," Sissi says.
Aelita groans. "I don't know about this, Sissi."
"Oh, come on. Lighten up. We're here to have fun, remember?"
"I know, but... I'm just not feeling it tonight."
"One more shot, and then we'll go mingle. Deal?"
Aelita sighs. "Fine. Deal."
The bartender pours two more shots, and the girls down them.
"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sissi asks.
"No, I guess not."
"Come on, let's go have some fun."
The girls make their way into the living room, where the crowd is thickest and the music is loudest. Aelita scans the crowd, her eyes landing on a familiar face. "Oh, no," she says, her stomach dropping.
"What?" Sissi asks, noticing her friend's facial expression. "What's wrong?"
"I just saw someone I really don't want to see."
"Who?"
"Pelletier."
"What? Where?"
"Over there." Aelita points to the far corner of the room, where Pelletier is standing with a group of friends. He's angled slightly away from them, but Aelita can still tell that it's him.
"Ugh. Ignore him. He's not worth your time. Come on, let's dance."
Sissi drags Aelita in the opposite direction of Pelletier and onto the makeshift dance floor, the alcohol starting to take effect. The two girls dance together, and Aelita does her best to lose herself in the music, but she can't help but feel uneasy.
"Hey," Sissi says, nudging her, "relax. You're way too tense."
"Sorry," Aelita mumbles under her breath.
"I'm gonna go get another drink. You want anything?"
"Actually, I could go for some jungle juice right now."
"Now that's what I like to hear!" Sissi disappears into the crowd, leaving Aelita alone on the dance floor.
Aelita looks around nervously, and her gaze lands on Pelletier all the way on the other side of the room. He's now facing in her direction, staring right at her. His facial expression is unreadable. She shudders and turns away, her heart pounding in her chest.
Sissi reappears then, a red solo cup in each hand.
"Here ya go," she says, handing one of the cups to Aelita.
"Thanks," Aelita replies, taking a sip. The jungle juice tastes quite strong tonight, but she doesn't care. She needs something to take the edge off. "So, how come Odd couldn't come tonight?" she asks, raising her voice to be heard over the music.
"He said he had to study for a test," Sissi replies, rolling her eyes.
"Really? He's not usually the type to study."
"I know, right? He's been acting weird lately."
Aelita shrugs and takes another sip of her drink, her head starting to spin. She ignores the warning bells going off in her head and continues to drink.
"Hey, you okay?" Sissi asks, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Aelita replies, her words slurring.
The music changes to a song with a different beat***, and Sissi squeals. "I love this song! Come on, let's dance!"
Aelita reluctantly follows Sissi back onto the dance floor, her head still spinning. She sways her hips to the beat as her inhibitions slowly fade away. She closes her eyes, losing herself in the music.
After many minutes of dancing with Sissi and a group of other girls, Aelita steps away from the dance floor again. She leans against a wall, her head swimming. She takes a deep breath in an effort to steady herself.
Sissi grips Aelita's shoulders. "Woah, there. You alright?" she asks again.
"I'm fine," Aelita replies, her voice shaky.
"Aelita, you seem like you're getting legit drunk. Do you want to get out of here?"
"I'm fine. Really. I think I'm just gonna go splash some cold water on my face and see if that helps." Aelita pushes away from the wall and stumbles towards the bathroom.
"Okay, but if you're not back in fifteen minutes, I'm coming to get you."
"Okay, mom," Aelita says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She makes her way to the bathroom, her head still spinning. She pushes the door open and steps inside, and the cool air blasts her face. She leans over the sink, her hands gripping the edge tightly. She takes a few deep breaths, trying to clear her head.
"Fancy seeing you here, Pinky."
Aelita startles, her heart leaping into her throat. She turns to see Brandon Pelletier leaning against the bathroom door, a smug smile on his face. "Pelletier... w-what are you doing here?"
"Me? I live here," Brandon replies, his eyes raking over her body. "I could ask you the same question. But I know exactly why you're here."
Aelita stays silent, her heart pounding in her chest.
"You're here because that Delmas chick got an invite to this party, and she dragged you along. Am I right?"
Aelita doesn't respond.
"I'll take that as a yes." Brandon steps closer to her, his eyes dark. "And who do you think made sure that invite ended up in her hands?"
"You?" Aelita asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Bingo. See, I knew you weren't as dumb as you look." Brandon moves closer still, his body inches from hers. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, Aelita. I don't take kindly to people humiliating me."
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to you."
"Can't argue with that one. But you know who did?" Brandon's voice is laced with venom. "Your boyfriend."
"William? What did he do?" Aelita takes a step away from him.
"He humiliated me. He took the title from my team. He made us look like fools." Brandon's eyes flash with anger. "He thinks he's hot shit because he's gone semi-pro. He thinks he can do no wrong. He thinks he's untouchable. But he's not. And he's gonna learn that the hard way."
Aelita backs up until her back is pressed against the wall. "What are you talking about?"
Brandon advances on her, his eyes clouded and narrowed. "I'm gonna show him that he's not as invincible as he thinks. And I'm gonna start by making him watch as I take what's his."
"You're insane," she spits out.
"Maybe. But Dunbar should've listened when I told him he'll get what's coming to him," he sneers. "Now. On your knees."
Aelita shakes her head, her heart hammering in her chest. She attempts to push past him, but he blocks her path.
"On. Your. Knees," Brandon repeats, his voice low and threatening.
Aelita shakes her head again. "No."
"Fine. Have it your way." Brandon grabs her by the shoulders and shoves her against the wall.
Aelita lets out a yelp of pain as her head hits the wall, her vision blurring.
Brandon's hands move to her throat.
Aelita's eyes widen as he clutches her throat, cutting off her air supply. "You're not William," she squeezes out. "I don't have to do anything you say."
Brandon tightens his grip, his eyes wild with rage. He gets right up in her face, and his breath hot as he speaks. "You're right. I'm not Dunbar. I'm better than him. I'm stronger than him. I'm smarter than him. I'm everything he wishes he could be."
Aelita claws at his hands, trying to loosen his grip.
Brandon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a knife.
Aelita freezes, her eyes widening in fear.
"I may not be Dunbar, Aelita, but you will listen to me." He runs the flat side of the knife across her cheek with his free hand, trailing down to her collarbone. "I've already made up my mind. One way or another, your throat is getting ruined tonight. How it happens is up to you." He loosens his grip and brings the knife up to her neck to make his point clear.
Aelita's mind races as she tries to figure out a way out of this situation. She knows Brandon is not bluffing. He's clearly out of his mind. She also knows that he's stronger than her and that he has a weapon. She's trapped. But maybe she can stall for time in the hopes that Sissi will come find her.
"So, what's it gonna be, Pinky?" Brandon asks, his voice low and menacing. "Are you gonna cooperate, or do I have to force you to?"
"I'll never cooperate with you," Aelita spits out.
"Wrong answer," Brandon says, his voice laced with pure hatred. In one swift movement, he releases his grip on her neck and backhands her hard, sending her crashing to the ground.
Aelita cries out in pain, her head spinning. She tastes blood in her mouth.
Brandon looms over her, his eyes dark and dangerous. He grabs her ponytail and yanks her head back.
Aelita gasps, tears stinging her eyes.
Brandon leans down. He presses the blade of the knife against her neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "You sure know how to make things fun, I'll give you that," he says. "But you're not going to ruin my plans."
Aelita grits her teeth, her heart hammering in her chest harder than ever. She knows she's in serious danger, but she refuses to give Brandon the satisfaction of seeing her afraid. She knows that's precisely what he's going for here.
"You're going to do exactly what I say, when I say it." Brandon presses the blade harder against her neck, the sharp edge digging into her skin. "Or else."
Aelita lets out a whimper, her eyes wide with fear.
"That's more like it," Brandon says, his voice dripping with malice. He uses one hand to free himself from his pants while the other holds the knife firmly against her neck. "Now, open that pretty little mouth of yours."
Aelita hesitates, her mind racing. She knows that if she doesn't comply, Brandon will hurt her even more. But if she does, he'll destroy her. She's conflicted.
"I said, open your fucking mouth," Brandon growls, pressing the blade harder against her neck.
Aelita flinches, her eyes stinging with more tears. She knows she has no choice. She slowly opens her mouth.
Brandon smirks. "Good girl." He reestablishes his grip on her hair, turning his knuckles white, and forces himself into her mouth.
Aelita chokes, her eyes watering even more, tears spilling over. She struggles against him, but he's too strong.
Brandon thrusts his hips, hitting the back of her throat.
Aelita gags on him. She claws at his thighs, trying to push him away.
Brandon laughs. "You can't stop me, Aelita. You're nothing but a pathetic little whore. Dunbar won't even want you after this."
Aelita's heart shatters at his words. She knows he's right. William will never forgive her for this. She feels the tears streaming down to her chin, mingling with the blood from her split lip.
"That's right, cry for me, bitch," Brandon says, his voice dripping with contempt. He continues to thrust his hips, hitting the back of her throat with each movement. His thrusting starts to become erratic as he nears his climax.
Aelita can feel him twitching in her mouth, and she knows he's close. She braces herself for what's about to happen.
Brandon pulls out of her mouth lets out a guttural moan as he cums, his cock pulsing with each hot spurt that lands on her face.
Aelita shuts her eyes tightly, and the tears stop pouring. She feels utterly humiliated.
Brandon pants, his breath ragged. He tucks himself back into his pants and straightens up. He looks down at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of mirth and hatred. "You know, Pinky, that's a good look for you. I don't think you've ever been prettier."
Aelita chokes on a sob. She can't bring herself to look at him.
Brandon pulls his phone out of his pocket, then crouches down and grabs her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."
Aelita opens her eyes, her teary gaze meeting his.
Brandon smirks. He lets go of her and points his phone camera at himself, hitting the record button. "Hey, Dunbar. I hope you enjoyed your game today. I know I enjoyed mine. Say hi to your boyfriend, Pinky." He turns the camera to Aelita.
Aelita averts her gaze, her cheeks burning with humiliation.
Brandon grabs her chin again, forcing her to look at the camera. "Don't be rude, sweet cheeks. Say hi."
Aelita swallows hard, her throat raw. "H-hi, William," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
Brandon laughs. "See, Dunbar?" He zooms in on her cum-covered face. "This is what happens when you mess with me. You get what's coming to you. And trust me, I'm only just getting started. If you tell anyone about this, I'll make sure to ruin your life." He stops recording and pockets his phone.
Aelita sobs, her shoulders shaking.
Brandon stands up and looks down at her, his eyes filled with disdain. "Clean yourself up. You're a mess." With that, he turns and leaves the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Aelita sits on the floor, her body trembling. She can't believe what just happened. She feels violated and ashamed. She knows William will never forgive her. In her mind, her life as she knows it is over. She staggers as she slowly stands up, her legs shaking. She grips the edge of the sink, her knuckles white. She stares at her reflection in the dirty mirror, her eyes wide with terror. She's covered in Brandon's cum, her lip is split, and her neck is bleeding. She really is a mess. Slowly, she turns on the cold water and wipes herself clean of the blood and cum. As she does so, she notices a bruise starting to form on her neck. She gently touches it, wincing in pain. She knows it's going to be a nasty reminder of what Brandon did to her. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She knows she can't stay in the bathroom forever. She has to face Sissi eventually.
Aelita exits the bathroom and makes her way through the crowded house towards the front door, her head spinning.
"Lita!" Sissi calls out, her voice filled with relief. "There you are. I was getting worried."
Aelita doesn't respond. She can't bring herself to speak.
"Are you okay?"
Aelita shakes her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Woah, you're bleeding! What happened?" Sissi asks, her voice laced with worry.
Aelita sobs, her shoulders shaking.
"Lita, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
"I-I can't," Aelita says, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Can't what?" Sissi asks, her voice filled with worry.
"Can't be here anymore. I knew we shouldn't have come tonight," Aelita says, her voice breaking. "I'm leaving."
Sissi nods, her brow furrowed with concern. "Okay. Let's go." She calls them a cab back home. While they wait, she watches her friend with worry, unaware of the vicious assault that just happened. A few minutes go by and the cab shows up and the two clamber into the back. "Kadic Academy, please," Sissi tells the driver.
"Sure thing."
The drive back to the dorms is silent, save for Sissi furiously typing away on her phone while Aelita just stares out the window, emotionless.
Sissi's typing culminates in a text directly to William: "hey, not sure what happened tonite, but lita's hurt. rly worried bout her. she hasn't said a word 2 me since we left 15 mins ago."
William responds a few minutes later saying: "Thx 4 tellin me. Still at Niort, bus doesnt leave 4 nother 30. Can u keep an eye on her 4 me?"
Sissi shoots back as the cab pulls up to the dorm building: "ofc"
As the two friends walk into Sissi's room, she tells Aelita, "You sit on the chair, I'm gonna find my first aid kit to get you patched up."
Aelita stares at the floor, still silent until Sissi approaches with a cotton ball sopping with antiseptic. Sissi dabs at her friend's wounds, noting the lack of reaction. She shakes it off and continues cleaning and bandaging Aelita.
"Lita? Hey, Lita?" Sissi waves in front of Aelita's face, trying to get her attention. "I'm all done. Are you feeling any better?"
Fresh tears pour from Aelita's eyes at the question. Aelita stands up and starts walking to the door. "Thanks for your help," she says blankly as she walks out.
Sissi can't help but feel dumbfounded at what she just watched. She kneels in the center of her dorm room's floor unable to comprehend how her normally bright and tender best friend could be so cold and despondent.
William trudges through the door into his room, exhausted from the day behind him. He's happy with the way the game went. Versailles won and he spent about ten minutes on the pitch. However, his mind keeps circling back to that text from Sissi and he can't deny the alarms already going off in his head.
Is Aelita alright? I wonder what happened? Sissi wouldn't have texted me if it were normal party problems. He tries to quiet his brain as he sets his stuff down.
Bastien looks up from the work he's doing at his desk. "'Sup man. How'd the game go?"
"Fine. Great even. We won and I even played a bit," William says with a hint of enthusiasm.
"That's great, dude. By the way, I heard your email ding just before you walked in."
"Cool. Thanks, I'll take a look."
William opens his email inbox to find a few new messages, but the most recent one stands out. He doesn't recognize the address it's from and the title is simply "Check This Out!"
"That's weird. That looks like it should have been sent to spam," William thinks out loud.
From across the room, Bastien says, "Yikes, dude. Don't open that. Probably has a virus."
"I don't know. If it did, my spam filter would have picked it up. And look at this, it's even got an attachment. It looks like a video file."
"Weird. Let me see." Bastien crosses the room and looks over his roommate's shoulder at the screen.
William opens the file and sees a familiar and particularly punchable face on his screen. "What the fuck is this?" he growls.
"Is that Pelletier?" Bastien asks.
William mouses over and presses the play button.
"Hey, Dunbar. I hope you enjoyed your game today. I know I enjoyed mine. Say hi to your boyfriend, Pinky."
As the camera flips to Aelita's battered and defiled face, William sees red, but he can't stop watching. Bastien gasps, he looks down at his friend to try to get a read on his emotions.
Shit. Shit shit shit. This isn't good. Does Pelletier have a death wish? Bastien screams in his head as he processes what he's seeing.
William's mind is racing. He can't believe what he's seeing. Pelletier assaulted Aelita and then recorded it and sent it to him. William's blood is boiling. He's never been so angry in his life. He's going to kill Pelletier. He's going to make him pay for what he did.
"I'm gonna kill him." William leaps up and rushes out the door.
Bastien panics. "William!" He runs after him and grabs him by the arm.
William easily pulls his arm out of his roommate's grip and breaks into a run, flying down the steps when he reaches the staircase.
Bastien scrambles after him, struggling to keep up. "Dammit, man, wait!"
William ignores him and careens through the front door of the building, looking around wildly.
Bastien catches up to him and grabs onto him again, tighter this time. "William, you need to calm down and think things through before you do something stupid!"
William whirls on him. "Calm down? CALM DOWN?! You CAN'T be fucking serious!"
"This is exactly the reaction Pelletier wants you to have. Think of how bad it will look if you go after him. You'll be playing right into his hands!"
William glares at him. "I don't care! He's a dead man!"
"Listen, I get it. I'm pissed too. But you need to think about Aelita. She needs you right now. She needs you to be there for her, not in jail for assault. I know you're angry. I am too. But we need to handle this the right way. We need to report Pelletier. We need to make sure he pays for what he did."
William struggles to rein in his fury, but he knows Bastien is right. William drops to his knees, his legs finally feeling the fatigue of the day and sprinting down multiple flights of stairs. He pounds the ground with clenched fists, screaming into the grass, frustrated that his legs won't do what he wants them to.
Bastien takes a knee next to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, "I can't understand exactly what you're feeling right now, but I'm not such a shitty friend to let you handle this alone. I've got your back."
William is unresponsive, on the verge of hyperventilating—he's breathing so hard.
"Breathe, man. We'll worry about Pelletier later. Right now, we need to focus on getting to Aelita. So I need you to turn your ass back into Bruce Banner and get up. Alright?"
William's breathing begins to slow and he finally looks up at Bastien, eyes full of tears. "Thanks, man." He pushes himself off the ground.
"I'm more than happy to help." Bastien helps him up. "You're in no shape to drive, but you know where we need to go and we need to get there fast. I'll drive, you navigate."
They head to Bastien's car and get in. With their course set, the two set off. The short drive to the Hermitage is silent, tense, and heavy. William has his eyes closed and his arms crossed but Bastien knows his roommate and friend. A quiet Dunbar is a Dunbar to be feared. Bastien can only imagine what's going through his friend's head right now and if it's anything like what's running through his own, it's not good.
They pull up to the Hermitage and William jumps out before Bastien has even put the car in park. "Jesus Christ, man! Hang on!" He shouts from the driver's seat. He runs up behind William as he hammers on the front door. "Anything so far? With knocks like that, you're bound to let the whole neighborhood know you're here."
William spins on him and glares but says nothing. He turns back to the door, knocking even harder. "Aelita! Open up!"
Silence.
William pounds on the door again. "Aelita! It's William! Please open up!"
Still nothing.
William kicks the door, his frustration growing.
Bastien puts a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, chill. You're not gonna get anywhere like this."
William shrugs his hand off. "I'm not leaving until she opens the door."
"I'm not telling you to leave. I'm just saying you need to calm down. You're not gonna help anyone by losing your shit."
William sighs, knowing his friend is right.
"Look," Bastien starts, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I... may or may not know how to pick a lock. I'll see if I can get us in."
William raises an eyebrow. "You know how to pick locks?"
Bastien shrugs. "I may or may not have done some questionable things in my youth."
"Questionable things, huh?" William asks, the slightest hint of amusement in his voice.
"Hey, you're not the only one with a mysterious past. Now, do you want me to pick the lock or not?"
"Do it."
Bastien pulls a paperclip out of his pocket and starts fiddling with the lock.
William watches in fascination as his friend works his magic.
After a few minutes of fiddling, the lock clicks open.
William raises an eyebrow. "Damn. You're good."
The two enter the house and start searching for her.
"Aelita?" William calls out.
Silence.
"Aelita, it's William. Are you here?"
More silence.
William and Bastien exchange worried glances.
"I'm gonna check upstairs," William says, his voice laced with concern.
Bastien nods. "I'll check down here."
William heads upstairs and starts checking the rooms.
"Aelita?"
No response.
William checks every room, but there's no sign of her. Finally, he finds her in the upstairs bathroom, sitting on the floor in the dark.
"Aelita..." he whispers, falling to his knees beside her. He wraps her in his arms tightly.
A switch flips in Aelita's brain, and suddenly she's crying harder than she's ever cried before, her body shaking violently with each sob. "I- I- I'm—"
"Shh. I know." He tightens his grip on her as angry tears slide down his own cheeks. "I know."
Bastien comes up the stairs and watches the scene before him silently from the doorway. Thank God she's safe, he thinks to himself. From the light that bleeds into the bathroom from the hallway, he can see tears streaming down his best friend's face. Bastien looses an emotional exhalation and turns away, bringing a clenched fist to his lips. He's never, ever, seen William cry like this in all the years that he's known him. Not even when he was cheated on and had it publicly rubbed in his face.
William cradles Aelita, rocking her gently, his anger dissipating into sadness. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry," he whispers. "I should've gone with you. I should've been there."
Aelita continues to sob, her shoulders shaking. "I- I- I didn't w-want-t to."
"I know. I know. You don't have to say anything right now. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
Aelita continues to cry, her body wracked with sobs. "I- I'm sorry." Her voice comes out incredibly hoarse.
As William holds her, his heart breaks for her. He can't believe Pelletier would do something like this. He can't believe he would stoop so low.
Bastien takes his phone out of his pocket and steps away from the doorway. He dials the number for one of his older cousins. The line rings and rings, but she doesn't pick up. He growls in frustration and calls again. This time, she picks up.
"Hello?"
Bastien skips the pleasantries. "Camille. I need your help."
"Well, hello to you, too," Camille says sarcastically.
"I'm serious. This is bad."
"What did you do this time?"
Bastien glances behind him before answering, voice hushed. "Are you working tonight?"
"Yes," Camille answers slowly. "Bastien... what's going on?"
"I don't know what your procedures are for this, but if I bring a friend in tonight to be checked out, can you do a rape kit for oral examination or does it have to be vaginal?"
There's a beat of silence on the other end. "Yes. Absolutely."
"Great. I don't know when we'll be there, but we'll be there." Bastien hangs up. He can hear William speaking softly behind him.
"You're safe now, Lita. I'm gonna protect you. I promise."
Aelita's soft crying is slowly starting to slow down.
Bastien exhales again. He turns around and approaches the couple on the bathroom floor. "William."
William wipes away Aelita's tears before wordlessly looking up at his friend.
Bastien feels like he's taken a knife to the chest when he sees William's facial expression, but he continues. "I called my cousin. She's an emergency physician at the hospital. She's willing to do a rape kit on Aelita. We should go."
The sound of a strangled sob leaves Aelita's lips.
William, too, reacts to the usage of that word, but with a grimace. "Okay." He slowly stands up, picking Aelita up with him.
Bastien's eyes widen. "Is she okay to walk?"
William adjusts his grip on her. "I'll carry her."
"Alright. Let's go."
The trio makes their way downstairs and out the door.
"I'll drive," Bastien says.
William nods wordlessly. When they get to the car, he gently sits Aelita in the back seat and climbs in with her.
Bastien gets in the driver's seat and starts the car.
The ride to the hospital is silent but for the sound of the road noise and Aelita's occasional sniffles and shudders.
When they arrive at Ambroise Paré, Bastien leads the way inside.
"Camille!" he calls out.
A woman with long, dark hair turns around. "Bastien," she says, her voice laced with concern. Her eyes fall on William and Aelita. "This way." She leads them to a private room.
"Sir, I'm gonna need you to step out for a minute," Camille says.
William tightens his grip on Aelita. "No. I'm not leaving her."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do the exam with you in the room. It's protocol."
William hesitates.
"Will, it's okay," Aelita says softly.
William reluctantly lets go of her.
"I can't promise I'll be quick, but I'll be as gentle as I can," Camille says.
William nods. He kisses Aelita on the forehead before stepping out of the room.
Camille closes the door and turns to Aelita. "My name is Camille. What's your name?"
"Aelita."
"What a pretty name." Camille smiles sweetly. "Okay, so first, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"
Aelita nods, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay."
"Did the person who assaulted you use a condom?"
Aelita shakes her head.
"Did they use any lubricant?"
Aelita shakes her head again.
Camille writes down the answers on a clipboard. "Okay. I'm going to have to ask you to remove your clothes now. Here, you can put these on instead." She hands her a hospital gown and some socks.
Aelita nods and slowly takes off her clothes.
"I'm going to take some swabs of your mouth and throat. Is that okay?"
Aelita nods.
Camille gathers the necessary swabs and containers.
"Okay. I'm going to have to ask you to open your mouth and say 'ah'."
Aelita does as she's told.
Camille carefully swabs her cheeks, tongue, and throat. "You're doing a great job, Aelita. Just a few more swabs to go." She takes swabs of her neck, chest, and thighs.
Aelita winces as Camille swabs her neck.
"I'm sorry. I'm almost done. Is there anywhere else on your body I should try get samples from?" Camille asks slowly, choosing her words carefully. Aelita shakes her head, so Camille finishes up the swabs and labels them. "Okay. You can get dressed now."
Aelita puts on the hospital gown and socks.
"I'm going to take these samples to the lab for analysis. I'll be back soon."
Aelita nods.
Camille leaves the room and closes the door behind her.
William looks up from where he's sitting, and catches Camille on her way. "Are we allowed to be with her now?"
Camille nods. "Yes, go ahead. I'm all done in there for now."
William and Bastien look at each other and nod. They enter the room slowly and cautiously.
Aelita looks up at them, her eyes red and puffy.
William sits next to her and finally takes his first real look at her in the light. New tears start forming as his eyes roam over her beaten and battered face. The normal brightness in her green eyes is gone, replaced with an empty, glazed-over stare. He pulls her into a side hug, her head resting on his shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" Bastien asks, his voice laced with concern.
Aelita shrugs.
William tightens his grip on her.
"What did Camille say?" Bastien asks slowly.
"She took swabs of my mouth and throat. She said she's gonna test them for DNA."
William's jaw clenches but he says nothing.
"That's good," Bastien says. "That means there's a chance Pelletier could be charged."
Aelita nods, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah."
William forces himself to relax his jaw and softly kisses the top of her head.
Camille knocks as she walks back into the room, a cup of water in her free hand. "Here, Aelita. I brought this for you." Aelita grabs it and slowly starts to drink. Everyone in the room is silent, just watching her.
Camille brings another chair to Aelita's bedside. "I know you've gone through a lot, we're all here to help you, Aelita. I do have to ask, though. Do you need or want help reporting this?"
Aelita vehemently shakes her head, "No!" Her loud response almost echos around the room, and the other three look at her with shocked faces. She drops to a whisper. "Please, don't."
William responds immediately, "Aelita, we need to report this."
"You can't. I don't want this to affect you," she pleads.
"Aelita, come—"
Bastien cuts his friend off. "Will! Give it a rest. She said no." He turns to Camille and asks, "Can I talk to you outside, really quick?"
"Sure."
As they exit the room and shut the door, Bastien looks back in at his best friend and his girlfriend. He looks back at his cousin and asks bluntly, "Is there any legal way for us to report for her without her knowledge?"
"Legally? No. She needs to be the one to say so. Not you, not her boyfriend. Her. If she doesn't want to report, that's the end of that."
"Shit. I was afraid you'd say that." Bastien hangs his head. "She needs help."
"And unfortunately, if she doesn't ask for it, we can't legally give it," Camille says matter-of-factly. "I'll give you guys some time to talk and think." She walks away to tend to other patients.
Bastien re-enters Aelita's room looking dejected.
"What's wrong, man? What did you and your cousin talk about out there?"
Bastien gestures William over and speaks to him in a hushed voice, "Long story short, if she doesn't want to help herself, we can't legally do anything about it."
"So in other words, we have to convince her."
"That's about right," Bastien affirms, "But let me do most of the talking. You're not in the right mind right now and you already almost exploded at her when she said no the first time."
William closes his eyes and lets his head fall back as he takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes to stare at the ceiling for a second before answering, "Fine. I'll let you take the lead."
They both look at Aelita who's been watching them the whole time. "Is something wrong?"
William moves to her bedside and sits down, "Nothing's wrong, Princess. We're just trying to figure out how to help you."
"I don't need help. I'm fine," Aelita says, her voice barely above a whisper.
William and Bastien exchange glances.
"Aelita," Bastien starts slowly, "you're not fine. You were assaulted. You need help."
"I said I don't need help. I just want to go home."
"Aelita, please," William starts.
"No. I'm not reporting this. End of discussion."
William and Bastien look at each other and sigh.
Bastien tries to reason with Aelita for a few minutes, but with every new instance of him trying to convince her, she gets angrier.
Speaking as loudly as possible, even with the trauma to her throat, she shouts, "How many times do I have to tell you no?"
Bastien backs off, putting his hands up in defeat.
William gets up again and walks over to his friend, "I've got this, man. Why don't you go get us some snacks or something?" he says reassuringly, putting his hand on Bastien's shoulder.
"Dammit, fine," he says as he slinks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
William sits next to Aelita, "Princess, I know you're scared. I know you're hurting. But please, let me help you. Let me report Pelletier. Let me make him pay for what he did to you."
"No. I can't. I can't let him hurt you."
"He won't hurt me. I promise. I'll be fine."
"You don't know that. He could ruin your career. He could ruin your life."
"I don't care. I can't let him get away with what he did to you. I can't let him get away with hurting you."
"William, please. I'm begging you. Don't report him. Please."
"If you won't do it for yourself, do it for his other victims. He's only going to keep acting like this if he doesn't see consequences. And you could be the one to make him see them."
Aelita ponders this statement for a second. She stares at her own clenched fists in her lap. After what seems like hours of silence, she finally looks up at William and says, "Okay, I'll report."
"I'll see if I can find the doctor. I'm proud of you." He kisses her forehead before he leaves the room.
William finds Bastien and Camille talking in the hallway.
"Hey, man. How'd it go?"
"She agreed to report."
"That's great, dude. I'm proud of you." Bastien says, patting his friend on the back.
The trio heads back into Aelita's room.
Camille begins her spiel, "Okay, Aelita. Since you've chosen to report, I will put a call into the police department and take care of all of the initial information they need. When they get here, they're going to ask you what happened. It's going to be difficult and upsetting, but you need to recount the event to the best of your ability. And I will be in here the whole time, so don't worry about the officer pestering you." She turns to the boys. "William, Bastien, they're probably going to ask you two a few questions as well. Same thing, just recount what you can."
"Thank you for your help," William says gratefully.
It takes about thirty minutes for the officers to get to the hospital. They walk into the room and the one in front introduces himself and his partner.
The male lead officer takes the boys and the female partner stays in the room.
"You must be Aelita. I'm Reneé and I'm here to help you. So can you tell me what happened?"
Aelita fights back tears as she tells the officer what happened from beginning to end. The officer is intently listening and taking notes until she asks the final question.
"Was your attacker known to you?"
"Yes." She takes a deep breath. "His name is Brandon Pelletier."
The officer raises her eyebrows at the name and looks over her glasses. "Okay. That's all I need from you. You did great. She's all yours, doctor," the officer says as she exits the room.
Outside the room, the boys are finishing up with their questions as well. Bastien went first, so he's hanging around watching the door to Aelita's room as the female officer leaves. As William finishes up and the officer working with him closes his notepad, the female officer begins her walk towards the exit. As she passes where Bastien is sitting, he notices something distressing about the nametag above her badge.
Oh my fucking God. No, Bastien curses inwardly.
Officer Pelletier.