This chapter is about rape. Please don't read if it will trigger/upset you.
Continues on from the previous chapter x
Jess was lying on the bed, and it looked like she was asleep, with Ryan on top of her.
Ryan hadn't heard Lexie open the door so carried on with what he was doing.
Lexie wanted to stop him but she felt too scared to go in. Instead she ran downstairs to tell her friends and found Amy.
Amy went straight upstairs. By the time Amy got up there Ryan was just pulling his trousers back up.
"Get out of my house. Now" Amy screamed
"There's no need to be so mad. We're not the only ones that that have slept together in your house tonight"
"Jess is asleep. You didn't sleep together. It's called rape. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Jess wanted it. It's not my fault she's so pissed she ended up falling asleep"
"Get out. I fucking hate you" Amy shouted hysterically whilst pushing him
"Fine I'm going. I didn't rape Jess though. Like I said, she was all over me"
Amy turned around to face Lexie and they were both crying, both in shock at what he'd just done to their best friend.
"What's all the shouting about?" Jess said sleepily from the bed
"Nothing it doesn't matter" Lexie replied
"Where's Ryan? I thought he came up here with me"
Amy and Lexie went into the room to sit next to Jess. They both noticed Jess' knickers on the floor.
"He left. Are you okay?"
"Mm" Jess said before closing her eyes again and going back to sleep
Lexie and Amy left Jess and hoped she would stay asleep. The two of them went into Amy's bedroom.
"Do you think she'll remember what happened in the morning?" Amy asked
"I really hope not. I wonder if she was awake for any of it"
"Even if she doesn't remember, we'll have to tell her"
"I know. She needs to go to the police"
After what had just happened Amy and Lexie were not in the mood for celebrating anymore. The events of the night had also sobered them up a considerable amount.
Amy got everyone out of her house.
"Has something happened Amy?" Abbey asked after everyone apart from Lexie's best friends had left. They were all staying the night
Amy and Lexie looked so upset so they were all wondering what was going on.
"Lexie found Jess and Ryan having sex, but Jess was half asleep" Amy told them
"You're not serious?" Abbey asked in disbelief
"We're completely serious. I went into stop him but by the time I got there he was pulling his jeans up so I guess he'd finished by then" Amy said
The 5 of them were all so upset and stayed up talking for a while about what they were going to do. Eventually they decided to try and get some sleep though so Lexie went into the spare bedroom with Jess.
Lexie barely got any sleep as she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened to Jess.
It was about 6 when Jess started to stir. Lexie was already wide awake.
Jess realised at once that she couldn't remember going to bed and realised she'd had way too much to drink. But then she started remembering bits of the night including lying on the bed with Ryan hovering over her.
"Did I sleep with Ryan last night?" Jess asked
Lexie hadn't even realised that Jess had woken up. She sat up and looked at Jess.
"Oh Jess I really don't know how to tell you this"
"Tell me what?"
Lexie took a deep breath. She knew she just needed to tell her.
"I found you and Ryan up here last night. He was inside of you but you were kind of asleep"
"What do you mean?"
"He had sex with you without your consent. I'm so sorry Jess"
Jess remembered going upstairs with him and she remembered kissing him a lot. But she also remembered getting tired and telling him to stop when he was trying to put his hand up her dress. Apart from that she didn't remember much about being upstairs with Ryan. She was desperately trying to remember everything but she just couldn't.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah I saw it with my own eyes. I'm so sorry Jess"
"I don't remember it" Jess said feeling absolutely awful
Tears immediately began to form in her eyes so Lexie wrapped her arms around Jess.
After a while Jess pulled away from Lexie.
"I think I'm going to go back to sleep for a bit" Jess said even though she knew the chances of this were very unlikely
Lexie wished there was something she could do or say to make Jess feel better.
Jess and Lexie both stayed lying in bed until about 8 although neither of them went back to sleep.
Jess went and had a shower and Lexie went into Amy's bedroom where the others all slept.
They all felt dreadful after what had happened and because they'd barely had any sleep.
After a while Jess came in. She was dressed and said she was going to walk home now.
"Rachel's coming to get me soon. She'll give you a lift" Lexie said
"No it's okay. I could do with the walk to be honest. I feel so hungover. How's everyone else feeling?"
Jess was trying to act as though nothing had happened.
""Horrendous. I hope my parent's don't come back too early" Amy replied
"I don't think I've ever felt this hungover" Lexie said truthfully
"Anyway. I'm going to head off, thanks for a great party Amy. See you all soon" Jess said before going downstairs
Lexie followed her down.
"Jess you know where I am if you want to talk about what happened. You can call me whenever, even if it's the middle of the night"
"Lex, I'm fine"
"Okay, you're going to tell your Mum what happened though aren't you?"
"No way. Why does she need to know?"
"So she can be there for you and so she can go to the police with you"
"Police? Why do the police need to be involved?" Jess asked sounding genuinely shocked
"Because what Ryan did was so wrong. He needs to be reported"
"I don't need to tell the police"
"Yes you do Jess. I can come with you if you like"
"Just leave it Lex. Why do you always think you know best" Jess shouted before walking out of Amy's house
Part of Lexie wanted to go after Jess but she also knew her best friend probably needed some space. So Lexie went upstairs and got dressed. She hoped Rachel would be here soon to pick her up as she just wanted to get into her own bed.
Rachel didn't come for another hour. As soon as Lexie saw Rachel's car pull up, she went straight out and got in.
"Sorry I'm a bit later than I said love. We had a lovely lie in this morning"
"That's okay"
"So how was last night, did you have a really good time?"
"Yeah it was really good thanks. I'm so tired now though"
Lexie was really quiet on the way home but Rachel put it down to the fact she'd had a late night and probably had too much to drink as well.
When they got home, Rachel and Lexie got out of the car and went inside.
"Have you had breakfast?"
"No but I'm not really hungry"
"I can make you a bacon sandwich or something if you fancy it"
"No I'm going to go lie down for a bit, I'm really tired after last night"
"Okay love"
Lexie went upstairs to Rachel went into the lounge where Olivia and Daisy were watching TV. Neither of them were dressed yet.
"Are you pair planning on getting dressed any time soon? Eddie's going to be back soon with Michael"
"Yeah I'm going up for a shower now" Olivia said
"How about you Daisy?"
"I don't want to get dressed"
"Well you need to if you want to go out somewhere today"
"I'll just get dressed before we go out, I don't need to get dressed yet"
"Go and get dressed now Daisy. I don't think there's any need for you to still be in hour pyjamas when Michael comes"
Daisy sighed but got up off the sofa to go and get dressed.
Rachel went up with her.
Daisy picked out an outfit and started to get dressed.
"What do you fancy doing with Michael then?" Rachel asked
"I don't mind"
"Is everything okay Daisy?"
"Yes why wouldn't it be?"
"Well you've been excited all week about spending the day with Michael and having a sleepover with him but now you don't seem very happy"
"I am happy"
"Okay. I think Michael is hoping to go swimming this afternoon, do you fancy that?"
"Yeah that would be fun"
"Well maybe we could go for a walk first and feed the ducks and then go swimming"
"Can I go and watch TV again now?" Daisy asked once she was dressed
"Of course you can"
Rachel made Daisy's bed before going to check on Lexie.
Lexie wasn't in bed but then Rachel heard Lexie being sick in her en suite. Rachel went in and scraped Lexie's hair back into a pony tail and then rubbed her back whilst she continued to be sick.
Once she'd finished being sick Lexie flushed the loo before sitting back against the wall.
"Oh dear, did you have too much to drink last night?"
"I guess so. I didn't feel any drunker than other times though and I've never been sick the day after a party before" Lexie said with tears in her eyes. Being sick always made her tearful
"What did you drink last night?"
"Urmm mainly Malibu and I really liked Amy's gin but I did a couple of shots too. Oh and I had some wine too and a cider. "
"That's some mixture which probably explains why you're feeling so awful today. Do you think you're going to be sick anymore?"
"I'm not sure"
"Why don't you have a shower? You'll better for being fresh and clean"
"I don't think I can right now"
"How about a bath then?"
"Maybe later. I just want to get into bed for now" Lexie said as she felt awful
Lexie climbed into bed so Rachel went and sat by her.
"Try and get some sleep love" Rachel said as Lexie closed her eyes
Rachel left Lexie to it and went back downstairs.
She decided to hoover the lounge quickly.
Rachel was just putting the hoover away when Eddie knocked on the door. She went and let him and Michael in.
"Hi Rachel" Michael said with a big grin on his face
"Hi Michael, come on in"
Michael and Eddie came inside.
"Daisy's in the lounge watching TV if you want to go in Michael"
Michael went and joined Daisy in the lounge and Rachel and Eddie went into the kitchen.
"I'm making a vegetable soup for lunch but I just thought, does Michael like soup?"
"He normally kicks up a fuss whenever we go to my Mum's and she's made soup but then he ends up really enjoying it"
"Well if he really doesn't want it I can always make him a sandwich"
"Rach, he'll be fine. So what do you want to do today?"
"Daisy said she'd like to go swimming too so I thought we could go for a walk first to get some fresh air and then go swimming?"
"Sounds like a plan"
"Daisy doesn't seem herself again today but I think she's just a bit tired. Hopefully she'll be better after lunch"
Once the soup was ready Rachel called all the kids through.
Olivia, Daisy and Michael came in.
Olivia and Michael sat straight at the table but Daisy went over to Rachel.
"Are you feeling okay love? You look a bit pale?"
"I'm okay"
Rachel put her hand against Daisy's forehead which felt a bit clammy.
"Are you sure? You feel a bit hot and clammy"
"I'm sure. Please can I have a cuddle?"
"Of course you can"
Rachel gave Daisy a quick cuddle before dishing up the soup for everyone.
"I'm just going to go and see if Lexie's coming down" Rachel said after dishing the soup out
Lexie was lying in bed but she wasn't asleep.
"Are you going to come down and have some soup for lunch Lex?"
"No I'm not hungry"
"Have you been sick again?"
"No but I still feel like I might be"
"Feeling hungover is horrible. If I were you I'd have something to eat and then come out for a walk with us after lunch. Fresh air does you the world of good when you're hungover, trust me"
"I really can't eat anything right now Rachel"
Rachel left Lexie to it and went downstairs to eat her soup.
"Lexie's feeling too rough to eat apparently"
"Big night, was it?"
"She mixed her drinks too much, I think that's the issue"
"What are we doing this afternoon Rach?" Olivia asked
"We're going to go for a walk and then go swimming. Do you want to come?"
"I guess I'll come on the walk but I don't really fancy swimming, especially if Lexie isn't coming"
"That's fine. I'll just drop you home quickly after the walk"
After lunch Rachel and Eddie cleared up before getting ready to go swimming.
Rachel went upstairs to check on Lexie again.
Lexie had just finished cleaning her teeth but came out of her en suite when she heard Rachel come in.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Quite a bit better actually, I've just been sick again though"
"That's good. We're going to head out for a walk soon, are you coming?"
"I really don't feel up to it Rach"
"I think you should. It really will make you feel better"
Lexie hadn't been able to sleep as she couldn't stop thinking about Jess so decided she would go out to try and take her mind off things.
"Okay I'll come. Do I have time for a shower first though?"
"Yeah just try not to be too long"
Lexie had a quick shower and once she was ready they all headed out for a walk.
They went to a lake because Rachel knew Daisy and Michael would both like to feed the ducks.
They stopped in a cafe to have a coffee first.
Olivia took Michael into the park but Daisy wanted to stay sitting down. She was feeling a bit poorly but hadn't told anyone.
After Rachel and Eddie had a coffee they walked around the lake.
Lexie and Daisy were both extremely quiet the whole way round.
Rachel assumed it was because Lexie was feeling hungover but she had no idea the real reason why Lexie was being so quiet.
Daisy was feeling really sick now. She wanted to tell Rachel but felt too embarrassed to say anything in front of everyone.
"Rachel I need a wee" Daisy said once they were back in the car park so that she could tell Rachel in private that she was feeling poorly
"Oh I need to go too Daisy, I'll take you" Olivia said
"Thanks love" Rachel said
Daisy made her way to the toilets with Olivia, feeling annoyed that it wasn't Rachel that had taken her.
Once Olivia and Daisy had been to the loo, Rachel dropped Lexie and Olivia home before going to the swimming pool.
Lexie couldn't stop worrying about Jess. She'd tried ringing Jess a couple of times and had text her loads but hadn't heard anything back. Lexie decided she would go over to Jess' house as she needed to check how she was.
"Liv I'm going to see Jess for a bit. Will you be okay here on your own?"
"Yeah I'll be fine"
"What time are you going to your sleepover?"
"Rachel said she'll drop me over when they're back from swimming"
"Okay well just ring me if you need me"
"See you later"
"Bye Liv"
Lexie walked round to Jess' house and knocked on the front door.
Jess' Mum answered straightaway.
"Hiya, is Jess in?" Lexie asked
"Yeah but she's in bed not feeling too good. I take it you all had a good night last night?"
"It was really good thanks. Can I go up and see Jess?"
"I don't think she's up for visitors Lexie and I think she's asleep anyway. I'll tell her you stopped by though and get her to give you a call later if you like"
"Yeah that would be great thanks. Is Jess okay though?"
"She'll be fine. Hopefully this will teach her not to drink so much in the future"
Lexie really wished Jess' Mum would let her in but it didn't look as though that was going to happen so Lexie left again.
From speaking to Jess' Mum, it didn't sound as though Jess had told her Mum. Lexie really wished she would as she knew Jess shouldn't be going through something as big as this alone.
Lexie took a long way home as she wanted to try and clear her head. She was surprised when she got home and saw Rachel's car on the drive as she wasn't expecting them back yet.
Lexie went into the kitchen and spoke to Rachel.
"You didn't stay swimming very long"
"We didn't make it into the pool. Daisy was sick all over the floor in the changing rooms"
"Oh no, poor Daisy"
"Poor thing. She hadn't seemed right all morning, I should have known swimming wasn't a good idea really"
"Where's Eddie?"
"He's gone home with Michael. No point them staying here if Daisy's got a bug she could pass on"
"Oh god I hope she doesn't pass it onto us"
"Me too. I think I've dealt with my fair share of sick already today really"
"Sorry"
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah loads better than this morning thanks"
"Good. Is everything okay Lex?"
"Yeah why?"
"I'm just checking"
"I'm going to go and watch Netflix for a bit"
"Okay love. I need to drop Olivia to her sleepover in a bit, are you alright to keep an eye on Daisy while I'm gone?"
"Yeah of course"
Lexie went up to her room. She came out and sat with Daisy whilst Rachel dropped Olivia to her sleepover and then again for tea, but apart from that she spent all day in her room.
Rachel was beginning to worry about Lexie as she definitely hadn't seemed herself since the party and Rachel was starting to think it was more than just a hangover.
After getting Daisy off to sleep, which had taken a lot longer than usual, Rachel went into Lexie's room and sat on her bed.
"Has something happened that you want to talk about sweetheart?" Rachel asked softly
Part of Lexie really wanted to tell Rachel about Jess but she didn't feel like it was her place to say. If Rachel knew she would definitely speak to Jess' Mum about it and Lexie didn't want Jess to get mad with her for interfering.
"No I'm okay"
"You sure?" Rachel asked to which Lexie gave a small nod
"Well if you do want to talk, you know where I am" Rachel said giving Lexie's hand a tight squeeze
"Thank you"
"Do you fancy coming down and watching some TV for a bit?"
"I'm really tired so I think I'm just going to have an early night"
"Hopefully you'll feel better for a good sleep"
"I'm sure I will. Night Rachel"
"Night night"
Rachel left, leaving Lexie alone to think about Jess just like she had been all day. Jess still hadn't got back to her and Lexie was getting more and more worried.
Lexie could only imagine how Jess was feeling. She knew if it were her she'd probably be doing the same and trying to avoid facing what had happened. But Lexie knew this was only going to make things worse in the long run. She just didn't know what to do to help Jess.
The whole thing seemed so unreal and really scary.
Previously, Lexie thought she was ready to loose her virginity and had spoken to Matt about it quite a bit. Now sex seemed like a really scary thing again and not something Lexie felt ready for anymore.
Lexie decided to try and get some sleep and then try and reach Jess again tomorrow. Whatever she did though, she just didn't seem to be able to get to sleep.
She heard Rachel come up to bed and then more time passed and Lexie still hadn't been to sleep.
Lexie hated lying there on her own not being able to sleep. She didn't know why but she felt really apprehensive and didn't want to be alone. Lexie's heart was racing and in the end she decided to go into Rachel's room.
Lexie went and stood by Rachel who was asleep.
"Rachel" Lexie said
It only took a few moments for Rachel to wake up so she sat up in bed.
"Lexie, what's up love? Has Daisy been sick?"
"No it's not Daisy. I was just wondering if I could maybe sleep in with you tonight" Lexie asked feeling really embarrassed
"Of course you can. Come on, jump in"
Rachel pulled the covers back so Lexie got into bed next to Rachel.
"I haven't been to sleep yet"
"Is there something on your mind?"
"No not really, I just can't sleep for some reason" Lexie lied
"It's horrible not being able to sleep. Why don't you turn over and I'll rub your back"
Lexie turned over and Rachel started to rub her back. It felt so nice and comforting and after a little while Lexie fell into a light sleep.
Now Rachel was struggling to sleep as she was worried about Lexie. She knew there was something up with her as it was unusual for Lexie or Olivia to want to come into bed with her unless they were poorly or upset about something.
Lexie was only in a light sleep but she started having some bad dreams. Rachel was still awake so she heard Lexie's breathing become really loud and shallow. She could tell she was having a bad dream.
"Lexie, it's okay. You're just having a bad dream" Rachel said shaking Lexie
Lexie woke up and sat bolt up right in bed, her breathing still fast and panicky.
"Take some deep breaths Lex, it's okay. You're safe, look you're in bed with me" Rachel said while rubbing Lexie's back
After a couple of minutes Lexie calmed down.
"What's up Lex?"
"Nothing I'm fine"
"Come on, please tell me. The only way I can help you is if you tell me what the matter is"
"There's nothing the matter. I need the loo"
Lexie slipped out of bed and went into Rachel's en suite.
She thought about going back to her own bed so that Rachel wouldn't question her about what was wrong but for some reason she couldn't face it. She felt so childish, but Lexie just didn't want to sleep on her own tonight.
After going to the loo, Lexie got back into bed beside Rachel and laid down.
"Sorry for waking you up Rachel. See you in the morning"
Lexie closed her eyes and dropped off to sleep again after a while. This time she managed to sleep right through to the morning.
When she woke up Rachel was still in bed and Daisy was the other side of her.
"Sorry if you didn't have very much room last night, I didn't realise Daisy came in"
"She was sick again at about 4 and wanted to come in with me. I made sure she was really quiet so she didn't wake you"
Lexie snuggled up to Rachel and Rachel wrapped her arm around her.
"Do you fancy going downstairs for a coffee?" Rachel asked wanting to use the moment with Daisy still asleep to talk to Lexie
"Yeah okay"
Rachel and Lexie both went down to the kitchen and Rachel made them a coffee each.
It was raining really heavily so the two of them sat there listening to the heavy rain for a bit.
"I was worried about you last night" Rachel said
"Why?"
"You were just so unsettled when you were sleeping. You didn't seem yourself at all"
"Sorry if I kept you awake"
"You don't need to be sorry. I was up with Daisy throughout the night anyway. I do wish you'd tell me what's making you worried because I can tell there's something"
"I can't say"
"Yes you can, you know you can tell me absolutely anything"
"I want to tell you but I really shouldn't" Lexie said as her eyes brimmed with tears
"Sweetheart, there is nothing you can't tell me. Trust me, there's no need to keep this to yourself. Now did something happen at the party?"
Lexie was still for a few moments before giving a small nod of her head.
"Did something happen with Matt and now you regret it?" Rachel asked as this is what she'd been wondering had happened
Lexie shook her head.
"It's not about me. That's why I don't know if I should tell you" Lexie said quietly
"Okay. Can you tell me who it is about?"
"Jess"
"So something happened to Jess at the party?"
"Yes"
"And now you're worried about Jess and you don't know what to do?" Rachel asked and Lexie nodded
"She hasn't answered any of my calls or texts since the party and I don't think she's told her Mum either. I'm so worried about her" Lexie cried
"Whatever happened to Jess, you can tell me. I'm guessing you're worried Jess will be mad with you for telling me, but I think you telling me is in Jess' best interest right now. I can tell whatever happened is really bad from how worried you are so my guess is that Jess needs some adult support"
"She does but I don't think she'll tell her Mum. There's loads of things Jess hasn't felt she can talk to her Mum about"
"So tell me and then I can make sure Jess gets the support she needs"
Lexie knew she needed to tell Rachel, even if it meant Jess being mad at her.
Lexie took a deep breath before telling Rachel.
"Jess was raped at the party. I walked in on her and Ryan James at the party. He was inside of Jess but Jess was completely out of it and half asleep. I wanted to go in and stop him but I was too scared" Lexie said feeling really guilty
"So then what happened?"
"I ran downstairs to tell someone. I found Amy but by the time I got back upstairs Ryan was pulling his jeans back up. I can't believe I didn't stop him"
Rachel took hold of Lexie's hands.
"Lexie, this isn't your fault. I'm not surprised you felt scared to stop a year 13 boy from doing something that is so unimaginable. The only person in the wrong here is Ryan. Not you and not Jess"
"I don't understand. Why would Ryan do that?"
"Because sometimes boys think they have the right to do whatever they want with a girl's body no matter how the girl feels. Not all boys are like it but some are completely pig headed and if they want sex, they'll get it with or without the consent of a girl"
"And now Jess is going to suffer with this probably for the rest of her life because of him"
"It's going to be so hard for Jess but with support from you and the rest of your friends and her Mum and her family and me and a councelor she will get through it. You're probably right, it's probably something that will affect her for the rest of her life but it will get easier and she will learn to live with it and be happy again"
"I wish it hadn't happened to her, we were going to have the best summer"
"I wish it happened happened too. Lex, was Jess a virgin?"
Lexie shook her head.
"She lost her virginity when she was 14 but she broke up with her boyfriend at the end of year 10 and she hadn't had sex since then. Rach I just thought... what if Ryan didn't even use any protection?"
"Hopefully he did but Jess should really get the morning after pill and be tested for STIs"
"I bet she hasn't. I think she's trying to pretend it didn't happen. How can I make her talk to me?"
"You can't make her love. All you can do is continue to tell her you're there for her and hopefully sometime soon she'll accept the help"
Lexie put her head in her hands and cried. Rachel rubbed her back whilst she cried but after a few minutes looked up and saw Daisy stood there.
"Morning Dais. How are you feeling?"
"A bit better I think"
"I think it's best you don't eat anything yet though. Maybe if you haven't been sick by this afternoon I'll get you some dry toast"
Rachel then stood up from her chair.
"I'll be back in a minute love" Rachel said to Lexie
Rachel took Daisy into the lounge.
"Do you want to watch a film?"
"Yeah can I watch Moana?"
Rachel put Moana on for Daisy.
"Rachel why was Lexie crying?"
"She's just a bit upset at the moment but she'll be okay"
"What's she upset about?"
"It's nothing for you to worry about"
"But I am worried. I don't want Lexie to be sad"
"You know sometimes you're upset and you tell me why but you don't want anyone else knowing why you're upset?" Rachel asked and Daisy nodded
"Well I think that's how Lexie's feeling now"
"Okay. Have you given her lots of special cuddles"
"Yes I have. Right, I'm going to go and see Lexie again now"
Daisy was settled for the minute so Rachel left her to it.
Rachel then returned to Lexie.
"Are you feeling a bit better now you've told me?"
"I guess but I still can't stop thinking how horrible it is for Jess"
"I know love, I know" Rachel sighed
"I'm going to go round to Jess' later. I tried yesterday but her Mum wouldn't let me in"
"Jess might have told her Mum by now, you never know"
"Maybe but I doubt it. Do you think we should tell her Mum?"
"I think it depends what happens over the next few days. I won't tell her Mum to start with because I don't want to do something behind Jess' back but if it comes to it and I think I need to, then I will"
Rachel and Lexie continued to talk for a few more minutes before Rachel went up for a shower.
After showering and washing her hair, Rachel went downstairs and watched a bit of the film with Daisy.
It was coming towards the end of the film when there was a knock at the door so Rachel went to answer it.
Rachel answered it and saw Jess stood there. Her hair was still soaking wet from the shower she'd just had and she looked so sad.
"Hi Rachel, is Lexie in?"
"Yeah she's just in her room, go on up"
Rachel closed the door and then decided maybe she could have a chat with Jess on her own.
"Before you go up though Jess" Rachel said as Jess reached the bottom of the stairs "can I have a quick chat love?"
Jess nodded before following Rachel into the kitchen.
"Take a seat" Rachel said so Jess sat down and Rachel sat down next to her
"Jess, Lexie told me what Ryan did at the party and I am so so sorry"
"Lexie told you?"
"Yes but only because she was so worried about you. Please don't be mad with her"
"I'm not mad, I know she was just trying to help"
"How are you?" Rachel asked and Jess shrugged
Rachel could tell Jess was trying so hard to fight back tears.
Rachel took hold of Jess' hand.
"It's okay if you want to cry. I know you must be feeling so many emotions right now"
Jess still tried not to let her tears fall but in the end she couldn't help it.
Rachel immediately wrapped her arms around Jess and held her while she cried.
Lexie came into the kitchen and was shocked when she saw Jess breaking down in Rachel's arms.
Rachel mouthed to Lexie to give her some time alone with Jess.
Jess was crying hysterically and there was nothing Rachel could do other than rub the girls back and stroke her hair to show her she was there.
After a while Jess started to calm down.
"Jess have you told your Mum?" Rachel asked and Jess shook her head
"I tried to tell her last night but I couldn't get the words to come out"
"That's okay. Would you like me to tell her?"
"No I don't want her to know"
"Okay, I'm not going to make you if you really don't want to but I really do think it's best that she knows"
"Please don't tell her"
"I promise I won't"
"Thank you"
"Do you know if Ryan used a condom?"
"I'm not sure"
"We need to get you the morning after pill then and you need to have some STI tests done"
"I know. That's why I came to see Lexie, to ask her to come with me"
"That's really brave and grown up of you. I'm sure Lexie will be more than happy to go with you"
"Rachel could you maybe come too? Don't worry if you're busy though" Jess asked. She really trusted her head teacher and the thought of going with her seemed a lot less scary
"Of course I will sweetheart. Do you want Lexie to come as well or just me?"
"Could we maybe go just the two of us?"
"We can do whatever you prefer. Do you want to speak to Lexie before we leave?"
"Yes please"
Jess went upstairs to talk to Lexie whilst Rachel got ready to go.
Rachel explained to Daisy that she had to go out for a bit but Lexie was going to look after her. Daisy was reluctant for Rachel to go but understood that Jess needed her help.
Rachel then drove to the hospital with Jess. She wasn't really sure of the best place to go but thought the hospital might be best.
Jess sat down and Rachel went over to reception to get Lexie signed in.
They had to wait quite a while but eventually Jess' name was called.
Rachel could tell at once that the nurse was really kind and sympathetic which was a relief.
"So we'll start by giving you the morning after pill Jess and then I'll do the tests that I need to do. Is that okay?" The nurse asked and Lexie nodded
Jess was really nervous having the swabs taken and bloods done but was relieved to have Rachel there holding her hand.
The nurse finished the tests and then came and sat down by Jess.
"Right we're all done Jess. I'm going to give you the contact details for a sexual assault referral centre. If you decide you want to report the rape then they'll be able to support you through it and they can also help you make a decision about whether to report it or not so I'd really encourage you to contact them tomorrow"
"What happens if I want to report it?" Jess asked but she was really unsure about whether she wanted to or not
"That's what they'll talk to you about. If you report it you'll have to have a forensic medical examination. They can do the examination regardless of your decision, in case you decide to report it at a later date. Make sure you call, because the centre really is very good"
Jess and Rachel both asked a few more questions.
"Thank you so much" Rachel said before the two of them left
Jess got back in the car with Rachel.
"Right where do you want to go? I can drop you home or you can come and stay with me tonight if you'd prefer"
"Please can I stay at your house tonight?"
"Of course you can. Come on, put your seat belt on. Let's go"
Jess put her seat belt on before Rachel pulled out of the space.
"I will tell my Mum about what happened but I just can't face it today"
"That's fine. Just tell her in your own time and I can be there when you tell her if you like"
"Thank you. I wish I found it easier to tell my Mum things, I was so annoyed at myself for not being able to tell her"
"I know speaking to your parent's about things can be hard. But just remember that your Mum and Dad both love you so much and you've got nothing to be afraid of when you tell them anything"
Rachel drove home and Jess went up to Lexie and they spoke about what happened at the hospital.
Rachel was so pleased that Jess had spoken to both her and Lexie about the rape and that she wasn't keeping it to herself. She knew Jess had a long road ahead of her but she'd been really brave today.
Please review xxx