Chapter 7 My hero?

What will happen to Erika? I hope she's not traumatised again. Will Lyle be able to save her in time?

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In a panic, I quickly hide behind the faded, old red armchair by the window and pull the heavy plush velvet royal blue curtain in front of me. My heart is hammering in my chest desperately as I only manage to conceal myself just in time. Even so or unfortunately – whatever way you look at it, I could see what was going on through the largest moth hole among many in the curtain as I sink to the floor and hug my knees as I tremble and clutch my throat in relief, trying to calm myself down.

The light is thrown on by the biggest of the boys – a muscle-bound young Viking bear of man who is first to enter. I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp.

I try not to breathe.

He's quickly followed in by his troop. It's clear who the leader of the pack is.

Were they looking for me? I glance up at the ceiling and pray silently. Please, please, don't let them know I'm here. Let them think they got it wrong or I've escaped out of the window or something.

He motions them to be silent with a finger on his mouth and as the fifth boy swaggers in drunkenly, he gestures him to close the door quietly and to lock it by turning the knob in the round brass handle.

My eyes have been full of them, the potential threats coming my way and I never noticed the passed- out girl on the bed. She's wearing a red and white checkered shirt tied round her slender waist, cheekily exposing her flat midriff above a short denim mini skirt that didn't leave her long legs to anyone's imagination. Her hair is well-kept, long and silky blonde trailing down her back and she only looks around my age – 15 or maybe a bit older – 16 or 17 but if she's there in the first place, I hope she's older.

Not that that will make it any better when they violate her, of course. They won't be able to resist such a tasty morsel laid out on a silver platter. I know by the feral look of them they won't.

The other four boys, pretty non-descript gather round the bed and for a moment stare down at their booty. The drunkest seems to be the last boy to come in and the one before him – a short teenager with mousy brain hair. Both of them were swaying and seemed barely capable of standing upright.

But I'd seen my father almost in that state and I knew it wouldn't save the girl.

Would probably make things worse for her in fact as it let loose their worst inhibitions – if they were that way inclined.

'There she is.' The Viking hisses and turns round to smirk at his brothers-in-arms.

I feel a lurch of relief and chill of horror down my spine at the same time. That old nausea, my familiar friend says hello and I suppress the urge to vomit all my beer.

Still, they seem uncertain and hold back until he leans forwards and kisses her. An almost chaste and sweet kiss on the lips.

She doesn't move.

The unconscious girl reminds me of Snow White for some reason but these are no gentle dwarfs who will take her in and protect her from her wicked stepmother.

I wish someone would take me in from my wicked father.

I shake and try not to breathe. I'm still terrified I will be discovered and what'll they do to me in their state. I couldn't count on having been forced to sober up relatively quickly or of being Lyle Menendez's little sister and Jose Menendez's underage daughter would protect me. And I hated bandying my father's name about but I would if forced to.

Part of me hopes this alpha wolf is just showing off to his pack but he won't go through it.

I'm wrong.

He sniggers and they share their own versions of dirty grins and as if in silent agreement, start unbuckling their belts or undoing their flies in anticipation.

It reminds me of my father and the way he looked at me in the hotel room after his birthday dinner.

Lyle! I know you're here. You'll kill me for following you but I need you to come in here now. Save her!

Meanwhile, the Viking sniggers and makes an obscene gesture with his hands, earning a round of filthy laughter from his admirers.

I try not to look as they proudly stand there with their manhoods on full show. I didn't want to see if they were already standing up by themselves or not as the biggest bastard of them all climbed on the bed. He glances back at his comrades before he opens the buttons of her shirt and then unceremoniously yanks up her bra halfway over her head.

The others start cheering. 'Fuck her, fuck the bitch! Go on!'

I cringe.

Then a barrage of filthy words and they're baying like hounds.

I stare at the girl, willing her to wake up.

But then reconsider – do I really want her to know what was happening to her?

Better she didn't remember, right?

But she'd feel it…down there.

After.

She'd know.

Just like I felt every time with Dad…

Tears start running silently down my cheeks at the memories and what the other girl is going to go through unless…

Unless…

I don't allow myself to finish that thought. I'm terrified.

I close my eyes and put my hands over my ears like the little kid I used to be. When mom and dad were fighting and things were getting violent, throwing objects at each other, yelling, glasses smashing …just before Jose started beating my mother. The sounds of violence would really freak me out and make me cry as usual and that's when my brother would hold me and stroke my back in large, comforting circles. In turn, I'd bury my face into him to shut out the noises until I calmed down.

Lyle told me once that he had to intervene when he came upon dad whipping her with his belt just like he did us – well, mostly him, I had to admit because my father had other special 'punishments' set aside just for me – his daughter. He stopped him doing it to mom but Jose had only turned on him instead.

I knew Jose beat her regularly and she'd usually put up a fight as good as she could. Mom also wasn't adverse to using violence against him or us but she could never win against Dad.

None of us could.

We'd see her covered in bruises in the morning – that's if she got up - if he'd really lost it and hit her in the face or where it would show. He tended not to do that…everyone new that the Menendez image was more important to him than anything.

Even us.

I fight my panic and waver between staying silent and standing up and screaming at them to get away from her and screaming for help. I need to save the girl because right now she's more than being no different to me, she is me but not just being raped by her father but these horrible frat boys…who were older…

I'm just about to reluctantly stand up (what if they turn on me to get 2 for the price of 1?) and I laugh inside with a grimace and make my presence known to distract their leader from what he is about to when I hear a commotion outside and voices, male but mostly female… 'They're in there – your whole team! With Nadine…She's drunk…They were looking for her…!'

'They're going to…'

'Fucking animals!' I hear him yell in rage as he thumps rapidly up the stairs and tries to burst in the door they've locked from the inside.

He's banging on the door with his fists furiously. 'Open up! Tyler – I know you're in there! Who else's with you?'

Tyler presumably the Viking sighs as he gets off the pretty blonde who he was just about to insert himself into.

He sighs. 'Open the door for him.'

No need to say who. He was their Captain and they were members of his swim team. I'd been trying to place their familiar faces…and then it hit me. Tyler, the Viking, was his deputy.

Uh-oh.

And hadn't Lyle always warned me to stay away from parties especially those with fraternity boys?

I'd seen them in a sports article in some newspaper spread out on my father's desk one time. When he called me in there to talk about my studies.

Or more poor academic performance.

It was no secret that while I knew I wasn't stupid whatever mom said, I struggled to recall facts and information.

Or just focus for long enough in class.

I'm rudely drawn back to the present. 'Damn you for spoiling our fun.' He glares at Lyle who doesn't even bother to waste one word on him but seeing the undressed girl, charges at him in rage.

He lands some punches and Tyle for some reason doesn't seem to fight back. 'Nadine!' He calls over to her. 'Wake up!'

He must know her.

Had they ever been intimate? I don't recall any of his girlfriends with her name but still….

No, she's just a helpless drunk girl who maybe he doesn't even know that well but Lyle being Lyle, my protective brother was going to defend her.

Of course, he was.

Of course, he does. My brother the life and soul and light of the party, knows everybody.

'Rapist!' Lyle screams in hatred and starts laying into him while I fantasise it's dad he's punishing. 'Don't…you…ever…do….that to a…drunk…girl…Ever! Pervert!'

Meanwhile two of them sheepishly try to pull on their underpants and pants while the other 4 stand around in shock, just watching.

Have they come back to the senses and feel guilty for what they were about to do?

For what they were going to be part of?

I liked to think so but I deep down, I think they were just sorry they got caught.

I prayed though they learnt their lesson that day.

But my heart swells up with pride and love for my brother. I'd never realised that maybe I'd been secretly afraid that he took after Jose. Especially after the bad things he used to do to me in the woods when I was really little – like 5 or 6 before it suddenly stopped with no explanation. I always tried not to think about those bad times in the beginning when he seemed to side with dad against me and Jose would play us off against each other to divide us.

We'd never spoken about the bad times in the woods and he'd never apologised to me.

But somehow, I sensed he regretted it because he'd never hurt me since.

In fact he'd gone out of his way to protect me even if it pissed Dad off.

'Stop, Lyle, stop!'

'He's had enough!'

But he ignores them and continues to kick the unresisting Tyler savagely. Then I noticed that the would-be rapist's head was bleeding and he was unconscious.

I didn't feel an ounce of pity for him. Instead, a savage rage directed at him instead of the pervert I really wished was lying there.

In that moment, Lyle reminds me of Dad.

Powerful like him but not in the same way.

It takes 3 of them who are still standing there still semi-naked in shock or it's the booze, probably a bit of both - to pull him off Tyler. I admire his strength that came from rage on Nadine's behalf.

'Alright, alright. Get off me.' He orders them before he rounds to them, glaring at their semi-dressed state. He turns and throws the cover over the half-undressed girl to preserve her modesty. The other boys are not looking at her.

'Nate? Chris? Travis? You were on in it too?'

They shake their heads. The stupid idiots were trying to deny getting involved.

'We were going to stop him.' They lied. 'He started it.' They look down at the limp body on the floor.

'With your pants off?'

'We were drunk.'

'A pathetic excuse. You guys are pathetic, do you know that?'

They shook their heads stupidly before they quickly nodded.

'We were…Tyler told us it would be OK…That she wouldn't know anything about it...'

'And that makes it OK, does it?' Lyle hisses and I can tell it's taking all his strength to hold back his anger at them.

'Get the fuck dressed before I end you.'

They obey him straight away actually looking guilty.

'What did I tell you about coming on to drunk girls?' He's in leader mode now as he lectures him with the authority of someone much older and not their peer in our father's voice.

I guess they weren't the main perpetrator but still, they would have…

I shake my head. I don't want to think about what nearly happened and just want to get out of there. It was too close for me. Neither do I want to let my brother know I'm there and that I've seen everything. He might lose control for real if he thought I was in danger too and do something stupid that would cost him his college place and his whole career. If he actually killed Tyler or one of them, I don't even think Dad could save him with one of his multi-million dollar 'donations' to the Dean of Princeton.

Lyle continues to explain a bit about what rape is and college rape culture because they don't seem to have a clue while they hang their heads in shame while he turns to Nadine who still sleeps like a baby despite him trying to wake and pulls her panties back on her from where they were around her ankles and tugs her bra and skirt back down somehow without looking. Finally again with a grimace of embarrassment.

'Do you really want a criminal record? Be thrown out of Princeton?'

They shake their heads and I have to remind myself that he's the same age or probably even younger as he enrolled early.

Maybe he's even getting through to them.

'Get that piece of shit out of here.' He nudges the ringleader with his foot in contempt before he turns back to Nadine and pulls up the coverlet over her so now she is completely covered.

'And go fetch her a jug of water and a clean glass and a bowl or bucket or something on your way back. She might spew.' He pauses.

'And tell the others who were here I'll be having words with them too.'

They do everything but literally kowtow to him and fully-dressed now, they hurried to obey him while I marvelled at the power my charismatic older brother had over people.

I will him to go, praying that he doesn't somehow sense my presence without seeing me like he does sometimes.

When the disorientated Nadine stirs after he continues to try and wake her, he puts his arm around her shoulders protectively when the other boys come back in.

The ones who were going to stand by and watch and probably join in after being egged on by their buddies. He glares at them in warning and they avert their eyes from her as they place the jug and glass on the mat on the bedside table and the plastic orange bucket on the floor.

They leave without a word.

Her eyes fluttered. 'What…?'

She pushes him away in panic. 'Get off me!'

He gets up and moves away but he's by her side again as she starts throwing up exactly as he predicted while he holds back her long hair in one hand and rubs her back in circles with the other. 'It's OK.' He soothes.

Like he does with me when I do it.

And suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with jealousy.

'Thanks, Lyle. I didn't mean to…before... I just woke up and thought …you were someone else…

I turn away willing them to just leave then maybe I could slip out of the bedroom window. I never got to see outside but maybe I could climb down from the roof….

Get off him, I'm saying this in my head and glaring at her while terrified at the same time of them seeing me. Don't flutter your eyelashes at him, you bitch…he's not interested in you like that.

I don't really think she is trying to flirt with my brother but watching him take care of her and protect her is irritating me while at the same time, I feel bad for what she's been through that she doesn't even know.

I can't tell if they were ever intimate but the way he he'd been so awkward when redressing her was a big hint.

She glances down.

Uh oh. She senses something wrong.

'Was I…Did I…pass out?' Now she's staring up at him sharply, almost an accusation.

Will he tell her the truth? Because if he doesn't, no doubt someone else will. They'd been yelling outside the door…everyone knew what nearly happened to her…

'Yes, you did. But it's OK now.' He's still stroking her back!

She smiles tipsily and leans in for a kiss.

Now, I'm grimacing. Imagine the smell of sick on her breath… I laugh inside when he pulls away then softens his rejection with one of his flashy, charming smiles.

'I'm drunk.' He jokes smoothly. 'I don't want you to take advantage of me.'

And she laughs.

And I still don't know if he likes her or not.

Then feel ashamed and guilty for my mean thoughts. The girl was just nearly raped after all…

And I knew what that felt like.

I shuddered.

I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Even if they flirted with my brother…

How could I?

'Come on'. To my relief, Lyle helps her up and I never hear if he tells her what some pricks from his own team tried to do to her or not because thankfully, they leave the room and he's helping her down the stairs.

Luckily, I look outside and see that I can sneak out through the window and run home. I'm so relieved that the tears are streaming down my face.

But there's no one to wipe them away because Lyle is with another girl.

Not me.

The thought makes me cry even harder even though I know I'm selfish and a horrible, jealous person who must be sick in the head to think about her own brother in that way.

I'm still sobbing silently as I avoid the road because I feel too scared of someone seeing me even if they're in a group or even offer to give me a lift home to a place I never want to be.

Especially if they are a group of only drunk boys.

But would I better taking my chance with them than with my father? They couldn't all be like Tyler. Some of them must be like Lyle, right?

I didn't know.