How could he do it to her? How could she let him?
Grace curled up in a ball, crying everything away. The pain, the impurities she felt. She cried it all away. After what seemed like hours of crying Grace forced herself up off the floor, feeling pain surge through her entire body, bring herself to the bathroom. Needing to get clean of everything. She felt the hot water beat down on her body, feeling as if everything he had done to her was being washed away, at least for the time.
She couldn’t stay in this house she had to leave. Grace pulled herself up the stairs, going into her bedroom. She filled a large duffel bag with as much clothes as she could, putting in a few CD’s and the essentials. She grabbed her laptop and journal and headed out to her car. She had to get out of here.
AS Grace drove down the road she suddenly realized she had nowhere to stay. She couldn’t call Kayla or Chris because they would both want to know why, especially because she had a bunch of stuff. She just decided she wouldn’t find a cheap motel room for the night and figure something out tomorrow.
Grace tossed and turned that night, she couldn’t fall asleep, she was too afraid he would find her and kill her. Every time she fell asleep her head was filled with him and disturbing pictures she couldn’t stand.
Eventually Grace looked at the clocking see she had to get up and get ready for school. As she showered again grace scrubbed her body all over with soap, many times, she still felt dirty. She grimaced as she washed over her midsection, hitting the many deep purple bruises left there.
Soon, Grace knew she had to get out of the shower so she wouldn’t be late for school, which would only make things worse.
“That is so awesome, lordy, Kayla, you have no idea,” Grace said, sighing at the thought of leaving this small town and making a new life for herself. “Hey, Kay, can I stay at your place tonight?” She felt bad imposing, but that motel wasn’t suitable for human life.
“Of course, I told you, anytime you need a place to stay my house is your house, ok?” He friend told her reassuringly.
“Ok, I appreciate this so much you have no idea, I’ll be over after I go to work ok?”
“Of, course, I’ll be expecting you.” Just as Kayla finished her sentence the two girls heard the shrill ring of the bell signaling that it was time to start another day of learning.
As Grace heard the last bell of the day ring she ran out of the school and out to her car so she could get to work.
“Hey grace, how have you been?” Judy asked as she saw Grace sitting at the receptionist desk.
“Good, last week of school, how could I not be?” Grace returned, smiling.
“Good point. What happened to your face there?” She asked, seeing the bruise on her cheekbone.
“Oh, I ran into the closet door, it was late one night and IW as half asleep.” Grace lied, she thought it was believable though.
“Oh, I see, looks like it hurt.”
“Yeah just a little bit”
“Ok, well, I have to get back to work, I’ll talk to you later, sweetie, bye.” Judy waved and smiled walking away form Grace. She wasn’t sure if she believed her, but she also knew it was none of her business and to let it go.
Grace put a period on her sentence and let out a sigh. Finally, she could get out of that stupid office and go see Kayla.
“Yeah Kay?” Grace returned, looking up from her book.
“How come you have needed to stay here so much lately?”
It was the question; the one Grace had avoided for weeks, and suddenly had to answer. She felt herself get short of breath for a minute before regaining her composure. She tried to think of something as quick as she could, but obviously it wasn’t quick enough. “So…” Kayla pushed.
“I can’t tell you, I’m sorry, you just, you wouldn’t get it,” that wasn’t it, Grace knew Kayla would understand, she was just too ashamed to tell her.
“Grace, try me, we’ve been friends forever, and nothing you can say will change that, we will always be friends, no matter how far you away for college and to be the amazing doctor you’re gonna be one day, we will still be friends, get it?” Grace just stared. She had never known anyone could care about her that much, never. Tears began to roll down her face as her friend hugged and she began to sob uncontrollably.
As Kayla sat there holding her emotional friend she couldn’t help but still wonder what was going on.
As Grace began to calm down Kayla gave her a small smile. “You ok?”
Grace began to nod, knowing it wasn’t true. If she were ok she wouldn’t be sitting in Kayla’s room, crying like a little baby.
“Will, you please tell me why you’re here now?” Grace was hesitant again. She couldn’t tell her, she’d hate her forever. She’d think of her like the scum of the earth. “Grace, please, I want to help if I can, please?” Kayla pleaded.
“Are you sure? I don’t think you deserve this have the on your plate.” Grace said, sadly looking at her friend.
“Grace, I need to know what’s making you so miserable.”
“Ok, but please, promise me you won’t tell anyone, not your parent’s not Chris, no one, ok?”
“Alright, I won’t.”
“It’s, it’s Tom.” She knew it. Kayla went through every scenario she could in her head before Grace even got out her next sentence. “He-he hits me sometimes.”
“Has he ever done anything else to you?” Kayla didn’t think she was giving it all up.
Grace nodded as fresh tears poured out onto her face. “What? What does he do?” Kay pushed.
“L-last night, he,” She couldn’t, she had to stop.
“Gracie, tell me, please, I want to help you get through this, but you have to tell me.”
“He, he, he r-“ She knew that was coming. “Raped me.” Grace broke down as Kayla let her cry oh her numbly. She knew she should be so shocked, but she was. How could anyone do such a thing to someone as nice and sweet as Grace? It all made Kayla’s head spin.
“It’s ok Gracie girl, it’s all gonna be ok, we’re gonna get him out away forever, ok?”
“No no no no no, we can’t do anything, he’ll get me, just leave it alone, I’m leave at the end of the week, it doesn’t matter.”
“Grace it matters, it matters a lot.”
“No, Kay, it doesn’t, I don’t want every to know how pathetic I am, I don’t want anyone to start to think of me as some kind of whore.”
“Grace, there’s nothing you could have done and no one will think about you as any kind of whore, especially not me or Chris.” Kayla was hoping something would set in.
“Kayla, it doesn’t matter, it’s been too long, there’s no way we can prove it anyways,” Grace tried squirming out of the situation.
“No, it’s only been 24 hours, we have another 48 until we can no longer prove it.”
She sighed, why couldn’t she just let this stupid thing go. “Kay, I can’t go through that, I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“Grace, the only one you’re hurting is yourself, don’t apologize to me, just think about how you might feel knowing that he’s still out there every night when you go to bed, or when you’re in the shower. Think about it.” Kayla tried to get Grace to bring herself in to a clinic or something, anything, to put Tom behind bars.