Chapter 22: Oh God

“Kev, I’m going to go talk to Theresa and see why she’s so distant.” Stephanie said placing her duffel bag at the end of the bed.

“Ok, sweetie.” Kevin smiled as Stephanie left the room closing the door behind her. Walking down the hall to room ‘5564’ Stephanie knocked lightly as she opened the door that was slightly ajar. Arching an eyebrow Stephanie poked her head in to see the TV on but no one in the room. Walking all the way in quietly closing the door behind her Stephanie looked around and over at the two beds not to see Theresa anywhere. “Theresa are you in here…” Stephanie trailed off as she gazed into the bathroom. Gasping in horror at the site Stephanie cried. “Oh God Theresa, please not again.”

Looking up from her blood-covered stomach Theresa dropped the razor to her side and choked on her tears, “Stephanie get out, please.” Wiping her tears away causing blood to smear along her cheek Theresa tried to stand up but it was too painful and fell back to the floor.

“Hold on Theresa, let me get help.” Stephanie said tears welling in her eyes from the sight of her friend.

“No, I’m fine, Steph just leave.” Theresa demanded in a whisper.

“NO! I’m going to get Brian.” Stephanie stated firmly walking towards Theresa and grabbing the razor from beside her and running out of the bathroom then out of the room leaving the door wide open, then she ran to Brian room door. “Brian!” Stephanie yelled banging on the door.

“What?” Brian yawned swinging the door open dressed in only a pair of PJ pants and a blue ‘Kentucky’ basketball jersey.

“Its Theresa.” Stephanie cried.

“Oh God, what happened?” Brian asked watching the tears fall from Stephanie’s eyes.

“She…she…” Stephanie wanted to tell Brian but she would later, right now Theresa needed to get to the hospital. “She needs to get to the hospital.”

“Lets go then.” Brian said following Stephanie into Theresa’s room and towards the bathroom. Looking in Brian noticed Theresa leaned up against the wall with her white tank top and PJ pants covered in blood. Brian was in shock he didn’t know what to do, walking towards her Brian lifted up her tank top to reveal her blood covered stomach, then he pulled down her pants a little to reveal more blood. “Theresa…” Brian trailed off looking up at her to see that Theresa was not crying anymore but more in trance, looking straight ahead.

“Here Brian wrap her up in this.” Stephanie suggested handing Brian a white sheet.

“Ok, and get her cell phone.” Brian agreed pulling Theresa forward towards his chest and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders then the rest of her body. Picking her up in his arms Brian hurried out of the room and down the hall with Stephanie hot on his heels. “Call the hospital and tell them that we’ll be there as soon as we can and that we need them to be waiting for us.” Brian demanded pushing the down button of the elevator.

“Ok.” Stephanie nodded dialing the directory assistant’s number with shaky hands to get the hospital number. Finally in the elevator they made their way to the bottom then out the door to grab the waiting taxi that Stephanie had called for.

-At the park-

Lisa and Nick walked hand in hand along the sidewalk just enjoying each other’s presents.

“This is nice.” Lisa smiled looking at Nick who was looking at the sky.

“Yeah it is.” Nick nodded looking down at her. “So Lisa, about the song that we have to sing…”

“Oh yeah, that totally slipped my mind. What do you think we should sing?” Lisa interrupted.

“Well remember when we was talking about singing ‘You’re my Angel’.” Nick replied.

“Yeah, yeah I do. I’ll have to go on the Internet later and grab the lyrics.” Lisa nodded laughing a little.

“That’s cool. Oh great another fan.” Nick moaned dropping Lisa’s hand and put on his famous fake smile.

-At the hospital-

Brian and Stephanie sat impatiently in the hospital waiting room as they repeatedly watched many doctors walk in and out but none came to talk to them.

“Stephanie?” Brian asked looking down at his hands.

“Yeah?” Stephanie replied looking up.

“W…what happened?” Brian wondered, as the vivid images of Theresa on the bathroom floor came crashing into his thoughts.

“Brian, it all started back in high school.” Stephanie sighed shaking her head.

“What started?” Brian questioned his eyes wide as he looked at her.

“Let me explain.” Stephanie stated looking at him. Brian nodded then Stephanie went on, “It was after the ninth grade when it all started. Theresa was like the goddess to every guy and they all wanted her…her body, not HER. She passed through many, many guys and they all wanted only one thing from her, sex. When she wouldn’t give it to them, they’d dump her and call her a little tease and dumb shit like that. I never noticed until one day at this party we went to at our friend Chasity’s house, there was alcohol, drugs, you name it, it was there. Well Theresa got really plastered, and so did her boyfriend, they went upstairs to a room and he started to pressure her into doing it, I mean her had her wrists held down and he was ripping off her clothes. Luckily if it wasn’t for his best friend walking in on them then she would have been raped…” Stephanie trailed off biting her lip to keep the tears from coming. “Well anyway, I had to use the bathroom, so I went upstairs cause there was a couple making out in the one downstairs. Well I walk in to see Theresa sitting in the corner…c…cutting herself along her arms…stomach.” Stephanie stuttered the tears falling.

“Oh man, how long had it been going on?” Brian wondered in shock as he took Stephanie in his arms and let her cry on his chest.

“I has no clue. As soon as I seen her we headed straight to the hospital. The doctor came out and told me, and her parents that she had been doing this for a great while and that…she had many cuts along her arms, legs, stomach and side.” Stephanie cried. “We tried to get her to stop, but she never did, well that was until we ran into Justin…”

“Timberlake?” Brian interjected.

“Yeah.” Stephanie nodded. “And got our record deal. Justin never knew until one day when he walked in to see her cutting herself. I have no clue how he got her to stop, but Theresa told me that it was through pure love that her and Justin had. But when they broke up, she cut herself once or twice but never seriously. Brian it’s been a full year since the last time she ever cut herself.” Stephanie sighed.

“But I never saw scars.” Brian said.

“As soon as we got the money for the record deal, Donna made Theresa get plastic surgery to cover it up. God, something must have triggered her, to start cutting herself again.” Stephanie complained.

“Maybe it was A.J.” Brian commented.

“What do you mean?” Stephanie asked.

“They slept together when she was drunk.” Brian frowned running his hand through his golden hair then looked at Stephanie, her chin dropped.

“He did what?” Stephanie growled her brown eyes full of anger.

“He slept with…”

“Oh man, I’m gonna kill him!” Stephanie stated rage filling up within her.

“Hey guys.” Came a quiet voice from behind them. Turning around they noticed Theresa standing there in a hospital robe.

“Oh Theresa.” Stephanie smiled standing up and hugging her tightly. “I was so worried.”

“No need to be worried for me.” Theresa tried to joke then looked over at the hurt expression on Brian’s face. “Brian…”

“Theresa, please don’t do this again, please.” Brian begged standing up and enveloping her into a warm emprace.

“I wont.” Theresa lied. She knew this wouldn’t stop to soon, she was hurt and she didn’t want to cry she wanted to bleed out her pain.

“Why didn’t you tell me about A.J?” Stephanie asked.

Theresa winced at the name then shook her head. “Its over with, what’s done is done.” Just then Theresa’s cell phone which Stephanie had began to ring. Pulling it out of her pocket Stephanie answered it.

“Hello?”

“Steph, what are you doing with Theresa’s cell phone?” Lisa’s voice asked on the other end.

“Were at the hospital.” Stephanie sighed.

“Oh god, what happened, I called when I noticed blood in the bathroom floor, then Kevin and Leighanne wanted to know where you, Brian and Theresa went. Is Theresa all right? Don’t tell me she’s cutting again.” Lisa asked her voice trembling.

“She’s alright, she just had a bad encounter with her razor. And I hope she doesn’t start this all up again…” Stephanie trailed off walking away from Theresa and Brian. “…do me a have, tell Leighanne and Kevin were alright and call Justin.”

“Why?” Lisa asked.

“Cause he’s the one that helped her last time…and I’ll explain later with triggered it when we get back ok.” Stephanie stated.

“Ok, I’ll call him as soon as I can alright. And we’ll talk later, I better let you go then.” Lisa sighed.

“Ok, bye.” With that Stephanie hung up the phone and walked back towards Brian and Theresa. “Lets get you back.”

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