Linda thought she was literally going to have a heart attack, she could barely breath after what had just happened with Alex and she was scared of what was next. The doorknob turned and all Linda could do was let the tears stream down her face.
The door opened a crack. “Linda...Linda...its Howie". She let herself relax a little bit. "Can I come in?" His voice sounded a little weird.
"Yes." She said barely above a whisper.
Howie walked in the bathroom and saw Linda. He was shocked and he could not understand how his friend could do this to an innocent girl. She looked horrible; her eye was in the beginning stages of turning black, her lip was swollen and her eyes were bloodshot. But since his cousin was a doctor (Author’s note: I don't know if that’s true or not but it goes with the story.) he knew that was only part of her troubles. He had heard about the rape victims that come into the hospital day after day - the problems they face both physical and emotional. He noticed she was barely dressed. “I am going to get you something to wear. I'll be right back."
"Wait! He said he was coming to get me in ten minutes, I think I should go back" Linda barely whispered.
"No, I'll let him know your with me, trust me.” He said before he darted back into the dark hallway.
‘Trust me.’ Those two words got her here in the first place. When Alex offered her a ride she didn't know that THIS would happen. "But Howie is different." she thought to herself.
~*~ Alex's POV ~*~
‘Well, she finally caved.’ He thought to himself; he was all too pleased with his sadistic behavior.
"Alex man, Linda is with me." He heard Howie say from outside the door.
"I don't care, I'm done with her...for tonight. Keep her with you and Kevin; I don’t want blood on my zebra sheets".
He thought he heard Howie mutter asshole outside the door. What did he care? He was felling too good about himself to even give a shit.
~*~ Back to Linda’s POV ~*~
She wiped some more blood from her nose; she thought it might bleed forever but it stopped. Howie opened the door without knocking and she jumped a mile.
" It's ok its just me." He said; he felt even worse. ‘Good going Howie, she probably hates men and now you scared the shit out of her.’ He thought to himself. "Here are some clothes." He handed her a wife-beater and a pair of basketball shorts.
Linda changed in front of him, he felt his face turn beet red and he turned his head away quickly. When he turned around he smiled at her. Even though Howie was a small man, he still dwarfed Linda and his clothes literally hung off of her.
Linda sat on the edge of the bathtub. “I don't want to go back in there.” She said quietly.
"You don't have to, you can stay in the room with me and Kev. Or do you want to sleep in the living room instead?" he asked thinking Kevin might not be a good idea. She only nodded. "Come with me then and we will get some pillows and a blanket.”
They walked down the dark hallway and every little creek seemed to make Linda jump. When they got to Howie and Kevin's room, Howie tried to go in without her but she wouldn't let go of his arm. They walked into the room; Kevin was looking at some dirty magazines.
"Oh good finally it’s my turn." He said and started to get off the bed. Linda looked at the size of him and figured Alex wasn't shit compared to Kevin. He was huge; well a lot of people were huge compared to her.
"No, Kevin not tonight does she look well enough to do anything?" Howie asked with a sick expression on his face.
"Well I can wait till tomorrow." He said and flopped back on the bed.
Howie and Linda walked back out of the room. They had to pass by Nick and Brian’s room. The door was wide open and they could hear Nick yelling something about Brian stealing his Pokemon. They tried to sneak by, but Brian caught them.
"Hey where are you guys going?" Nick asked in a whiney tone.
"Yeah how come you get to screw her twice today and we haven't even touched her yet?" Brian asked.
"Yeah no fair." Nick pouted.
When Linda stepped into the light a little they saw Linda's face. "Oh my God you look like shit." Nick said being his insensitive self.
“I don't want to hit you, I just want to do you." Brian said and tried to pull her in the room.
"No!" Howie said.
"So we heard Alex got some from you." Nick said and dissolved into laughter, this was funny to him.
"Yeah we really heard." Brian said and shooed them off saying he really hoped Linda was ready for the "present" he wanted to give her tomorrow. They finally reached the living room, too tired to even care what was in store for tomorrow. Howie put some couch pillows on the floor and put a blanket and a pillow down for her. “You can lie down here and I will sleep on the couch." He said and sat down on the couch.
"No, you don't have to. Besides there is plenty of room down here." Linda said; she was not scared of Howie at all.
"Well if you don't mind..."Howie trailed off.
"I don't...really". Linda said as she patted the spot next to her. Howie got down beside her; he tried to keep distance between them so he wouldn't make her uncomfortable. But to his surprise she snuggled next to him.
“Thank you Howie." Linda said before quickly falling asleep. When she said that Howie felt something, a feeling. Maybe it was admiration or maybe love. No it couldn't be love, not yet anyway. Or could it be...?
