Gone

16

Getting back to the house, felt as if Chloe and I were getting locked away in prison once again. It was late, and before Lukas turned the car off, the dashboard said 7:56 pm. Chloe and I were acquiescent walking into the room Taylor and Kelsey had been in all day. Lukas closed the door behind us, but in the room was a night light plugged into the outlet.

"I can't believe he threw the phone in the water..." I decided not to respond to Chloe's statement. Instead, we went to bed.

The next morning felt oddly strange. From the looks of how the guys were acting, they seemed to be more worried about something else going on, other than us.

"Girls..." Chloe mumbled guiltily.

"Yeah, Chloe?" I whispered.

"I have to confess something..." I noticed Taylor and Kelsey's eyes became locked on Chloe's next words, "On the night of our kidnapping, I never called for the police or a pizza place... I just tried calling my mom... who didn't answer. Girls, I'm so sorry..." There it was, a confession. I had many confessions I would soon need to let out of my own, but I decided to wait on them.

"I forgive you," I admitted. Kelsey didn't speak too much, but she put her hand on Chloe's and smiled a little bit.

Taylor, finally spoke, "It's okay Chloe." The girls knew just about everything I went through in high school, and middle school. Except for a few things. I had my reasons though. The reasons may have seemed a bit fuzzy, but I was also young.

The start of high school began, which meant kids' interests change. Chloe, who was more of a social butterfly, suddenly had an interest in cheerleading. Which meant, she wasn't always around Taylor, Kelsey, and me as much. Taylor began to hang out with Bennett Adler and a girl named Addison Allen who she knew from a past elementary school. Kelsey began seeing a guy named Steven and joined the cross country team. I found myself spending most of my free time with Destin.

About Destin's and my 10 month anniversary, things began to change in our relationship. It started around January, the beginning of the second semester of my freshman year. I guess you could say, I began to see a different side of Destin. What I first noticed about Destin's changing behavior towards me was, he began to criticize the clothes I had hung up in my closet at my house. Eventually the criticizing became more extreme, as in he would make cruel and absurd remarks toward my outfits at school. He would tell me how I should've worn something more in style or something that looked actually cute on me. I would usually wear basic grey, black, and dark blue colors. I guess you could say Destin had the desired image for his girlfriend which I did not have.

After one of Destin's football games, we went into the bathroom, and I thought we were going to celebrate his win. Unfortunately, he was angry with me. Apparently, I had been uncanny with his cousin Sophie, who I thought I was getting along with. According to Destin, she thought I was too awkward. Which sparked more anxiety in my social abilities, causing me to be even more awkward than I would have been already.

There would be times I wouldn't have anyone to go to for my mental problems since my mother's boyfriend would somehow get my mom to believe therapy doesn't work, that I'd end up talking to Destin about them. Most of the time, Destin wouldn't exactly be listening, or he'd just turn around with an annoyed look on his face and say, "Stop complaining, your life is not that bad!" and groan afterward. In retrospect, he was helping my mental health get worse.

Soon, I had no choice. I ended up explaining everything to my brother Owen. Owen had darker brown- almost black hair, green eyes, and always seemed wiser about life than me. He had practically been my mom's 'pride and joy' all my life. I was the middle child, so it kind of made sense I guess. I walked into his room one day after school, a couple of weeks before spring break.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" I asked him, cracking the door open a bit.

"Yeah sure, what's up?" He asked, turning around in his computer chair.

"You know about my boyfriend Destin, right?" Owen nodded at my words, "Well, I don't know if you've noticed or not, but makes fun of the stuff I wear and tells me I'm too awkward all the time. He doesn't even listen to me. I don't even feel like I'm important anymore." I watched Owen's face turn serious. As if he was at a loss for words.

"Kassidy, you need to break up with him," He admitted.

"Why?!"

"Sis, if this continues down the path it appears it is, it's only a matter of time before he gets physical with you," Owen explained. At the time, I had no idea what Owen meant. Owen wasn't like a normal big brother. He would rarely be mean to me or tease me about things. He was more of a father figure for me.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Have you learned about types of abuse at school yet?" Owen asked me.

"No?" I answered honestly. Owen got up, shut his room door, and sat back down.

He began speaking once more; "Kassidy, Destin is emotionally abusing you. It could lead to physical abuse as well if you're not careful, and don't end it. I'm just looking out for you, Sis." Owen was sincere with his words and always wanted the best for me. So I trusted his advice and decided to go along with it. I had to think of the perfect time and place to break it off. Texting Destin seemed like the easiest way to go, but I had a heart and couldn't allow myself to do that.

I decided to break it off the Monday before Spring Break began. I made plans to meet up with Destin at his house after school. Destin lived in the neighborhood next to mine so we would usually sneak over to each other's houses when we could, and even when we couldn't. When I got to his house, it didn't take long before I realized, no one else was home. Destin invited me in and appeared a bit standoffish. I brushed off my gut feeling and carried on with the plan I created in my head.

We ended up in Destin's bedroom, where we began watching a movie, which Destin asked me to pick out this time. I forget which movie we were watching, but Destin soon got in "the mood". I didn't want to do anything, especially, since I was mostly there to break up with him. His attempt to get me in the mood was to be playful. He tickled me, and I ended up tickling him back. Destin told me to stop a couple of times, but I thought he was being playful about it. Apparently, it was his only way to stop me... Destin grabbed my throat with both of his hands, one hand on each side of my neck, and pressed on my trachea with his thumbs. Without any hesitation, I panicked.

I began to puncture my nails into his arms, in an attempt to release his grip, but he still continued. Before I knew it, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Dark blotches appeared up in my vision. Right before I went unconscious, Destin let go of my throat and headed to a different room nonchalantly. Without any control over my own body, I began hyperventilating and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Kassidy!" Taylor's voice echoed in my ear, which sounded to be a distance away. I felt a shove and came back to my original surroundings.

"What happened?!" Kelsey whispered sternly. I had never told either of the girls what Destin had done to me that day. I hadn't told anyone. I guess I knew Owen was right and didn't want to look like a fool. There was not even a way to prove what had happened. Who would believe an outcast over a rich boy?