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RA 24: Danger

WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF ABUSE AHEAD!!

"I saw you walk home from school."

Now afraid that Millie woke up my parents, I wanted to get out of dodge before they saw she was here. My parents don't do guests.

I looked up the stairs being paranoid while grabbing Millie to go outside. I closed the door.

"I'm sorry for coming here so late. This is just the only place I really thought of going. I have to tell you something and I need to use the bathroom."

I could tell Millie was in a bad situation doubling down on my hesitation to bring her into my house. We need not more drama and possible danger, but I had a gut feeling that what happened to her was a result of my advice. 

"You can come up, but you have to be quick about it and quiet," I whispered even though we were still outside. 

I opened the door back up and peeked inside just to make sure the coast was clear. When I was done searching, I grabbed her by the arm of her shirt which scared her a little. Probably not the best move to pull on someone who comes to your house scared in the middle of the night. 

We scurried up the stairs and to my room. I made extra sure to lock all doors. 

As soon as we made it, I took a deep breath as Millie took a seat on my bed without my permission. 

I turned on my lamp to get a better view of her and as soon as I had I wished to God that I had not. 

She looked really bad. 

Her eye seemed to have gotten twice the size it was just 2 minutes earlier. 

I tried not to make my shock obvious as I heard that can make these types of situations worse. 

I sat on the bed beside her and looked her intently in the face. Veins were popping out of the sensitive skin above her eyelid and it turned purple. Upon further inspection I could tell she tucked one side of her body into her jacket and slouched a little on that same side. 

"I don't have any first aid," was the very second thing I said to her since she got here and those were all the wrong things to say. Maybe 'Do you need help?' 'Are you okay?' 'What happened', but certainly not a 'Why are you here?' and 'I can't help you.'

She looked in her lap.

"Maybe I'll just get you some ice then. Some Tylenol?" 

She nodded and waited patiently as I got the stuff for her. It took only a few seconds. 

"Here you go."

She took the pill and dabbed her eye, wincing in the process. I did as well. 

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Yeah." She nodded her head almost like she was preparing to tell me what in the hell has happened to her. I was a little impatient. 

"I went."

Nothing more had to be said. 

"I went right after school to his house. I prepared for like an hour and hoped that all would go well, but he got mad when I said it and he punched me." 

"I couldn't move for like a whole hour because I was so hurt that he'd do that to me."

"And he talked to me while I was down and started saying stuff right to me. I got scared when he came back to me when he got heated again and screamed but he did it again right in my face."