A Drop In The Lake

a text message

**Reader discretion advised**

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Alessa

"This is so fucked." Sighs Dana, throwing her water bottle into the boat.

"Dang, watch your mouth Dana." Jokes Dani, putting her oar into the oar lock.

Since Sunday, Brook has been in the health center. I've been called in a few times, but have never really gotten any update. I know it hasn't been confirmed, but the thought of Brook having to deal with the trauma of sexual assault alone is just heart breaking.

"I'm going in again today to see if I can get any more information about what's going on, but they're not giving me shit." I grunt as Mary calls us to get into the boat.

Today's practice is an ATL. We Compete at Head of the Charles in a few weeks, so our workouts are beginning to pick up. All four of our boats line up, bow ball to bow ball, at the overhanging telephone wires.

"We're gonna do an ATL with drills. Mary, Ilana, Mia, and Coral, I want you guys to call out drills every two hundred and fifty meters. At the end of each two-fifty do a power twenty and then settle into the next drill," begins coach Middleton, moving her body to mimic the path of a stroke. "I want you guys to focus on lengthening out your strokes when you settle but keeping the split up. Claire, I know you're new to that boat, but I expect you to keep up."

With that, coach Middleton moves her launch over to the novice boat and raises her arm, signaling us to start. We begin with focus strokes, trying to get ourselves moving before we settle into drills.

Much of the practice skips by me as I simply follow through each motion. When we get back onto land, after racking the boat, I move over to my cubby to collect my phone and bag.

Taking my phone out of my cubby, I noticed a text message from the health center telling me to come in when I got back from practice.

I shove my socks into my backpack, pull out a new pair, and sling it over my shoulder, walking towards the awaiting bus with my shoes in my hand.

"Ale?" Yells Cam, running up to me.

"W'sup?" I question, addressing him.

"Did you get a message from the health center to go there right after practice?" He questions.

I'm taken aback a bit by his knowingness, but I continue, "Yeah. Did you?"

"Yeah, but so did Anthony." Reveals Cameron.

Bile rises in my throat at the mention of his name as I clip, "Why?"

"I don't know. I thought you might know, but I'm more confused by what the health center is thinking, inviting him." Grunts Cameron, shuffling through the bus and into a back seat.

We ride back in contemplating silence, and hobble off of the bus. Cameron and I rush to the health center, greeted by Tony's drooping face.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I yell, ready to punch him in the face.

"Ale, chill, I got a message from the health center." Pipes Tony, putting his hands up in defense.

"Chill. CHILL? What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yell, moving to pounce on him.

Before I can get my hands on him, Cam comes up behind me and grabs me around the waist.

"Alessa, no." Whispers Cam into my ear.

"Excuse me, if y'all are done out here, Brooklyn would like to see Alessa," we all turn to see the nurses shocked face looking at us, and instantly fall away from each other. "Cameron and Anthony, I'll see you two in the lobby."

I move past Cam and Tony, following the nurse into the health center.

"She's in the second room." Finishes the nurse, moving back towards the lobby.

"Brook!" I exhale, running into her room.

"Ale!" She yells in return, opening her arms to accept me.

We sit, relaxing into each other's arms and for a moment I feel completely calm.

Brook shifts in my embrace, pushing me an arms length away before she begins, "Ale, I need to tell you something."

I move further back, noting the sudden shift in her tone. "What is it? You know you can tell me anything." I plead, giving her an extra nudge of encouragement, while also wanting to revel in the calm once more.

She looks behind me, addressing the person that just closed the door, "Cameron. Tony... I believe I owe you all an explanation."

I whip my head around to scowl at Tony, shooting Cam a questioning look as I do.

What is happening?

I turn my attention back to Brook, voicing my question, "What—"

"Tony didn't do anything wrong," begins Brook, cutting me off. "I know I should have made this more obvious, last night, but Tony did nothing but get angry at me for cheating on him. I'm the one to blame, not him."

"I don't understand." I state, looking again to Tony for answers.

"I slept with Amara, that's true, but Tony never did anything to me that I didn't want... but someone did," she pauses for a moment, taking in a ragged breath. "Max stopped by your dorm, Ale, on Saturday. I had just gotten back from the gym and when I saw him standing there I yelled at him to go away, but, but when he turned around he had this look of utter hatred in his eyes and I didn't know what to do. He just came at me."

Her final words stutter out of her mouth as I push onto my feet in horror.

"Brook. Did he?" I question, not wanting to unleash the god forsaken fears flying around my head.

Cameron comes up behind me, acting as a wall for whatever blow will be coming my way.

Brook's eyes trail from the bed to me, and the moment they meet my eyes I know the answer, "Yes."

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Okay okay okay,

so today's chapter was interesting...

Let me tell yah, the moment I found out how I was gonna go about wrapping up this story, I got so excited...

Wait... that came out wrong... you know what I mean.

Anyways, so Sunday's message still stands, I'll upload this Sunday's chapter and then be taking a bit of a hiatus until the 28th of November so that I can research and write the final few chapters of this story.

Aside from that, I wanna ask:

What are you guys doing for break? (If you have one)

I'm going home to see my family, so I'm really excited!

Till Sunday! Have a great rest of your week!