Really? My Best Friend?

Chapter 18

Dean: "How come you're back this early? I thought it was a big party?" Lee, Sophie's Dad asks his face covered in a variety of shock and confusion and worry when we all stumble in through the front door.

"They're both pissed for starters..." I say already unable to keep the venom from my voice.

"Dean!" Lola hisses at me with annoyance covering her face. Oh yeah, I forgot that she hates swearing and things like that... opps.

"What do you mean, 'for starters' Dean, what else happened? What's wrong? You look like you're gonna explode." Her Dad says as Liam stumbles forwards towards the sofa. I was holding him and Lola with Sophie again but she's half asleep now so it's not as if it's gonna make much difference but we thought it would be better than let her get freaked out.

"He... Soph..." I start unable to continue, if I say it aloud it means it's real. It means it happened. It means I failed as a best friend. The one thing I had to do, make sure nothing stupid happened. Make sure nothing happened to her. I stayed sober for her and this still happened.

"Dean, calm down. It wasn't your fault, I coulda stopped it too but I didn't, we didn't, it's not our fault." Lola says breaking my little thought bubble.

I wasn't there for her though and it won't stop going through my head.

"It was though, I was my fault! I knew he was trouble, I knew he was bad for her and I got distracted and that's all it takes, one distraction and one douchebag, one drunk douchebag that I knew was trouble!" I'm shouting now and I know I am but I can't do anything to stop it. I want to cry but I don't want to in front of these people, not in front of Sophie even if she's drunk. But my eyes are burning now and there's a lump beginning to form in my throat.

"C'mon mate, let's go outside..." that Bradley guy says but I walk backwards away from him, I refuse to leave now, I need Lee to punish me in some way or someone to punish me some way.

"What're you's trying to say?" Lee says looking between my shaking body, Lola and Bradley.

"Sophie, um... we were separated, she was drunk and in a mood with him, they were fine after that and some girl pulled him away. I was with Bradley and Sophie was in the group with us, I thought she left for the toilet but then a little later I realised Louis had left after her. We found Dean as soon as we could, trying to get rid of that girl from earlier who wasn't getting the message. So we got him and then um, went looking for Sophie. Dean found her in... um, in the, or a, bedroom, knocked out; her head's been battered at the back. And um, well, Louis was... getting changed..." Lola stops and starts to cry so Bradley goes across to her and slides his arms around her in comfort and suddenly I'm longing for Sophie, I can't explain it but I keep getting feeling like this. I constantly want to hug her or kiss her or just be touching her, I need contact and if not I need or want to talk to her, as much as I can.

"She woke up crying, he... he raped her and I was too late. I punched him but that's not enough, he deserves to pay! I deserve to pay!" I almost growl it sliding my hands into my hair to hold my head, pressing my face into my arms to fend off the tears that are pressing in on my eyes and starting to come out, they start to fall down my face silently but they're still there.

"Come here Son." Lee suddenly says striding over, me bracing myself for the hit he's sure to throw but instead his arms are around me holding me close to him making me feel everything is gonna be fine. "We'll talk in the morning, go upstairs and sleep, you two as well..." he says so we do what we're told and leave him to the other two.

Lola and I share a look both thinking the same thing and hoping that Sophie is going to be ok because if not, I don't think I'll be able to cope without her...