The Edge of Tomorrow

3

"You're not safe."

Chapter Theme Song: 'Safe' by Britt Nicole.

TW: Chapter Contains Sexual Coercion.

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Becca

Mason, the non-talkative boy, came over again. He and his mom would come by our house every other Sunday. She was doing a book club with my mom and two of their other lady friends. I loved reading, but they didn't involve me in their meetings, saying the books they were covering were too mature for me. My mom didn't know that I'd read so many books about sex, and I'd even...you know...done it.

I wasn't proud of it, and I didn't know why. I had strong feelings for Richie, and though we'd been dating for only a few months, I somehow couldn't imagine a life without him. But I didn't want anyone to know we had sex. Not even Tee, and we hadn't done it again since that night at his house.

Richie was often busy with his football and ice hockey practice, and I was busy with the school band and my own book club. I was kind of glad. No more sex—at least not yet.

Now we were in my room. Me and the boy who spoke little. My mom kept pushing us to be friends, always forcing him to stay in my room until they were finished. She told me Mason didn't have many friends and that his mom wanted him to be social, so I should talk to him, "get him out of his shell." How could I do that when I could hardly step out of mine? Based on what I had observed, the boy seemed fine without friends. He didn't even want to look my way!

He said nothing about the night at the diner either; he seemed like the type of guy who'd forget about it the moment it happened. Unlike me. I dwelled on things so much, that it was unhealthy.

Mason was sitting on my bean bag in his khaki shorts and white T-shirt. Always on his phone, always had his AirPods over his ears. His emotionless exterior was unwavering, constant. He never smiled, though he wore really pretty braces. The sun was spilling through my window, and I was lying on my tummy, feet dangling in the air while I stared at my cellphone, waiting for Richie to text me back.

He'd been so distant lately. But I knew his coach had tightened up on football practice, so of course, I could understand.

Okay, my mom had given me a task, and I wanted to follow through with it. It was a task for me too, to see if I had the guts to make a non-mutual friend. Looking over at quiet Mason, I felt as though I was failing already. I climbed off my bed, then sat back down at the edge of it, just watching the boy in front of me. Not sure what I should say. Not sure what could get a reaction out of him.

His eyes slid off his phone, not meeting mine. Instead, he stared at the carpet right under my feet, but I could tell he'd been seeing my antics and the sudden shift in my position. Perhaps wondering if it had anything to do with him. It did.

He didn't want to be bothered, but I was feeling slightly bored. Just until Richie texted me back.

I stood and sauntered over to him, my legs shaking underneath me. I sat next to him on the small daybed and asked: "What are you doing?"

With his usual impassive countenance, he pointed at his phone, then his AirPods, and I grew massively embarrassed.

"Right...you're busy..."

Darn.

"Okay, um, but what are you listening to..." I trailed off when I noticed he really had no intention of giving me the time of day. His jaw tightened as he rose the volume on his music, the bass bleeding through the AirPods, keeping his cold eyes glued to his cellphone as if saying: can you please just go away?