"Pretty Girl"

22 - free

⚠️TW⚠️ details of rape

Malorie's POV:

"Malorie," daddy says, when I walk into the apartment later that night. I purposely left Baylie at my mom's. Why? Because I knew this would happen.

"I'm sorry, daddy." He hugs me.

"No. No, don't you dare apologize, Malorie." He holds the back of my head. I pull away.
"Do you feel comfortable sharing your story?" I nod and sit at the island.

"I was.. 13. And I was playing soccer in the park with Lexi. And he saw me and I guess he thought I was pretty or something because he came up to me after."

"And he asked for my number. So I gave it to him and we started hanging out on the weekends."

"And one day.. I.. I invited him over. And I guess he took that as a sign that I wanted to have sex. So.." I look down and sigh.

"He kissed me. And I pulled away because I already knew that I didn't like men. And he pinned me down and he.. he did it." My voice breaks.

"You guys thought my BPD started from grandpa, but in reality it was that. Because I was moaning in pain because I was a virgin and mom walked in.."

"And she was so mad at me because she thought we were having sex. But we weren't! And I kept trying to tell her that! But she kept saying "no, you wanted it! You were moaning!" But I wasn't! I wasn't moaning because of that! I was moaning because it hurt and she didn't believe me!! She didn't believe me!!" I start to sob. Loud. Uncontrollably.

"Hey. Hey," he says. He hugs me. Tight.
"I believe you. I believe you, Malorie." I sob into his chest until I fall asleep.

And then I wake up the next morning to Baylie dancing in my room while getting ready. I sit up and look at her. She smiles at me.

"Hi, baby!" She kisses me.

"Today is a good day. Today is the closing statement." I nod and get up.
"You okay?" She rubs my back.

"I told daddy what happened yesterday, Bay."

"Oh, no."

"It was good. He believed me. I feel good today. Just anxious about court."

"It'll be okay. He's gonna be guilty about the kidnapping no matter what. It's the child abuse against me and the fire against Brie that's being handled." I sigh.

"Yeah." I get in the shower. And then get out and get dressed. A black pencil skirt and crop top and with a baby pink cardigan on top.

To match Baylie's baby pink pencil skirt and black cardigan, of course.

I walk out and look at my cranberry hair in the mirror. Baylie curls it.

"Perfect!" She says. She kisses me.
"We're matching. Is that deliberate?"

"It is deliberate." She smiles.

"Breakfast! Come on!" We go downstairs, where daddy is plating buttermilk pancakes and chocolate milk. Aka Baylie's favorite.

"Yeesss!!" She says.

"You two are matching. On purpose?" I nod. He smiles at me.

"Of course!" Baylie says. She sighs.
"It's gonna be over soon."

.................

"Over these past couple weeks, you have heard nothing but heartbreaking stories about three children who have went through things we cannot even bear to imagine. Things that will make you cry for a month or two, but will effect them for the rest of their lives."

"And not only the three of them, everyone who is in their lives. Baylie, for example, can't engage in normal activities without getting PTSD. In the back of her mind, there will always be that fear of her getting in trouble. Or of her getting pinned down. And that won't go away no matter how much healing she has."

"The scars are on their body. Both physical and mental. Brie has to live with the constant reminder of Donald's actions. Insecure about wearing a bikini because of the scars on her stomach where she had to get a skin graph. And Declan, with his sister's cries scarred into his brain, he will always hear those! Those will never go away!"

"When these children have kids of their own, they won't experience the normal joys of parenting. It will be replaced by constant worry and fear. Because they know what can happen to their children. They know there are sick people like Donald and his wife out there. And they know what they are capable of."

"The three of them were lucky enough to find someone who would stick with them through hell and back. But that's because they've been through hell and back too, and they understand. One more than the others."

"Baylie's girlfriend, Malorie, can't go around Donald without going back to the day she was assaulted. The day she got her innocence ripped away from her. She will never get that back. And she didn't even know what he was capable of at the time."

"She understands Baylie because she was just as unlucky as Baylie. And if you can sit here and say that they were up on this stand lying about their experiences, then you're just as bad as Donald. You are someone she would be afraid of."

"When these children have kids of their own, Donald and his wife will be after them for the rest of their lives. They figured out how to take three, they will figure out how to take one. And this time, they won't spare them Justice. Because they don't want to go through this again! They don't want to be called out!"

"These are children he did this to! And he will not hesitate to do it again!"

----------

"The jury finds the defendants guilty on three counts of kidnapping. Three counts of child abuse, one count of arson, one count of attempted murder, and one count of child sexual abuse. The defendants are sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole." She bangs her gavel, and the whole court room starts cheering.

"Oh my god, she did it," I say voice breaking.

"You did it too, Mal," Leo says. The three of them hug each other, and the Baylie looks at me. She runs over to me and jumps into my arms. I pick her up and hold the back of her head.

"I'm so proud of you!" I say, voice breaking. She kisses me.

"I couldn't have done it if you weren't here with me, Mal. I love you so much."

A/N - I did in fact forget Donald's wife's name... because she's fucking irrelevant.

I love you!💜