Girl Crush

Chapter 45

 Three weeks later, Dani sat next to Eddie in the cafeteria. The boys were discussing DnD and she was zoning out, lost in her thoughts. It had been three weeks of ups and downs, lots of emotions, and a lot of talking. Talking to her mom, talking to Robin, talking to Eddie, and talking to her therapist.

She had been lucky. Her mom had contacted the therapist they had used after her dad had passed and she had gotten Dani an appointment quickly. It was very comforting to be seeing someone she already knew. She'd already had six sessions, going twice a week, and it had done wonders. She wasn't saying she was magically fixed, but she'd stopped having nightmares and was even thinking she might be ready to try to be intimate with Eddie again.

He'd been so understanding, not broaching the subject of sex since the awkward moment in his room. When Dani had brought it up, apologizing again, he assured her he was okay waiting for as long as she needed. They'd cuddled and kissed and spent the night together almost every night but he never tried to initiate anything more, waiting for her to give him a signal.

Dani was grateful for it, but she was thinking she was ready now. The therapist had really worked with her, talking her through why it wasn't her fault, why she shouldn't feel guilty about her body's reaction. She explained that most people experience a fight, flight, or freeze reaction when in a traumatic situation and we never know which one we are until it happens. It is the body's instinctive survival response to a threatening situation and nothing we can control so there is nothing to be ashamed of. She had Dani practice breathing techniques and had her use the affirmation, 'I am safe', repeating it to herself in her head at night before she went to sleep or when she was alone and nervous.

Hopper told them all the boys involved were going to serve time. They had all received a seven year sentence for physical assault, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault. However, they did have the possibility of parole, which meant they could be out in as little as three years. Dani tried not to think about that, telling herself that in three years none of this would matter anyway. High school would be over and her and Eddie would be past all of this.

"It will be the most epic night ever," she heard Gareth say, pulling her from her thoughts.

Confused, she turned to him, "What will be the most epic night ever? You guys have some insane campaign planned out for next week?"

"No," Dustin scoffed. "Shit Dani, where were you for the last five minutes? They're talking about prom."

"Prom?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "You guys don't do prom."

"Well, if you guys are going, then so are we," Jeff answered. "It's not going to be much of an anti prom with just me and Gareth."

"We're going?" Dani turned to Eddie.

He smiled, that soft smile that slowly crept across his lips and made her legs turn to jelly, all of her insides liquefying into a warm puddle of goo.

"I told you I would go," he chuckled, but then he paused, his tongue darting out, rapping his knuckles lightly on the table. "I mean, before...well, you know. I guess I just assumed we were still going, but if you don't want to..."

"No, I do. I guess that all got a bit forgotten with everything," she said. "But I do want to go." Her eyes went wide. "Shit. That's like two weeks away. I am going to need to find a dress."

"You promised you wouldn't make me wear a monkey suit," Eddie reminded her, his finger inches from her nose. She playfully nipped at it.

"Tell me you are not walking into the prom in ripped jeans and a Hellfire shirt," Dustin said.

"Are you judging my style? The boy who rocked the Weird Al shirt on the first day of school?" Eddie questioned, eyebrows raised.

"No, man," he laughed. "It's fine for everyday wear but you gotta put a little more effort in for the prom. You know Dani is going to look smoking hot." He nudged her with his side, grinning and she laughed, nudging him back.