Affliction

Chapter 13

Abigail

Today I decided it was time for a change – I needed to renew myself, to replenish in order to stop letting what happened a month ago keep holding me back from everything. I stood towel wrapped around my damp body staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

I stared hard and long as if I was giving myself a pep talk in my head. I knew things would never be the same especially when it came to being intimate with anyone, but I also knew that I couldn't bring gloom to the house or my friends lives any longer.

I needed to get out be me again – I needed a new look. After drying myself off and throwing on some old gym sweats and a white T,  I run down stairs to catch mom before work.

"Mom, you think you could book me an appointment with your hair dresser"? I ask right as she opened the front door – "what my hair dresser, why"? She asks in a confused tone.

With a slight chuckle I respond walking closer to her, "because I want to change – I need to change." I answer stopping a few steps short of her. She inhales and smiles " of course honey." She answers before reclosing the door.

She approached me and took my face in her hands – looking into my eyes she smiles again and says "my baby girl, I am so proud of how strong you have been these past few weeks." She kisses me on my forehead then turns to continue on to work.

Once she is gone and I'm home alone I plop on the couch and text Brandon – hey, are you busy today, want to go to the movies later?  I ask, it takes him a moment to respond but he says I'd love to Swan. With a cheesy smile I respond back cool.

Not long after Jess came rushing through the front door. "Oh, hey, you're up." she states leaning on the door, "yea, what's up with you." I ask suspiciously. She smiles and joins me on the couch, "oh nothing, just enjoying the summer day, you should join me." She suggests with an unconvincing smile on her face.

"Fine, don't tell me... I would love to but I have a date with Brandon tonight so..." she cuts me off "Brandon Pastrami, oh ok you guys go on dates now." She said sarcastically – I pause and laugh at her remark, "yea I figured it's been a month since the incident; I still have feelings for Brandon whether they be less intense or not they're still there." I respond.

Jess takes a second to respond but when she does she has a little sparkle in her eye like she had some sort of epiphany "ok, I'll help you." she finally opens her mouth offering assistance of if I asked – "I chuckle "this time let's keep it subtle." I joke; she grabs my hand and drags me up stairs with her. 

Rose

After Jess left I stayed behind watching Margret's every move – she stayed at Richie's for about 15 more minutes after Jess left, she came out hair a mess clothes a mess, it was no secret the two had some sort of intercourse within the 45 minutes she was there.

I readjust myself to a squat position again so that I could see better, she turns kisses Richie on the forehead and strolls off to the red Toyota. I didn't have a bike so I had to wait for Richie to shut the door after she peeled off in order to follow her, I should have asked to keep the bike.

A few blocks down and a couple lefts and rights we arrive at another house, this one more high class. It was a white 2 floor home; the basement part of the home was red brick. The front lawn was full of evergreen grass that had sprinklers which seemed to have gone off every two minutes, from the moisture of it.

After Margret had given a specialized knock on the front wood plated door, someone opened up – I couldn't see at first due to the angle I had been in ; This house had no rose bushes or any bushes really so I had to hide behind the next best thing which was a medium width tree near Margret's truck; because that positioning didn't allow me to see much I scooted more over towards her truck and ended up hiding behind her trunk.

Once I migrated I was able to see clearer – Margret was tongue deep in someone else now, it was Todd; this girl really was a slut. They took the kissing inside and shut the door; I needed a better seat I thought, so I creep around her truck and more down the drive way that was on the side of the house.

This was crazy I shouldn't be here .

I thought to myself, but I needed to know what was going on; First Margret goes to see Richie A tall red headed freckle faced Line backer who I believe has an IQ score of 30 based off how he would respond in class when Mrs. Thompson would ask him simple questions. Now she is at Todd's – an average sized back up quarter back with thick blonde hair and soft brown eyes, I never had class with him so his IQ I don't know.

I continue down the drive way trying to see what I can – I happen to come across one bedroom window that had the blinds open and the room visible. Coincidently the moment I peak into the window I spot Margret's bare back hunching forwards and a pair of man hands grasping her waist line.

The two were having sex – that was quick she just got into the door – I really hoped that's he didn't have sex with Richie too not because I cared for her well being but that's just gross.

I duck down trying not to be spotted and creep around the remainder of the house – looking for anything than what I had accidently spotted moments ago.

In the back yard of the house was recycling bins and a trash barrel, where a bleach like smell was seeping out, I hesitated a few before doing so but I opened the barrel and dug through the trash – after lifting a few bags and papers carefully I spot a brown glassed medical like bottle, it was cracked and leaking which is probably where the smell was coming from.

I use a newspaper from the recycling bin and grab the bottle out the trash, it read chlorophyll - this is what was used to knock out Abigail, does that mean that it wasn't Richie who raped her but Todd?

A whole new outlook had opened up in my mind. We were wrong, looking in the wrong direction- maybe it wasn't Richie at all but Margret and Todd who was responsible.

It would make sense - Richie wasn't Margaret's type she always liked the magazine model jocks; she knew she would never be able to have Brandon so she settled for Todd, using Richie as camouflage. She must have persuaded Todd to do this, I had to tell Jess. I quickly wrapped that broken bottle in the new paper and stuffed that into my bag.

I started my way back over towards Margret's truck – slow and steady, quiet as a mouse I repeated over and over in my mind.

Right as I reach the same window I had pasted on the way to the back I duck under and peak in the window, I figured the two might be finishing up since I hadn't been gone more than 2 minutes; as I reached the window pane Todd's face meet mine.

I didn't know if he was expecting to spot me or not, the reaction on his face was more of an "I knew it" look than a confused one.

Either way I immediately re-ducked and ran towards the street. The moment my foot touches the concrete of the street I hear a "hey"! Echo behind me. I pick up the pace, huffing and puffing running as fast as I was able.

The roar of her truck as she started it gave me a chill. I run a little faster, almost at the corner.

I knew that once I reached that I would be in the clear... I run and run, almost there. As I was about to past the last house I feel a huge punch to my back. The hit was so unexpected and hard that I froze immediately clinching my purse strap.

Frozen still, my view changed from the street ahead to the clouds above. She hit me with her truck – right in my tailbone, she hit me so hard with her truck that I flew up into the air and was now falling back to the concrete.

In the seconds before I landed I couldn't help but picture Abigail, in a way I had felt that I have failed her; I thought maybe I should have left with Jess after Richie's house who did I think I was single handedly investigating ruthless teens with no back up.

Hitting the warm concrete put a complete pause on my thoughts – it goes dark, it goes quiet.