Heart Strings

Chapter Fourteen

⚠️Mentions of Vomit/Rape

Maddison POV

There are a lot of words I could use to describe how I feel. Yet, my mouth won't let me from words. I was more worried about Eva, her eyes never left the screen. My mouth was slightly opened as I also looked. It was Kalian and a tan girl in bed together, naked.

"Cut it off." I said, gently taking the device out of her hand. Eva had let the 40-second video play over and over, the girl's moans and soft grunts filled the air.

The video was on a loop, it was evident who was in the video. Kal and...Phoebe. I noticed those pink highlights. It was hard to see Kal, with her upper body blocking him. Yet, the audio was a dead giveaway. Especially with Eva, replaying the video and analyzing it for the past 45 minutes.

"Who's the girl?" Eva asked suddenly.

I didn't know what to say, I couldn't tell Eva that I knew her. Technically I didn't know Phoebe. I barely knew Henry...but I was working on that. So, I decided to not say anything, at least until I spoke to Henry.

"I don't know, probably someone from a different school." I said slowly, I handed her phone back.

"Do you-"

"Are you sure?" Eva asked, cutting me off

"Y-yeah, I don't know everyone, Eva." I laughed awkwardly.

"I'm sorry." Eva said after a moment of silence passed.

"It's fine, you're just stressed right now," I said calmly, brushing it off. Yet, I felt I was lying to her, just like Kal had.

Eva just nodded and pulled her knees to her chest. I sighed and sat down beside her, pulling her into a hug. I hadn't excepted this to be the reason why Kal was avoiding us both. Was Kal avoiding me because he knew I knew Phoebe?

I haven't even spoken to the girl, their relationship wasn't my business, and I didn't want it to be. That doesn't make me a bad friend. Kal was just a lair, he had been hiding like a coward.

---

Yesterday's events were weighing on me all last night. I tried to call Kal but it went straight to voicemail. I simply wanted to talk about it, and get insight. I didn't think it would be appropriate to talk to Henry about the video. So, I kept it to myself, needing some type of distraction.

So, I came to Alex's house, he let me in with open arms. Well, not really, he was ignoring me. I tried to show him a funny video but he was more focused on his game. After 25 minutes, I grew annoyed and grabbed the remote. Shutting the television off.

"What the hell?" Alex jolted up, his fierce gaze landing on me.

I blinked at him.

"I've been here for almost 30 minutes. You haven't even talked to me." I exclaim, I stood to my feet.

Alex laughed like I had just told the funniest joke on earth.

"I've texted you for weeks, and you've ignored them. I've seen you around school, I've seen you talk to that nerd, Henry. You only acknowledge me on your time." he said breathing fast, his eyes never leaving mine.

I squinted my eyes at him.

"That's not true, we went out"

"That was once! It was weeks ago." Alex tossed the Xbox controller he was holding, onto the couch.

I opened my mouth to rebuke it, yet I couldn't. Alex remained quiet, eyes searching my face. I closed my mouth, finally breaking eye contact. I slowly sat back down, the fuel I had in my chest burned out.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I didn't want to lose him. If Alex felt that way, I had to fix it.

"What can I do to fix it?" I added quickly, still not meeting his eyes. I felt him burning holes in my head. I couldn't bring myself to look up though.

"Just spend more time with me, I'm your boyfriend, not a boy toy that sits on a shelf" Alex huffed out annoyed.

"Also, I'm sorry if you felt I was coming on too strong. I just wanna know you better, learn what you like, what makes you happy, all that. If you'll let me?" Alex said grabbing my chin, turning my face, and pulling me closer to him.

I nodded and without hesitation, I let out lips connect. A soft, slow, yet fast kiss.

--

Henry's POV

I remember the first time I had gotten into trouble. Before my mom let the drug addiction get worse before dad left. It had been a simple slap on the wrist and grounded for a day or two. Yet, this felt worse, much worse.

I sat on the porch of Phoebe's house. She was being questioned about Kalian Addams. I couldn't hear much of what was being discussed. Yet, the look on my best friend's face was telling. She looked as if she had been caught in a dirty lie.

After confiscating her phone, the cops let Phoebe go. They hung behind talking to her dad, his face void of any emotion. He seemed pissed.

"Are you okay?" I asked rubbing her back once she sat down beside me.

"I- I...um. I don't wanna talk about it." Phoebe choked out.

"What happened?" I asked again

Phoebe remained quiet, her eyes focused on the concrete path. Her body was shaking, and before I could register what was going on. Phoebe vomited on herself. I gasped jolting up, the vomit just kept coming and coming.

"What happened?" Her dad and the cops rushed over to her.

"I don't- I don't know. She was crying then she threw up." I explained, feeling my throat clenched. Had this boy died? Had Phoebe been involved? Why was Phoebe being read her rights? I had so many questions, that needed answers.

"We'll have to take her to the hospital and have an officer keep watch on her." the taller officer announced pulling my best friend to her feet.

The other officer called for an ambulance. I watched as Phoebe's hands were cuffed behind her back. Her Dad refused to look at her, I swallowed the lump in my throat. I walked off the porch, my head filled with a million questions.

Her Dad was pulling out his phone. I cleared my throat grabbing his attention. He seemed stressed, the lines on his forehead becoming noticeable.

"Why are they arresting her?" I asked quietly, part of me couldn't bare to know the answer. The other part of him wanted to find out badly. In case I could help, prove her innocence or something. I clenched my fist, feeling my blunt nails draw blood but I ignored it focusing on the words that soon came out of her Dad's mouth.

"The Addams...they're saying she raped their kid."

I felt like I had been drenched in cold water. I looked back at the ambulance pulling off. Phoebe wouldn't do something like that, that wasn't her. I knew her, she was wild but not cruel.

I- no. That wasn't Phoebe.