The Night I Can't Forget

Chapter One

I loathed...the cold, the way my skin shivers while my body goes numb. I try my best to avoid it. The cold comes in waves. It comes from all sides, and there's no escape. I'm forced to live with the cold...feel it on my skin and bones. I feel warm in my dreams... I wonder if death could feel just as warm?
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  "The Japanese air flight attack on December 7th..." I zoned out in history, not that I hated the class, but I could hear whispers.

'someone claimed rape?'
'it was a boy?'

My stomach churned with each one, piling up like sardines. I wanted to turn around and scream. I had really done it this time. I finally said it. I admitted what happened to me in the stupidest way possible. I could feel this stare, this burning sensation on my face. My whole body went hot on one side. I glanced over, and Evan stared at me so intently. He sure wasn't shy about it. My stomach revved up, and I felt like puking on my desk.
  I put my head down, but he didn't stop staring...he just kept looking, making me even more nervous.
"Class, pick a partner, and start the assignment on the agenda!" I looked up for a second, and Evan paced towards me. I mentally hung myself from the ceiling fan and played dead as best I could. He loomed over me like the green fucking giant.

"Be my partner..." He set his books down on my desk and poked my back. I jumped and nearly fell out of my chair to avoid his touch. That caught a lot of attention, and I shrunk small and sat up in my seat like a statue. He sat down and looked at me as I pretended to read the assignment.

"It wasn't rape..." he whispered to me. I just ignored him, and he pushed.

"I-I didn't...we didn't...you agreed." He spat out. I don't even think he believes himself... I looked him dead in the eyes and felt him get nervous. I didn't stop staring at him until I knew he was really uncomfortable.

"What are you talking about?" I could see his shock and confusion. He started to say something else self-incriminating, but I stood up and walked away. I wasn't doing this. I wasn't having any talks or seeking a safe outlet. I'm gonna forget it and never deal with it again. Like I should have done in the first place. I stood at the pencil sharpener for 5 minutes too long. I started to look weird, so I shuffled back to my seat and watched as Evan struggled to complete the assignment.

  "Pearl Harbor..."

  "What?" He looked at me confused, "You seemed confused about the question...the answer is Pearl Harbor." I pointed at the title, and he blushed and wrote down the answer. I wanted to smack him in the face and kick him in the balls. But my chest felt weird...when he smiled. I felt my neck get hot, and I turned while covering my face. There is something insanely wrong with me...after what he did, why was my body acting this way?

"Gabe...are you okay?" He looked me in the eyes, and I could feel his want to touch me, but he resisted. I looked at him and observed his face, lips, hair, eyes, skin... I knew them well. I smiled at him and nodded. He flinched at this reaction. Maybe I smiled wrong; Maybe I'm losing my edge. But he could read my emotions like an open book.

The bell rang loudly. I quickly grabbed my stuff and darted towards the door. Shuffling down the hallway, the goon squad grabbed me and slammed me against the lockers. I rolled my eyes while Owen looked me up and down. Christian was nowhere to be seen, and Evan strolled up, lurking in the background. The rest was just your average muscle dicks. Raging with madness and ready to explode on anyone and everyone within a five-mile radius.

"How about you meet me at my truck after school, shit stick?" He gave me this one look; that look made my knees buckle. It made me sick to my stomach. His eyes..never changed, not even after that night.

"N-no..." I said, looking at the ground. Owen slapped me hard. Hard enough for the people around me to flinch. I was shocked. He bullied me; and teased me, but he never really beat me up, and that slap felt like a full-fledged punch. I stared at him in fear and just nodded in agreement. I felt like pissing myself.