𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠 𝐌𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 (𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏)

EPILOGUE

Song: Drag me down - One Direction

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

/One month later /

"I'm already regretting having accepted." Jess whined, pursing her lips, sat on my bed as I struggled to close the overfilled suitcase.

I rolled my eyes, getting on top of it and pulling the zip without much luck. "Come on." I huffed. "You said... it would be... fun!" I reminded between struggles, crying out of frustration when the damn thing still refused to close.

"Alright, enough." she snorted and stood, approaching. "Get off."

Smiling, I do as she said and let her opened the luggage, eying waringly the not so well folded clothes. I shrugged at her pointed gaze. "What? I've tried my best."

"Sure you did." and kneeled beside me, pulling my belongings out to fold them properly and piling them aside. "You really need to bring all this? We'll only be there for a week."

"Yeah, but you know Paris." I lifted one shoulder, putting the clothes in so now they fit perfectly in the limited space. "We'll be lucky if she let us stay in the residence at least one night."

She grinned knowingly and let out a sigh. "What would I be doing while you do the course?"

"We'll only in the mornings and you'll be with Kelly." I reminded her closing the suitcase easily with satisfaction and slid it to the corner of my room. I turned to look at my best friend. "We'll lunch together and do some tourism the rest of the time."

"And party over night."

I laughed. "Well, it's a college campus, bet they know how to enjoy themselves." I hugged her tightly, excited. "Thank you for coming. It'll be so awesome!" I squealed.

We only have some months left to spend together and now that she'd been admitted in Notre Dame and we'd be states away the next course I wasn't planning on wasting a moment with her. I knew our friendship could survive distance -it had when I moved to Arizona- but still I'm gonna miss her so much. So when Paris' and I were invited to this special program on Spring's Break and being told we could bring someone, I didn't hesitate. Jess and Kelly Glover - another girl for the team, very close to the captain- would be our companions.

"See you girls are finishing up." My father softly knocked the door, fixing his tie, his eyes on the luggage.

"Yep!" I smiled brightly. "Almost done. You're going now?"

"The cab's waiting." he nodded, hesitating for a second. "You can always change your mind, Ari, you know..." but I shook my head cutting him.

"I know, I know, but I really want to go." his lips pursed. After everything that happened this past months he wasn't very fond of the idea of me going that far when I just recently healed from last injuries. I totally get his worry, but I was eighteen. I had faced some shit lately, but I wasn't going to close off in my room and let the fear of that happening again limited me. True, I felt sick on the stomach sometimes, but I was learning to push it down. "Dr Hudson said it was good for me to do things normally. That it would help me move on easily."

Brian Hudson was my therapist. After the kidnap and already been affected by Adam's abuse, we thought it would be good for me to see him. I'd been going once a week since that happened and he helped me with calming tips when I got a panic attack or to focus on the good things. Like college.

Going to California was certainly a good thing.

That and the fact that a week ago we'd received the resolution of our case with Adam where he'd been sentenced to three months of probation, a restraining order and expelled from Milton High only incressed the relief I felt inside. I wouldn't have to see him -hopefully- never again. Our principal had been removed as well after his lame part in protecting me when I went to him all on his personal interests' behalf.