On the Sidelines

Chapter 5 Evie

Alyssa doesn't ask as I practically drag her across campus. I'm sure she heard what he said. She knows what meaning those words mean to me. Where they send me. They send her to the same place.

Freshman year of high school, when she went to grab a glass of water from the kitchen and didn't return. I went to check on her, but I heard her first. Her cries and pleas for him to stop. Her sobs filled the silent kitchen as I rounded the corner.

The terror in her pale blue eyes will be forever etched into my mind. Same with my father forcing his way between her bloody thighs as she screams in pain. His large palm covered her mouth to muffle the sound. Mom was sleeping upstairs when I heard the blood-curdling scream come from me. At least I think it came from me.

That caught his attention, his face whipping around to mine. "Evie baby, if you don't quiet down, you'll be next. Now shut up and let your old man enjoy something for the first time in his life." I didn't stop, I woke up half the neighborhood. My mother beat him with a bat when she found out what was happening. The police showed up and refused to take our statement, they asked Alyssa if she really wanted to 'ruin' his life with the allegation.

They didn't care there were two eyewitnesses; all they cared about was keeping us quiet.

While my father never touched me that night, his actions and lack of punishment did. Marcus Flocken was the first to drug me and take advantage. Jake Schelve was next, all through high school this went on. No one would do anything because for some reason their future mattered more than mine, more than my best friends. Of the five guys that raped me, three were athletes, two were from the town over.

I'm not ashamed of what happened to me. I own it. It wasn't my fault the justice system in our little town is corrupt, and it most definitely wasn't my fault when the boys took advantage of my turned head in class and spiked my drink. Where they got those drugs, I pray I never learn.

"Evie." Alyssa tugs my arm until I stop. "Evie, he's following us." She played the part of a bitch earlier, but I know better than to believe it. She's scared.

I follow her eyes and see Tanner flanked by Sean coming closer.

We're not far from the dorms, we could easily reach it before they reach us but in an unspoken conversation, we decide to stay. "What did I do? Tell me and I'll fix it." My heart aches to believe him but Alyssa is right, he's a jock, enough said.

"It doesn't matter. You can't fix an issue that's already resolved."

"But it's not resolved. You're still upset, and I want to know why. I want to help." He's sincere but that doesn't change that my hurt is still too raw for him to fix, to help.

"Go away Tanner, whatever you think might happen between us never will." He seems hurt but that's for the best, I can never let him that close anyway. He's one of them at the end of the day, no matter how nice he seems.

"But."

I raise my hand to hush him. "No, just leave. I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to graduate and make a better life for me and my mom, you do not, nor ever will, fit into that so leave. Save your breath for someone who cares." My words hit their mark. We silently watch as the boys walk away, hopefully, I won't have to deal with them.

⛸️⛸️⛸️

The first week of classes went by uneventfully. To no one's surprise, I have no classes with Tanner and his friends, though I do have one with Ella. It's basic English and when she noticed me sitting near the front, she quickly disappeared up the stairs, toward the back.

She wasn't in the room when I moved my things and I haven't seen her since the morning after she kicked me out of the room.

There's still a week to go, so still no guarantees, but so far I have no roommate. Alyssa states how jealous she is every chance she gets but I know she likes he roommate. I haven't had a chance to meet her but Alyssa gushed about her the entire time we packed my stuff up.