Just Like Cinderella

Just Like Cinderella [21]

Josi got out of there and ran all the way to Megan's house despite the distance. Running helped to distract her momentarily. 

When she got to Megan's house, it was Megan who answered. Thankfully. She didn't think she could deal with anyone but her best friend right now.

As soon as Megan opened the door, Josi flung her arms around her neck. She said nothing, just needing comfort from the one person who had always had her back, and the redhead said nothing as well as she shut her door. It was a little while before she broke away, grabbing Josi by the hand then leading her up to her room. When they were there, Megan shut the door and steered them both to her bed.

For a moment, they sat across each other on the bed, saying nothing. Josi was the one who broke the silence. "I'm an idiot, Meg," she whispered, as finally the tears she had been holding back escaped.

Megan immediately reached for her, pulling her into her arms again as Josi sobbed against her shoulder. "No, you're not. You're not an idiot."

"I am," she protested right before a sob escaped. "I knew I shouldn't have said yes to Caleb. I knew. But I did and now everything is worse."

Megan pulled her back slightly to look at her face. "Caleb? What did he do?"

Josi shook her head with a wistful smile. "No, not him. I don't blame him in the least. It was all my fault for agreeing. Or not. Maybe she had this planned even before she knew about me and him."

Megan's brows furrowed. "I don't understand. You're not making any sense. Calm down, Josi, and explain to me. And I swear, I'll hurt whoever hurt you."

This made Josi cry harder. "Y-you can't. T-Tammy..."

"Shh," Megan crooned, holding Josi's face in her hands. "Calm down, sweetheart, and tell me. Tammy isn't here. It's just me, sweetheart, and I'd never let anyone hurt you. I promise."

At her words, more tears slid down Josi's cheeks but her sobs stopped. She sniffed, pulling away to wipe her cheeks before calmly facing Megan. She wanted to start with what happened on her sixteenth birthday, confide in someone about Tammy's beatings, about her first panic attack, about the pain and fear instilled in her that day. But just thinking about sharing made her throat close up and her breath hitch. It wasn't till Megan repeated her calming words that Josi finally could talk. So she told Megan about this morning. The slaps, the taunts, Tammy's threat. When she was done, Megan's eyes were clouded with tears and it was then Josi realized her own tears had returned as she was recounting the event.

Megan slowly reached up and brushed her fingertips right over Josi's chin. Her eyes confirmed what Josi already knew, Tammy had left a bruise there. "Josi..."

More tears slid down her cheeks. "Megan, s-she'll let them take me away. S-she'll g-give me to crack addicts and l-let them take me away. S-she'll let them take me a-away."

"No." Megan shook her head vehemently even as a tear escaped. "No one's taking you away, Josi. Never. I swear no one's going to take you away."

But Josi wasn't listening. She abruptly pulled away from Megan, moving away until there was nowhere else to go, her back to the wall. She was shaking her head as she cried, repeating the same words over and over. "She'll let them take me away. She'll let them take me away."