"Taylor, please talk to me"
MJ is clutching my hands in hers and I want nothing more than to just unburdened myself. To open my mouth and just let everything come flooding out but then I remember just how easily he turned my parents on Travis.
Would they ever believe me over a person in authority like him?
And Travis, I have seen the damage his father can do when unprovoked, what would he do to him if Mr. Quinn got to him and twisted his mind before setting him free on his only son?
And me... what is he capable of doing to me, to my fragile, female body
"Taylor..."
"I can't" I snatch my hand from hers and push myself to my feet "Don't ask me to"
"Okay then speak to your parents"
I shake my head and flap my hand in frustration
"My parents won't believe me"
"You have the messages!"
"He'll twist it, he will say something or blame someone else, my parents trust him" her jaw goes slack for a second before she too is on her feet
"Wait, this isn't just some internet guy? This is someone real, someone you know?!"
I just nod and sit down in the edge of my bed
"Then tell Travis, he'll murder him, 30 seconds flat"
I nod again and rest my head in my hands
"That's exactly why I can't tell him, I can't have him getting into trouble over this, over me"
"Girl are you blind? He's crazy about you, he'd do anything to protect you"
"And I feel the same, that's why I can't tell him and neither can you, he doesn't have anyone else MJ, I have to protect him"
"And what about you? Who protects you hu? She sits beside me and takes my hand in hers
"I'm sorry to break it to you Taylor but this doesn't end with 'selfies' next it will be nudes then he'll want to meet and then what hu?!"
More tears slip over my lower lids and drip down my cheeks and nose
"I'm trapped"
"You aren't, you can free yourself just tell someone or let me tell someone for you"
"MJ, have you ever been so afraid that you can't move? Like you know you should speak or scream or run but instead you just freeze, you're rooted to the spot and completely at the mercy of anyone or anything that comes along? That's how I feel. I know I should tell someone but I can't... I'm so afraid of what's going to happen next" she wraps her arms around me and holds me to her tightly, both of us sniffing
"Who is he Taylor, please tell me, if you can't tell your parents and you can't tell Travis then please, at least tell me. Let me try to help you"
"Click on the profile" I don't know why I'm giving her permission, I know I shouldn't get her involved but I'm too weak and too broken to fight her right now.
I see her opening my phone, clicking on Instagram and then clicking on 'Irish Davey' profile and then she gasps loudly as my phone drops from her hands and hits her knees before hitting the ground
"Taylor!" She grabs me and pulls me to her "Oh my fuckin God Taylor, what are we going to do???"
"I don't know" I cry into her beautiful, almond smelling hair
"We have to tell the school"
"We can't, he's making threats to Travis, you don't know Travis' circumstances MJ I can't put him at risk. I can't!" Again we cling to each other, both sobbing, both shaking, two kids standing in the darkest shadows of a grown up world and too terrified of the unknown to move in and direction.
Just frozen
Just alone
