Purple - A Riff Lorton Love Story

The Worst Night of My Life

*Trigger warning: this chapter contains sexual abuse*

We finally made it to the corner where we usually split up.

"Jules, we should walk you the rest of the way home. It's pretty late." Said Ton

"I'm a big tough girl, Tony. I can tie my shoes and everything"

"Just be careful," He said before I turned away from him, heading to my apartment. The walk back to the apartment was calm and quiet, the moonlight reflecting off on nearby puddles. I rounded a corner, deciding to take the shortcut through the ally. Suddenly, as I was walking down the dark and deserted alley, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see a group of menacing-looking guys blocking my way. My heart began to race as I realized I was in trouble. I tried to back away, but they advanced towards me, their knives glinting in the dim light.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

"Where's your boyfriend?" one of the guys said as he chuckled.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked

"She doesn't know what I'm talkin' about," he said as they all began to laugh. I shrunk back. "No Jets to protect ya now baby,"

I felt a wave of panic wash over me as I realized I was outnumbered and outmatched. They all began to grab at me. My punches and yelling did nothing against them. As they continued to grab and pull at me I could hear the fabric on my dress ripping. I couldn't help the sobs that left my lips.

Then I saw it - a narrow opening between two of the boys that led to the main street. I knew I had to act fast. I took a step back, then lunged forward with all my strength, pushing past them and sprinting towards the alleyway. I could hear them cursing and chasing after me, but I was faster. I emerged onto the main street, gasping for breath, and ran as fast as I could. I didn't stop until I was a safe distance away. My left heel had broken, leaving me to hobble the rest of the way home. I couldn't face Papi in this state. So I decided to climb up the fire escape, thankful I hadn't remembered to lock my window earlier that day. As I entered my room, the floodgates let loose. I examined myself in the mirror, my dress was ripped, practically torn to shreds. My makeup had run down my face, my hair was a mess as well.

As I lay in bed, still feeling the effects of last night's events, I was jolted awake by the sound of a knock at my door. It was my father, letting me know he was leaving for work. As he left, I couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness wash over me. I looked down at my torn dress, a painful reminder of the night before. I didn't want to face anyone today.

I grabbed the dress and threw it into the trunk at the foot of my bed. I needed to forget what had happened. I needed to escape. So, I picked up my copy of The Catcher in the Rye and buried myself in its pages.

Hours passed as I read, lost in the world of Holden Caulfield. Suddenly, I heard a tapping sound on my window. At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But then, the tapping continued. Curious, I walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains.

The bright light of the sun spilled into my room, and I saw two familiar faces: Tony and Riff. They were both smiling up at me, beckoning me to join them on their trip to the zoo. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go - after all, the Jets had a reputation for getting high and causing trouble at the zoo. But part of me was intrigued by the idea of escaping my thoughts for a while, so I opened the window and yelled down to them, "What do you two want?"

Tony and Riff looked up at me with wide grins on their faces. "Come on, Jules," Tony said, his voice carrying up to my window. "We're gonna have a blast at the zoo. You in?"

I hesitated for a moment, still unsure if I wanted to leave my room. But then I remembered the torn dress on the trunk and the painful memories it represented. Maybe a day out with my friends was exactly what I needed to clear my head.

"Okay," I said, finally giving in to their persuasion. "Let me get dressed, and I'll meet you guys downstairs."

With that, I closed the window and hurriedly got dressed. I grabbed my purse and headed out the door, eager to join Tony and Riff on their adventure.

As we made our way to the zoo, Tony and Riff chatted excitedly about their plans for the day. They talked about all the animals they wanted to see and the pranks they wanted to pull on unsuspecting visitors.

Despite my initial reservations, I found myself laughing and enjoying their company. For the first time that day, I felt like I could breathe again.

As we wandered through the zoo, I forgot about the events of the night before and lost myself in the wonder of the animals. It was as if nothing else existed outside of the zoo gates.

At that moment, surrounded by my friends and the beauty of nature, I felt a sense of peace that I hadn't felt in a long time. I knew that I couldn't stay at the zoo forever, but I also knew that I would always carry this memory with me - a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always a glimmer of hope.