Rochdale | LGBTQ+

.Eleven.

It'd been two weeks since I pressed charges against Samantha. The court date had taken a while to be announced, and it had finally happened yesterday. I knew that Maddie and Lucas had been interviewed by police, and I knew that Lucas and I were too busy avoiding each other to talk about what had been said during it. But I soon found out from Maddie that it was the worst possible things.

"Cory!" Maddie screamed into the phone when I finally picked up. I'd been trying to feed Wynnie some sliced strawberries because she hadn't been eating as many fruits or vegetables lately when she called me. I asked Penny to watch the girls because Maddie needed something right now, and Penny hurried downstairs in her bra and lacey underwear to keep an eye on them while I stepped into the living room with the passed out Greg to take the call.

"I'm here. What's wrong Mads?" I asked. My heart was pounding. Her scream had been so full of terror. "Are you hurt? Do I need to come pick you up?"

"Maybe! I don't think I can spend one more night with this douchebag!" she wailed.

"Who, Lucas?"

"Yes! Oh my god, pumpkin you won't fucking believe what the fuck he did. I'm actually so pissed off, I can't tell you this over the phone. Meet me at the park in twenty minutes and I will tell you everything I know. Trust me, you're gonna want to hear it."

I watched the girls for a few minutes and finished feeding Wynnie so that Penny could actually get dressed, then grabbed my shit and hurried out the door. I'd be a couple minutes later than Maddie had requested, but it didn't matter because we both arrived at the same time. Maddie was out of breath like she'd jogged the whole way, while I'd just speed-walked. 

Maddie collapsed into one of the big swings, and I could tell she'd been crying. I reached out and grabbed her hand. "Seriously Mads, what the hell happened? What'd he do now?"

"It's not even about me, it's about you!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe he would do this to you!"

I froze at that. Did he... tell someone? Do people know what happened? Did he twist the story? My heartbeat quickened. "Just tell me Mads."

Maddie sniffled. "We both did the fucking interview, right? I told them that she was a crazy bitch that hurt you and nearly hurt Libby, and they wrote it all down and shit. I gave them her address, told them the names of other girls she's done it, too, and guess what? Those other girls? They all fucking refused to do the interview. Wanna know why?"

I had a guess.

"Samantha threatened them! All of them! But the police don't know that! So none of the girls would do the interview, which means it's me and you against her."

"What about Lucas?" I questioned. I was beginning to get really scared. 

"That's just it! That asshole sided with her! He told the interviewer that she was mentally ill, and that she didn't mean to get so upset all the time. He said that if she knew Libby was there, she never would've thrown the rocks."

I gaped. I couldn't bring myself to speak. I had no words.

"That bitch had court yesterday right?" she was choking up again, tears brimming in her dark eyes. "She fucking told them that she loved kids, and that she and Lucas are getting married?! And are planning on having kids of their own. So the judge took sympathy on her. So did the goddamned jury. And guess what? She's not guilty."

I swallowed. "Y-You're lying. This- that's not right."

Maddie was weeping now, tears streaming down her face. I was about to cry too. So Samantha was out and about now, and could very well be coming after me. I looked around wildly, as if expecting her to suddenly jump out at me. "That's not even the worst part..." she whispered.

My stomach flipped. "How can it not be?"

"I haven't heard from Lucas all day. He fucking vanished. But Samantha wasn't lying."

My face paled. "W-What?"

Maddie looked at me, snot dripping from her nose. "Lucas and Samantha are getting married next week. Right after my dad gets out of prison."