New beginnings

|7| The day after

-Madeline-

I stood in the shower for what felt like the millionth time, letting the scalding water run over my skin. No matter how many times I scrubbed, I still felt dirty. The memory of Dylan's hands on me lingered- the way he locked the door, and took advantage of me. It haunted me, and it felt like no amount of hot water could wash it away.

Any appetite I had was long gone. My mind spiraled, replaying everything that had happened. I knew I had to tell Chloe at some point- warn her. She couldn't go out with that monster. But how could i explain it? How could I tell her that he raped me, and took everything away from me.

After getting dressed, I begged my mom to drive me to school. I didn't want to walk. Being alone on the streets felt too much. She didn't question it, just nodded and dropped me off to the gates.

As I entered the school Ryker was the first to approach me. His usual cocky grin plastered on his face. "So what's with ditching me in lunch?"
He smirked, teasing as usual.

I forced a half smile, my eyes darting to the ground. "Yeah sorry about that"

His face faltered for a second as he studied me, concern flicking his eyes. "you good?"

I nodded quickly,avoiding eye contact. "Perfect," I muttered, the words tasting bitter as it left my mouth.

He didn't seem convinced but he didn't push me either. "Alright well if you need anything you know where to find me,"

"Thanks" I mumbled, hurrying to my first class, hoping the day would somehow pass quickly.

I spent the morning trying to figure out how and i'm going to tell Chloe. I couldn't tell her exactly what happened- I couldn't. The thought of saying it out loud made me want to crawl out of my skin. But i had to say something.

With ten minutes left before our next class, I decided this was it. This was the moment. I spotted Chloe and Clara walking down the hallway, chatting about something I couldn't focus on. I waved them over, my heart pounding.

"Hey Chloe," I started, my voice shaky but trying to sound casual. "There's something I need to tell you,"

Chloe and Clara exchanged confused glances, but Chloe's smile stayed in place. "What's up?"

I swallowed hard, feeling my pulse race. 'It's about Dylan," I forced out, trying yo keep my voice steady. Saying his name out loud gave me goosebumps.

Chloe frowned slightly, tilting her head. "Dylan? What about him?"

I paused for a second, trying to plan this out properly without exposing what actually happened. "He.. he tried to cheat on you yesterday,"I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips.Hoping that this is going to be enough for her to stop going out with him.

Her smile disappeared instantly, replaced by a look of confusion. "Wait, what? With who?"

I stared at the ground, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. "With me," I admitted, my voice cracking.

The silence that followed was suffocating, Chloes eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious?" Her voice was low, almost a growl.

"I swear," I stammered, my hands shaking as I tried to explain without saying the full truth of what actually happened. "I told him no. I would never-"

"Yeah, right" Chloe cuts me off, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. Her voice was cold now.
"Dylan would never do that. He already told me everything, I was just waiting to see what you have to say about it"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words couldn't come out. Clara, who has been silent this whole time, glanced between us, her eyes wide with shock.