H.I.C.C.

Chapter 12: Where we belong

I am looking at the ceiling. Two minutes ago my alarm went off. It's been a week since L and I first met Jessica. Since then we hung out with her gang every day. L started teaching me how to skate. By now I'm not exactly good, but I don't crash anymore. The first fall was the most painful. I look at my arm. The bruise is still visible. I get up with a quick jump. I feel refreshed for some reason. I shudder. The encounter with Mark is still burned into my brain, but I kinda started to get over it. I sneak downstairs so I don't wake up my parents. When I get into the kitchen, dad is already there. "Good morning Jennifer." He smiles. "Dad, why are you up so early?" I ask. He shrugs. "I just woke up early. You look different." My eyes jerk to the left and then back at my dad. I blink. "Uh... In a good or a bad way?" My dad gestures me to come closer. "In a good way. You were so depressed since last Wednesday, but now you look a lot better." I still can't help but feel guilty that I am keeping something as big as sexual assault from my parents. The only two persons on this entire planet that I trust. It snaps in my head. Plus L. But do I full on trust her yet? I'm not sure... "Hey, come here." I snap out of the trance. I walk closer to my dad. When I am just in arm's reach he suddenly grabs my wrist and pulls me into his arms. "Whatever it is you keep from your mother and me, it better not be something that isn't worth to keep." I gulp. How did he?... "Don't think we wouldn't notice, Jenny. You are our daughter. Something that makes you so upset can't be something minor as a teacher yelling at you. I made sure of that, didn't I?" He ruffles my hair. I return the hug and start pulling at his shirt. I am close to tears. "Now, hurry and get over to L's. I'm sure her ribs aren't fully healed yet, hm?" He kisses my cheek. "Take care, sunshine."

Jen knocks at L's door. It doesn't take long and it swings open. "Mornin'!" She whispers. "'Ey." Jen replies. They walk into the Kitchen. As usual, Nina is up too. "Look at you two lovebirds coming in here, interrupting my peaceful breakfast." "Pfff, your 'peaceful' breakfast." L replies, slightly annoyed. Jen tries to hide a blush at the sudden comment. They aren't lovebirds, why would Nina say that? Nina takes a glimpse at Jen, and smirks while chewing on her toast, continuing to read the newspaper. "How're the ribs today?" Jen asks to take her mind off the incident. "Oh, so là là. It's not that bad anymore, but will still take a while to fully heal." Nina doesn't look up from reading when she says: "Ribs are a nasty bunch, you can't really support the healing process like with a broken arm. That will still take a few weeks I'd say." L frowns. "WEEKS? Ugh.." Jen chuckles. "Didn't stop you the last few days." L strikes a pose. "I know. Why should it?" Nina raises a brow. "What have you two been up to?" L and Jen look at each other. In unison they say: "Oh nothing, just meeting a few friends." Now Nina got even more suspicious of them. "A FEW friends? Since when are you two the friend making kind?" "Since we met someone who is in a group." Nina gave them a knowing look. "Uh hu... Well, as long as you stay safe." "We will." Jen says. "Good." Nina replies. With a stare at L. She stares back. "What she said is true, sis. We WILL." Nina suddenly smiles. "Ok then. Have fun at school." L sighs. "Gee, thanks." Nina gets up and leaves. Jen and L finish their breakfast in silence and get ready to leave for school as quickly as they can.

As soon as they enter the building, Michael is already waiting for them. "Took you two a while." L smiles. "Well, I'm not exactly able to sprint yet." Michael chuckles. "That doesn't seem that way when we're at the ramps." L looked to the ground. "Well..." Jen smiles. She sees Michael and L off, then goes to her classroom. The lesson will start in fifteen minutes. She opens the door. And feels a sudden flash of pain in her stomach area. She gasps for air and falls to her knees, arms wrapped around her stomach. "DAVID, WHAT THE FUCK?" Marissa shouts across the room. If anyone hadn't been looking at the door, they are now. "Keep your mouth shut, 'Riss. None of your business." Peter takes a few steps towards them. "Don't overdo it, D." Jen looks up. She remembers now, Peter had offered his help when L was in the hospital. David grabs Jen by the scruff of the neck and pulled her up. "Peter, stand back unless you want to be forced to cuddle her." A few girls chuckled and made 'eww' sounds. "I'm serious, D, lay off." Peter walks closer. David looks at him with a threatening look, but Peter is not impressed. He continues to walk closer. When he almost reached them, David suddenly swings Jen around and throws her at the wall, then charges at Peter and punches him on the chest. Peter stumbles back, coughs twice, then proceeds to slap David on his ear. Stunned by the loud impact, David spaces out. Peter uses that time to hit David in the stomach. That gets David to recover a little though, and he punches Peter in the face. Peter lets out a short scream, but hits David back twice, left and right. A few boys start to cheer, but the girls start to worry. "Lesson's about to start, stop!" One asks of them. "Hey guys! That's ENOUGH!" Another yells. The fight goes on for another two minutes, when Sophie and Marissa finally manage to separate them. "THIS WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES!" David yells. "Bring it on." Peter retorts. Suddenly Mr. Falk walks in. And stares at David and Peter, both looking beat up. "Are you guys serious?" Peter and David don't look at each other. "About what?" David asks as innocently as possible. "Oh, don't give me that crap. I've lived long enough to recognise two combatants when I see them. You were in a fight." Mr. Falk says in a very annoyed tone. Then he spots Jen sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. "What happened to her?" He asks, hands on hips, walking in on David and Peter. "Well, you se-" "Nothing." Jen slowly gets up. "I just felt weak for a moment." She interrupts Peter and sits down. Mr. Falk raises both brows. "Well, if you say so. Now for you two. You'll report to me after the lesson."

I look at Jen. "You were so silent on the way here, what's wrong?" I ask, now looking at Jessica do some tricks while we put on some gear. "The usual." She sighs. I put my hand on her shoulder. "Want to talk about it?" She shakes her head. "Not now, let's do it later. First, teach me how to go backwards." She suddenly smiles at me. Damn it! She is so good at making it look like nothing is wrong. No wonder her parents don't know too much about the bullying. It takes her a while to get ready, then she puts on the Inlines. I grab my skateboard. "Ok then, let's do this." We go to the long straight part of the skate park. "Here should be fine." Jessica suddenly comes over. "Yo, don't be so shy, hang closer to us! You always stay so far off!" I chuckle. "We'll come in a bit, but Jen wants to learn how to go backwards." Jess claps her hands. "Oooh! Can I watch?" I am unsure, but before I can look at Jen to ask her with my eyes she says: "Sure, maybe you can give some advice as well." Jessica laughs. "Oh, I sure as hell could, but I have no doubt L's a good teacher. Go ahead now, start!" I get on my skateboard. I face forward. "Turn around." I look to Jen as I say it. She does it. "Ok, and now?" I smile and grab her hand. "Don't fall." Is all I say as I suddenly accelerate on my board. "WHOA HEY! A LITTLE WARNING??" Jen shrieks, while we go at medium speed. "Just keep your balance." I say. After a few seconds she starts to stabilise. "See? Not so hard is it?" Jen sighs. In relief, I guess. "No, it actually isn't. It's nice!" I get to the next step. "I'm gonna let go." "ALREADY?" Jen seems insecure again. "Just keep your balance." I say again. Then I let go. Jen just rolls further. "Good!" I comfort. "This is really not as I hard as I thought it would be." I chuckle. "You haven't had to keep the speed yet. At this rate you'll just roll until you stop." Jen gulps.

I gulp. "Will you take my hand for that again?" I ask, scared of falling at this speed. "Sure." L just says in a too happy voice for my liking. She reaches out her hand, but I am quicker. I quickly grab her hand. "Ok," She starts, "Now you have to do the same thing as for going forward, just in reverse." My knees are shaking a little. "But how does that work? Won't that be difficult? I mean my legs don't work the same in that direction." L squeezes my hand a little. "Relax, just try." I try to focus. "Here goes nothing.." I say more to myself than to her. I close my eyes. Then I start moving my legs. It feels so weird... I think I'm going fall! "Good job! Keep going!" I hear L say. I open my eyes. L is right in front of me on her skateboard. When did she let go? She smiles at me. "You're a natural at this Jen!" Jessica also catches up to us. "Wow, I think you're one of the quickest learners in this group so far Jennifer!" I smile, feeling a little embarrassed at that compliment. "B-Beginners luck.." I claim. L and Jess both laugh. "That's no luck." L says. "It's talent." Jess adds. "This is where you two belong." L chuckles. "I guess so." It makes me think. Is it really the place? The place where we belong? I mean, I have no doubt about L. But me? Is it the place I belong?

Do I even have a place like that?