Fixing What's Broken

Chapter 3: Tell me Everything

The next day, I sat in the lecture hall of Knox University, enduring a droning lecture about paradigms explored in eighteenth century literature. Don't get me wrong, I loved being an English major, but Professor Stuart had a very dull way of teaching a fascinating subject. Normally, I can force myself to pay attention, but after last nights encounter with the mysterious Xavier, my mind kept wandering back to him.

When I got home last night, Ally grilled me for hours about every detail of our meeting. What did he say? What did I say? How did he say it? Did he touch me? Did I touch him? Was he as terrifying up close as everybody thinks? You get the picture. She was furious with me for walking alone at that time of night and lectured me for hours, but I think she was also pretty scared for me. I was too. I didn't know much about Xavier or his gang and even though he hadn't harmed me, I got a bad vibe. He reminded me too much of Dylan with his aggressiveness and after everything that happened last year, that is definitely not the kind of person I want to be around. Ally doesn't know much about my past, but she knows I didn't just up and leave Australia, including my family and friends, for no reason to study for my junior year of college in London. Most people from home think I simply decided I wanted a new experience and that's why I decided to study abroad, which is a valid reason, but not the truth. Only my close friends and family know why I had to leave.

Last year, I developed a stalker named Dylan Hunter. We met at an after school study group, he attended a high school in the neighbouring town and I developed a crush on him almost instantly. He was exactly my type, smart, kind and attractive, with his broad shoulder's, wavy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Your regular dream boat. We started going on a few dates and everything was going wonderfully, until he started to follow me everywhere and text me constantly. I couldn't go a day without seeing him somewhere, at the shopping centre, the movies, my school, outside my bedroom window! He was everywhere I looked and when he wasn't around, he was texting me non-stop. Telling me how beautiful I was, how much he loved me, how much he cared for me. At first I was flattered and tried to respond, and be understanding. I tried to justify his actions by believing he was just really excited to be with me. But then things slowly got ugly. If I didn't answer his texts, he would become verbally abusive, if I ignored him when I saw him in person, he would get up in my personal space and call me names and push me around. He went from prince charming to the evil king just like that and I couldn't escape from him. I blocked his number and I tried changing my routine, but he would still find ways to contact me, so in the end I had to get the police involved and they put a restraining order on him. That's when ugly reached a whole new level.

One night, I was walking home from a study group, finally feeling safe with the restraining order in place, when I was suddenly jumped from behind. I kicked and screamed, but my assailant was strong and once he covered my mouth, I knew I had no chance of being heard. It was dark and the area was empty. I was terrified when I finally got to face my assailant and realised it was Dylan. He was furious. He screamed at me and started to beat me, my arms my face, my stomach. The pain was excruciating and I thought he would never stop. I eventually blacked out and when I woke up, I was in a hospital with three broken ribs, a concussion and a black eye, with Dylan nowhere to be found. The police searched for him for weeks, but he had skipped town. A month later I had organised my transfer to Knox University in London for the following semester and packed my bags ready to get the hell out of town, which is what brings me here, sitting in a lecture hall in London with 50 other students listening to boring Professor Stuart rave on about paradigms. I miss my family and friends like crazy and have dreamt many a time about going home, but I feel safe here for the first time in a long time and I intend to stick it out, at least until they find Dylan and lock that bastard up.

Finally, after a long hour, Professor Stuart excused us from his lecture and I stood up with stiff legs only to turn around and come face-to-face with Xavier.