Trapped

You're not alone

The Town was suffering. Three more girls were raped. It was like a pattern. a pattern no one could figure out.
Michael was worried about his mother. He was worried she'd be re-living what had happened to her. At the end they moved to this town so she could forget all about it.
They moved so she could start fresh, and forget all about it.
But now she remembers it every minute of every day.

His mother became more distant everyday; she would let the dishes in the sink unwashed, she wouldn't wash their dirty clothes or clean the house or cook.
She didn't do what she always did. She was on her way back to how she was after it happened.

He knew his mother has to talk to him, since talking helps the soul, that's what Ms Roberts told them, their therapist.
But his mom wasn't letting him get close enough for him to look into her eyes, how could he talk to her soul then?

He was a smart kid so, he also knew he should talk to someone too.
Before everything had changed he used to talk with Chuck.
They had a "scale of prob" that would help them decide where to go and what to do depending on the problem level.
The scale of prob was from 1 to 9. It world work like this;
If it was a 2 then they would go to the pub, order some nachos with double cheese sauce, and watch whatever football team was playing that day. And it would help them. But, if it was late they would delay it until the next day, since it was a 2, and it wasn't that important.

If it was a 5 they would drive around listening to their playlist called "WILD" which contained about 15 songs, which lasted for about 50 minutes. After singing their lungs out, they drive to the aquarium, and climb to the roof. Yes, they climb the stair since they are broken, and they can not go through the main door because it would be late, and the aquarium would be closed. Also, they don't allow people to go to the roof anyways.
So they climb.
Climbed.
They would look at the stars and the tall buildings in NewYork city, it was a beautifully breathtaking scene. They would eat their takeout, wether it was, burgers or Nuggets or pizza and talk about it. Then head home, and get in trouble for being half an hour late which was fine because, it was only half an hour.

If it was a 8, which only happened once, the night Chuck lost his Virginity to Rebecca, his crush since 2nd grade, who happened to be dating Jeremy, the biggest most popular guy in school.
Rebecca had told Chuck that she had a fight with Jeremy and was done with him, and Chuck believed her. because he was so in love with Rebecca.
But of course, Rebecca and Jeremy got back together.
"That's the thing with girls like Rebecca," Michael told Chuck. "They don't think guys like us are a big deal."
That night Chuck called Michael at 1 am and told him, so Michael climbed out of the window and drove to pick up Chuck from the pub that was next to Rebecca's.
They talked about it for real; no music, no food, no joking. Because it was a 8. And that's what they do.
They solve everything and pray that Jeremy doesn't find out. "Or we'll smell like garbage for weeks because, he will literally put us in a garbage can for weeks..." Michael said.
"And we'll have scars because,"
"Stop," Michael shot him a look "only I get to joke today."
"I had sex with Rebecca jones," he states and looks deep at the dark sky. "The girl of my dreams."
and even though Michael knew that Rebecca would go back to Jeremy, and that Jeremy would kill them both if he found out, and that once Jeremy kicked both of their asses in front of the whole school, Nicole would hear about it and never think of going out with Michael.
But he couldn't help it, he felt happy for his friend, because even though Rebecca was a mean girl, and with the popular evil girls. She once was Chuck's friend.
She was nice, and the old Rebecca must've been there that night.
Chuck was happy and so was Michael, but they were both afraid.

Now, that he couldn't talk to Chuck, after everything had changed. He decided to talk with Emma.
So he drove to her house.
Mrs Kings opens up the door for him and welcomes him.
"I just made a hot chocolate, want some sweetie?" She asks nicely. He actually really liked her. She was beautiful and Kind.
Just like Emma.
"No, thank you," he says heading to Emma's room.
She is sitting on the chair, using her computer, probably programming or hacking something, he smiled to himself.
She is sitting there with her Dark orangey blond hair touching her shoulder. Such a beautiful color, he thought.
"Hey," he says.
"Hi," she smiles. Smiles. "Come on in," she shuts the laptop and stand up to hug him. "I was just helping my cousin, at Yale for her graduation project," she says like it was no big deal, to help a 23 year old Yale student on their graduation project when you are 17 and in high school.
"Normal Emma day right?" He teases.
"Oh, I'm an important person Michael Henderson," she smiles.
He walks closer.
"I know you are."
He can't stop walking towards her.
"Am I important to you?" she teases back.
He is so close, their shoulders are almost touching, and if his face falls a bit down, their lips would touch for sure.
"Oh, you have no idea," he wanted to kiss her, but he knew he shouldn't.
"can we talk?"
"Sure," she says as she sits on her bed. It's cover was green since it was her favorite color. Her bedroom was small, he never noticed that before.
It barely fit her bed, which was under the window, that they climbed out of. And next to the computer she was just using. And in front of it a small closet with posters of old bands and quotes.
"Come," she pats on the bed, next to her.
He sits there.

"I never told you the reason my mom and I moved here."
"No, you haven't."
"I want to."
"Okay," she nods.
"back in New York, my mother was raped," he says. He looks into her eyes. And he could swear they were more beautiful, more hazel, more bright, but shockingly sad.
"We moved so she could start fresh, here no one would know, so she'll have no one to remind her, and might be able to forget, and move on," he says. She nods.
"But, now with everything happening, girls getting raped, It's a nightmare for us, especially for her" he says hurt "and I want to help her, I do, but I can't, she won't let me Emma, and I don't want to lose her. I can't" he shakes his head.
She holds his hand "look at me," she says and he does.
"You are not alone, you have me."
"Your mother is not alone," she says firmly. "She has you, by her side and she knows it"
"I know but why won't she let me in," he says.
"She'll let you in when she is ready, Michael. But you won't lose her." she says "I can't imagine going through the what she went through," she takes a deep breath. But to have you by her side matters to her, she is lucky you are her son". A tear slips from his eyes and she feels her heart weakens. Then she wipes his tear with her right thumb. She keeps her hand on his cheek and lifts his face up.
"And she has me by her side now too," she smiles.
Can I kiss you, Emma King? He thought.
But he hugs her.