“James smiles victoriously over Sky’s battered form, he leans in close whispering to the still unconscious girl,’Caught you.’ The girl’s eyes snap open, only to find no one there except for the pain and bloodied sheets.”
Sky wakes up, sweating profusely, her hands tightly gripping the sheets. Suddenly everything was to hot for her, she pushed the blankets off. Tears started to drip down her face, memories are flashing back left and right. Horror after horror replaying, the rape in a continuous loop. Sky sobs into her pillow, crying herself back to sleep.
"Max we gotta leave soon," calls Sky down the stairs.Sky had just finished showering and putting on makeup to conceal the horrible dark circles, from little sleep.
A muffled "Okay" comes back through. Max was doing some last minute cooking, so that he and Jayden could eat together after their date. He walks up stairs, back into his room to put some last minute things in his bag.
As soon as Max finishes, they leave. Sky is dropped off first at the cafe, "Promise that you'll call me if you need anything," says Max.
"Sure," says Sky, she waves goodbye and walks into the cafe.
It's a small and cozy cafe, with dark worn out wood flooring and cracked brick walls. There is variations of art scattered all around the place, and there is the ever prominent smell of coffee lingering in the air. Leigh walks up to meet her, "Hi."
"Hey" responds Sky.
Leigh leads her to two armchairs and lots of pillows in a small corner of the cafe. "Do you want coffee?" asks Leigh.
"No thanks, I'll just have a small bite to eat," says Sky, no matter how much she wants to drink coffee, she can't for the baby. She had to avoid drinking to much caffeine now she was pregnant.
"The sandwiches are really good here," says Leigh, "I can order if you like, just tell me what you want."
"The pesto sandwich," says Sky, she grabs her wallet and place the money into her hand.
Leigh nods,"Iʻll be right back."
Leigh comes back with the food and two drinks, "I just got you water, I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink."
"Thank you, I have been avoiding coffee and anything with caffeine recently. So water is perfect," reassures Sky.
"Are you on a diet or something, youʻre already skinny enough," says Leigh comfortably.
Sky just shakes her head and laughs, feeling uncomfortable knowing that she would soon be getting pudgy.
"Just kidding about that diet thing, how's James' baby doing?" asks Leigh her mask of normality off, instead there is a flash of something unknown in her eyes.
"How?" asks Sky, astonished and unnerved by the look in her eyes.
"I have my sources, just like James,"says Leigh with a scary smile.
"Why did you invite me, you never ask to hang out," says Sky, dread pooling in her stomach.
"You think that I'd be interested in another girl, that's a sin,” says Leigh with a dirty smile. "That's not why I invited you anyway. I wanted to lead you on a little so that I could break you completely. Anyway we are here to discuss that thing with in you," says Leigh casually, like it was normal to talk about breaking people’s hearts.
"You can't tell me what do with my baby," says Sky confidently, although fears and regrets started to bounce in the back of her head.
"It's not yours if we take it from you," says Leigh. "These are James' conditions, either you, give it up for adoption or hand all rights over to us," says Leigh.
"Never, I will keep her and raise her. Besides what's a rapist going to teach an innocent child?" Sky says disgust evident in her voice.
"We'll pay you a hefty sum if you agree, and if you don't we'll take everything away from your family, we know everything about them. They are unable to pay for school and the added health costs will drag them down even more," says Leigh, triumphant.
"No, I will keep the baby and that is final," says Sky determined.
"I'll get that thing eventually, I'll be over their if you change your mind," says Leigh, she stands up and leaves. "Oh and, the reason we rarely have classes together, is because I asked specifically not to be placed in any of your classes."
Sky rests her head in her arms, tears threatening to fall. She quickly dials for Max, he answers on the first ring.
"Hey" says Max.
"I need you to come and pick me up," says Sky stress evident in her voice.
"Okay," responds Max immediately worried.
The time seems to go ever so slowly as Sky holds back her tears, not wanting to cry in front of other people. Across the way Leigh is casually chatting with the shop owner. The door swings open and Max comes in, Jayden trailing behind. The two boys draw attention to themselves, they are holding hands. Jayden pats Max and whispers something into his ear and drifts away to Sky, while Max goes to Leigh.
"Let's go," says Jayden holding out his hand for a deathly pale Sky.
Sky stands up her knees trembling, Jayden supports her and helps her get into his car. Max comes storming out, he gets into the car next to Sky and silently sits. Sky opens her mouth to explain and apologize, but Max beat her to it.
"I heard what she did, lets just get you home," says Max.
Sky nods gratefully and starts to sob, Max rubs comforting circles on her back. They arrive at Max’s house, Jayden kisses Max goodbye and pats Sky supportingly, he departs quietly.
“Go ahead,” says Max as the two situate themselves on the couch with snacks.Sky tells him everything about her disastrous “date” with Leigh, needing to tell someone. “Does it hurt?” asks Max.
Sky nods,”I can’t help but feel broken.” Sky bitterly smiles,”But if she wants to break me, I won’t let her. It’ll take a lot more to break me.”
“That’s my girl,” says Max with a smile. “Come on, although this isn’t healthy, drown your sorrows in food,” Max says.
Sky nods and opens a bag of chips,”So, that new boyfriend of yours?” questions Sky wanting to talk about something lighter.
“Well,…” trails of Max.
“Spill, I told you how mine went, now tell me how your date went,” says Sky.
”It was amazing…” Max starts to talk about his date with a light blush on his cheeks.
