7 Minutes ✧ Syndisparklez

Huddle

"Sugar, wake up," Bambi whispered, softly nudging my side. "We're getting close."

The sweaty skin on the top of my forehead peeled away from the cool window. I rubbed a sore spot on my shoulder, where the seatbelt pressed against my muscles. I lazily lifted a hand to my face, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

~~An Extended Stay~~
I had planned to stay with the girls for one night. However, my guilt and anger ate me alive.
It consumed me, pulling me into a lonesome depression.
I only talked to Bambi and Crystal for a little while. The other girls were far too busy with their jobs to stay and talk. Other days I wouldn't talk to any of them, regardless if they were around or not.
It wasn't until BamBam and I stayed up until 4 in the morning, talking about life, when I decided I needed to go home.
So here we are, after 1 and a half weeks of being gone, I've decided to return.

Bambi gently placed her hand on mine.

"Hun, it's gonna be okay."

"What?"

"You're shakin' in your boots," she giggled.

"Oh... I'm just nervous about what they're gonna say."

"What they're gonna say! They're not gonna say anything, they're just gonna hug the crap out of you."

Sighing, I picked at the skin surrounding my fingers.

"I don't know how I'm gonna tell them... I don't really know if I should," I mumbled.

"It's not too late to tell the police. They can still do tests to prove it."

"I don't know what good that's gonna do."

"It will make you feel less guilty; trust me."

I looked over at her with wide eyes, as if she knew something I didn't. I hoped she was just assuming it'd make me feel better, and not talking from experience.

"I don't wanna play victim though."

"Ingrid, you're a survivor."

I anxiously watched, as we pulled down the street leading to Alice's house. Chewing on my bottom lip, I could feel my heart beat against my chest.

"Could you tell them?" I burst out.

She parked in the driveway, shutting the old car off. "Okay."

"Really?"

"What ever makes you comfortable, because they deserve to know," she murmured. The nineteen year old's dark eyes sparkled back into mine. In them I found something.

~~A Definition~~
Comfort
The easing or alleviation of a person's feelings of grief or distress.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," I sighed, using a shaky hand to open the car door. Bambi linked her arm with mine, walking me up to the front porch. I pressed against the doorbell, patiently awaiting a response.

"Hello-"

Tom's face immediately lost all color. His skin was almost pure white. I watched as his eyes darted back and forth between Bambi, then me.

"Tom, who is it?"

He remained speechless, dark bags dragging under his eyes. He had a patchy goatee, his hair was greasy and tossed around. It seemed as if he'd been wearing the same outfit for a week and three days, just like me.

Warm tears gathered in my eyes, as Tom took quick glances at my body.

"Ingrid?" he finally asked, reaching out to touch me. His fingers grazed against the side of my arm, as if he were testing to see if I were real.

"Tom, who is it?" the male voice inside the house asked again, growing more annoyed. Footsteps drew near, as Tom pulled me in for a hug. I couldn't help but notice the gun in his pocket, pressing against my thigh.

Jordan's reaction was a bit different. He quickly brought his hands to his face, eyes flooding with wet tears. I reached one of my arms out to him, the other remained wrapped around Tom.

The three of us remained in our huddle, convulsing from the sobs together.

I glanced up, taking a quick peek at Bambi, who quietly stood by herself, a small tear rolling down her face. I quickly invited her in to join the huddle.

~~Home~~
Such a complex thing to explain. One measly definition could not do the term justice.
A simple Google search would tell you home is a shelter where an individual or family lives permanently.
However, this was much more than a inanimate building.
This was a safe haven, a nurturing group to lift me while I was down. A group who would wake me from my nightmares, and speak for me when I couldn't find the right words.
This was home.