Cough Syrup (Zach Dempsey)

Chapter 20

After my lecture and grounding, I went and took the hottest shower and scrubbed my skin raw. Even if I don't know what happened, I changed into a pair of sweats and took some Tylenol and laid down. I was woken up by someone holding my arms down, I tried to fight when I opened my eyes my dad was standing over me

"Perri are you ok?"

"Yeah what happened?"

"You were having a nightmare, are you ok princess?" He asked sitting on my bed

"You haven't called me that in years."

"So? Your still my princess, always will be even when your forty." He said wrapping an arm around me making me smile

"I thought you were mad at me."

"No I'm sorry about that, I was scared. I thought something bad had happened to you."

"I'm sorry daddy."

"It's ok but you know your mom and I give you and Tyler a lot of freedom because we trust you guys. I want you to make better decisions ok?" He said and I nodded

"Come on." He said getting up

"Daddy I don't really feel like going anywhere right now."

"Oh come you used to love our ice cream dates." He said and I laughed

"Strawberry"

"Two scoops with sprinkles." He finished and I got up and pulled on a pair of gym shoes,

I spent the rest of the weekend in the house seeing as I was grounded but I was still sick for the next couple of days. Come Monday it took everything to push myself out of bed, I went through the process hair and make up trying to at least keep the appearance of being normal. I still was having trouble sleeping it was either the man holding me down or I just kept seeing a very scary pair of blue eyes. Monty came by yesterday with my shoes and purse, he wouldn't look me in the eye but to be honest his bruises has gotten worst, just another thing for me to feel guilty about.

When I pulled up to school I froze not knowing if I could go in

"Perri are you alright?" Tyler asked pulling me from my thoughts, I just looked at him and nodded

"Yeah I'm good." I said then got out of the car, as we walking into the building there was some giggling and pointing,

"Great I thought they were over this," Tyler said shaking his head

"I'm going to the dark room." He said walking away, but the giggling and staring continued, they when I realized they were for me. I began to panic thinking that someone knew what happened this weekend, I started to walk to my locker as Sheri appeared and pulled me into the bathroom

"What's going on?" I asked and she sighed

"You haven't heard? I tried calling you."

"I'm grounded I don't have my phone, what is going on Sheri?"

"Bryce is telling everyone that you hooked up with him at his party on Friday." She said making me feel like crying all over again

"There's more."

"What can be worse?"

"He's also saying you hooked up with Monty too.....at the same time."

"No I didn't you know that right?" I said and she hugged me

"I know, I know it's going to be ok?"

"How? Bryce is destroying me piece by piece."

"Perri did Bryce do something to you?" She asked

"That's the thing I don't know,"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I can barely remember anything from Friday. I remember going to Bryce's with Monty, and Bryce gave me a bottle of water, and after that it starts to get fuzzy."

"Did you drink anything?"

"One beer I think, but I kept my water."

"I'm not an expert but it sounds like you were roofied." She said softly just then a couple of girls walked into the bathroom they stooped when they saw us then looked at each other and laughed. I rolled my eyes and walked out of the bathroom

"Perri wait up!"

"I can't be here Sheri."

"Hey I'm got your back, it's going to be ok." She said then gave me a hug, I didn't know if she was telling the truth.