The Tattooed Devil Wears Chucks

Chapter 18: The Broken Girl

Jax.

Another bus boy job.  I circle it, I suppose it's better than nothing. I've been looking for almost a year.  No one will hire someone with a sealed permanent record.  If I do get further than an application, they see tattoos and I'm done.  Two months, that's all I had left for student teaching.  I could be a Lit teacher right now.  I should have never brought Jimmy home. 

Every day I sit here wishing I could take it back.  I wish I could make it so that Courtney doesn't hurt when she thinks about it.  Make it so that my parents don't worry about either one of us.  They have been through so much these last two years.  My careless mistake of bringing a stranger home destroyed my family.

I stare down at the paper and circle a few more open positions.  I know I won't get them, but I still try.  My probation says I have to, I need to make sure I have employment so I'm not a complete menace to society.  I laugh internally at the thought of it.  Me, a menace.  All because I broke a rapist.

The front door opens to Courtney, she throws her backpack down in the entryway and sits quietly in the living room.

"Why are you home Court?  It's a school day."

"They sent grades nine through twelve home.  Something happened during the dance, they are investigating it."

That was too vague.  She isn't looking at me but there was a quiver to her voice as she spoke. I've come to know my little sister's personalities well these last few years.  Something is wrong.

I stand from the counter to sit beside her on the tan leather couch. She doesn't acknowledge my presence but just stares down at the floor.

I wave my hand in front her face playfully.  "Earth to Courtney."  I hope for a laugh, but that's not what I get.

She turns to me with tears in her eyes. My heart sinks. She's clearly upset about what happened at this dance...

"Court what's wrong?"

"Apparently a few girls at the dance were assaulted.  Someone gave them drinks laced with a date rape drug.  They woke up off school grounds, they were raped.  They think the same guys did this to girls over homecoming weekend too...

My stomach twists into knot when she mentions homecoming weekend.

"It's just sickening..." she wipes the tears from her face.

Books...

"Where's Gabby?!?" I ask her panicked.

"We all got sent home... she went to her house... why?"

I stand from the couch and run to the front door swinging it open wide.  I don't have to go far before I see her on her porch swing.  Her backpack is lying in the grass where she dropped it.  Her eyes are fixed on the bright green grass in front of her.

I slowly cross the street.  She doesn't even acknowledge me as I walk up the porch steps.  I sit beside her on the swing, her eyes stay fixed on the grass.

"Books..."

She turns to me with tears streaming down her face.  "One Alfie.  I only remember the one. I think I had one drink that night..."