The Sophomore || Tori Kelly

The First Time

continued

Tori washed out her mouth, but soon became light headed. "What?" Tori whispered to herself, gripping onto the cold counter for support. Another wave a nausea hit her, but this time everything stayed down. After two minutes and twenty-eight seconds, Tori was able to finally shake off her dizzy spell and exited the bathroom.

7:30 PM

Tori woke up in the front seat of André's truck in the highway. He was too focused on the road to have even noticed she was up. The singer looked back to see Michelle on her phone staring intently and a baby car seat in the back. The music lowered causing everyone to bring their attention back to what was happening in their immediate vicinity. "Babe, you're up," André smiled. Tori's head started pounding, but she wasn't sure why.

"Where are we? What's happening?" She asked, looking for her phone to at least get the time.

"We are on our way home. You passed out before we got to my parents and Michelle felt you. Apparently you have a fever so we are going home and Michelle is spending the night with Addi," André recapped. Tori ran her hand over her face then through her hair. She didn't remember anything past getting in the truck and her stomach was very much upset.

"What did we drink at the house?" Tori asked. Placing her hands on her stomach. She could physically feel it twisting and churning. André thought back to everything they pulled from off of the fridge.

"You drank tequila, vodka, a little bit of gin and finished it off with Vodka, then took a nap. I had a beer," André reminded. Tori slapped her face with a low groan. She hadn't remembered any of that, but it sounded right. Tori could focus quiet well when she drank, but she definitely got sick easily after anything past two shots and a drink.

"Oh my gosh. I probably blacked out because I don't remember that at all," Tori replied. André looked at her a bit concerned, but said nothing. "Well, hi Michelle," Tori painfully smiled to the teenager in the back. Michelle dropped her phone in her lap and smiled.

"Hey. Sorry I had to bring the baby. Her father was supposed to take her tonight, but he picked up an extra shift at the club," Michelle apologized. Tori waved Michelle's apology off.

"Don't worry about it. Our friends won't be home all night, and I have been dying to meet your daughter," Tori smiled. André immediately stomped on the brakes as a small car jutted out in front of him, jerking everybody forward to be caught by their seat belts.

"Dude!" Michelle yelled, smacking the back of her brothers seat as she checked on her sleeping baby girl. Tori shut her eyes, repressing the feeling to throw up, significantly.

"Sorry, this guy wants to drive like a maniac," André shrugged. Michelle scoffed as Tori placed her hand over her mouth and pulled her knees to her chest. André glanced over to see his girlfriends position and started to slow down a bit, transitioning to the farthest right lane. "You need me to pull over?" André asked. Tori shook her head, but ultimately nodded. The urge wouldn't go away; it grew stronger with each passing white line. André quickly pulled off the side of the road, allowing Tori to hop out and run to the brush. "Should I—"

"I've got it. Watch the baby," Michelle said. She got out of the car and ran to Tori's side. André could see the entire exchange from his open passengers door, but couldn't hear a thing.

—

"You okay?" Michelle asked, rubbing Tori's back. Tori shook her head and stepped a few feet away from the alcohol covered grass, before sitting down. "Should we take you to the ER?" Michelle asked sitting on the other side of Tori. The girls faced the open field with their backs to the noisy traffic.

"I physically will be fine. But," she trailed off. Michelle stared at Tori hoping she wouldn't shut her out. Michelle was really good at telling if people were hurting and she could see that Tori was very much in pain. "Everything I thought I knew was a lie," she cried.

"What do you mean? What's a lie?" Michelle asked. Tori pulled out her phone and scrolled to the hidden section of her camera roll. She slowly pulled up the videos and handed it off to André's sister. Michelle watch in horror at the sight of her innocent friend literally being taken advantage of. "Tori," she whispered. Tori took her phone back and shoved it in her lap.

"He raped me." Her voice cracked; heart ached; tears poured. She had told herself in the short time between receiving the photos and videos to Tuesday, only three days later, that she was past this. That she could get through it. That because she had no knowledge of it, that it ultimately didn't happen. False. Every night since, she waited for André to go to sleep first, then had to take a melatonin and a shot of vodka just to go to sleep. Her days were spent in the apartment afraid that one wrong move would get her exposed. Constant fear flooded her body with every shutting door, loud thud, or thought of a new environment. André thought she'd gotten drunk to ease the nerves of meeting his parents. She really got drunk just to step foot outside of her safe abode. She was not past it. She hadn't even begun to process it.

Michelle wrapped an arm around Tori's shoulder and pulled her into her chest. "Cry. Scream. Yell. Do whatever it takes for you clear your brain and come to the realization that you are more than your situation. You are a singer, songwriter, intimidatingly smart, caring, kind, beautiful woman who happened to have been raped. Not the other way around," Michelle affirmed. "I mean look at me. All people see is a dumb teen who couldn't figure out a condom. But that's not what defines me. I'm an amazing mom who just so happens to be a teen. But, you have to let in the people you trust. That guy back there," she said as the looked back to see André, who had actually gotten Addi out of her seat to rock her back to sleep, "he adores you. Anytime he talks it's about you and how majestic and God sent you are. Now, you know we aren't a super religious family, but anyone who can turn that hoe into a house husband must be heavenly," she joked, causing Tori to crack a short smile. "There she is," Michelle nudged.

"Thank you," Tori appreciatively spoke. The 19 year olds got up from the grass and wiped themselves off before heading back to the truck. André watched them get in, slightly embarrassed since we was singing to the sleeping child.

"Sorry, she woke up and started crying, I didn't—"

"It's fine. She's sleeping isn't she," Michelle smiled, taking her child back and putting her back in her seat, before re-strapping herself in. André made sure everyone's seatbelts were on and everyone was okay, before taking off down the highway.

Five minutes in, André laid out his hand over the middle console hoping Tori would get the hint. Not even ten seconds later a small warm hand folded into his. He looked over to see Tori staring at her phone, not even paying attention. He lifted their hands to his mouth and gave the back of her hand a sweet kiss. "I love you," he mumbled in the back of her hand. Tori's eyes looked up from her phone and stared in the direction of her boyfriend.

"What?" She asked, not sure if she heard him right.

"Victoria Loren Kelly, I love you," he professed. Michelle looked up from the back in shock as well.

"I love you, too," she smiled. Michelle squeaked in the back causing a simultaneous jump throughout the truck.

"Was that the first time? Please tell me it was!" Michelle giddily asked. Tori nodded and squealed along with Michelle for the second round. "That was amazing! I'm so glad I got to witness that," she beamed. Tori laid her head on André's hand and eventually went to sleep, hand in warm hand with him.

—

"André! You can't leave! What about him?"

"I'm leaving you, not my son!"

"But, what about us?"

"There is nothing too us! I told you from the beginning! I wanted one thing, Tori! And I've got it and it was good, but you're asking too much,"

"André, you can't do this!"

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

"Our family needs you!"

The metal door clashed against its frame. And André was no where to be seen.

🔌🔌🔌
To Be Continued...