Shortcake - A Richpez Story

Chapter 4

TG WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER!

Lauren's POV
My eyes feel heavy, but I know I have to stay awake just a little longer, just until I memorize my last part for Black Friday.

"LoLo, you good?" Will asks me, glancing up from his phone. I shoot him a thumbs up.

The last few weeks have been a struggle, but I've managed to keep up quite a good facade. I've smiled, laughed, preformed. Everything's great. Except that it's not, it's really, really not.

I get these feelings when I'm around Joey, and I know I shouldn't , I try not to, but I can't help but notice them. My whole world lights up when he's around, and I can feel myself actually smiling, not fake smiling. Except, there's a few problems. I'm with Will again to try and get over Joey, and Joey is in a relationship. And there's no competing between me and Cassandra. She's beautiful, with long red hair, blue eyes, skinny, and a great personality. Then there's me, and I'm absolutely nothing. I'll always be nothing.

I put down the script, suddenly to much to hold, and rest my head on the back of the couch. Will puts his arm around me and scoots me closer to him, one of the very few times he actually shows affection towards me. He kisses my cheek, which I flinch at, and then my neck. I don't want this, but I know this is what people in a relationship are supposed to do.

He slips his hands up towards my chest and attempts to push me down under him.

I squirm away from him. "Will...."

"What? Lauren I've given you time to get used to our relationship," Will grumbles.

"I still...can't. I don't want to do that," I retort. I really, really don't.

"C'mon, LoLo, I bet you'll like it," he murmurs, trying to kiss me again

"No!" I exclaim more forcefully.

The look in his eyes turns cold, relentless. He says nothing, but resumes getting on top of me. I twist and try and push him off, but he pins my arms to his sides. I bring my knee up and slam it into a very sensitive place as best as I can.

Will grunts and rolls off the couch. I jump up and go for the door but he grabs my ankle, causing me to fall. I land on my wrist and flinch when it bends in ways it shouldn't. He gets up, tripping, and grabs me again, this time by my arm. I feel the punch before I realize it happening. He kicks my stomach, and I let out a sob filled with hopelessness and desperation.

He resumes the process he was doing on the couch, and I lay there and cry. After, I go back to the apartment. I take a shower. I'd like to take ten, but Jaime would get suspicious. My face hurts like hell, along with my stomach and wrist. Still, it's not enough pain. Not enough, not enough, not enough, just like me. That's what I think when I take my razor apart, and that's what I think when I roll up my sleeves and press the tiny blade there.

I cry, tears roll down my cheeks, blood runs down my arms. I wrap toilet paper around my arms and step out of the bathroom. Jaime, already in bed, murmurs a sleepy hello. I flop into my bed next to hers. I can hear her softly snoring in a few seconds, putting a small smile on my face. She's a good friend, trying to stay up late just to see of I get home ok. She makes sure I have some sort of a ride now, ever since.... She's a good person.

I can't fall asleep tonight.

Time Skip

I get up at around four thirty, tired of laying in bed doing nothing. I feel exhausted having never slept, but I can't bring myself to close my eyes. I can picture everything, feel the pain of him beating me, feel the pain of him....