Whatsername

Part 9

Running. That's all I could do, was keep running. I looked behind me, and he was nowhere to be seen. I'd escaped. Relaxed, I bent over and tried to catch my breath. I turned back to the alleyway, and kept walking. I kept my head down, and focused On my breathing. I took two more steps before I bumped into something... a person, a male. I didn't want to look up, because I knew exactly who it was.
Ben.
I decided to face my fear. As soon as I had looked up, I only saw his eyes. Before I knew it, a large fist wrapped around my throat and started to choke me. I couldn't breathe, I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I slapped at his face.

"Alena!" He screamed into my face, which was turning blue. I could only his dark brown eyes looking down at me, feeling his fingers around my throat tightening their grip. I could feel myself fading, dying, and I let go.

"ALENA!"

I opened my eyes and sat up in bed with a jerk. Breathing heavily, I put my head in my hands. Billie was sitting next to me, his hands on my back, gently rubbing in small circles.
"Are you okay? I think you were having a nightmare... you were kicking and screaming and I didn't know what to do..."
I looked toward the window; it was light outside. Billie kept comforting me. I was trembling, wide awake from the realistic nightmare.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... just a bit scared." I assured Billie.
"You were yelling some guy's name... Ben... Was that your boyfriend? Why were you so scared?"

Oh god, I have to tell him now.

"Billie, I have to tell you someth-"
Suddenly, Mike and Tre burst through the bedroom door, Mike only had his boxers on and Tre... Well Tre was only wearing socks and his boxers around his ankles.

"WE HEARD SCREAMING! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Tre yelled and pulled up his boxers.

"Alena just had a dream, it's fine now, don't worry." Billie said.

"Thank god. Thought someone was getting killed in here!" Mike said casually and headed back to his room, and Tre followed suit. Tears started welling up in my eyes, and I quickly dried them before Billie noticed.

"Hey, Billie, do we have anything to eat?" I asked, quickly changing to a new subject. "Well, uhm, unless you want chips, no. But we can got out for breakfast, yknow?" He offered.

"I'd like that," I said sheepishly, "but I don't have any money."

"You don't need it. I've got you."

***

We all loaded into Billie's car and went to eat breakfast at this sweet pier that one of Billie's old friends worked at. Because they had been friends for so long, we got breakfast on the house, as well as an imvitation to a party later that night.

Throughout breakfast, I kept thinking about when I should tell Billie about Ben, until finally, I made up my mind.
I was definitely going to tell him when we got back home. For sure. I didn't want to spoil this so-far-so-good morning. I thought about the different ways he could take it. Would he hate me for not saying anything? Or would he not want to hear it at all? Or worse... would he kick me out just as my uncle did?
I tried not to think about it, and attempted to pay attention to all of the jokes and ball busts going on between the three best friends. These guys were really nice, and insanely hospitable.
I didn't want to do anything to screw it up with them.