Finding Her Voice

5:25 a.m.

Kya's grip on her hand was so tight that Taryn's fingers were going numb. She kept talking softly as they walked slowly around the deserted day room.

"This place isn't so bad. Definitely better than juvie." Taryn shook her head. "You wouldn't have been there, though. You're too smart for a place like that, right?"

Kya didn't look like a juvenile detention center kid. There was nothing tough or jaded about her demeanor. She seemed innocent and sweet...like she'd been totally caught off guard by what happened to her. 

Just like me, Taryn thought.

She'd trusted him.

"Most kids like it better here than at home, if you can believe that. At least for a few days." Still no response. Kya's breathing had slowed to normal. She was barely blinking, but she still seemed to want to shuffle around rather than sit down anywhere.

"And then there's school." A thousand hot needles stabbed Taryn's hand as Kya's fingernails dug in. Her eyes grew huge and tears welled up.

"Okay, okay, it's okay! You're not going to school and no one's coming here. It's just books and worksheets to keep you busy during the day. That's all. I promise."

Where the hell were Nancy and Rose? Was she just supposed to walk around with this girl attached to her for the next hour and a half?

With her free hand, Taryn pulled her phone out of her back pocket. They weren't supposed to have their phones with them on the unit, but it was a stupid rule Taryn often bent, mostly because it drove Benny crazy. 

She flipped to some pictures of her dogs, two Yorkies named Mork and Mindy, compliments of her '80s-obsesses step-monster. "Have you ever seen dogs so spoiled?" she asked Kya. "Rain boots and hats? I mean, come on, right?"

She flipped through a few more pictures, watching to see if anything caught Kya's attention. When a photo of her baby sister Allie popped up, Kya touched the screen.

"Isn't she the cutest?" Taryn asked. "Do you have brothers or sisters? They can be a handful, but it's worth it, right? I'm guessing you're a big sister like me."

A single tear slid down Kya's cheek.

"You're not letting anyone down, you know. There's no shame being here. What happened to you...it's not your fault. Not at all. Nobody has a right to hurt us."

Kya moved her finger across the screen, slowly flipping through Taryn's pictures. She stopped on one from the winter concert. Taryn was onstage in a long crimson gown, spotlight shining down on her.

"That was my winter concert," she explained. "I had a solo. I think I might get to do one again for spring. It's my senior year. I can't even believe that. My last concert, probably ever."

Tears were flowing freely now. Kya tapped on the Spotify app icon and looked up at Taryn.

"Someone hurt me once, too," Taryn admitted. "I never told anyone. Not til just now. I guess you made me brave."

As Pink began to sing "A Million Dreams," Taryn felt Kya's grip loosen just a bit. Slowly the girl allowed herself to melt onto the couch, though she kept Taryn close.

Once she'd gotten settled, Kya rested her head on Taryn's shoulder. 

"I'll make you a deal, Kya," Taryn said. "I'll keep being brave if you will. Whenever you're ready, I want you to talk to someone and tell them what happened to you, okay? Don't wait as long as I did. Everybody here, even the goofy guy and the Nazi nurse - they're good people. They want to help you. You've just got to find your voice."

Kya nodded slowly. Then the dam burst, and she cried as if every one of her dreams had been shattered into a million pieces.

Nancy sighed and headed into the room. "Good job, Taryn," she said softly. Moving swiftly, she administered the loopy juice injection before Kya even noticed.

"Let's go get some rest, sweetie." She pulled Kya up, and with Taryn supporting on the other side, led her into a patient room and helped her into bed. Her hand shot out for Taryn's before she could leave the room.

"Yes, Ma'am," Taryn told her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I'll be right here til you fall asleep. You're safe here."

Kya fought to keep her eyes open, but the loopy juice won out in the end. Taryn waited a few more minutes just to be sure before she untangled her hand and walked away.

She stopped at the doorway, still watching the sleeping girl. She looked so tiny, so fragile and innocent. It made Taryn's blood boil to think of anyone hurting a kid, taking that innocence away. Why hadn't she been that angry when she was that kid?

"Did she give you any idea about what might have happened?" Rose asked.

Taryn answered instinctively. "I think whatever it was happened at school, or involved someone from her school. She freaked out when I mentioned school."

Rose scrunched up her face. "Hmm. I Googled her. She's one of those overachiever types. Maybe it's just a breakdown caused by stress and pressure. Straight A student and star of the chorus and musical theater department - she's probably working herself too hard."

Taryn's skin crawled as she started to put the pieces together. That description of Kya was basically Taryn five years ago. They were exactly alike. And Kya was just a year or so older now that Taryn was then...

No. No way. It couldn't possibly be...

"What school does she go to?"

Rose shrugged. "Bailey Bridge High, I think it was? Why?"

Taryn whipped out her phone, completely ignoring Rose as she started in with the "You're not supposed to have that on the unit" crap.

A quick search confirmed her fear. She wanted to throw up, or scream, or punch something. Why had she kept it all a secret? This was all her fault. 

The vocal music instructor and head of the musical theater department at Bailey Bridge High was none other than John Denney. 

He'd been Taryn's chorus teacher in middle school. 

And he was the bastard who molested her.