Saving Sophia ✔️

n i n e t e e n

"Nice to meet you bro," Kyle said, reaching his hand to Zane. "I hear you scored a nice scholarship playing ball."

"Uh yeah, I did. What'd you say your name was?"

"Kyle," he repeated, stepping closer.

Zane went to grab Sophia, but she was out of reach. He turned to her, "Soph?"

"I-we .. we need to .. I need to go," she stuttered, backing further away.

"Babe?" he said, walking towards her. "What's wrong?"

"Sophia."

His voice stung, dripping venom as her name escaped the tip of his tongue. His blue eyes trained on hers as he stepped forward, a malicious little grin toying on his lips.

"Sophia Layne," he smirked, licking his lips, "been a while, hasn't it?"

"Sophia, who is th-" but he stopped before finishing. "Kyle Banks?" he growled, turning towards the new guy.

"Zane, let's just go. Please?" Sophia begged, grabbing onto his arm.

"The Kyle Banks?"

"The one and only." He grinned.

"Zane, please," Sophia pleaded, pulling harder on his now very tense arm. "Can we just leave?"

Zane pulled from her grip, slightly shoving her aside as he wrapped his hands around the neck of the new guy's t-shirt. "It's you," he hissed, yanking him in closer. "You're the fucking asshole who-"

"Go on, say it, I'm the fucking asshole who what?" Kyle teased, his eyes flickering from Zane to Sophia and back to Zane.

"You fucking raped her," Zane growled before slamming him into the wall.

"Did he just say that he raped her?" one voice whispered.

"Who would want to rape that?" another voice said.

"He's too hot to be a rapist."

"She's probably lying."

"Yeah just for attention."

"I bet she's just some whore."

"Yeah, slut!"

"Get out of here slut!"

"Yeah, bye whore!"

She ran past all the laughter, the hands pointing and grabbing at her, all the words slicing her to shreds, piece by piece. Outside, gasping for air, she fell to the ground. Her vision became blurry, her heart racing. The words "fight fight fight" being chanted inside the house.

How dare he. How dare he share her secret.

How dare he she seethed. Anger coursed through her body, raging an untamable fire within.

He pushed her to her final limit. Picking herself up, she sprinted down the dimly lit street.

It was time.

✦ ✦ ✦

"Pick up, pick up, PICK UP!" he screamed at the phone, hearing the voicemail for the ninth time. Angrily, he tossed it onto the passenger side seat. He wiped the blood still running from his nose and the corner of his lip.

He pulled up to her house and jumped out of the still running car. "Sophia! Open up! Please!" he begged, pounding on the door. The house remained silent and dark. "SOPHIA!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

Nothing.

He ran back to his car

-My Angel
Sophia! Pick up! Where are you?

-My Angel
PLEASE!!!

-My Angel
I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry!

-My Angel
Baby, please, just answer me.

-My Angel
Please. Let me know you're ok.

Just as he was hastily typing away, his phone rang.

"Sophia, thank God. Where are you?"

"Zane?" Her voice was raw, like she had been crying for days. He could hear her sobbing.

"Mrs. Layne?"

"Zane," she repeated, "she-she-she's-"

"Mrs. Layne, where is Sophia?"