Bruised Innocence

Chapter 31

Arwin and Karen made their way  to sit next to each other in the cafeteria.

He offered her water. She took a shuddering breath and looked at him. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

They stayed quiet for a while and then she spoke.

"My sister," she gulped and added "her name is Lauren Marlow."

Arwin's eyes widened in recognition.

"Woah! The Lauren Marlow?"

"Yeah, the same. So, last weekend, she overdosed and I had to fly in to her."

"Oh! I am so sorry to Karen. I had no idea! But I don't understand. How? Why would she? She is--" he gestured wildly.

"Fame is a lonely place, Arwin! When our parents passed away, she was barely 18 and there was no one to guide her. She made some wrong choices, stumbled and fell while people in the industry preyed on her vulnerabilities."

Tears appeared in Arwin's eyes as well.

"I am so sorry Karen. I---I----Will she be okay?"

"We checked her in a rehab. She should be fine soon. It's just that we only have each other now. She has practically raised me. I--"

She wiped at her eyes and shook her hair.

"Anyways, So? Are you gonna tell me what happened with you or do I need to scare it out of you?" She asked casually.

Arwin wondered where to start and Karen portrayed her impatience with a raised eyebrow.

"After class, Rowan asked if he could talk to me privately--"

"That stinking piece of crap!" Karen gritted her teeth.

Arwin felt like he should have known better than trusting Rowan again and it made him feel very angry. Only he knew how nerve wracking the whole ordeal was.

"Um--there were people already inside the classroom. Four of them. This senior held me; Andrew or something, his dad plays football I think."

"Joan Andrews!"

"Yeah! That's the one! I felt so angry and--scared"

Arwin looked up and steadied his voice.

"Those girls were there too. Cora and her friend!"

"Ughhh! One of these days I am going to stomp the heads of Cobra and Viper!"

Under other circumstances, Arwin might have laughed at those ridiculous nicknames but they barely got him to react today.

"and then they started discussing how to get me to leave with this other boy, Pincer?"

"Ahh, Pencer! He had been desperately trying to get into their pants and they use him to do their jobs."

Arwin gaped at her.

"Minor detail. Go on!"

"Uh, so Rowan and Andrews held me at the back of the classroom while the others discussed how to get rid of me and then he arrived,.."

"He?? Who?"

"I think Andrews called him Johnson. He is just really-- intimidating and kinda scary, I don't know why but I feel mortified whenever I see him."

"Ahh, that'd be Samon Johnson! What did he do?"

"He sort of threatened to expose their behaviours if they didn't leave me alone and then, he left as well. "

"What, he left? Just like that?" Karen enquired.

Arwin looked a bit contrite at that.

"Actually, he tried to approach me but I was very shaken and--I think I might have offended him."