TELL

You Can Tell Me Anything

Riley sat on her bed quietly watching Maya while pretending to do her homework. "Did you do your homework yet?" She asked casually.

Maya shrugged.

"You should probably get started."

Maya didn't respond.

"Are you staying over tonight?"

Maya glanced out the window, it was already getting dark and she was apprehensive about walking home alone in the dark. She didn't use to be, but now it was like everything was much scarier than it once was. She looked back at Riley and nodded.

Riley smiled a little. "Good." She sat up on her bed. "Maybe we can stay up all night talking and pretending to sleep when my parents check in, like we used to when we were younger."

Maya sighed and shook her head.

Riley frowned. "Maya, you know I love you, more than anyone, more than Lucas even. So if you're upset or just not happy that he chose me you can tell me. You can tell me anything."

Maya opened her mouth, but once again no words came out. It was like everything she wanted to say just disappeared as soon as her mouth opened. Everything in her head hit a wall and she couldn't say anything.

Riley pouted. "I wish you would talk to me. I wish I knew what was wrong that you didn't want to talk so I could help you. I want to be there for you, I am here for you, but I don't know how to help because I don't know what's wrong." She blinked back tears.

Maya took a shaky breath, then she stood and walked over to sit on the bed with Riley. She picked up Riley's pencil with her trembling hand. After a moment, just long enough so her writing would be clear, she started writing on Riley's notebook.

Riley looked up from her hands and glanced over to see what Maya was writing. One line, then two more, one on the top and one on the bottom. 'I'

Maya breathed slowly and wrote even slower, each line forming a new letter until she finally reached the end.

'I WAS RAPED'

Riley stared at Maya with wide eyes full of shock and fear. She knew what that word meant. As sheltered as she was sometimes she would watch old Lifetime movies with her mother and in quite a few movies people, females and males, were raped or worse raped and murdered. Suddenly, she was slightly relieved that Maya was sitting with her and wasn't murdered.

Riley gulped trying to force herself to say something, anything. Now she realized why it was so hard for Maya to speak. It's so hard to form words. She pulled Maya into her arms, if they couldn't talk, at least she would hold her best friend letting her know that she was there for her and she always would be. After a moment she pulled back to look at Maya, her sweet little peaches. She tried not to cry, but the tears fell out of her big brown eyes.

"Maya, who was it?"

Maya shook her head.

"Peaches, you can tell me." Riley took a deep breath trying to be strong. "You have to tell me, Maya. We have to tell my parents and yours! You have to!"

Maya gulped. "It was-" She was torn between telling the truth and possibly losing her best friend or lying and letting him get away with it. She decided that she couldn't let him get away with it, or worse be free to do it to some other girl. "It was Josh."

Riley stared at her, her breathing labored. "My Uncle Josh?" She felt a wave of anger wash over her and she spoke with denial in her words. "No, he would never do something like that! What kind of sick joke is this Maya?! Are you just trying to get attention because Lucas chose me?! You're sick, Maya! There is something wrong with you! You need help!"

Maya stared at Riley, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. "Riley, I'm telling the truth and I didn't even want to tell you. You made me tell you. You said I have to tell you so I told you!" Maya could speak again and this time the words were coming out as fast as puke when you try to hold it in, but you're so sick to your stomach that you have to vomit it all out. "I trusted you! I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would defend him and you are! You actually think I would make something like this up?! You think I would lie about this!" She shoved Riley down onto the bed and covered her mouth forcefully with her hand. "When someone you liked and trusted is on top of you holding you down and covering your mouth with their hand so that you can't scream and then they do something so horrible that you wish you would just stop breathing you won't want to speak anymore." Maya whispered darkly. "But then when someone you love and trust tells you that you can tell them anything you finally open your mouth and they accuse you of lying. Why did I even tell you Riley? I was fine never talking again! I could deal with that! I can't deal with you thinking I'm a liar!"

Riley couldn't speak, Maya was still covering her mouth harshly, and Riley knew even if she didn't want to believe it her Uncle Josh had done the same thing to Maya at the ski lodge, but much worse, because even though Maya was upset and wouldn't let Riley get up despite the tears on her hand Riley knew Maya would never hurt her and she was still safe, but to think of how Maya must have felt made her shiver. To have someone on top of you, holding their hand over your mouth so you can't cry for help, thinking they wouldn't actually hurt you and then they do must have been a nightmare. Riley let out a muffled. "I'm sorry" making Maya release her.

"I'm sorry Riles." Maya sobbed.

Riley quickly sat up and pulled her friend into another hug. "No, I am."