The bad and the broken

Chapter 6

        *Andrea's POV*

       As soon as I got in the house, I ran up to my room. It wasn't that I was mad at Justin, I just didn't want him to see me cry. I didn't him to know how badly Nacho hurt me. But most of all, I didn't want to ruin his experience here. I didn't want him to think I was a bitch. 

        I cried into my pillow for 15 minutes before I heard the door open and Justin's clunky footsteps coming upstairs. He appeared in my doorway. My face was all red from crying, and my hair had gone frizzy from the moisture of my pillow. I was embarrassed. 

        "I'm sorry," I squeaked, "I didn't mean to leave you so far behind--" 

        "No," Justin said, almost forcefully," You are not sorry. You're crying. You ca'nt possibly be apologizing to me.  I should be apologizing to you, Drea. I'm so sorry. I don't know why he upset you so much, but I promise I won't talk to him if you do want me to. " 

        I was shocked. why was he saying these things? 

        " You don't have to do everything I say, you know." I glanced up at him for the first time. His expression was surprisingly gentle. 

        "Drea, I don't want to see you hurt. I want you to trust me.We are living together after all." He flashed a smirk. 

        "If I'm going to trust you, I might as well tell you why I got so upset."

        "Alright."

        I patted the spot next to me on the bed. "You're going to want to sit. It's a long story."

        *Justin's POV* 

        Drea sighed, and began her story. 

        "It was eighth grade. There was this party--for the end of the year-- and got invited. My two best friends and I were so excited. My mama even bought me a new dress. I Don't know if you've noticed, but things have been tight around here since my dad left."

        I raised an eyebrow, but I didn't interrupt. Drea continued. 

        "well anyway, this part was at night. In some one's house. No parents. I never would've gone if I knew that. when I got there, things were fun at first. I danced with my friends and talked to people. Then Nacho came over to us."

        Drea was tearing up. So I got the tissue box off her desk and brought it over to her. She blew her nose. I put my arm around her, and she went on.

        "He took me upstairs. We went into this bedoom and talked for a while. Then he kissed me. It was my firt ever kiss, so I just sat there, dazed, while he kissed me. He called me beautiful, and put his arm around me for a while. Then things got uncomfortable." 

        I was angry. How dare he do that to her. I wanted to punch something, or yell, or both. I didn't. I unclenched my fists, and tried to calm down, Andrea kept talking. 

        "At first we were just kissing, and hugging and and stuff. He started kissing my neck. he-- he pushed me down onto the bed. He-- unclasped my bra and hiked up my skirt. That's when I realized I did'nt like what was happening. I tried to scream, but he just held me down and covered my mouth.  I started crying. It-- it almost happened when a high school kid burst in. I managed to let out a 'help me', and the kid dragged Nacho off of me. I was ashamed, so I ran." 

        She was crying now. I grabbed her in a full embrace and stroked her hair. "Did you ever tell anyone?" I asked

"No," She said between sobs, "But Naho did. He told everyone I forced myself on him, and that I was a slut. I haven't had any friends since then." 

         I rocked her back and forth for a while, tears threatining my own eyes. How could some one... God. Drea was perfect. She deseved so much better, so much more. I had to get my revenge. And I'd get it at Nacho's gathering. 

        "Andrea, I'm so, so sorry. If I had been around nothing like this would've happened." I paused. "My parents used to beat me." 

"What?" Andrea pulled away so she could look at me. "Justin! I never knew. I'm so sorry."

         " It's fine. It used to get so bad, you know? especialy when my dad was drunk. He'd hit me, then my  mom, then my mom would get mad and hit me,too. I slept on the porch when it was 20 degrees out. My dad woud touch me sometimes, when I was in the bath. he'd tell me I was nothing. And I would believe him." 

        I was crying now. Andrea just wiped the tears from my face. she grabbed me around the waist, and started crying into my shirt. We stayed like that for a while. It was almost funny how broken we both were. At least now we could be broken together. 

        After a while, Andrea sat up. "Is there anything else I should know?" She said with a weak grin.

        "Oh yeah. I also have very servere social anxiety disorder."

        She grabbed my hand. " Come on, lets go order some take out." 

        "Can we watch Netflix, too?" I said as we went out into the hall.

        She grinned. "Definently."