Average
The Only Choice
It was a little after eight o’clock. More food had been ordered since the guys and Bethany had finished off the pizzas in record time, and they were currently finishing off a rousing game of Halo. Bethany was quite good at Halo and was currently beating Matt, Alex, and Jack all at the same time. “HA!” the younger girl laughed after destroying Jack for the last time. “I win, again!” Jack grunted and slammed the controller onto the table in front of him. “She cheats!” he exclaimed. Matt scoffed. “No, dude. She’s just a shit-ton better than us.” Bethany smirked triumphantly. “I’ll be right back,” she told them and got up to go to the bathroom. After she shut the door, she leaned against it and got out her phone. She held down the power button and watched the phone come to life.
Soon after it was turned on, it beeped, signaling all the new texts she had gotten while her phone was off. They were all from Drake. After she checked the first message that was a threat to get home, she sighed and deleted the rest of the messages without a second thought. She was finally relaxed and having a little fun; she wasn’t going to let a text message worry her. Bethany walked back out to the living room and turned her phone off after taking a seat on the floor in front of the couch. Alex saw her turning off her phone and said, “Everything alright?” Bethany nodded and stuck the phone in the pocket of the PJ’s she was wearing. “Yeah, just a few pointless texts.” Matt looked at her. “Drake?” he questioned and she nodded. Alex looked at her with a worried expression on his face. “Are you sure everything’s okay?” Bethany nodded and looked up at Alex. “Everything’s fine, as long as I’m with you guys.”
Alex smiled. “Movie time?” All four of his friends nodded. Jack jumped up and pulled out a random movie and stuck it in the DVD player. The TV roared to life and the movie started. It was Talladega Nights. Bethany sighed. Just what she needed, a funny movie to make her relax even more. She climbed onto the couch in between Alex and Jack, as usual, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She set her chin on her knees and tried to watch the movie, but with little success. She was tired; it had been a long, exhausting day. She fell asleep almost five minutes into the movie. She fell onto her side and her head landed on Alex’s shoulder. Alex looked down at the sleeping girl and sighed. He felt terrible for her. Even now, while she was sleeping, she looked terrified. Alex picked her head up softly and lay it down on the couch pillow, covering her with the blanket that rested on the back of the couch. He motioned for the rest of the guys to follow him into the kitchen, and they did. When they got there, Alex took a seat at the island and combed his fingers through his hair. “We have to tell her parents,” he said finally.
Matt was the only one to nod. Jack just shrugged because he wasn’t sure what they should do, and Zack was silent. He had been filled in on the situation with the younger girl earlier when he got to Alex’s and he felt bad for her, he just never came across a situation like this so he wasn’t sure what to do either. “Yeah,” Matt finally said, “we really do.” Alex sighed. He knew telling Bethany’s parents what was going on would be a major betrayal to Bethany, but not telling them might lead to something worse with Drake. “Fuck,” Alex cursed under his breath. “Well how are we going to do it?” Jack asked. “Go up to their house, knock on the door and when they answer be like ‘hey, your son is a fucking creep who is molesting your daughter’?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.” Matt's voice gained frustration, as he began to speak. “What else are we going to do?” Matt asked. “Make Bethany tell them by herself and risk her getting hurt? I don’t think so.”
“Shut up,” Alex hissed. The guys’ voices were raising and they were going to wake Bethany. “You’re going to fucking wake Bethany up!” Everyone was quiet again. In the living room, Bethany was already awake and listening to the guys talking/arguing. After the suggestion of telling her parents, she jumped up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen door. She stood slightly back from the doorframe. When Alex scolded his friends, she came into view. Everyone was quiet and not looking her way, so she cleared her voice. Alex was the first to look her in the eyes. “You will not tell my parents,” she told the four boys firmly. “You will not interfere with my life, and you will not tell anyone the things I have told you.” Confused, Alex said, “Bethany we—” The young girl cut him off sharply. “No, Alex. It’s not your place. If anyone is going to tell them, it’ll be me.” Alex nodded and said, “Fine. Then tell them.” Bethany narrowed her eyes. “I’ve told you—”
Alex stopped her. “Yeah Bethany, you’ve told us to not tell anyone and to not tell your parents, but I can’t do that. Do you even realize the trouble you’re in?” Bethany’s ice blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. Alex walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulder lightly, but firmly enough to get her to look at him. “You need to tell someone Bethany, before he seriously, seriously hurts you.” Bethany’s face was expressionless. She jerked away from Alex and looked him in the eyes. “You still don’t get it, do you Alex? If I tell my parent’s, they’ll confront Drake. They won’t believe me because they’ll think I’m making some crap up for attention. So, I’ll get grounded. Then they’ll confront Drake, and do you realize what will happen if they confront Drake and I get grounded and can’t leave the house and they just happen to leave us alone one day?” She asked Alex viciously. “Did you think about the danger I’d be in then?” Bethany was on the verge of yelling at Alex now, and her eyes were still shining from the tears she refused to cry.
“Bethany, I didn’t even—” Alex started. “No, Alex, you didn’t even think about the situations that would occur if we told anyone.” Bethany turned on her heel and walked towards the door. She grabbed her jacket and jerked open the front door. Alex was hot on her heels though and grabbed her arm before she could walk out. “Where are you going?” he asked her, concern in his voice. Without answering, Bethany jerked away from Alex’s touch and walked out the door. She didn’t look up until she ran into Drake a few minutes later, twenty feet from the house, with Alex hot on her heels. A whimper escaped Bethany’s lips. She backed away slowly, falling right into Alex's arms. Drake walked towards her with force and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think it's time to come home," he spoke. Bethany's tears began to fall, as she shimmied out of both boys grips. Then, she ran. She didn't do it because she wanted to; she didn't do it because it was uncalled for.
Bethany ran because she had no other choice.
Soon after it was turned on, it beeped, signaling all the new texts she had gotten while her phone was off. They were all from Drake. After she checked the first message that was a threat to get home, she sighed and deleted the rest of the messages without a second thought. She was finally relaxed and having a little fun; she wasn’t going to let a text message worry her. Bethany walked back out to the living room and turned her phone off after taking a seat on the floor in front of the couch. Alex saw her turning off her phone and said, “Everything alright?” Bethany nodded and stuck the phone in the pocket of the PJ’s she was wearing. “Yeah, just a few pointless texts.” Matt looked at her. “Drake?” he questioned and she nodded. Alex looked at her with a worried expression on his face. “Are you sure everything’s okay?” Bethany nodded and looked up at Alex. “Everything’s fine, as long as I’m with you guys.”
Alex smiled. “Movie time?” All four of his friends nodded. Jack jumped up and pulled out a random movie and stuck it in the DVD player. The TV roared to life and the movie started. It was Talladega Nights. Bethany sighed. Just what she needed, a funny movie to make her relax even more. She climbed onto the couch in between Alex and Jack, as usual, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She set her chin on her knees and tried to watch the movie, but with little success. She was tired; it had been a long, exhausting day. She fell asleep almost five minutes into the movie. She fell onto her side and her head landed on Alex’s shoulder. Alex looked down at the sleeping girl and sighed. He felt terrible for her. Even now, while she was sleeping, she looked terrified. Alex picked her head up softly and lay it down on the couch pillow, covering her with the blanket that rested on the back of the couch. He motioned for the rest of the guys to follow him into the kitchen, and they did. When they got there, Alex took a seat at the island and combed his fingers through his hair. “We have to tell her parents,” he said finally.
Matt was the only one to nod. Jack just shrugged because he wasn’t sure what they should do, and Zack was silent. He had been filled in on the situation with the younger girl earlier when he got to Alex’s and he felt bad for her, he just never came across a situation like this so he wasn’t sure what to do either. “Yeah,” Matt finally said, “we really do.” Alex sighed. He knew telling Bethany’s parents what was going on would be a major betrayal to Bethany, but not telling them might lead to something worse with Drake. “Fuck,” Alex cursed under his breath. “Well how are we going to do it?” Jack asked. “Go up to their house, knock on the door and when they answer be like ‘hey, your son is a fucking creep who is molesting your daughter’?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.” Matt's voice gained frustration, as he began to speak. “What else are we going to do?” Matt asked. “Make Bethany tell them by herself and risk her getting hurt? I don’t think so.”
“Shut up,” Alex hissed. The guys’ voices were raising and they were going to wake Bethany. “You’re going to fucking wake Bethany up!” Everyone was quiet again. In the living room, Bethany was already awake and listening to the guys talking/arguing. After the suggestion of telling her parents, she jumped up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen door. She stood slightly back from the doorframe. When Alex scolded his friends, she came into view. Everyone was quiet and not looking her way, so she cleared her voice. Alex was the first to look her in the eyes. “You will not tell my parents,” she told the four boys firmly. “You will not interfere with my life, and you will not tell anyone the things I have told you.” Confused, Alex said, “Bethany we—” The young girl cut him off sharply. “No, Alex. It’s not your place. If anyone is going to tell them, it’ll be me.” Alex nodded and said, “Fine. Then tell them.” Bethany narrowed her eyes. “I’ve told you—”
Alex stopped her. “Yeah Bethany, you’ve told us to not tell anyone and to not tell your parents, but I can’t do that. Do you even realize the trouble you’re in?” Bethany’s ice blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. Alex walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulder lightly, but firmly enough to get her to look at him. “You need to tell someone Bethany, before he seriously, seriously hurts you.” Bethany’s face was expressionless. She jerked away from Alex and looked him in the eyes. “You still don’t get it, do you Alex? If I tell my parent’s, they’ll confront Drake. They won’t believe me because they’ll think I’m making some crap up for attention. So, I’ll get grounded. Then they’ll confront Drake, and do you realize what will happen if they confront Drake and I get grounded and can’t leave the house and they just happen to leave us alone one day?” She asked Alex viciously. “Did you think about the danger I’d be in then?” Bethany was on the verge of yelling at Alex now, and her eyes were still shining from the tears she refused to cry.
“Bethany, I didn’t even—” Alex started. “No, Alex, you didn’t even think about the situations that would occur if we told anyone.” Bethany turned on her heel and walked towards the door. She grabbed her jacket and jerked open the front door. Alex was hot on her heels though and grabbed her arm before she could walk out. “Where are you going?” he asked her, concern in his voice. Without answering, Bethany jerked away from Alex’s touch and walked out the door. She didn’t look up until she ran into Drake a few minutes later, twenty feet from the house, with Alex hot on her heels. A whimper escaped Bethany’s lips. She backed away slowly, falling right into Alex's arms. Drake walked towards her with force and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think it's time to come home," he spoke. Bethany's tears began to fall, as she shimmied out of both boys grips. Then, she ran. She didn't do it because she wanted to; she didn't do it because it was uncalled for.
Bethany ran because she had no other choice.
♠ ♠ ♠
sonya.