Average

Bethany was pacing throughout the living room. She was waiting for Alex to finish getting ready, and also for the rest of the guys to show up. In a half hour, she would be sitting at a table in a restaurant with her parents and the guys, telling them about Drake. She had never been so nervous about anything; and if she had, it’s been awhile. She yelled to Alex to hurry up, and then heard the front door open. “Bethy?” It was Jack and the guys. “Living room,” she called back to him. In walked Jack, Matt, and Zack. She gave them all a hug and then she told Rian, who was on the couch, to figure out what was taking Alex so long. “How you holding up?” Matt asked her. She shrugged. “I’m so nervous, my legs are shaking. But other than that, I’m great.” Matt gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder. “You’ll be fine. You’ll have all of us there to help out, so everything will be ok. Promise.” Bethany nodded and turned around just as Alex and Rian were walking into the living room. “Ready?” Alex asked her, setting his hand on her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. Bethany shrugged. “Let’s get this over with.”

A little bit later, Alex pulled up to the restaurant with Matt following closely behind. Bethany and Jack rode with Alex, while Rian and Zack rode with Matt. Everyone climbed out and walked silently into the restaurant and got seated. Bethany fidgeted with the paper off of her straw while looking up at Alex, who was sitting next to her, every so often. She looked at the hostess station when she saw her parents and waited for them to come and take a seat with the big group. Her mom sat on the side Alex wasn’t on and her dad sat next to her mom. Her mom kissed her on the cheek and said hello to the boys surrounding her. Then she turned to Bethany and said, “Now, what’s this all about?” Bethany took a deep breath and felt Alex’s hand resting on her knee in reassurance. “Mom, dad, I need to tell you something very important and I need you to listen. Okay?” Both her parents nodded.

“Mom, dad, Drake…” she trailed off, having a hard time figuring out how to say what she wanted to say next. “A few years ago, Drake decided to have a party. I was in my room getting ready for the party when he sort of touched me… like a brother shouldn’t touch his sister.” Bethany’s dad coughed on his water and Bethany’s mom’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” her mother asked her. Bethany nodded. “He… tried to kiss me, too, but I fought it off. I figured it would go away, but it’s getting worse, and he’s getting more controlling and that’s why I’ve been staying with Alex and the guys these past few days. I don’t feel safe at home.” When her parent’s didn’t say anything, Alex stepped up to plate. “Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, I know this is probably all a little much to be taking in, but something needs to be done before Drake hurts Bethany. He’s threatened me and my friends, and he’s threatened Bethany and, well, something needs to be done.” Bethany smiled internally at how grownup Alex sounded.

No one said anything for a while, and then finally Bethany’s mom spoke up. “Bethany… why didn’t you tell us when it happened? Why didn’t you say anything?” Bethany shrugged. “I figured it would go away, and when it didn’t and it kept happening, he threatened me to not tell anyone. I obliged because I thought I didn’t have a choice. The only people I told before the guys,” she said, gesturing to the boys around her, “were Alyssa and Camilla, and they freaked out and made fun of me and that’s why I don’t have any friends except for these guys right now.” Bethany looked up at her mom, who had tears in her eyes. Mrs. Sanders leaned over and hugged her daughter, kissed her forehead and let the tears fall freely. Mr. Sanders thanked the boys for taking care of his daughter, after giving them a menacing look that basically told them that if they fucked up, they personally would all be fucked.

Not one of them flinched because they knew they would not be doing anything in the near future to hurt Bethany. They couldn’t hurt her; she was like their little sister. Well, to most of them, she was. To Alex, she was, well, something else, even if he wasn’t sure what that something else was yet.