Secret
Chapter 23
-Chapter 23-
“It’s chilly,” I mumbled as I zipped up my hoodie. I was walking to the mall where Hot Topic was which was about three miles away from my house. Since we only had homeroom together, he had moved back in with his dad, and was working a lot it was scarce that we saw each other. It was early October and fall was setting in. Yeah, I know its Florida but still; I was cold. The sun had just set and the moon shone brightly. I listened to the city noises that soothed me. Cars sped by and people chatted as they walked down the streets. I hummed “Angel” in my head. Within about 45 minutes I was at the back end of the mall. I texted Ryan.
Hey. What’s up?
Nothing.
Guess where I am.
Where?
I SAID GUESS!
Ok… Umm… At home?
No, I’m behind the mall.
Really?
Yeah.
Awesome. I’m on break in a few minutes. Stay there and I’ll come see you.
Can’t I come in?
If you want.
I don’t want to. I just wanted to see what you said.
O…K…
See ya in a few.
Alrighty then.
I sat on one of the benches in the back of the mall that no one ever used. They were kind of dirty but so what. No one ever comes back here except the garbage man and it was deathly quiet. I heard shuffling of feet and looked up hoping to see Ryan. Instead I saw too guys walking my way. They didn’t see me and I didn’t attempt to make myself known. I heard more of their conversation as they got closer. “Yeah. That bitch fucking tried me and I slapped her ass hard in the face.” The other guy laughed.
I was a bit intimidated now. A streetlight shown and I could start to make out what they looked like. One was Spanish-ish with black hair and the other was white with brown hair but looked as if he wanted to be a thug ghetto kind of guy. I scoffed softly, as not to be heard, when I saw his rapper t-shirt and chain. They continued walking until they were about a five feet away from me. “What do we have here?” the Spanish kid said when he saw me.
“Looks like a gothic bitch to me.”
Oh yeah, so gothic, I thought. “Fuck off.”
“Ooh, she’s feisty, Jay,” the Spanish kid laughed.
“I’m about to put her in her place like I did that other girl, Vicky. Remember Nick? Nick laughed again. I was uneasy and hoped that Ryan would be getting off soon so he could help me. I didn’t know what to do. What a day to leave my pepper spray at home. Jay yanked me up by my arm.
“Don’t touch me!” I yelled pulling away. I wanted to run but I was like a deer caught in headlights. I was about to turn and run but Nick was behind me. I was trapped.
“What’s your name anyway?” Nick asked.
“What’s it to you?” I spat angrily.
He slapped me hard across the face. Damn, that hurt. “I SAID what’s your name?” He went from screaming to whispering in the same sentence.
“Fuck you.” He slapped me again and I fell against the brick wall. Jay was laughing manically and he looked crazed as his eyes bugged from his head. My heart was going 90 miles a minute. Where the hell was Ryan? Nick had me pinned against the wall and was feeling up my shirt. I held in my tears and prayed for Ryan. He touched me and I pleaded for him to stop. He forced his tongue down my throat and I nearly gagged. I spit in his face. “You nasty bitch,” he yelled and stumbled backwards. I tried to run again but Jay grabbed my arm and pinned me against the wall once more. Nick was wiping his face and Jay began to push himself against me. “Stop. Please.” But it was clear that they weren’t going to.
I was about to scream when Jay put his hand over my mouth. “Shut the fuck up and this can be clean.”
In the background I saw Nick unzipping his pants and that’s when I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began to cry uncontrollably. Fuck this. I wasn’t going down without a fight. I began struggling with all of my might but both of them together was too much. I kicked and screamed but was muffled by Jay’s hand. I bit down hard. He let out a cry of pain and pulled away. I fell to the ground. Everything was spinning and I couldn’t make out my surroundings. I was lying on my side and my back was against the wall when Nick kicked me in the stomach. I felt a sharp pain stab through me.
I heard a familiar voice and looked back. Like an angel, Ryan came running from around the corner. “What’s going on back here?” Then he saw me and yelled. “Jess!” He ran over and began to fight Nick.
“Ryan,” I called softly. My voice couldn’t go much higher than a whisper and I could taste blood in my mouth. Then everything faded to black.
“It’s chilly,” I mumbled as I zipped up my hoodie. I was walking to the mall where Hot Topic was which was about three miles away from my house. Since we only had homeroom together, he had moved back in with his dad, and was working a lot it was scarce that we saw each other. It was early October and fall was setting in. Yeah, I know its Florida but still; I was cold. The sun had just set and the moon shone brightly. I listened to the city noises that soothed me. Cars sped by and people chatted as they walked down the streets. I hummed “Angel” in my head. Within about 45 minutes I was at the back end of the mall. I texted Ryan.
Hey. What’s up?
Nothing.
Guess where I am.
Where?
I SAID GUESS!
Ok… Umm… At home?
No, I’m behind the mall.
Really?
Yeah.
Awesome. I’m on break in a few minutes. Stay there and I’ll come see you.
Can’t I come in?
If you want.
I don’t want to. I just wanted to see what you said.
O…K…
See ya in a few.
Alrighty then.
I sat on one of the benches in the back of the mall that no one ever used. They were kind of dirty but so what. No one ever comes back here except the garbage man and it was deathly quiet. I heard shuffling of feet and looked up hoping to see Ryan. Instead I saw too guys walking my way. They didn’t see me and I didn’t attempt to make myself known. I heard more of their conversation as they got closer. “Yeah. That bitch fucking tried me and I slapped her ass hard in the face.” The other guy laughed.
I was a bit intimidated now. A streetlight shown and I could start to make out what they looked like. One was Spanish-ish with black hair and the other was white with brown hair but looked as if he wanted to be a thug ghetto kind of guy. I scoffed softly, as not to be heard, when I saw his rapper t-shirt and chain. They continued walking until they were about a five feet away from me. “What do we have here?” the Spanish kid said when he saw me.
“Looks like a gothic bitch to me.”
Oh yeah, so gothic, I thought. “Fuck off.”
“Ooh, she’s feisty, Jay,” the Spanish kid laughed.
“I’m about to put her in her place like I did that other girl, Vicky. Remember Nick? Nick laughed again. I was uneasy and hoped that Ryan would be getting off soon so he could help me. I didn’t know what to do. What a day to leave my pepper spray at home. Jay yanked me up by my arm.
“Don’t touch me!” I yelled pulling away. I wanted to run but I was like a deer caught in headlights. I was about to turn and run but Nick was behind me. I was trapped.
“What’s your name anyway?” Nick asked.
“What’s it to you?” I spat angrily.
He slapped me hard across the face. Damn, that hurt. “I SAID what’s your name?” He went from screaming to whispering in the same sentence.
“Fuck you.” He slapped me again and I fell against the brick wall. Jay was laughing manically and he looked crazed as his eyes bugged from his head. My heart was going 90 miles a minute. Where the hell was Ryan? Nick had me pinned against the wall and was feeling up my shirt. I held in my tears and prayed for Ryan. He touched me and I pleaded for him to stop. He forced his tongue down my throat and I nearly gagged. I spit in his face. “You nasty bitch,” he yelled and stumbled backwards. I tried to run again but Jay grabbed my arm and pinned me against the wall once more. Nick was wiping his face and Jay began to push himself against me. “Stop. Please.” But it was clear that they weren’t going to.
I was about to scream when Jay put his hand over my mouth. “Shut the fuck up and this can be clean.”
In the background I saw Nick unzipping his pants and that’s when I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began to cry uncontrollably. Fuck this. I wasn’t going down without a fight. I began struggling with all of my might but both of them together was too much. I kicked and screamed but was muffled by Jay’s hand. I bit down hard. He let out a cry of pain and pulled away. I fell to the ground. Everything was spinning and I couldn’t make out my surroundings. I was lying on my side and my back was against the wall when Nick kicked me in the stomach. I felt a sharp pain stab through me.
I heard a familiar voice and looked back. Like an angel, Ryan came running from around the corner. “What’s going on back here?” Then he saw me and yelled. “Jess!” He ran over and began to fight Nick.
“Ryan,” I called softly. My voice couldn’t go much higher than a whisper and I could taste blood in my mouth. Then everything faded to black.