The Red Hot Tamales

It has been hell all week. I could see Todd's pained and confused face in my mind every time I ignored him, or didn't answer any of his calls. Slowly he stopped calling and showing up at my doorstep by time Friday had rolled around. It's Saturday, and my lovely bruise is still there. I have missed Todd so much this week and I can't stand it anymore. Bruise or no, I was going to make amends with Todd right now. As I made up my mind, I heard his Moped drive up my drive way. I ran to the window and seen him pulling off his helmet and head up my steps. Now that he was here, I almost didn't want him to be. My room was a mess because I haven't cleaned it since that night When Mike hit me. The chair was still across the room, things where knocked over, and my bed was still torn apart from when he dragged me across it. Then Mike's threat came back to me.

If I ever catch him in here with you again, I swear to God I will Kill him and make you watch. Then when I am done, I will kill you.

It was to late to do anything now.... he was outside my door. I heard him take a deep breath and knock softly on my door.

"Copper? You in there? It's me... It's Todd..." He sounded so... upset. Guilt filled every inch of my body. I flew across the room to fling the door open and throw my arms around a very startled Todd. I started to cry on his shoulder. I couldn't help it... I just stood there and cried.

"I am so so so sorry Todd! I was such a bitch to you. I just didn't want you to see me like that. Please, Please forgive me!" I cried into his shoulder. His arms slowly encircled my waist, and he murmured something into my hair. It sounded like "Of course I forgive you Sweetheart", then again maybe not. We stood there like that for a while. Him talking gently and telling me that everything was all right, me crying like a little girl and not being able to control it. I don't know when, but sometime I had went from crying to noticing how good it felt to have Todd's arms encircled around my waist. And how he smelled oh so good. Or how my heart did a little flutter when his cheek brushed up against mine.

Why was I thinking like this? This was Todd, my best friend. Not my boyfriend. Omg! Mike I quickly stepped away from Todd and turned as I wiped tears from my cheeks... but not before I seen a look flicker across his face. Was that disappointment? No it couldn't be, Todd didn't like me that way. Did he?

" I am so sorry you had to see that Todd, I have just been so... so... frustrated I guess you could say" I said to explain my odd behavior. I never cried in front of Todd. Never. I looked back at him to see that there was a horrified look on his face as he looked at my room in its messy state. Then his eyes settled on my face... no on my bruise and I watched as it all clicked together for him.

"Why Copper? Why didn't you just tell me instead of hiding from me?" He was angry, I couldn't tell if it was at me, Mike, or him for not putting it together sooner. I looked down at the floor and shuffled my feet.

"I don't know. I didn't want you to get hurt, or angry." I mumbled and as I said it I knew that it sounded absolutely stupid and pathetic. He crossed the room and stopped just in front of me. His fingers gently lifted my chin up so I was looking into his eyes.

"You never should have hid this from me Copper. You should have just told me what had happened.You deserve so much better than that. Never let someone make you feel like you deserve that. Promise me that you will tell me if something like this happens again.... Promise me." He demanded softly. I opened my mouth to answer... but I heard a snarl from the doorway.

"What The Hell Is Going On Here?!?" Mike stood in the doorway of my room, fury etched into every millimeter of his face. Todd dropped his hand from under my chin and turned towards Mike.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Did you hit Copper? Why?" He stood there accusing Mike and I could see Mike was getting angrier and angrier by the second.

"Todd, stop it. Just leave it alone. Please just leave... I will be fine. Just leave." I begged him. I didn't want Mike to hurt him. Todd turned to me and just stared at me like I had just grown three heads.

"Are you serious Copper? After what he has done to you, you expect me to just leave you alone with him?" He stared at me. I inhaled slowly.

"Please Todd, just go, I will..."

"You heard her Dumb ass! GET OUT!!!" Mike yelled in Todd's face. Mike grabbed him by the shirt and started to drag him to the door.

"Mike, let him go! Please.... He will leave on his own, just let him go!" Mike let go of Todd's shirt. Todd looked at me and I nodded, letting him know that I would be OK. I really hated lying to him.

"Alright then... I will talk to you later Copper." Translation, I will call you to make sure he hasn't hurt you. He turned and left. I stood there, waiting for the pain that I knew was coming next. Mike was watching me through anger filled eyes. He seemed so different from the way he was when I first met him...it was almost like he was a completely different person.

He stalked around my room, glaring at me the whole time. If looks could kill, I would be burning on a stick in hell right about now. Suddenly he lunged at me and punched me in the stomach. I doubled over in pain, holding my stomach. Tears came to my eyes and my head swam. He grabbed my hair and pulled me upright, only to punch me in the face so hard that my vision blurred and I felt a couple of teeth come loose. I could taste blood already and it has only been thirty seconds. This was going to be a really bad beating... worse than the other times. He still had a hold on my hair, so I didn't go very far... so he punched me again, harder this time. He also let go of my hair so I went flying right into the corner of the desk. Pain exploded in my stomach from where the desk hit me.

"You stupid Fucking Cunt!!! Didn't I warn you what would happen? Didn't I Fucking tell you? You worthless piece of shit, you stupid fucking bitch!! How Fucking Dare you?!?!" Each word was accompanied with a kick or a punch or a shove that seemed to break something in my body. It went on like that for what seemed like forever. I passed out sometime during the beating, because the next time I came to, it was dark and the phone was ringing. I couldn't move at all, I hurt everywhere. I could barely see out of my eyes, and there was blood everywhere that I could see. The answering machine picked up and I heard a frantic voice leave a message.

"Copper?!? Copper, come on Sweetheart, pick up the phone. Cooper Olivia Ludlow you are worrying me!!! This is the sixth time I have tried to call you in the last two hours... please call me back. If I don't hear from you in fifteen minutes, I am coming over... and I don't care what Mike says." I heard him hang up, and the machine click. I knew that Todd was going to be here. But would I still be alive when he got here? I could feel my vision going black and my mind going numb. I couldn't feel anything at all.

Poor Todd I thought before everything went black.