Problem Child

"You want some sandwich?" Tre asked me lifting up his ham and cheese concoction in front of my face. I laughed and batted his hand away playfully.

"No thanks, i'm not hungry." I replied. He shrugged and continued to eat. We were both sat on his bed watching TV. He'd put Dumb and Dumber on to cheer me up, it was one of our favourite movies of all time. I was barely paying attention though, every time Tre laughed I had to quickly join in so that he wouldn't notice how distracted I was. I couldn't deal with more questions. My phone vibrated in my pocket:

* You can't stay away forever * It read. I felt physically sick once again. Tre turned his attention to me.

"Who was that from?" He asked curiously. I immediately deleted the message.

"Jen." I lied. He raised his eyebrows.

"Ooh. Was she dishing more dirt on Billie?" He asked inquisitively.

"No." I said sturnly. Tre laughed and gently pushed my arm.

"Man, he REALLY gets to you doesn't he?" He commented. I knew he meant it innocently but I was dying inside.

"No! I couldn't give a FUCK about him!" I cried raising my voice. Tre held his hands up submissively.

"Okay okay...but, it doesn't sound like it." He added. I got up from the bed.

"Tre! I came here to get AWAY from all of that, and now all you wanna do is TALK about it!" I exclaimed. Tre's expression was filled with guilt by this point.

"Oh Summer, i'm sorry. Look I was only kidding." He said trying to make amends.

"Well...don't. Just, leave it." I said more softly than before. Tre rubbed his neck.

"It's just...I can tell that you're really upset about things, but you haven't really explained what they are. I'm just worried about you that's all." Tre pressed on. I looked away.

"I already told you, it's Grace and her nagging, and Billie just being an asshole." I repeated.

"But WHY is he an asshole to you?" Tre asked sitting up straight on the bed.

"I dunno, i'm not a shrink. And believe me that's what it would take to figure out what goes on in his warped little mind." I said bitterly.

"But what exactly has he done to make you think that he has a 'warped mind'?" He continued. He wasn't gonna let this go so easily this time.

"You've seen him, giving me the evil eye for no reason, shoving straight past you without any provocation. That's not exactly normal is it?" I said pacing the room. "Not to mention how he was with Jen." I added. Tre thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah well all that stuff sure makes him an asshole in my book...but a 'warped mind'? C'mon Summer, something else MUST have happened to make you say that." Tre enquired. I shook my head.

"Well when you put up with the constant bad moods day in and day out it begins to get to you." I said. I don't think Tre was buying it, he knew there was more to the story than I was letting on. But for now he decided to let it go as he could see I was getting upset. The weekend went by way too quickly. Before I knew it Tre and I were on the bus to school come Monday morning. I'd suggested bunking off but Tre said his Dad would have killed him. As we neared the building we caught sight of a familiar figure waiting for us outside. Jen stood looking a little ashamed of herself and smiling at us meekly.

"Hey." I said as we got to her.

"Hi guys." She replied sheepishly.

"So where's Billie Joe?" Tre asked her jokingly. I shot him a look and he instantly realised that he probably shouldn't have mentioned him in front of me.

"Oh I don't know or care. All I care about is us being friends again." She said hopefully. I smiled back and she looked relieved. Just at that moment Billie breezed past us with two other unsavory looking characters. The three of us all watched him as he strolled on by without even looking over his shoulder at us. "Let's just forget about him and move on." Jen suggested. 'If only I COULD' I said to myself.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I eventually had to return home although the two nights I'd spent at Tre's had been so comforting. I didn't have to worry about any unwelcome visitors in the night, I just felt safe and secure. Grace and Jonathan weren't back from work yet and so that meant Billie and I would be alone once again. He hadn't said a word to me all day but that's usually how it worked. I went into the kitchen to get a drink but stayed right by the door and by the kitchen knives. Sure enough in walked Billie but to my suprise even then he still didn't acknowledge me. I plucked up the courage to ask him what I'd wanted to ask him ever since that night.

"Billie?" I said. He searched through the fridge for food and didn't reply. "You know what happened the other night? Why did you do it?" I asked him firmly. He retreived some ham from the fridge and began to casually make himself a sandwich. Still he kept his silence. "Billie!" I said louder.

"What?!" He cried spinning around to face me. I felt my nerve go a little but I continued to press him for an answer.

"Why did you do it?!" I shouted. He looked me dead in the eye but didn't move a muscle.

"Do what?" He questioned playing dumb. I laughed bitterly.

"You KNOW what." I retorted. "You...you forced yourself on me." I said begrudgingly. I hated him for making me say it. He just stood there and laughed his obnoxious laugh.

"Oh please, you were ASKING for it." He teased. I shook my head slowly.

"No, I BEGGED you to stop but you wouldn't. You raped me." I said as a tear fell down my cheek. I immediately brushed it off. He laughed once again and turned back around to finish making his snack. I felt all of this anger build up inside of me. I was ready to snap. I pushed him violently in the back and began hammering my fists into him. "You FUCKER!!" He turned back around and grabbed both of my wrists as hard as he could.

"Yeah that's right!" He yelled pushing me back against the wall. "And y'know what? That night was the first time but it DEFINITELY won't be the last! I OWN you Summer...I could have you any time I want, and I will. Over and over and over again until you learn to enjoy it." He threatened. I was choked up.

"Please...just...leave me alone." I cried. He smirked and stroked my face with one hand.

"Not in a million years...you taste too sweet." He purred. I fell to the floor completely sickened. And he just turned back around once again and continued making his sandwich. I was lost for words. I ran upstairs and slammed my door shut. There underneath the handle was a brand new lock. I touched it lightly with my shakey hand and thought to myself 'not even a lock can keep me safe from him now'.