Problem Child

Two weeks had now passed and things certainly weren't getting any better. Billie had raped me twice more in that fortnight, and it sounded ridiculas but it was almost starting to feel like some sort of routine. Just as I'd feared, the lock did nothing to keep him out. He'd always manage to find the place where Jonathan kept the spare key. The next time it had happened we had been left home alone while Grace and Jonathan were working late. This time he'd dragged me by my hair into his bedroom and forced me down using his own strength, no ducktape had aided him this time. It had seemed to go on forever but instead of burying his face into my neck throughout the whole ordeal, he'd taken to watching me and my expression. Just as he came he grabbed my neck nearly choking me. The time after that it was back to basics, my bedroom and lots of ducktape. He'd even threatened to tie me down to the bed next time in order to 'explore the full length of my body'.

I'd been avoiding meeting up socially with Tre outside of school out of fear of angering Billie Joe even further. He'd even threatened me about that too. "You better not spend any more time with Tre because if you do, I'll convince Grace and Jonathan to take a vacation together and then we'll REALLY have some fun. Just think about it, you and me alone for a whole weekend...or better yet, a week!" He said. What choice did I really have? The other thing was that Grace had really been acting strangely ever since she'd accused Billie and I of having feelings for each other. She'd constantly be studying me and then Billie Joe whenever we were in a room together. I wanted so badly to tell her and I came really close to doing so one afternoon. She was helping me clear out my closet because she's decided to have a garage sale the week after. I was busy looking through boxes when I realised that she was looking at me in that way again.

"What is it?" I asked stopping what I was doing. She looked to the floor. She was playing with a scarf that she'd found in my closet which I'd just told her I didn't want anymore.

"It's nothing." She said quietly. Her voice was tinged with sadness. I rolled my eyes.

"No, it's not nothing. You keep being weird with me lately." I explained.

"Do I? Oh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be." She said laying the scarf down on my bed. She began re-arranging my pillows but stopped and frowned after picking one up. "Summer, what are these?" She asked me touching the bite marks on the corner of it. It bought back a flood of horrible memories. The last time Billie had forced himself upon me I'd been biting down on my pillow hard. He hadn't taped my mouth shut that time, he'd said he wanted to see it, it just added to my expression.

"Uhm, I dunno. I must have ripped it." I lied. She looked completely confused.

"Well be more careful in future, I'm gonna have to stitch this back up." She said examining it more intently. I reached over and snatched it from her.

"Just leave it okay!" I snapped. She took a step back.

"Summer..." She began. I hugged the pillow tightly to my chest. "Is everything really okay? You seem so quiet, you're definitely not yourself." She said tilting her head to one side. I shook my head.

"It's Billie..." I started. Grace looked at me with great interest. "He...says things...and does things that I really don't like." I said stammering like a child. I just couldn't find the words to explain what he'd been doing.

"Like what?" Grace asked me moving forward. I shrugged.

"Just stuff." I replied.

"But, I thought you two were past all of that." She said putting her hand on my arm. I immediately shook it off and threw the pillow back on the bed.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter." I said brushing it off. Grace looked pained by my obvious cop out.

"Summer, please tell me what's going on." She pleaded. I sat down on the bed in complete silence and started to play with my phone. She sighed out of frustration and eventually after a few more attempts she left the room. I noticed that I had three new messages from Tre.

*Hey Sum, wanna meet up later?*

*Please tell me if i've done something wrong*

*I just really wanna see you*

I did eventually reply but I had to choose my words carefully.

*I'm fine, you've done nothing wrong I just can't meet up tonight. Sorry.*

Even if I had gone over to Tre's and spent a few nights there I knew that it would be ten times worse when I eventually returned home. I had to think of some way out of this, I couldn't stand another night like that...
Friday night came around and Jonathan was away for the weekend working somewhere upstate. I didn't even know exactly what he did for a living, I only knew that it paid pretty well and he was always busy. The three of us had just finished dinner and Grace was loading the dishwasher. I'd been eating a lot less recently. Billie put his hand on my knee and moved it seductively up my thigh. I shook my leg but he just started all over again. Grace turned back around and sat down again after retreiving dessert. She had no idea what was going on underneathe the table.

"So do the two of you have any plans for this weekend?" She asked making conversation as she dished out some trifle for us. Billie started to massage the top of my thigh. I put a hand over my mouth. I knew he'd probably have something to say anyway.

"Oh not really. We'll probably just hang out here." He said smirking at me. I averted his glance.

"Actually, I was going to go to Jen's tonight and have a girly night in." I lied. Grace smiled.

"Well that sounds nice." She said. Billie looked put out. He moved his hand up the inside of my thigh and stopped when he reached between my legs. Grace continued to whitter on about something pointless but I wasn't listening, I had completely zoned out. He kept rubbing me and rubbing me. I crossed my legs over but he continued with a forceful hand. I couldn't take anymore. I bolted up from the table.

"Excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom." I stated hurrying out of the door. Billie and Grace both watched as I left the room. Grace looked worried and Billie looked sickingly satisfied. I ran upstairs and locked the bathroom door. I splashed some cold water on my face and stared into the mirror. I didn't even recognise myself anymore. It was as if this was all happening to someone else. 'Stuff like this just doesn't happen to me' I kept telling myself. I stayed in there for about ten minutes and then I heard somebody coming up the stairs. 'It's okay, you're safe. The door's locked' I kept saying.

"Summer? Are you alright in there?" Grace asked me with concern.

"Y...yeah. I'm okay." I said from my position on the bathroom floor.

"It's just I thought you might be sick or something." Grace said.

"No...I'm fine." I lied. I hadn't been 'fine' in a long time now. I'd even lost track of the time, had it been three months? It felt more like a year to me.

"Okay well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight honey." She said making her way to her bedroom.

"Don't leave me..." I whispered quietly to myself as I heard her leave. I stayed in there for another hour at least before deciding that I'd have to return to my bedroom. But as soon as I walked out on to the landing I had an idea. I could just sleep in Grace's room! Jonathan's not even home so I could just sleep in their bed with her. I looked down the hallway to their bedroom door. No sooner had I taken one step in that direction I heard a voice from behind me.

"Don't even think about it." Billie said darkly.

"Billie please, not tonight." I begged turning around slowly.

"Hey, I'm the one calling the shots here remember?" He reminded me. "Now get your ass in here." He commanded. I stood still. He rushed over and dragged me by the hand closing his door behind us. He stood leaning against the door to prevent my escape. His dark roots were showing through his dirty, blonde hair. He studied me momentarily. "Get undressed." He demanded. This confused me, usually HE was the one who did all the undressing, it was part of his sick game. "Summer, take your clothes off." He said again plainly. "Don't make me ask again." I did as I was told. I slowly slid my arms through my shirt and pulled it off letting it drop to the floor. I couldn't even cry this time, I think I'd ran out of tears. He nodded at me to continue so I unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down delicately.

There I was stood in my bra and underwear. He smiled. "C'mon, and the rest." He persisted. I closed my eyes and unhooked my bra, then I slid out of my underwear. I was completely naked and feeling even more vaunerable than usual. I just prayed that whatever he had in mind wouldn't hurt TOO much. "Lay down on the bed." He asked quietly. I sat on the corner and covered my breasts with my arms. He hadn't moved from the doorway. He took down his own pants and removed his shirt, then once he was dressed in only his boxers he made his way over to me. "Lay down." He said again. I slowly began to lay back resting my head on his pillow. I knew I would never make it to the door in time and even if I did, he'd drag me back down and make me pay for trying to escape him. He sat to the side of me and ran his fingers up and down my side. He cupped my breast with one hand and kissed me delicately on my collar bone. I tensed up my whole body. He noticed how on edge I was. "Just relax, why don't you try and enjoy this for once?" He suggested. I was now even more confused than ever. He normally loved nothing more than for me to fight him and to make me beg for him to stop. He got on top of me and straddled my hips between his legs. He put both of his hands on my hips and leant down to kiss me on the mouth. I didn't respond. "You're amazing." He said between kisses. He sat up a little to allow one of his hands to venture down to my pelvic bone and he continued until he reached my most intimate area. I turned my head to the side to stop him from kissing me again. "Don't freak out, just let it happen." He said reasuring me. But how could I? It was all wrong. I grabbed the bedsheets with both hands. He slid his finger up inside me and rubbed continuously. I couldn't believe how shocked I was, it's not as if this was the worst thing he'd ever done to me.

"No." I said trying to sit up a little. He pushed my chest back down gently but firmly with his free hand.

"Wait, just relax." He insisted as he continued to move inside me, I could feel his erection growing. I opened my eyes long enough to see that the bedroom door was slowly starting to open. I gasped in suprise which made Billie turn around to see what I was looking at. To his horror Grace was stood in the doorway looking physically sick.

"Oh my god." She said in disbelief. She covered her mouth with boths hands and turned away. Billie retracted his finger and shot up from the bed grabbing his shirt and pulling it on in a hurry. I sat up and began to shake rapidly. Grace was just stood on the landing shaking her head. Billie went to her.

"Grace, it's not what it looked like." He tried to explain. I began to put my clothes back on all the while wondering what the hell was going to happen now. She'd already had her suspicions about Billie and I getting too close for comfort and now it would seem as though she had been right all along. But it wasn't true, not like that...

"What the hell were you two doing in there?" She asked Billie Joe.

"It was nothing, we were only messing around." He insisted. Grace shook her head.

"I knew it, I KNEW something was wrong. It didn't feel right, it HASN'T felt right for months now." She said explaining it to herself.

"Grace please, listen to me." I begged her arriving on the landing next to them.

"Summer stay out of this." Billie stated putting his arm out towards me. Grace frowned at him.

"Summer told me...she said that you'd been saying things, DOING things that she didn't like." She said as she started to figure it all out. I stared at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. Billie shook his head.

"No, it's not like that. We're in love." He said. I laughed out of shock and disbelief.

"Love?! No, no I don't love him Grace, he RAPED me!!" I screamed. Billie looked terrified. "You fucking raped me!!" I yelled again, my face turning pink with rage. Grace burst into tears still shaking her head.

"Shut up!!" Billie cried shoving me back and looking like he wanted to cry too. "Don't fucking listen to her! She's a liar!" He continued. Grace looked at me with sorrow and regret. She covered her face with her hands.

"How could I not have noticed, why didn't you TELL me?!" She demanded. I cried.

"I...I couldn't...I was...scared." I sobbed. Billie held his head in his hands. Grace moved towards me with outstretched arms.

"No! Stay away from her!" Billie yelled pushing her back. She looked totally shocked, all of the colour had drained from her face. "You can't take her away from me!!" He shouted.

"Take her away from you? I never want you anywhere near any of us AGAIN!!" She screamed raising her arms. "I'm calling the police!" She stated making her way across the landing. Billie's eyes grew wider with fear. He ran after her and grabbed her by the arm. I looked on helplessly as she pushed him away, but Billie pushed her back violently resulting in her losing her footing and falling down the stairs. She tumbled head first hitting every step on the way down.

"Grace!!" I screamed in a shril, high-pitched scream. Her body landed at the bottom in a heap. She'd hit her head and now blood was preceading to pour out of it. Billie stood at the top staring down blankly and breathing heavily.