Handful Of Moments

Josie groaned while stretching waking up. She sat up opening her eyes. For a minute she was lost. This is not a familiar room. Then she noticed her clothes scattered across the room. Where the fuck was she? Is Alex here too? Josie held her head trying to recall what happened. All that came up was that her and Greg were hanging out and from there on it’s a blur.

She stood up, but quickly sat down. Her body was aching. She noticed bruises in the form of handprints on her arms and on her legs. Josie realized she had sex with someone, most likely Greg. Though she didn’t have any alcoholic drink, unless Greg lied that he gave her soda. Josie had to hold the tears until she got out of here. She tried again to put her clothes on, it was painful but she did it.

Josie crept out of the house quietly until she reached the roadcurb. She checked her phone. She had one new text from Alex. She opened it: Glad everything is okay. Have fun at Kara’s. <3 Josie was beyond confused. She looked through her text, someone was texting Alex and her dad. She felt goosebumps form and started to breakdown. Her breathing was short and harsh. What the fuck happened? Only that question was running through her head.

“Josie?” She turned around to see Kara walking her dog.

Just seeing Kara made her cry even worse. She doesn’t know why, but she was so lost.

“Come with me,” Kara said as she helped her friend up.

Kara watched her friend limp. She could tell that Josie was in pain. Kara just stared at her new friend wondering why she was here and why she was crying. Did Alex do something?

They finally reached her house. Kara helped Josie go up the stairs to her room. Josie flopped onto her bed. Josie was sniffling because she couldn’t cry anymore. Kara sat on the bed rubbing her back, but noticed she flinched at her touch.

“Josie, what happened?” Kara asked in a low voice.

Jose tried to stop her sniffling, “I-I-I don’t know. I can’t remember barely anything.”

“Well, just tell me what you do,” Kara said.

Josie told her about her and Greg just hanging out. “I think I cheated on Alex,” she murmured feeling the tears sting her eyes.

“What? Were you drunk?” She asked surprised.

“No! I didn’t have one drink. I had a coke, that’s it!” Now the tears were uncontrollable, “But it tasted funny. Then I think I fell asleep.”

Kara was silent. Kara thinks she knows what happened but was afraid to say it. “Have you considered that you were….drugged?”

She shook her head, “Greg doesn’t seem like the kind of guy…”

Kara was going to say something, but Josie’s phone was ringing. Josie mouthed to Kara it was Alex.

“Hello,” her voice was barely heard, “Alex!…What are you talking about?…Al!…Wait! Don’t hang…up,” she mumbled the last part. She started to sob harder.

“What happened?” Kara asked.

“Picture…. Broke up,” Josie could only get those three words.

Kara couldn’t comprehend what was going one. First, her friend has been date raped and is in denial. Now this.

“Can you take me home?” Jose asked.

Kara nodded, “Uh, sure. But we should talk to your dad.”

“NO! He’d kill me for accusing one of his players of rape,” Josie said.

“He’d believe one of his players over his daughter,” Kara asked in disbelief.

Josie just nodded.

---

Kara walked her in Josie’s house.

“Josie Noel Garrett, where have you been?” His voice boomed.

The two stopped. Josie could feel her eyes to water and Kara noticed.

“Well, after her and Greg hung out, she came by since I lived close and she accidentally crashed there. Sorry,” Kara spoke for her lost friend.

“Oh,” Jeff’s voice softened, “Well, next time text me.”

Kara helped her friend up the stairs into her room.

“Just sleep it off.” She said. “I’ll come back later today, I promise.”

“Thanks Kara.” Josie smiled weakly and her eyes shut drifting to sleep.

Kara came up to Josie’s dad, “Mr. Garrett?”

“Jeff,” he smiled.

“Jeff, we need to talk about Josie,” Kara said simply. Josie might not like this, but it’s for her own good.

---

Alex couldn’t believe it. He lost another girlfriend from Greg. Is something wrong with him? Well, Josie seemed to like jocks from looking at her old pictures. But he thought she was different. That she changed for the best.

Alex stared at the picture on his phone. Greg’s lips on hers, but it looked forced. Alex stared at it more intently. She looked lifeless. This photo didn’t seem right. Then he heard a knock on his door.

He quickly shut his phone, “Come in.” It was Kara. “Hey K-“

“Just be quiet,” Kara looked furious at him. “How dare you break up with her! She needs you now than ever! And you break up with her because of what Greg told you!”

Alex sat up in his bed, “Kara, he sent me a picture of them doing stuff! The picture is the proof!”

“Let me see it,” Kara said with her hand out.

“I deleted it,” he spat.

Kara scoffed at him, “I know you and you were probably staring at the picture five seconds before I came in.”

Alex sighed in defeat and threw his phone at her. She caught it and found the picture immediately. She gasped. This isn’t Josie, it is but she wasn’t there. This could be helpful. After taking Josie home, she told Jeff everything. He was in disbelief, not only that his star player would do this but his daughter thinking he’d side with his football player.

“Lock this photo. Do not delete this,” Kara ordered.

“Why? So I remember how much better he is than me,” he scoffed.

“First, you are a better person than he could ever be, Alex,” then her voice softened, “But we think he raped Josie.”

Alex’s face turned ghostly white and his heart sunk. He didn’t know…