Live For the Sake Of Living

Things couldn't seem to get any better. Everything with school and my studies was going great - my grades were rising quickly due to help from Rhiannon and Jesse, and my friendships with the two of them were as strong as ever. I had introduced the two to each other, and they both got along with each other as well as they did with me.

My life was finally turning out right.

I said goodbye to my two friends as we went our separate rays after lunch was over. Heading down the hallway to my locker, I felt someone bump into me as they came up from behind. My balance was almost thrown off, which would have thrown me straight into another student. Looking forward, I saw the familiar dark figure of Demetra.

She glanced over her shoulder as she passed and sent me a wicked smirk, and there was just something about the way her eyes stared hard at me that sent a nervous chill down my spine.

"Watch where you're going," she said, her voice coming out smooth as silk before she turned and headed down the hall, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. Something about the words she said and the way she looked at me sent an unsettled feeling through my body, and I wouldn't be able to shake that feeling or the rest of the day.

Later, after classes got out, I gathered my things from my locker, preparing to walk home in the bright sunlight. Jesse had to leave school early for a doctor's appointment, so he wasn't there to give me a ride home as he had started to do lately, and my car had long been totaled and out of commission for awhile. And since I was no longer on crutches, I was told to get in as much walking as possible as a form of physical therapy, so I could build up the old muscles I had.

Cursing myself for forgetting to bring my iPod to listen to music while I walked, I began the long trek home. It wasn't actually very long, but it was long enough that getting home would probably take a half hour at best - which prompted plenty of time to think about Jesse. I couldn't get him off my mind lately - there was such a strong attraction between us that I was sure I wasn't the only one who could feel it. But Jesse would never get with me - it just wouldn't work out for us in the long run because of the HIV. It was too risky to try and get involved with boys. I didn't very well want to be named a slut at school for possibly spreading the disease any further than it needed to go. I didn't want to be responsible for that.

Suddenly my body was jerked to the side, instantly pulling me from my thoughts and sending me into a panic. There was a strong grip on my arm, the force of the pull dragging me into a dark, shady alley that I had walked by. Hissing in pain as my back was slammed into the brick wall, I looked up into the eyes of my captor.

Aryn.

"Get your hands off of me," I spat at him, my eyes shooting daggers though it was pointless. His grip on me was tight, and the wild look in his eyes scared me. Whatever was about to happen in this alley wasn't going to end well.

"You keep your fucking mouth shut, little girl. You make one noise or scream for help, and I'll kill you, do you understand?" he ordered angrily, and his voice low. I nodded my head at his threat, thinking of how the hell I was going to get out of this unharmed. I didn't know if Aryn had a weapon on him, but I wouldn't put it past him to kill me with his bare hands. He was probably strung out on a variety of drugs - there was no telling what he would do.

"So... Little miss goodie two shoes thinks she's too good to roll with her old friends, Demetra tells me. I always knew you'd be the one to pussy out eventually," he growled, his voice gravelly as his fingers dug into my shoulders, pinning my arms at my sides. Feeling something press into my rear, I remembered my cell phone resting in the back pocket of my skirt.

Slowly, I tried to dig the device from my pocket without Aryn realizing what I was doing though if he was in a thick enough haze, he wouldn't even notice. I flipped the phone open, hiding it behind me and began praying my idea would work.

"Why can't you just leave me alone? There are plenty of other kids at school who would be willing to go play with you and your drugs. Why me?" I asked, trying to stay calm as I ran my thumb over the keys, envisioning the layout of the keypad in my head. I pressed the number two and hit send - speed dialing Brian. I just hoped he picked up the phone.

"Because I don't want anyone else but you. You were my favorite user, but you've been a bad little girl, and now you must be punished," Aryn snarled, and I felt around the keypad, hoping the button I was about to press was the speaker phone - otherwise Brian might not hear what was going on.

"And you know what happens to little girls who need to be punished? They get fucked..."

My heart started to beat harder in my chest, and I struggled against him, trying to get free and run.

"Let go of me," I hissed once more, but there was a quick flash of silver in my face. Aryn had pulled out a knife, and was holding it at my neck.

"I told you to keep quiet. The more noise you make and the more you struggle, the more this will hurt you," he spat, and he held me against the wall with his arm over my throat, choking me, and I could hear the sipper on his jeans. He was really going to do this.

Thinking quick, I opened my mouth to speak one last time. "You know, it's so cliché of you to pull a knife on girl and try to rape her down Switchblade Alley," I said loudly, blindly hoping that Brian was on the line and could hear me give out the nickname of the alley I was trapped in.

Soon, Aryn's free hand was at my bare thigh, his fingers inching up my skirt as he tried to get it up around my waist. Him touching me made me sick to my stomach, and I just hope Brian arrived before he actually accomplished what he came to do, or that a passer-by saw what was happening and stepped in.

Minutes had passed and Aryn was already rubbing me through my panties, making my eyes sting with tears that he was really about to rape me. Blinking back tears, I looked up toward the sky, feeling Aryn's lips at my neck.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement, and I looked toward the entrance of the alley to see Brian's head sticking around the corner. A wave of relief washed over me, and I kept my eyes on my dad watching him creep up to us without making a sound. He put a finger up to his lips to tell me to keep quiet, and I kept perfectly still, my body still quivering. Brian crept up until he was standing directly behind Aryn, and I watched as he pulled a pistol out from the waist band of his jeans. I heard him cock it, and Aryn did too, instantly lifting his head and going stiff as a board.

"Get the hell away from my daughter, or I swear to God, I will blow your fucking head in," Brian growled, and the anger flashing in his eyes even made me scared of him.

Putting the barrel of the pistol against the side of Aryn's head, Brian grabbed his shoulder and ripped him off me, allowing me to pull my skirt back down. Holding him by the collar of his shirt, the gun still pointed at his head, Brian spoke.

"If you ever came near my daughter again, or touch her, or even look at her, you will regret the day you were born, do you understand me?" he growled, and I could see the fear in Aryn's eyes as he nodded his head. "Good, now get the hell out of my sight," my dad said, shoving Aryn away only to watch him run off like some wounded animal.

"Daddy," I whimpered, finally feeling the full force of tears spill from my eyes. Brian hid the pistol once more and rushed to me, pulling my body to his.

"Sshh... Charlie, baby, it's alright," he cooed into my ear, his having a calming effect on me. "Let's get you home," he said, and I nodded, letting him lead me back to his car parked down the street.

In moments we were back home, and Brian held me close to him again as he took me into the house. Michelle was in the kitchen starting to make dinner, and as soon as she heard my crying she looked up.

"Jesus Christ what happened?" she asked, rushing over to us. "Brian, why the hell did you just rush out of here?"

Brian tossed the pistol down onto the table, and Michelle looked shocked, ushering me into the living room and sitting down on the couch next to me.

"Charlie called me somehow and I found her shoved down some alley with this fucking prick pinned against her with a knife, trying to rape her," Brian explained, coming around the back of the couch. I could still hear the anger in his voice as I tried to calm down. I felt Brian's hands on my shoulders, softly rubbing them in his protective fatherly way to try and help me calm down.

"Charlotte, sweetie, are you okay?" Michelle asked, and I swallowed hard, nodding my head. "Brian, you didn't shoot anyone did you?" she asked, her voice full of worry.

"No, I just scared the kid off."

"We've gotta call the police.... Go get the phone," Michelle ordered, and Brian picked the phone up off the cradle, dialing 911. I didn't pay attention to part of the conversation, until he started yelling.

"Are you kidding me!? This kid tried to rape my daughter, and you're not going to do anything!? That's sexual assault!.... No, I don't know the kid's last fucking name! How many Aryn's are spelt A-R-Y-N in Huntington!?... That's complete bullshit," he said, fuming as he slammed the phone down.

Looking down at Michelle and I, Brian sighed and put his hands on his hips. "They say they can't do anything if he didn't rape you, and if we don't have a last name. Fuck that..."

Sighing as I felt mom's hand run over my back to soothe me, I finally stopped the tears.

So much for things finally turning out right.