About a Girl

“Leave me alone.” I repeated, frantically trying break loose.

“Aw, honey. C'mon now. Play nice." The third man said, grinning widely.

Getting panicky, I twisted around to face the man holding me. “Don’t touch me. Let go of me..”

“I’ll do what I want. You'll like what I have in mind, I promise.” He touched my hair and then the side of my face with the back of his hand. “Doesn't that feel nice?”

Bile rose to the back of my throat.

“Stop.” I said firmly.

Scanning the area for another person, I came up empty. No savior was in site.

“Why don’t you give me a big ol’ kiss?” One laughed, leaning in. The alcohol on his breath was putrid.

Pushing his face away with my hand, I continued, “I said stop. Just please stop it.”

The man grabbed my hand in anger and held it. “Honey, it'll be better for you if you didn't struggle, though I do like my women with a little attitude." He went on softly so only I could hear him, "I see that wild look in your eyes. You may buck and fuss about it now, but there's one thing I know; you want this."

Thundering against my chest, my heart galloped unsteadily.

“Get away from her.”

A wave of relief flooded through me; it was Kurt.

“What do you think you’re doin’, boy? It's best if you let us handle our own business.” The man holding me spoke, spitting on the ground. “If you just walk away, I'll forget you said anything.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Though his voice was strong, Kurt looked abnormally pale in the moonlight. The color had drained from his face giving him a gaunt appearance. His gangly frame looked much less threatening with the group around him.

“You're too skinny to fight anyone, son." The man chortled. "Your wrists'll crack if you try to hit anyone with those string beans."

The whole crew rang out in laughter.

Flushing slightly, Kurt didn't back down. "You have my friend there."

"This pretty one your girlfriend? Well, shoot. You shouldn't let her wander off by herself so late. You never know who she might run in to."

His grin was evil.

“Hey, break it up down there!” A neighborhood man yelled from his front porch. “This is a family neighborhood. I already called the cops so if you don't want to be collared for loitering get the hell out of here.”

"Hey now, we don’t want any trouble." The leader called up to the man. To Kurt he said, "You got real lucky, boy.”

Reaching over, the creepy man grazed my face with his hand. “Mmm… shame. You would have been real nice to have. Women go well after a couple of beers.”

Kurt’s gripped my arm like a stranglehold. I winced slightly at the pain as he pulled me away.

"Just walk." He instructed. "Don't look back over there."

He didn't have to tell me twice.

“Kurt? You're strangling my arm.”

"What? Oh. Sorry." His grip loosened.

As blood flowed back through my veins, Kurt visibly relaxed once we were a great deal away from the scene. I was still tense though the night seemed less frightening with Kurt by my side.

“I’m glad you forgot this.” Kurt said, handing me my sketchbook.

I remained silent.

“Are you okay?”

I laughed shakily. “Just a little shaken up that's all. They came out of nowhere. Drove by one second, then they were around me the next.”

“I know, I know.” Speaking soothingly, Kurt shrugged off the flannel shirt he wore and draped it around my shoulders. "You couldn't have done anything else. There's always assholes in the world looking for people to take advantage of."

Confused in my half-listenning state, I looked at the fabric around me noticing it for the first time, "What's this for?"

“You’re freezing.”

Frighteningly, I hadn't realized my body felt like ice. "Oh, thanks."

I paused a moment in our walk, pushing my arms through the sleeves. They were still warm from his own body heat.

After that, Kurt and I walked in tense silence back to my apartment. At every crunching leaf or car passing by, I would look over my shoulder expecting to see the same men that harassed me. Trying to wear a brave face only went so far. On the inside I was scared and left feeling like a helpless child.

Kurt could tell; he kept glancing over at me worriedly.

We finally made it back to my apartment door. It was the most welcome site since I had seen Kurt coming to save me earlier that night. Figuring my body was too shaky, Kurt used his key to unlock the door for me. Carefully, I stood inside the door frame feeling like I was about to pass out.

Kurt remained in the night, facing me. Stars twinkled like mini halos behind his head. The bright lights distracted me for a moment, until Kurt's voice broke the barrier.

“Are you sure you’re alright? I could stay over here if you don't feel like being by yourself.”

Heidi was nowhere to be found. The inside of the apartment was pitch black and silent as a grave. No hum of eectronics could be heard; only silence.

“I’m fine, really.” I tried to assure him. The words didn't even reassure myself.

In an instant, Kurt wrapped his arms around me. The body contact was a shock since we had never shown affection to each other like that before. His arms were comforting, and after a moment even my tense body began to relax.

“You don’t have to be so strong, you know.”

I nearly laughed. “Yes, I do.”

Kurt pulled back to look at me. His blue eyes were orbs of electricity admist the night. “Ally…”

“I’m okay.” I said again, breaking out of his grasp. I didn't need Kurt's pity or for him to think of me as being vulnerable. "I just need to get some sleep, that's all. In the morning once I have some coffee in me, I'll be good as new." A sad smile formed on my lips.

As I started to take off the flannel shirt he lent me, he waved a hand dismissively.

“No, keep it.”

Gratefully pulling my arms back into the shirt, I started to close the door. As Kurt turned away, I stopped and said, “Kurt, thank you.”

It was simple, but meant everything.

“Anytime, Ally.” Kurt told me while lighting the end of a cigarette. “Anytime.”