Best Friends...Forever?

I was worried about my date with Brad. I had never gone out with anyone and now I was going out with one of the most popular guys in the school. Susie helped me get ready because I wanted to look good for Brad.

Brad came to pick me up at six and we went to have pizza. Brad talked about football a lot, that was all he talked about that and how hot I looked. I wasn’t all that interested in football and him talking about me being hot was weird and made me think that he only liked me because I was hot. It hit me though that, the only reason he probably did like me was because he thought I was hot.

Brad wasn’t shaping up to be all that great a guy. He liked girls like Angela, not me. Maybe I had rushed into this date with Brad. I was too caught up in someone actually asking me out that I didn’t consider who it was and why.

When Brad dropped me back at my house, my parents weren’t home. He leaned in to kiss me but I pulled away.

“Um... I don’t mean to be rude or anything but I’m not sure I like you. Sorry.” Brad was furious; it showed all over his face.

“What did you just say?” He yelled. I got scared.

I whispered in a really quiet voice. “I don’t want to go out with you anymore. It was a nice date but you’re not really my type.”

Then he slapped me hard across the face. “Nobody breaks it off with me. Is that understood?” He yelled. I nodded my head tears wanted to fall but I wouldn’t let them, not in front of him. Then he forced a hard kiss on me. As he went to leave he said in a menacing tone, “We are going out now. You are my girlfriend and you won’t tell anybody about what happened. Understood?” I nodded. “Don’t tell anyone or else.” That was the last thing he said as he walked away. I ran inside and flopped onto my bed where I cried and cried all night hysterical sobs until I was too tired and fell asleep.

When I woke up luckily there were no marks on my face and the stinging had gone away. I didn’t feel like doing anything. I laid in bed and watched TV. My stomach growled around noon so I got up and went downstairs for some lunch.

“Where is everyone?” I said out loud to myself. I defrosted a pizza and grabbed a can of root beer. After I was finished the phone rang. “Hello?” I said.

“Hi, Jessica. I was just calling to make sure you didn’t forget but I’m leaving to go on a business trip today.” It was my mom I had totally forgot she was leaving for a week.

“That’s nice.”

“Your father’s at his friend garage working on some cars or something.”

“Ok.”

“See you in a week. Bye.”

“Bye.” She hung up and so did I.

I found my mind kept drifting to what happened last night. I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to think about it. I wanted to push it to the back of my mind. In order to get my mind off it, I did my homework but my homework was soon finished and I didn’t have anything else to keep my mind occupied. After five minutes, I was going insane thinking about it so I jumped up to go to Hunter’s. His parents still were gone so I ran up to find him in his room playing video games.

“Hey,” I said flopping down on his bed.

“Hi,” he said more concentrated on his game then me being there.

“Oh man I died,” Hunter yelled and I flinched. I quickly regained my composure. Yelling reminded me of what happened. “So did you go out with Brad.” He spat Brad’s name out like it was a disease.

“Yeah, so. What’s so bad about that, you don’t like Brad.” I asked really wanting to get off this topic.

“I hate him,” Hunter said then continued to play his game. I wanted to say me too but I couldn’t or else.

I watched Hunter play his game. It helped keep my mind off of Brad but it wasn’t the most fun thing to do. I ate dinner at Hunter’s house, he ordered pizza. It started getting late so I went home and to bed. After spending the day with Hunter I had forgotten all about Brad until I went to school on Monday.

When I arrived at school Brad was right there on the front steps waiting for me. He had that big smile on his face. “Hey babe,” he said as he planted a kiss on me.

“Hey,” I replied weakly. He walked me to my first class and again kissed me goodbye. Hunter was walking to his class down the hall and when he saw us he seemed to have a look of disgust on his face. I sat quietly and did my work in media arts then went to social studies with Hunter. Lucky for me, Brad wasn’t in any of my classes except for lunch. Hunter whispered to me in social studies goofing around. I was happy until lunch came around. That was when things started going bad.

I was sitting with Cody and Hunter and Brad came up to the table.

“Jessica what are you doing sitting with these losers?” Brad said. I shrugged my shoulders.

“Come sit with me.” Brad grabbed my arm acting like he was just guiding me to his table.

I sat silent during lunch listening to Brad and his friends talk about football. Brad always had an arm around me like I was his.

“I can’t believe that guy or Jessica. She just ditched us to hang out with that loser,” Hunter complained to Cody.

“They are going out,” Cody reasoned.

“Yeah but why would she go out with someone as.. as.. someone like Brad.”

“Is someone jealous?” Cody smirked.

“No, I just don’t see why she would like him.”

“You don’t? Come on, he’s on the football team, he’s popular. It’s just like why you’re going out with Angela.”

Hunter was defeated.

Brad is always so I rough, he’s always telling me what to do when I’m with him. I just sit
there and do as he tells me. I’m just his show girl. Someone to prove that he can have a great girlfriend. I’m sure I’m not the only girl he’s seeing. I’m just his servant that he can boss around.

I haven’t told anybody about him and I won’t. I’m too scared about what he will do. I figure eventually he will dump me, get bored of me and find another girl to abuse. All I have to do is wait out the storm. I haven’t been able to hang out with Hunter or Cody a lot because of Brad. He hates when I hang out with them and Hunter hates when I hang out with Brad.
Brad and Hunter hate each other. I don’t know why they just do. I forgot about that when I said yes to Brad. I have a date with Brad this weekend. Not that I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been getting a bruise on my upper left arm because of Brad pulling on me so hard. It’s easy to hide but it hurts sometimes when he touches it.

On Friday Hunter came over. I was glad to see him.

“Hey, Hunter.”

“Hi.” He sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. I sat down next to him. As he flipped through the channels he asked me, “Where are your parents?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Don’t care either. Are yours back yet?”

“Nope. They’re off somewhere, won’t be back for awhile.” I nodded.

“Are you going out with Brad still?” He stared at the TV waiting for my response.

“Yeah, I have a date with him tomorrow. Why?”

He continued to stare at the TV as he talked. “You should break up with him.”

“I can’t,” I said quietly.

“Yes you can. I don’t get why you like him. He’s just a stupid jerk.”

“Why do you care who I date? Huh?” I questioned him.

“Because I’m your best friend and I hate that guy,” he said quietly still staring at the TV.

“Just because you hate him doesn’t mean I should break up with him.”

We sat in silence for about ten minutes before Hunter got up to leave on his way out he whispered, “I hate him.” I didn’t like Hunter being mad at me and I didn’t like being with Brad. So I decided I had to break up with Brad. Why did I even let it go this far? I always said I would never be with a guy like that. That I would stand up for myself but that was easier said than done. I was afraid. The last time I tried to break up with Brad he slapped me hard across the face. I didn’t want that to happen again.

I had it all figured out, I would break up with Brad when he came to pick me up. I would be as nice and sincere as I could about it. I didn’t want to make him mad. I could do this. I thought about it all night and I was sure I had to do this, that I could do this. I couldn’t back down I had to be strong.

On Saturday I got dressed and waited for Brad to pick me up at six in the evening. I knew what I was going to say. I had it all planned in my head. The doorbell rang and I got nervous, it was time. I went to answer the door. There Brad was smiling his fake, bullshit smile. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled me to his car. I tried to get him to let go but he wouldn’t.

When we made it to the car he let go and said, “What’s your problem?”

“There’s something I want to tell you,” I said in my small voice.

“What is it? I don’t have all night.” He was already getting mad. Maybe I should wait. No! I had to do this now.

“I think it would be best if we took a break. So you can see other girls.”

He stared at me for a second and then exploded, “Are you trying to break up with me again?” He roared, “Don’t you remember what happened last time. Nobody breaks up with me.”

“But I think we should.”

“Well I don’t. You little bitch.” As he said bitch he slapped me across the face with way more force than he did before. I fell to the ground, my face was on fire. Then he kicked me in the side. Then right as he was about to kick me again, he fell to the ground. Someone had punched him in the stomach. It was Hunter.

Hunter kneeled down beside me and helped me up. “Are you okay, Jessica?” He asked worry clear in his voice. I nodded. He helped me inside and onto the couch. I heard Brad’s car start as he drove away. Hunter sat down to my left. “Does anything hurt?” Hunter said. I shook my head. “Jessica, talk to me. Are you sure nothing hurts?”

“I’m okay.” I couldn’t take it anymore my tears started falling. Hunter pulled me into a hug. I
winced as he touched my left shoulder. He pulled away a little.

“You are hurt. Let me see.” As the tears continued to fall I rolled up my left sleeve. It was bruised a nice black and blue. He lightly touched it tracing around it. “Does that hurt?” He asked taking his finger away.

“No, just when something hits it too hard.”

“Do you want ice or anything?” He asked. I shook my head no.

Then he lightly pulled me to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder. He wiped away the tears and he ran his fingers through my hair.

“I’m sorry, Jessica. I should have noticed this before.”

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine.”

“No, it’s not your fault,” he said quietly holding me. “It’s that bastard, Brad’s, fault. He should never have done this to you.” Oddly I felt safe in Hunter’s arms. While I was with Hunter,
Brad couldn’t come back to get me because Hunter would beat the shit out of him. I liked Hunter holding me. I fell asleep like that, on my couch in Hunter’s arms.

Jessica’s dad came home that night and saw her on the couch. When he noticed she was with a boy, he became angry but he calmed down when he saw it was only Hunter. He liked Hunter. He’d known Hunter since Hunter was a baby. His daughter had grown a close friendship with the boy. The two were nearly inseparable their whole childhood though they argued constantly over the smallest things. Jessica’s dad smiled at the two on the couch and walked to his room. He knew Hunter would always protect his daughter and would never hurt her.

I woke up in Hunter’s arms. As I recalled last night’s events, I shuddered and clung to Hunter tighter. Would Brad leave me alone now? My mom was still out of town and my dad was… I’m not sure where he was but he wasn’t home and obviously wasn’t too concerned about Hunter being here. My arm ached but other than that all was good. Nothing else seemed to hurt anymore from Brad.

I smelled something coming from the kitchen. I got up and headed into the kitchen where I found a note from my dad. It read: I’ll be gone most of the day. I made eggs for you and Hunter. Love, Dad.

I grabbed a plate and put some eggs on it and poured myself a glass of milk. Then I sat back on the couch next to Hunter. I turned on the TV and started eating. After a few minutes Hunter woke up.

“What are you eating?” Hunter asked as he stretched.

“Scrambled eggs.” I continued eating while he gave me a funny look.

“You didn’t make them did you?”

“Of course, I didn’t. I don’t know how to cook eggs. My dad made them.”

“Oh. So that means your dad came home.”

“Yeah, he probably saw us. There’s eggs for you too if you want some.”

“Okay.” Hunter got up and got himself some eggs. He came back and sat next to me. We ate and watched TV. I was pushing Brad to the back of my mind.

Hunter spent the whole day at my house. We watched TV, played video games, and joked around. The day went by quickly and I didn’t think of Brad once. Until I hit my arm on the door and it started to hurt. I was going into my room to get something and as I was walking out of my room, clumsy me bumped into the door and hit my arm. I screamed out in pain and Hunter came up the stairs.

“What happened?” Hunter asked worriedly as he reached me.

“Nothing, I just hit my arm on my door.”

“You walked into the door? Jessica.” He shook his head with a grin on his face. We went back downstairs. Hunter left after we ordered a pizza and ate it. I was a little scared when he left and I had the house all to myself. So I went upstairs to bed. Unfortunately, I had to go to school tomorrow. I didn’t want to go to school tomorrow, though, because Brad would be there. I couldn’t face Brad. I twisted and turned all night long never really falling asleep.