Riding to school with Jordan each morning was now becoming the norm; he never even asked her anymore, just assumed that they’d ride together, but never expected anything of her. She headed to class early to work like she normally did. Then she stopped. Standing just around the corner, she could hear someone crying, and someone else talking. A moment later she realized it was her teacher, talking to someone.
“You didn’t take a shower, did you?”
Melanie frowned at the odd question.
“No.”
“Okay. I’m glad you knew enough not to do that. Do your parents know about this?”
The girl inside sniffed loudly. “No.”
Ms. Anderson sighed. “I figured.”
“What do I do? I can’t tell them! I don’t know what to do. Ms. Anderson, I’m so scared!”
“Miranda, come here.”
It was quiet for a few moments except for Miranda’s sniffling, and Melanie guessed Ms. Anderson was hugging her.
“You have to go to the doctor.”
The room was silent as Miranda took that in.
“I know.”
“Is there someone here you trust who could help you talk to your parents?”
Miranda was quiet again. After a moment she spoke.
“You.”
“Okay. Can they come down after school today?”
“My dad’s on a business trip.”
“Your mom then?”
Melanie assumed the girl nodded. “I’ll call her.”
“Miranda, do you have any classes with him?”
“English. And Physics.”
“Okay. You know, you don’t have to come to school today. I can write a note for you.”
“No, I… thanks, but I think I need the structure.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll talk to your other two teachers and get you your next few days’ assignments. I’ll put you in study hall during English and Physics so you can work on your homework.”
“Ms. Anderson, everyone…” Miranda’s voice was frantic.
“You don’t have to answer their questions, Miranda.”
The girl stood up to leave, and the moved to the door.
“Miranda,” Ms. Anderson said. “I know it’s hard, darlin’, and I now this is going to be really hard for you to believe right now, but God will get you through this.”
“Ms. Anderson, right now I don’t feel like God really cares about me.”
The teacher was crying now too. “I know honey, I know.” She hugged the girl one last time. As Miranda left the room, she saw Melanie standing there and jumped. Her eyes were wide and frantic, and she opened her mouth to say something, but the bell rang just then, and she ran off. Melanie stood there trying to figure out what in the world had just happened. Ms. Anderson walked out just then, about to greet her, but stopped when she saw the look on Melanie’s face.
“How long have you been standing there, dear?”
Melanie struggled to make her lips form the words.
“Um… I… a while.”
Ms. Anderson brought her into the next room and sat her down.
“You know Melanie, I don’t know how well you know Miranda, but what she needs right now is some support. She just need someone to be there for her.”
“Ms. Anderson, what is going on?”
The teacher drew back, confused.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you knew.”
Several moments of awkward silence passed, and then Melanie shook her head.
“I don’t understand. Why would you ask her if she had…” Melanie gasped. “Oh god.”
Ms. Anderson’s face fell.
“You’re not saying Braden… No… No! Ms. Anderson, please, tell me it’s not true! No… “ Melanie was sobbing now, and Ms. Anderson put her arms around the girl.
“I wish I could. I wish so much that I could.”
Melanie couldn’t work on any math; she couldn’t focus. She started to cry again about halfway through class, and Ms. Anderson walked over to her.
“Melanie,” she whispered. “Come with me.”
They went to the next classroom, and she turned on the light. “Do you want to work in here today?”
Melanie nodded, more grateful than her teacher could possibly know, but all she could whisper was
“Thank you.”
After Ms. Anderson left, Melanie laid her head on her arms and sobbed until her entire body trembled with fear and grief.
………….
Miranda walked into study hall looking as if she were still in shock. Melanie came in, eyes red, head pounding. Miranda looked right at her and they both stopped, each just watching the other. Miranda glanced over at the teacher, whose face was down over his papers. She nodded towards the door, and Melanie followed her down to the first floor bathroom. Miranda flipped on the light and locked the door.
“You know, don't you? You heard everything.”
Melanie nodded, and both girls broke down sobbing into each other’s shoulders. Melanie was surprised at how normal it felt to let Miranda cry on her when she rarely even talked to her.
“What happened?” Melanie’s voice was dry and pained.
“You knew I liked him.” It was more a statement than a question. Melanie nodded.
“He asked me out. We went home together on Friday, to his house. He seemed so nice; he was really a gentleman. We went out for lunch… Miranda paused, trying to catch her breath. “Then we went for a drive. It took a while longer than I thought, so I asked him where we were going. He wouldn’t tell me! He said it was a surprise… After about two hours, we got to an old, abandoned looking house. We were just hanging out in one of the bedrooms. I went to the bathroom. He started banging on the door,” Miranda sobbed. “He got in somehow, unlocked it, I guess, and he grabbed me… Melanie!”
She put her arms around Miranda again and just let her cry, not even able to imagine how scared the girl must have been. But Melanie had felt that before, that frantic, overwhelming sort of fear that drowned out everything else. The bell rang. As Miranda opened the door she asked Melanie one more thing.
“My mom is coming down after school. Can I talk to you after?”
“Of course. Do you want me to meet you down there?”
Miranda nodded and hugged Melanie one last time. An hour later Melanie stood outside Ms. Anderson’s room once again.
“Grace, what is going on?” Miranda’s mother asked.
“Mrs. Houstin, your daughter never came home on Friday night, did she?”
“No, she was with friends.”
Melanie moved slightly towards the window and saw a tight-lipped, brown haired woman standing over Miranda.
“No I wasn’t,” Miranda whispered.
“What! Where were you?”
“Mrs. Houstin…”
“Don’t you ‘Mrs. Houstin’ me! I want to know why my daughter wasn’t where she said she was!”
The room was silent for several moments.
“Where were you, young lady?”
Miranda stared at the floor, tears spilling down her chin onto her shirt.
“Answer me!”
Miranda was trembling. “I… I… can’t.”
“Miranda.” Ms. Anderson’s voice was gentle. “Tell her what happened.”
“Happened?” Mrs. Houstin’s voice turned frantic. “Miranda, what is she talking about?” The woman took her daughter by the should, speaking more gently now, but urgently. “Tell me.”
“I… Braden…”
“Miranda, honey, what did he do to you?”
Melanie wanted so badly to go in and put her arms around the girl as she stumbled over her words, trying to tell her mother.
“I can’t, I… he…. I was… in the bathroom, and he… he came in…”
“Oh god.” Mrs. Houstin’s face paled. “He didn’t!” Miranda, tell me!”
“He raped me,” she whispered, and Melanie heart broke right then and there just hearing her say the words.
“Oh my god.” She stared at her daughter, face pale and eyes wide. “No, I… I don’t understand. I… how could you have let this happen? Why… why didn’t you stop him?”
Ms. Anderson jumped from her seat. “Mrs. Houstin, please, I know this must be hard for you to hear, but you can’t blame you daughter!”
Mrs. Houstin ignored the teacher.
“No… I… she can’t have been… no, she… she’s lying!”
Grace took Miranda’s mother by the shoulders and sat her down, motioning for Miranda to go. Melanie hugged her.
“She doesn't… she thinks I’m lying!”
“No. She doesn't know what she’s saying. She’s still in shock.”
An hour later, a very white and teary Mrs. Houstin emerged to take Miranda to the doctor. Melanie told her to email that night. When she showed up at Jordan’s door, Ari was surprised to see her, but happily welcomed her in and called Jordan down.
“Hey. What’s up?”
Melanie glanced at Ari and Jordan immediately grabbed her hand to take her upstairs.
“Are you okay?” he asked her once they were behind closed doors.
Melanie shook her head, unable to say anything, and he put his arms gently around her.
“You don’t have to tell me, okay? But if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
Shocked by his sweet, straightforward statement, Melanie relaxed against him, welcoming his masculine strength.
“Jordan,” she whispered after a few moments. “You’ve got to swear to me you won’t say anything.”
He pulled back and met her eyes.
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“You know Braden Harper, right?” she began. After half an hour she had shared Miranda’s story, and they were silent for a minute.
“Melanie, you know…” He paused. “I think, probably the best thing you can do is just talk to her. She’s really going to need someone to be there, because her parents aren’t really…”
“I know,” Melanie broke in. “Her mom was in complete denial, calling her a liar, blaming her…”
Jordan nodded soberly. “Her father’s gone all the time on business trips, and her mom… I don’t know, she’s… had a lot of problems for the last few years. It’s been really hard for Miranda, with an absent dad and a mother who… is a bit controlling.”
“I know a bit about that,” Melanie said softly.
Compassion filled his eyes and he said nothing, waiting for her to continue, but she just stared distantly past him. It was only after several minutes of silence that she brought her eyes back and told him she had to leave.
“I’m glad you came by,” he told her, and then briefly hugged her. Melanie was so surprised she barely had time to react. He had moved away again before her arms even left her side. She thanked him and left. a few seconds later the door clanged behind her.
“Mel!” he whispered. “Do you want to go swimming tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. Goodnight.”
Melanie waited for him to go back inside, then climbed up through her window. Crunch. Her foot landed on something hard, smashing it to pieces. She looked down. Glass fragments scattered around her feet.
What in the world? she thought, picking up one of the larger pieces and turning on her light. It was brown and wet.
“Oh, crap.”
Had her father been in her room?
No, he never comes in here, she thought, but then, how else would a broken beer bottle be laying on my floor?
Gender:
Points: 3376
Reviews: 72