"Bridget, it was horrible. I can't go back to Nick, at least not anytime soon."
"You can stay here if you don't mind sleeping on the couch since I'm in the second room."
"No, the couch will be great. I've barely been sleeping anyway because of my nerves."
"What happened?"
I told Bridget everything that happened starting with Mark's attack. From the moment I woke up until the point where I was too afraid to fall asleep. How Nick was pleading with me this morning, which tore at my insides, but I didn't tell her that last part or that Nick told me he loved me because I couldn't imagine what she would say…
"Oh my God! Rachel, are you alright?"
Bridget's brown eyes were wide with fear along with mixed anger for protection over her friend.
"I'm fine, it's just I want to spend some time away from him. It wouldn't be easy to do that at home especially since it's the holiday break. When does the break end?"
"Thursday we go back to school."
Today was Tuesday. My nerves were still on end and I could feel my eyes were large and I was sure they were probably turning glassy by this point. I just wanted my parents and wished that they would just respond to my letters because I needed their comforting words right now. I wasn't ready for any of this.
Dill came out of one of the rooms in pajamas bottoms and a t-shirt. With his hair going in every direction it wasn't supposed to be in since it was growing out. I guess he hadn't figured out how to cut it shorter yet.
"What the hell is Worm doing here?" Dill spat out, looking at me in total disgust.
Bridget whirled around glaring at him. "She's going to be spending a few days here Dill."
"Over my dead body she is."
"That can be arranged."
"There isn't a chance in hell she's staying here."
"She has to because she doesn't feel safe at home."
Dill went from staring at Bridget to narrowing his eyes at me weirdly and I turned my head. I couldn't directly meet anyone's eyes. I was so still too ashamed of myself.
"What happened with Nick? What did you do?"
"Dill, she didn't do anything and Nick's the one who did something."
Bridget stood up, giving Dill the death look, her posture appearing tense and I was afraid of a fight starting.
"Bridget, I can fight my own battles."
"I sure know that, Rachel." She didn't glance at me which made me wonder if she really meant that.
"Worm was probably begging for whatever Nick did to her."
I cringed at what he said. Did I deserve what happened? Was I begging for that? Did I send the message that I wanted that, then didn't go through with it? Being a tease?
That was when the phone rang and Dill went to answer it. "Hey, Nick."
Bridget ran over to the phone and covered the mouthpiece. I almost started to shake with dread. The scenes of last night and the night before ran through my mind and I didn't want to go back to that. I wrapped my arms around myself and started to rock a little, I couldn't go back, I just couldn't right now.
"Don't you dare tell him that she's here. You hear me?" Bridget growled.
Dill just jerked the phone back. Dill gave her a dirty look that Bridget just returned. Why couldn't Nick and I have been like that, then neither of us would have gotten hurt…
"Sorry, Nick, Bridget's just being a total ass. So why'd you call?" Dill spoke into the phone and paused to hear what Nick had to say while my heart was hitting seventy miles per hour by now. My throat ran dry as my stomach turned upside down. "Yeah she's here. If we have to babysit her for you we will. Why the hell is she here anyway?"
Dill paused again to hear what Nick had to say, but I doubt that Nick was telling him what happened. "Well bye, Nick."
"Bridget, he knows I'm here I've got to go, but thanks for being a great friend during this," I commented kind of quickly, while standing up, feeling my insides shaking.
Bridget hugged me goodbye and I just tensed up so much after both attacks. I left in a rush knowing that Bridget and Dill would be arguing the second after I left. I stood there wondering where I should go. I heard a couple of girls saying their friend went out of the community and was brought back by the cops who found her at her parent's. My luck wasn't good enough for me to not have the same fate, even though I needed my parents. I would go to Holly's praying she would be awake so I wouldn't have to feel bad about waking up another friend.
Holly was more on the other side of the gated community and she lived near Willow. While walking over to Holly's I was getting cold so I zipped up my coat. When I got there I could tell that I had woken her up. It was the same story as with Bridget, me on couch, me telling the story with her freaking out, but it was different because her husband didn't mind that I was there.
"I thought Nick was a good guy for you, Rachel, but apparently not." Holly sighed.
"Holly, why would you think that Nick and I were good for each other?"
"Because he's popular and wouldn't even glance at people like us," Micah grumbled loudly.
"Micah, you're not helping and that isn't it," Holly snapped.
"Guys like him only see girls for one thing. To use them, then girls only see us kind of guys as a shoulder to cry on because we're friends."
"Thanks Micah and someone sure sounds like they're a little bitter," I muttered.
"Damn right Rachel. Nick was just showing some of those signs now, but I'm shocked it took this long for him to show his true side. Also I'm
