"hi, Caleb" I say, my voice cracking as I tried to stay strong
"what the fuck happened, Vee?, I left you alone for five minutes and then i see you running like a crazed maniac across the hall and... is that blood?" his face turns white says this.
I look down at my white t shirt and I see the blood on it. "it's not mine" I say instinctively. "I bite him on the lip and he bleed out"
"who is 'him'?" he was sitting beside me, inspecting me and checking if I was okay.
"it's... nothing" it's his best friend. I could just say it. he'll think I'm lying and he'll take Alex's side and everything I've worked for to get her with cal would all have been for nothing.
"this isn't nothing... you just told your mom someone sexually assulted you in the boys locker room and you're telling me it's nothing... don't you trust me?" his voice cracks as he asks the question.
"I do... I'm just... I'm scared you won't believe me" tears brim in my eyes and I look down at my hands, I feel disgusting right now
"of course I will, I trust you with my life and I want to make sure who ever hurt you pays" he cups my face in his hands. "i... it's stupid... this isn't even about me but I should have been there, I should have protected you"
"why?" I'm crying again. "you don't have to protect me, I can protect myself"
"I know fucking know that but I'm still scared for you... what if he'd hurt you more than this, what if... " he trails off and looks at the marks on my wrist from where Alex had held me.
"I called my dad... when I'm scared I always call him and it was instinctive, you know... I didn't even think" he was silent as I tell him. "it was like him dying all over again, that was how it felt"
"I can't claim to get, i don't... but if I ever lost any of my dad's, I don't think I'd make it... I'd hate the world for moving on and I'd hate me for not" his hand is in mine, playing with my fingers and distracting me. "it's okay that you called, it's okay"
"I feel so fucking disgusting right now" I voice.
"Don't ever say that again! you are not disgusting, you are beautiful.. even now, you're beautiful. from your eyes to your button nose, to your lips to all of you. you are beautiful" he says fiercely and I hold my breath. "it's the person that hurt you that is"
"it was Alex" I whisper. I know he heard, the way his nostrils flare and his eyes go a shade darker, I know he hears me.
"I was getting ready for gym and he started talking about you meeting up with me at the ice cream place, down town and when I didn't say anything he got upset and... and... I told him to stop... I tried to... " I burst into tears. I holds me. he hugs me tight to himself and just holds me.
"it's not your fault"
"damn straight, it isn't!" I turn and I see mom. she's in her blue scrubs she had her hair tied in a messy bun and it looked like she'd been crying. "come here"
I dislodge from Caleb and run to my mother, holding unto her tight. "it's okay, it's okay" she mutters. she pulls away from me and looks me in the eyes. "I will destroy the bastard that hurt, I will burn him to the ground" she says, her anger radiating in every word.
she holds me tight and leads me across the field to her car.
"how'd you know I was here?" i ask as we walk
"it's where your dad always found you, remember?" she opens the passenger seat and helps me in, shutting the door. as she steps away, I see Caleb standing there, worry clouding his face.
"I'll be okay" I whisper to him. he steps closer to the car, he's close enough that I can lean in and kiss him. so I do, I kiss him softly and then I pull away "thank you" he slides a hand up my cheek.
"I'll see you when I do"
"you'll see me tommorow... I'm not hiding this, I want everyone to know what Alex tried to do to me and I want everyone to know I kicked his goddamn ass" my pity party was over and all that was left was burning hot rage.
Caleb laughs, his laugh is humorless. "yeah you did, and you've got the blood on your shirt to prove it" he says and leans in and kisses me again, this time it's longer and it's fierce and I know he's pissed but I also know he wants me to be okay. "I'll support you no matter what you choose to do... you know I will"
"I do"
he steps away from the car and waves. "bye"
I wave back. "bye"
as we drive away, I finally turn and face mom.
"we're going to the hospital" mom says after looking me up and down.
"I'm fine, it's not my blood, it's his" I tell her. "I fought, I kicked him in the balls and I tore his stupid lip... it's his blood!"
"then we're going to the police station" she announces. "if you want him to pay, like you said... we're going to the police station and we're reporting that piece of shit for sexually assult" she looks at me. "you do want that, right?"
"yeah, I do"
she suddenly places her hand on the horn and let's it stay there. the car honks for a full thirty seconds before she finally stops. "I raised a god damn warrior" I smile because that's my god damn mother.
I'm about to say as much when my phone pings. I look down and it's a text from Quinn.
"who is he?" it reads.
"you told Quinn?!" I exclaim.
"she called to ask what I wanted for dinner and she heard me crying and she asked what was wrong and I told her, did you not want me to?" she explained and asked me.
"I want her to know but I wanted to tell her" I sigh and look at my phone again as it pings yet again
"Don't fucking ghost me, tell me who he is" she sent again.
"His name is Alex, he's a senior and he tried to assult me in the school gym while we were both changing for gym" I send to her.
I wait for her to text me but she doesn't so i switch off my phone and put it down because today's going to be a rough day and so is tommorow.
Amber's point of view
Shawn and I walked towards the gym with Sophie Cheng. we'd finished our classes earlier and we were heading up to gym to go pick up Vee for our next class. we'd run into Sophie on the way here and she's been interrogating us on why Vee didn't quit the game.
"... I'm just saying, he could have quit!" Sophie has been relentless. she doesn't stop, once one question ends, it's followed with another. "he's only doing it for the atte-"
"do not finish that sentence!" I finally snap. "why didn't you quit the damn game huh?... you don't see anyone questioning your discussion and you don't have the right to question vee's!. do us both a favor and leave Vee's name out of your damn mouth!!" Shawn taps my shoulder. "what?!"
"first off, Don't do that with me, I don't like being yelled at!" he snaps.
"I'm sorry" he nods his approval of my apology
"and secondly, what is she doing here?" he's pointing forward and I see who he's talking about.
it's Quinn. she's wearing tan colored short shorts, a long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of doc Martin's. her plaid jacket is tied around her waist and her school bag is hung on her shoulder.
she's walking towards us and she's taking off all her Jewelry as she walks. her face says she's pissed but when she's right in front of me, it says she's close to murdering someone.
all her Jewelry is off and her wrist, fingers and ears are bare. "hold these" she gives every thing to me, her Jewelry, her backpack and her jacket to me, I take it because I'm too scared to even ask.
she pushes the gym door slightly open and looks inside. "Quin-"
"point Alex out" she bites out her anger radiating and I instantly know something is wrong with Xavier. she can never get this upset over anything but Xavier.
I look in the gym and see Vee isn't there. he hates gym but he's also way too scared of the teachers to skip any class at all. "where's Vee?"
"Maddie, POINT. ALEX. OUT" she's not herself right now and I'm very much scared so I point him out. "thanks"
she rolls up her sleeve as she walks in.
"young lady, I don't know you but if you're in my class, you shouldn't be coming now" she completely ignores him and goes straight for Alex.
I see it coming but I'm pretty sure no one else does especially Alex because he was talking to Micheal Palmer.
she goes to him and taps him on the shoulder
"yeah?" he says as he turn to look at her. The second his eyes are on hers, she sends a fist flying and it connects with his jaw with a loud crack. Alex is so shocked that he stumbles back and lands ass first on the floor. "what the fuck?!!"
within a second, she's on him. she sits on his stomach and delivers punch after punch all aimed at his face.
"hey, stop her!!!" Sophie screams.
someone starts filming the scene and a few guys go and try to stop her but she is un - fucking - stoppable.
"Hey" Micheal Palmer is besides me.
"aren't you gonna stop her?!" it's Sophie, she looks panicked but I doubt she will move
"and let her ruin my pretty face? no, thank you" Micheal replies. Shawn laughs at the joke and stops when Micheal looks at him
I watch as coach grabs Quinn and manages to hurl her off him. "let go of me!!" she screams at the top of her lungs. she manages to break out of coaches hold but she doesn't go for Alex again. she looks at him and says. "we are not even yet, not even close"
as she walks out and starts taking her Jewelry, Sophie goes for her but Caleb Keller blocks her.
"what are-"
"Don't, Alex deserves every bit of what she did to him, and more" He says glaring at Alex as people try to help him up.
"Thanks, Keller, I owe you lunch" Quinn say and stalks off.
"what the hell did Alex do to Xavier?!!" I ask Keller.
"Xavier doesn't want it to be secret..." he turns to me. "Alex tried to to sexually assult Vee in the boy's locker room" I think he sees the panic in my eyes. "he went with his mom, she taking him home, he's fine, he'll be fine" he reassures me. "go help Quinn, I don't think she is"
I nod and run after Quinn.
how could today get so bad so fast