Ten

The drive was not long, took me only two minutes or so. Ami was already outside when I pulled into the driveway and ran over to the car as soon as I put it in park. Her eyes were red and puffy and her mascara and eyeliner was dried beneath where it was applied. It was obvious that she had been crying.

            “Daniella, I’m so sorry,” she said right as I opened the car door. Before I had a chance to talk, she was speaking at lightning speed, “I don’t know what came over me the other night. I wasn’t thinking and I just said the first thing that came to my head. It’s not that I couldn’t take it but more of that I didn’t want to have to take it.” She stopped to take a breath, “No one should have to go through what you did once, let along twice, John is a pig and he’s lucky he doesn’t live in the town because I’d kill the mother f****r.” I didn’t know what to tell her, should I tell her it was more than just John? If I do tell her everything, will she back down again? This was a risk I was going to have to take.

            “Ami…”

            “I’m serious; I will kill the f****r if I see him!”

I took a deep breath and looked down at my feet then mumbled, “Ami, it wasn’t just John.”

            “What?”

            “It was not just John who did this it to me.” I didn’t know if she was going to believe me or what. I was afraid of what she was going to say, but she said nothing. It was as though she was waiting for me to tell her who else was involved, as if she knew I needed to tell someone.

            “It was some of John’s friend, from our school.” After I said that, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open.

            “Who--?” was all she could get out.

            Did I want to tell her? Was it safe to tell her? I had to though.

            “Well, there was John, then Kevin Malcolm, Nick Prendergast, and Mike Sullivan.”

            “You’re kidding, right?” She looked at me with an slightly tilted head, confused, “Are you sure it was Nick Prendergast?”

            “Yes, Ami. It was him, for sure.”

            “Dirty-blond hair that’s kind of long, green eyes, muscular--?” Before she could even finish describing him I fell to the ground and the memory emerged. Only this wasn’t a memory and I knew that. It was a flashback. I could see myself trying to kick as I was placed on the truck bed. Nick came speeding towards me, grasped my legs in his large hands, and held them down. I couldn’t move, I was stuck in his grip and Kevin’s hand was over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. Then there was John climbing onto the bed of the truck smiling at me.

            “Daniella?” Ami was screaming and crying, “What’s going on? Are you Ok?”

I began to cry, “The flashbacks, they won’t stop!”

            “Oh my, Danni.” she grabs me in her arms and hugs me.

            “I just can’t make them stop.” I began to sob in her shoulder, “I want this to end, I want them put away!”

            “What are you doing to do then?” she whispers into my ear. I pause and wait a moment. Should I tell her? Yeah I think I should.

            “Ami, I saw the district attorney today, she is filing charges against all four of them.” That is when she let go of me and looked me straight in the eyes.

            “Oh my God, you are going to do it this time?” she smiled at me as tears still ran down her cheeks.

            “Yes, I am. I don’t want them to be able to do this to me again, or anyone else for that matter. I can’t just let them walk free if I can have a say in it.”

            “I’m so proud of you, Danni, you are--” That’s when my phone rang.

            “Hello?”

            “Daniella Rose Lawson!”

            “Yes, Mom?”

            “Where the hell are you?” she shouted into the phone.

            “I’m at Ami’s house for a minute, I will be home shortly.”

            “No, you get your a*s home right now; you have been gone all day.” I was getting sick of this, I couldn’t put up with my own mother treating me this way, but there was nothing I could do. It’s not like I could afford to move out, and it didn’t look like I was going to be attending MSU in the Fall anymore.

            “Yes, Mom. I will head home right now.” I hung up the phone, “Ami, I got to go.”

            “You’re still going to let your mother push you around like that?”

 I started to walk away, “What else can I do?” I sighed, “It’s not like I have anywhere to go.”

            “I’ll talk to my mom and explain the situation. You can’t be--.”

 I interrupted, “No, Ami, don’t. I’ll be fine.” I started to get into the car.

“Daniella, what your mother is doing to you is abusive; you can’t recover in a house of negativity!”

“I’ll see you later, Ami.” I got into the car, put the keys into the ignition, started up the car and backed out of the driveway. The concern in Ami’s eyes was as clear as her eyes were blue. She was right, I needed to be in a healthy household to recover, and my house was no home.