The Truth

I rushed behind the bookshelf, watching her every move; I only had two hours to achieve my goal no more. People were beginning to stare; it was only them who notice me lurking behind the shelves.

She approached the nearest bookshelf and began to search for a specific book. I overheard her conversation and knew exactly what book she was interested in. I made a quick note and inserted it into the second page of the novel because people rarely read the first.

I watched as she opened it, and I grinned when she began to nervously and hastily look around her.

Note: "You can't keep ignoring me. You are linked to this now."

She calmed down when she presumed that the note might not be directed to her.

Frankly, it was getting amusing playing with her head.

I made another note, but I rolled it up into a ball and flung it hitting her head. It tapped her forehead, bounced off and, landed right in front of her.

Note 2: "We need to speak now; meet me in the bathroom."

She was clearly pissed by now; if possible, fumes would be coming from her ears.

She got up and threw it into the garbage.

I took this chance to rush to where she was sitting and wrote in big with a Sharpie on the page that she was reading, " IGNORE THIS!"

Once she got back, a pit of rage boiled up inside her as she began yelling at everyone in her surroundings.

" You!" She points at the person sitting in front of her.

" Did you do this!?"

"N-No, I didn't." He raises his eyebrows, stuttering while taking out his headphones.

" Did you at least see!?" He shakes his head negatively, unable to speak.

"You! Are! Completely useless! " She yells, looking more insane than ever.

"Miss. Benz, either you calm down, or you leave the library, the peace we once had is gone _."

The librarian trailed off as she looked down and saw the book's horrific graphics, stopping in mid-sentence. Her glance went from calm to furious; her eye began to twitch. Still trying to keep her composure, she tightens her teeth and says, still looking psychotic :

" Eliizabeth, I never knew that you could stoop so low ..."

"It wasn't me, I swear, I could never ... "

"Get out! " Miss. Librarian says, almost yelling pointing to the exit.

"But ... "

"You are suspended along with a $20 fee for the damages you caused."

" ... "

" I still see you standing here. You are fortunate that I didn't bring the principal into this. So be grateful and make your way out."

Spectacles packed her things and left. I trailed behind her, staying at an appropriate distance all the way to the bathroom, where she then entered. I waited five minutes then joined.

When she finally came out of her stall, her face was red, but when she saw me, her eyes widened, and she tried to hide it in an attempt to rush out of the restroom. I pulled her by her forearm back to me, and she began shouting,

"What do you want from me!"

"That was some show in the library earlier, " I say with a slight smirk on my face.

She squints her eyes and put two and two together.

" It was you! Let go of me!" she tries to remove my hand. Cute -_-

"Calm down! You'll damage your vocal cords. Besides, you wouldn't want anyone to hear us. You made enough of a scene for today." I say, gently caressing her cheek.

She slaps me, and I instantly pull her close to me.

"Listen to me, I need your help," speaking between my teeth.

She tries to fight me off and starts whispering and finishes the sentence by yelling, " go fuck yourself! Why would I ever help you?!" But I resist. I pulled her face close enough to mine and whispered into her ear gently.

"I will make your life a living hell if you so much dare refuse to help me. " She stopped resisting.

"Listen, I just really need your help. If you do cooperate, remember, I will owe you."

"Fine." She surrenders. I slowly let go of her arm when she leaves but not before double backing and slapping me, "Never! handle me like that again," then proceeded to hand me her number.

She was a wild one. I didn't expect her to be this complicated. It's impossible to get her to understand my situation. No one would want to be in my position.

Next Step Afyre's house.

It was 2:15 p.m.

All I had to do was wait outside to see when she was about to leave, then tail her home. Simple.

The wait was unbearable and, the sun wasn't doing me any favors. After 40 minutes of misery, she finally comes through the school gate.

Everything was going according to plan. I followed her steps very discreetly.

When we suddenly stopped at a big luxurious house, my jaw suddenly dropped. I couldn't believe that this was the place that she lived in.

When she rang the bell, she was greeted by a beautiful girl. They were about the same height; she had blonde hair. I couldn't get many details because of the distance.

When Blondie opened the door, she looked surprised as she jumped on Afyre, then they suddenly began kissing, closing the door behind them.

...

I guess that wasn't her house; I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

After a while, I was able to see them through the upstairs window. I could also see their shadows and their every move. They seem to be really enjoying themselves. Meanwhile, I remained crushed.

They stayed lying down on the bed motionless for a good while; then, she came out with a different outfit. Blondie piggy-backed Afyre all the way to the huge gate, they said their goodbyes with a brush on the lips. I looked back up to the window and saw a dubious shadow but brushed It off.

At Afyre's house, I waited a while then knocked on the front door, but there was no answer.

I continued to knock when the door slowly creaked open, showing me a preview of the house. I proceeded to let myself in. The house was turned upside down, clothes on the floor, dishes unkempt.

" Hello, anyone home? The door was open, so I let myself in."

— no answer.

I was about to go up the stairs when I heard a sound coming from the backyard; it sounded like an instrument.

The violin.

I made my way to the backyard and called out. The music abruptly stopped, followed by Afyre quickly appearing in the front door of what seemed to be a treehouse. I was about to make my way up when she immediately stops me by jumping down right in front of me, almost knocking me off my feet, with the following words :

"What do you want? No. Better yet, what are you doing here? " She says in a neutral tone.

"Were you playing the violin? I didn't know you could play!"

"Nope. No small talk, tell me how did you find me." she squinted her eyes. I could see the frustration through her gaze.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing; we didn't get the chance to talk since that day. I was worried and figured ..."

"Figured what?! That I would want to see you after what happened? Let alone talk to you?! This is all your fault! you're a sick f***! "

Hearing those words coming from her mouth was the worst hurt above all. I keep hearing that it's my fault but, I had no control.

"What happened? I have no idea what happened back there! Am I supposed to guess? Is this some kind of guessing game?!"

"Get out!" She says, pointing to the exit.

"No!" I refused to budge. She then began pushing me.

"I said get the f*** out!"

"Not until you talk."

"There's nothing to talk about!"

"How can you be this way? How was I supposed to know what they were going to do to you? If only your mother had thought you to keep your big mouth shut."

She boxed me just as fast as I finished my sentence; I held my face.

"Don't say a word about my mother. You have no idea what my life is like; they want us, women, to stay silent to their torment while treating us how they wish. Well, I say f*** that! If I still have a voice, I will use it. It will not go unnoticed."

"We all have shitty lives, Afyre. The goal is to move on."

"If 'the goal is to move on,' What are you still doing in front of me?!" she shouted in my ear.

"Fine, if you want to talk, then talk," She surrendered.

"I need your help with something,"

"..."

"I need your help with figuring out who the kidnappers are"

"..."

She walked off on me without saying a word.

"Did you hear what I said!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something? I said you could talk, but I didn't say that I would listen."

Now, I was the one getting angry and frustrated.

"You're so f****** self-centered that people can't have a normal conversation without you thinking that you're problems are bigger!"

"You're the victim now, aren't you?" she sarcastically asked.

My left eye began twitching.

"I know that you are hiding something Afyre, I think I can sense when something is off, but I promise you that I will find out."

"Coming in my house, demanding to speak to me and, I don't have a say somehow."

I was tired of her being petty all the time.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk to me, then don't talk to me, but just listen. You are not the only one in this world in agony. There are people in worse pain than you are."

"You have no idea what I'm going through,"

"Well then, tell me! How am I supposed to know if you don't open your mouth and speak? I am not a guru. I cannot guess what they did to you; this whole argument is pointless."

"You heard what I needed help for the first time. I will not repeat myself."

She just stood there staring at me; it took a while but in the end; she calmed down.

"Come inside; we can't talk here."

We made our way up to her room; it was the only place in this house that was not a complete disaster.

"I will tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone." She gave me this sincere glare, and I understood that this was very serious. I nodded, and she proceeded.

"They took me in the back to a soundproof room; they said that they were going to teach me a lesson. They said that women do not have a say so, that we are just here to serve them because we are all too weak. They said that they were going to make an example out of me.

I told them that we are no longer in the 1920s."

Her voice cracked. She was beginning to open up. I could tell that she was hurt.

She resumed,

"They said, as I quote, "All you need is a good time to help you stay in line. They began caressing my face and said that they would enjoy hearing my cries for help. They flung me on the floor; ordered me to take off my clothes, but, obviously, I refused. I told them that I was not going down without a fight. They grinned and began to remove my clothes forcefully. As I fought back, they were hitting me anywhere but my face. They stated that they didn't want the marks to be visible." I saw a tear running alongside her face. This was the first time I ever saw her like this and, I wished it to be the last.

"You don't understand how it feels to be overpowered by men; that was the first time that I felt frail; there was no one in there to help me."

I was shock and eager to know what happened next; I had no idea that she went through all of that. They are brilliant people. A soundproof room, soo pitiful.

The pain that I felt was no longer for myself but for her. I can't imagine going through what she had.

A/N: No matter how delicate, frightening, or small your situation is, it is always best to talk to someone about it; bottled-up hurt never does any good. It doesn't have to be a licensed therapist; it can simply be someone you know that you can trust. I've had my slice of life, so believe me when I say that talking is much better than keeping it in.

Cry if you must, scream, hit. Just get it out. And when it's all out, promise to wipe your tear because you are too beautiful for that. The scars will be a long healing process and very tough, but don't give up.

We care about you. You are loved.

... [ TO BE CONTINUED ]