46

It all happened so fast, the moment my back landed with his front I snapped my head backwards full force headbutting him and making him let go of me with a loud groan, the same instant Mr Olson barged into the changing room, with Soph and Jenny following close behind, pining Mr Nicholls that now sported a broken and bloody nose to the ground.

"Oh, my G-d! Anna, are you okay?" Soph asked rushing to my side. "Thank G-d we saw him coming after you to the changing rooms."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say still not really grasping what just happened.

"Fucking bitch," Mr Nicholls mustered from the ground as our P.E teacher continued to pin him down to the ground.

"Should I call the police?" Jenny asked seeming a little panicked, everyone was panicking more than I was.

"Yes, please do," Mr Olson answered. "Sophie call the principal."

...

I stood perplexed as Mr Nicholls was forced into a police car and taken away, I was asked a million questions, the pictures were shown, my dad was called and charges were pressed for attempted rape.

Right now I was laid on my bed with Soph and Jenny. "What a day," I say after a few minutes of silence.

"This went a little overboard," Soph sighs. "I'm sorry, Anna."

"Nah, if you guys didn't show up I would have kicked his ass and I would have been the one going inside that police car," I joke. "Don't worry about it, I'm glad I went, I can't imagine if it was one of you."

"Still, it could have gone really bad," Jenny says still shaken by what happened.

"Girls come on, he was fired and everything is fine," I say trying to lighten the mood. "It went actually really well because the pictures would probably not be enough and now that bastard will never teach again and molest other girls."

"Yeah but I almost had a heart attack," Soph groaned hugging my side on the bed. "I would never forgive myself."

"It would never happen, you know I can throw some punches and..." I say but I'm interrupted by my phone ringing, Daniella has been calling me and leaving me messages nonstop.

"Who is it? Just pick it up already," Soph groaned as I untangled her arms from me to turn off my phone.

"I don't feel like talking to anyone other than you two," I say looking at the caller id seeing it was indeed her.

"Are you going to school tomorrow? The principal said you could miss," Jenny asks.

"Well, I have nothing to do at home so of course I'm going, it's not like I'm traumatized, so."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that, who are you?" Soph joked as she got up from my bed.

"I have to keep my grades up if I want to leave that goddamn school," I roll my eyes amusedly. "And it's not too bad, but I would definitely miss if you guys could also."

"I wish," Soph says looking at her phone. "Well I have to go home or else my mom is going to turn into Godzilla or something, she's worried sick and I wasn't even the victim."

"I should go too," Jen says as I accompany Soph to the door.

"Do you want a lift?"

"I already sent a text to my dad but thanks Sophie, see you tomorrow." We watch as Soph goes into her car and tries to turn it on a few times until it roared loudly, we should raise a petition to get Soph a new car. "My dad shouldn't take much longer," Jen says apologetically.

"Don't worry, that's fine I'll wait with you," I assure her with a smile.

"Have you talked to Daniella yet? I know you two are not in good terms," she says seeming a little hesitant.

"Oh... No, I haven't talked to her yet," I say looking down.

"Why? She must be worried, she was the one calling earlier, right?" She asks but I can't get myself to actually answer it, I just nod my head. "Talk to her."

"I can't." I murmur. "It's better this way."

"Don't do that, I know you're hurt but you have to at least listen to what she has to say," Jen says with a sigh. "Do you remember you owe me a wish? For forgetting my existence at the homecoming dance?" She asks amusedly.

"Yeah, of course, you never actually got to say what you wanted."

"So, I wish you to talk to her," she says crossing her arms.

"Jen, I don't know..." I start but she cuts me off.

"Think about it," she says as a car stops in front of my driveway. "That's my dad."

"Are you sure you want to waste your wish on that?"

"Yeah," she says in a determined tone giving my shoulder a light squeeze. "I just want to see you happy."

"Thanks, Jen," I answer with a genuine smile. "I'll think about it."

"See you tomorrow," she says looking back at me with a smile as she walks to the car.

"See you."

I let out a loud groan as I lay back on my bed looking at my phone's screen, "Anna, I need to see you, please." was the last message she had sent me, I honestly don't know what to do, of course I want to see her but I know that I'll just give in and act like a fool as I always do and she'll keep playing with my feelings.

After much thinking I ended up answered with a simple, "come over." regretting it the moment I sent it.

The sun was already setting and the chilly February winds penetrated my sweater as I waited for her at my driveway, it didn't take long for her car to park in front of me, she hurriedly got out of the car and stood a few meters away from me, she is breathing heavily and fog is coming out of her mouth, she isn't wearing her coat and I bet she isn't feeling exactly comfortable wearing only a white button-up on such a cold night.

She didn't say anything at first but it didn't take long for her to close the distance between us hugging me tightly. "Anna, I'm so glad you're okay." I didn't know how to react so I just stood there with my head pressed against her chest, her heart was a beating mess. "Did he hurt you?" She whispers still holding me in her embrace, I could feel the vibration of her voice on the top of my head as she talked.

"No," I say simply.

"Can we talk?" She asks finally letting go of me but still standing excruciatingly close.

"Yeah," I say going inside the house sensing her following close behind, I'm mad but I'm not mad enough to leave her standing in the cold, after all, I still care deeply for her.

"Your dad..."

"He's not home yet," I answer before she could finish her sentence leading her up the stairs to my room closing the door as she went in, it's kinda messy but a normal kind of messy, not a disgusting one.

"I want to apologize."

"What for?" I ask coldly standing in front of her with my arms crossed, a sorry won't do, I need to hear everything she has to say, either good or bad.

She sighs looking elsewhere. "For saying we're nothing," she murmurs. "You know... No, I know that's not true," she says now in a much clearer tone. "I was scared, I still am. You have to understand that it's hard for me to just put everything I have accomplished at risk for these feelings."

"I never asked you for that," I say growing a little frustrated. "I'll wait a thousand years for you but I do expect you to show at least a little bit of empathy for my feelings, you can't just kiss me back one day and tell me to fuck off in the next, it hurts." She looks at me with her brows furrowed but I continue before she could answer. "If you don't want the kisses just tell me to stop and I will, if you want me away till the graduation day I'll not bother you until then but please make it clear because I can't stand this rollercoaster of emotions anymore... Just say it."

"I can't," she whispers walking up to me, before I could process what she had said her lips were pressed on mine as her hands held firmly each side of my face in a long peck, I couldn't help but let out a sigh, this was the first time she initiated a kiss.

She pulls away still holding my face in place as she looks me in the eyes and this time around I could read them clearly, she wanted me to read them, they said everything I needed to know.