“Your mom wants you,” he hissed at me before turning and storming out, slamming his door closed. I continued to my desk, grabbing my cell before heading downstairs.
His door opened as I moved past it, I caught a glimpse of him with no top on as he kissed Jan. She ran her fingers over his back, and he moaned in response. I shot for the stairs, bumping into the banister as I tried to hurry down. I squeaked in pain but continued moving, finding myself standing in front of my mom as I reached the bottom. She wanted to style me for my date, and I decided to let her. It would be easier than to be in the next room while he had sex.
I let her buff and polish me, wax and tone me, and style my hair. She’d put cucumber over my eyes as she worked and applied light makeup and set my hair in loose curls that framed my face. When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. I looked beautiful. I snapped a picture and sent it to Wendy asking what she thought and her response: “Wow, you look hot.”
As I made my way upstairs, I passed Zane, and he whistled at me which made me giggle and blush.
“Bailey, you look gorgeous,” he muttered as he leaned over and kissed my cheek and Clara smiled at me from behind him.
“You look stunning, honey.”
I said thank you and continued upstairs, I didn’t look around and made it to my room with no incidents. As I relaxed inside there was a knock on my door and I opened it to find Coop standing there with her. His mouth dropped open as he passed me my cell. I didn’t look at him the entire time before I closed the door on him and listened to their footsteps as they went downstairs.
My heart hammered as I got ready and I ignored the text that pinged on my cell. It was from Coop. I pondered what to do, but it set me on edge even though I didn’t respond to it. There was nothing to respond to. It was an empty message and as it got nearer to seven my butterflies at going on a date grew. I missed Coop and I wanted to speak to him so badly, but I couldn’t do it.
Instead, I called Wendy, and she filled me in on all the goings-on at my old school. It was enough of a distraction that when it came to six-thirty and I had to get ready Coop wasn’t on my mind at all. I pulled on black fitted jeans, a black tank, and a red see-through blouse. I put on a chunky belt and a thick black necklace with black hooped earrings. I had black and cream wedges on which added a few inches to my height and made my legs look long, slim, and toned.
My mom knocked on my door to get me for my date and rushed me downstairs to meet Phil. As we entered, everyone was there: Coop, Zane, Shawn, and Phil. No one was speaking and I glanced around nervously, fiddling with the sleeve of my shirt.
Phil was tall, brown-haired, with dark blue eyes and a nice smile, but something about him set me on edge. I couldn’t identify it, but I was sure there was something about him. My mom was glowing, and Phil was full of compliments. When we left, I glanced at Coop, and he looked like the lost boy I’d comforted a while ago, but within a second that look had been replaced with a sneer and I turned away from him feeling my chest burn with chagrin.
The date dragged, Phil talked on and on about himself, and a few times I contemplated faking an illness to get out of it. Over dinner, he talked about cars, where he wanted to go to college, and how his mom was set on him going to Brown, even though both he and his dad wanted Dartmouth.
I hadn’t said a word all evening and when we’d left, he’d spoken to me in a low voice, “Bailey, do you wanna come back to my place? My folks are out of town, and we can get to know each other better.” I tried to think of a polite way to decline, but couldn’t, so I used my mom as an excuse. “I can’t. I have a curfew at ten and if I’m not back, my mom’ll go postal.”
His face dropped a little, but he smirked after checking his watch. “It’s only eight-thirty now. Surely you can come back for a short while.” I shook my head at him, and he growled, his handsome face changing completely, “Look, you little bitch, that dinner cost me a fortune, so the least you can do is come back to my place to say thank you.”
I pulled back a step and spoke in a hard voice, “No, thank you.”
I began walking down the street, away from him, hoping to hail a cab when he yanked my hand up my back, twisting it until I yelped in pain.
“Walk to my car or I’ll break your fucking arm.” I didn’t have a choice, I walked with him, trying to remain calm as he shoved me into the car, driving away from town quickly. I texted Zane and Coop from the car.
911. Help me, please. This guy’s a giant dicknozzle and I’m scared.
Neither replied and I texted Coop again.
Coop, please, I know you’re mad at me, but I’m in danger.
I didn’t get to text Zane again because my cell was snatched from my hand and thrown into the back seat. Phil’s hand gripped my knee and he squeezed hard.
“It’s not polite to text while on a date.” His tone was hard as he reprimanded me, and I shuddered.
My eyes watered and I gripped on to the door handle. Fine, if they wouldn’t rescue me, I’d need to do it myself. At the next stop sign, I threw his hand off me, let myself out of the car before it stopped, and rolled along the ground.
I crawled to my knees, and he appeared over me, grabbing my hair and pulling my head back. As he did, I grabbed his balls and twisted, digging my nails in. He howled and let me go and I leaped to my feet, running into the woods by the side of the road. I didn’t have my purse, my cell, or any idea where I was, but I needed to get away from him. I slipped and slid as I walked along for a while until I found a good thick tree. I could hear him plowing through the bushes to find me, so I scaled the tree, shoes in hand, and hid among the branches at the top.
It began to rain, and the wind was bitter cold, but I didn’t move. I could see him looking for me, but after what felt like an eternity he headed back in the direction of his car. I sat shivering in the tree and a short while later heard the distant sound of his engine start up. I didn’t move from my tree and figured I’d need to spend the night, but it was so cold I only lasted another ten minutes. I made my way back to the road, with ripped jeans, my hands skinned, and my face sore and cut.
I didn’t know where I was, but I made it back to the road and heard an odd ringing noise. My cell was ringing. Phil had obviously thrown it from the car when he’d taken off.
I moved towards the sound and picked it up, answering it and shuffling into the woods on the other side. The screen was cracked, but it was okay. Zane’s voice spoke into the line.
“Bailey, where are you? I got your text.” I shook hard and began to sob.
“I don’t know, I don’t know where I am, Zane.” I heard an engine start in the background as he spoke again.
“Listen, I’m in the car and I’ll find you soon. When you left town, did you head left or right?”
I paused and thought, “We went straight through, then left.” My whole body shivered as a violent tremor rocked through me.
“Okay, I think I know what road you’re on. Hide and put your phone on silent. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” He ended the call and I went along the tree line, finding a bush just as car headlights swung by me. I scurried under the leaves, silencing my cell as the car stopped and in the light of the car, I could see Phil glancing around.
He felt around the ground where my cell had been and then took off into the woods at the side of the road I was on, murmuring “fuck” as he passed where I was hiding. I texted Zane to warn him that Phil was back, and he was crazy, my shoes were tucked under my legs and my neck was squished against my chest as I hid.