Arianna's Tale: The Beginning Read Free Page A

meal.
    With a quick peek out into the hallway, I
locked my bedroom door behind me (thank goodness Mom had put in
key-locks on all the doors inside the house) and darted into the
bathroom, flipping the lock there and turning the shower on. I
threw up then, everything in my stomach until I was dry heaving.
When I could steady myself again, I climbed into the scalding hot
shower; I hadn’t even bothered to turn on the cold water, and it
stung like thousands of tiny needles. But the stinging of the hot
water finally distracted me from other pains and I scrubbed myself
with the soap and a loofah.
    I scrubbed until the hot water ran out and
finally got out of the shower, wrapping up tightly in my towel and
pulling my key into my hand, ready to bolt for my door. I didn’t
think the disgusting feeling would ever go away… and I was afraid
to look in the mirror, my cheek was throbbing from where he’d
slapped me. I listened at the door, breathless, for a long moment,
and when I could hear Mom downstairs with him , and nothing
else, I darted across the hall to my door.
    As I was fumbling with the key, Jason
stepped out of his bedroom and our eyes met. I froze in horror for
one brief moment, but his was worse. His blue-green eyes were wide
and his mouth fell open, his hand falling from his doorknob; he
would have to be on the side to where he could easily see what I
was sure was quickly becoming a bruise on my face. As the tears
started anew, I got the key in the door and darted into my room,
slamming the door and struggling to flip the lock, but Jason had
the door open and was inside, locking it behind him a moment
later.
    “Arianna!” he blurted, hugging me tightly
despite my desperate cries and trying to push him away as we sank
to the floor, “Anna, what the hell happened?”
    “It’s nothing. Go away,” I insisted through
my tears, but he only held me tighter before pushing me an arm’s
length away, his eyes scanning thoroughly over me.
    “What did you do? Try to burn your skin
off?” he whispered, gently running his fingers over my hurt cheek,
“God, Anna… what the hell happened?”
    “Please, Jason… go away,” I whimpered, but I
couldn’t stop crying and Jason pulled me back against him.
    “Shh… Stop crying and I’ll call Austin.”
    I darted back from him, wide-eyed and shook
my head furiously.
    “No! You can’t tell anyone anything! Nothing
happened, Jason, do you understand me?”
    “No, because I don’t know what happened to
begin with and we can’t not tell anyone,” Jason insisted,
but I shook my head and stood up, trying to push him towards the
door. That was the worst idea I’d had, because his eyes shifted
around the room and I could see it register in his mind when he
spotted my bed.
    “Jason, get out,” I ordered, pushing again
on his shoulder.
    “I’m calling Austin,” he repeated, but he
froze when he spotted my blanched face.
    “You can’t, Jason, you can’t! Look, I’m
going to keep my door locked, and… and… move to Dad’s… and it won’t
be a problem ever again… and…” I trailed off into tears and he
jumped to his feet, hugging me again.
    “All right…” he agreed almost silently, “All
right… I won’t… I won’t tell… get dressed… I’ll get you some more
sheets… or… you can sleep in my room, if you want….”
    “I’ll have to replace the sheets anyway…” I
whispered and he smiled faintly, heading over to my door.
    “Lock this, don’t let anyone but me in,” he
ordered sweetly and I nodded, locking the door behind him.
    “Oh God…” my eyes widened with a sudden
realization as I stared at the white wood of my door, “Oh God… he
didn’t use a condom… and I’m… I’m not on any kind of birth
control…. There’s that… that morning after pill… I’ve heard people
talking about them… but… you have to be seventeen to get it without
a prescription… and… I’m not….” I forced myself to get dressed,
jeans and a