Arianna's Tale: The Beginning (2 page)

“There you are! Anna, help with this, I need
to go change,” Mom insisted and I looked at her with confusion, she
looked over-dressed already, but I shrugged and started plating the
deli meats while she darted up the back stairs to her room.

“Sounds like a lot of people are showing
up,” Mark remarked, and I shrugged again. Jason and Austin had
gotten into my head with the whole ‘not liking Mom’s boyfriend’
thing. “Your Mom worries about things too much, doesn’t she?”

“She worries about herself too much…” I
mumbled beneath my breath and Mark chuckled.

“With such a pretty daughter, she’s got to
work hard to look her best,” Mark laughed but I cringed and
discreetly slid around the island to work on another plate further
away from him.

“Mom’s always pretty,” I dismissed, not
looking up from my work and Mark laughed.

“She is,” he agreed softly and for a moment
I forgot my brothers’ worries, but he was suddenly right beside me,
and as he reached across the table, his hand brushed my arm.

“Well! That’s everything! I’m going to go
hang out with my friends,” I flashed him a brief smile and darted
out of the kitchen, my nerves on edge as the swinging door closed
behind me. As luck would have it, the only two people to notice my
abrupt entrance into the living room, were my brothers and since
Jason was less surrounded, he excused himself over to me.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Jason
insisted, but I just grabbed his arm, the connection instantly
calming my nerves. “Anna, what happened?”

“You two have made me paranoid, is what
happened,” I sighed, shaking my head, “I’m fine, really. Nothing
happened. But thanks, Jay….”

“You’re sure?” Jason pressed and I nodded,
lightly squeezing his arm before brushing my hair out of my face
and making my way over to my friends after practically dragging
them away from Austin.

“All right kids, we’ve got food in the
kitchen, help yourselves,” Mom announced, blazing through the door
in one of her finest dresses with her hair all fixed and makeup
done up.

First was food, then graduation presents,
including Dad’s gift, which I was surprised had gotten there on
time, a brand new sports car. All of the girls at the party
clamored around the new car and begged to be the first one to ride
with him but he only laughed and shook his head.

“Sorry, family first,” Austin announced
clearly and Jason grabbed my arm, pulling me to the car before he
jumped in the backseat and Austin waited for me to get into the
front seat and close the door before he took off. “Guess I’ll pass
my old car down to you, Jason. Now, Anna, what happened in the
kitchen earlier?”

“It really was nothing but you two making me
paranoid,” I rebutted calmly, “Are you enjoying your party,
Austin?”

“I’d enjoy it more if you’d say you’ll move
over to Dad’s,” Austin explained, glancing at me when he pulled up
to a red light.

“I’m still thinking about it,” I answered
with a shrug, pointing to the green light as Austin took off and
headed back towards the house.

“Jay, talk some sense into her,” Austin
pleaded and Jason laughed and shrugged.

“I can’t make her. And I don’t entirely see
the big deal… I mean… sure it’d be nice for us to stay together,
but we can’t always stay together…” Jason contributed, “Besides, as
far as siblings go, we are anything but normal… My friends think
it’s crazy that we get along so well. They also think you’re more
over-protective than any older brother they’ve ever known.”

“Yeah… well… I know things that you two
don’t… and it affects the way I handle situations…” Austin uttered,
sighing, “But, hey, let’s get back inside so I can finish opening
presents.”

The party lasted for hours, nobody really
wanted to leave; that was just how parties at my house were and it
was mainly due to my brothers and how all of the girls enjoyed at
least looking at them. Saying I was relieved when I finally crashed
into my bed, would be an understatement.

The next days were a blur. School ended for
the year, Jason’s school had a small eighth grade graduation
ceremony, and then there was the humongous high school graduation,
which we all diligently attended to hear Austin’s Valedictorian
speech; my big brother, the perfect boy, the genius…. Dad showed
up, I was proud of him, and he didn’t miss the opportunity to ask
how things were going and if I had made up my mind yet, he seemed
more tired than usual though, but all he would say was he was
working a big case.

“I’m not pushing you,” he added with a soft
smile, “I know I’m not the best dad, but I love you kids… and I’d
love to have you stay with me. So, take your time, and just let me
know whatever you decide.” I hugged him. He wasn’t the best dad,
but he never made excuses for himself, he was who he was and I
loved him all the same.

“I just need a little longer to think about
it,” I told him, “I promise to let you know soon, though.”

We went out for dinner after graduation was
over. Mom was flirting with her boyfriend shamelessly. Dad had
slipped cards to both Jason and Austin before rushing back to work.
I didn’t realize until we got back home and I was putting away my
things that Dad had also slipped $50 in my purse and I laughed.

It was a Saturday: Austin was at work, Jason
was in his room playing video games with his headphones on, and Mom
was at her boutique. Being a Saturday, I was happily sleeping in.
Maybe things would have been better if I wasn’t such a light
sleeper, but I was, and when I heard my door click closed, my eyes
sped open and I was sitting up in my bed immediately.

“Keep quiet,” Mark ordered and I froze,
wide-eyed before I screamed. “Shut up!” he hissed and his large,
coarse hand came down across my cheek, silencing me instantly.
“Just shut up,” he growled gutturally, tearing his tie off and
shoving it in my mouth.

His mouth, that disgusting mouth, was
everywhere I didn’t want it to be and he ripped off my nightgown. I
fought, struggled, kicked, attempted screams that were muffled by
the reeking tie in my mouth, but he kept my hands pinned over my
head and leaned next to my ear.

“If you don’t behave, I’ll break that little
brother of yours. He’s so fragile,” he hissed in my ear and I froze
again, but tried desperately to keep my knees locked together.

A moment later, the pain that seared through
me blinded me, literally. He wasn’t careful, wasn’t nice about it
and I blacked out for a terrifying moment, tears streaming from my
eyes. The pain subsided a little, but my room remained blurred
through my tears and I struggled to think of anything else.

When he was satisfied, he got up, zipped his
pants and leaned next to my ear again while pulling his tie out of
my mouth.

“You tell a soul, and it’s your brother that
suffers,” he growled fiercely, unlocking the door and leaving.

I stared at the ceiling through my tears,
and tried not to think of the pain, but the pain was still there
and it was practically all I could notice.

“Oh God…” I uttered through my tears which
were shuddering my whole body, “Oh God, oh God….” I forced myself
up, through the shooting pain, and locked the door before I sank to
my knees in front of it. I glanced only once at my bed, there was
blood and… I shuddered and looked away.

It was around the time my shaking wasn’t so
incapacitating that I heard Mom get home and Mark (I nearly threw
up) cheerfully greeting her with a homemade 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 plain t-shirt, thinking about what in the world I was
going to do, was there anyone who would help….

“Bri,” it occurred to me in a flash and I
ran back in my room from my closet and grabbed my cell phone and
dialed one of my best friend’s numbers. “Hey Brianna,” I greeted,
apparently my voice was still off, I wondered how long that would
last, would I ever feel at all safe anymore.

“What’s wrong, Anna?” Brianna questioned
instantly.

“Bri, I need a favor, no questions asked…
please?” I whispered.

“Anything, Arianna,” she swore, and I
noticed the background noise disappeared.

“I need one of those… morning after pills…”
my voice was even quieter and I wasn’t even sure how she heard
me.

“Anna, what…”

“No questions,” I repeated and she
sighed.

“I’ll be by in just a little while,” she
promised, “I’m not asking, Anna… but you can talk to me….”

“I know,” I agreed and smiled faintly,
“Thanks, Bri.”

We hung up and I started ripping the sheets
from my bed, trying not to look at them, when I’d gotten them piled
onto the floor, there was a knock at my door.

“It’s Jason.” I opened the door and he came
in with a bundle of fresh sheets, and bless him, a large trash bag,
and locked the door behind him. He set the folded sheets on the
bare bed and opened the trash bag, shaking his head when I tried to
help. He was silent as he piled the old sheets into the trash bag
and tied it off before helping me make the bed with the new sheets.
Once it was a spotless, clean bed again, he grabbed me into yet
another hug.

“Jason, I’m…” I was going to say okay, but I
wasn’t, I felt nauseous, “I’ll be okay….”

“Your face… it’s pretty bruised… you’re not
going to be able to come up with a good excuse for that one,” he
murmured across my ear, “And I think you’d be happier if we got out
of the house for a while… I’d drive… but….”

“You’re so not old enough to have your
license,” I faintly laughed and a tension in his shoulders eased,
“You’re not old enough to have to deal with this… I’m so sorry,
Jay….”

“Don’t you even start that, this is not your
fault,” he insisted sternly, “Anna… I have to ask… was this… Did
Mark….”

“Let me try some makeup… and we can get out
of here…” I evaded, slipping out of his arms and going to sit at my
vanity. I took as long as I could collecting my makeup and getting
it ready before I finally looked in the mirror. I felt nauseous
again, my cheek was already turning that gross yellow bruise color
with bits of the purple shade coming through.