I pulled up in my driveway to see the house dark and empty. "Great" I muttered. I had gone for a long drive, trying to sort out what I was going to do. I had decided that at the next best possible chance, I would confess my love for Jesika. I stopped the car and climbed out. Once inside I procced to turn on some lights and saw a note for me on the table in the front hallway.
Zac,
Taken the kids to see Nana and Pop.. We won't be to late home and I've left some money on the counter for you to order a pizza or something for dinner. Invite Jess over if you want.
Love, Mom.
"Yeah, sure... invite Jess over... right." I said to myself, making my way to room, stopping in the kitchen to see how much my mother had left me. $10. I made a quick detour to the bathroom to get an asprin and switched on the light. The sight before me made my heart stop. There was blood everywhere and on the sink lay a small gold cross. The same cross Jesika always wore. "Jess! Hey! Jesi... you here??" I called out, running from the bathroom to search the house. As I passed my room, I heard whimpering.I halted and stepped into my room. I didn't want to turn on the light. "Jess?" I whispered.
"Zac?" Came a choked reply. It was Jesika. I made myself flick the swithch and felt my knees go weak when I saw her.
"My god Jesi, what happened?" I asked, rushing forward to hug her. Jesika was curled up on my bed, nearly unrecognizable. Blood was again everywhere, all over my bed, her clothes, her face and body. She burst into tears and held me tight.
"See what he did to me Zac? Look at what I let him do to me!" Jesika sobbed.
"I'm going to kill the bastard" I muttered as he held Jesika. After a few minutes, Jesika calmed down enough to tell me what had happened.
"It started when we were at the mall the other day... how we were walking around with our arms around eachother and all that, well, Justins best friend Anthony saw it, only he saw it in a completely different way if you get what I mean.. and he... he told me that he would tell Justin a whole lot of bullshit unless I slept with him at Troy's party tonight. I didn't so he told Justin and ... and this is what he did to me for it... I... I left the party with Justin and he drove out of town. When I started to talk he ... he told me to shut up. so I yelled at him and he hit me... Zac, I hit him back... for the first time, I hit him back and he went crazy... his punches were so hard... I was screaming at him to stop.. his eyes were wild.. like it wasn't even him anymore.. after a while, I just let him hit me.. I gave up fighting. He was yelling at me.. calling me a slut and that I didn't deserve someone like him and there were heaps of girls who wanted him.. that he never loved me.. he said he only went out with me because he felt sorry for me.. he pitted me. Then he stopped. As quick as he started, he stopped. I heard his car door open and then he opened mine. I was leaning against it and just fell out of the car.. he let me fall.. he kicked me a few times and then.. he left me there.. Zac, he got back into his car and drove off...." Jesika couldn't say anymore as her sobbing took over her body. I didn't know what to say or do.. I just held her.
"What the?" Came a voice from the doorway. I turned around and saw Taylor and Angeline. Both had the same look of shock and horror on their faces.
"Jesi... she was... she's hurt... I don't.. "I stammered. I couldn't believe that this had happened to my best friend. Angeline walked forward and took hold of Jesikas shoulders. She looked up and Angeline gasped.
"Oh no.." She whispered. "Zac... Tay.. could you leave me alone with Jess while I try and clean her up..?" Angeline asked me and Taylor. We both nodded silently and I stood up. I looked down at Jesika and saw the full extent of her injuries. Both of Jesikas' eyes were black and bruised, her nose and mouth were covered with blood and there were lumps all over her face. There was also a trickle of blood coming from her hair line running down the side of her head. Tears came to my eyes and fell down my face. Taylor walked to me and lead me from the room. Without a word, the two of us went into the living room and Taylor shut the door.
"My god Tay... did you see what he did to her? How could he do that? To such a beautiful girl... I should've known he'd do this to her!"
"No Zac... you didn't know and you didn't have to know. You just came home and found her like this?" Taylor asked. I nodded and tried to swallow the lump in my throat.
"I came home and went in to the bathroom... god, the bathroom was, is a mess... blood everywhere, all of it Jesi's. Go take a look" I said, gesturing towards the bathroom. Taylor opened the door and dissapeared. A few seconds later, he came back, his face was white.
"I've never seen so much blood in my life" He said. I nodded.
"I know... I gotta get it cleaned up before Mom and Dad get home.. they cant see that" I said as I started to rush past Taylor to get to the bathroom. Taylor caught me by the shoulders and held me.
"No Zac, stay here. The last thing you need right now is to clean up. Mom and Dad wont mind. Jess is your best friend. You should be with her, worry about her, not the bathroom. Angie and I can take care of it ok.?" Taylor asked. I nodded and rubbed furiously at my eyes to stop the tears. Justin had finaly did it. He had finally beat the crap out of Jesika and it was because of me. I pulled away from Taylor just as Angeline and Jesika walked slowly into the room. The blood on Jesika's face was gone but she still looked terrible.
"He got me good hey?" Jesika asked feebly, directing the question at me. I crossed the room and swept her up in a gentle hug. Jesika broke down in my arms. "I hurt so much Zac.... everything hurts" She sobbed.
"I know it does" I said quietly to her. I looked at Taylor and Angeline and saw that they were hugging each other. "Jesi, you know you have to go to the hospital, you could be seriously hurt" I said to her. Jesika shook her head.
"No.. no Zac... I can't go there... please"
"Jesi... you gotta go. A doctor needs to see you. Now, c'mon I'll take you and Tay and Angie can stay here. Taylor will call your parents and let them know what happened... but you have to come with me" I said gently. Jesika simply nodded, like she didn't have the stregnth to argue with me. Leaning against me, Jesika and I slowly made our way out of the living room. Jesika was quiet on the way to the hospital.
"Zac... I know what you're thinking, and I'm telling you to leave him alone" She said after a long silence. I glanced at her but quickly returned my eyes to the road.
"I don't know what you're talking about"
"Don't give me that shit... I know you Zac and I know what you want to do and I'm telling, not asking, but telling you not to" Jesika said sternly. I could feel her eyes on me.
"Jesi, look what he did to you! No one should get away with that, especially him!" I said angrily. Jesika was quiet. "I'm sorry Jesi... but look at you, you're seriously hurt and I wasn't there to help you... why didn't you tell me he was doing this?" I asked as we neared the emergancy entry of the hospital. Jesika took her time answering.
"I uh.... I was embarrassed... um... because I had made Justin out to be such a great guy.... I- I didn't want to look like a fool in front of you" She said, her voice was choked up from her tears. My throat tightened as I parked the car and got out. I helped Jesika out of the car and picked her up to save her from walking.
"You should've told me" I whispered to her. Jesika nodded.
"I know" She whispered back.
"Whoa, what've we got here?" A youngish nurse from behind the counter asked once we entered the hospital.
"She was beaten up by her boyfriend" I said. The nurse raised an eyebrow.
"How long ago?"
"Um, I'm not sure"
"Nearly two hours" Jesika said quietly. The nurse nodded.
"Ok, sweetheart, you come with me... and you sir can stay here... do you know her?" The nurse asked, gesturing to Jesika. I nodded.
"Yeah"
"Ok good.. you can give Jenny over there this young lady's details for me ok?"
"Sure" I said as a male nurse appeared and took Jesika from my arms. I watched them dissapear through some double doors and then went over to Jenny. I gave her Jesikas details and confirmed that her parents had been contacted. Then all I had to do was wait.
Chapter Twelve
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