Alive
Chapter Sixteen
“I didn’t tell him anything,” JC told Faith. “And I sure as hell didn’t go on a date with Cat because of
him.”Faith nodded, her head down, looking at the floor. She walked towards the door, trying to avoid JC.
“Faith.” JC grabbed her arm. Faith flinched away from his grasp and he sighed, letting go of her arm. “I
wouldn’t do anything to harm her, or any of you. I swear. I had been planning on helping Wade, but that was
before we actually talked. And once I’d talked to you, I told Wade I wasn’t going to help him. I guess that’s when
he decided to do what he did. At first, he was just going to embarrass her. And I didn’t tell him anything.”“Then how did he know?” Faith asked, her eyes still trained on the floor. Only because JC had known her
for so long was he able to hear the tears in her voice.“I don’t know, Faith. He could have had you looked up. Found someone else who knew the entire story.”
“No one knew that my father had beaten me after I attempted to kill myself. I didn’t tell anyone that.”
“Maybe he talked to your father or one of your brothers. I don’t know. But I didn’t tell him. And I never
would have hurt you like that.”Faith nodded her head, glancing at JC briefly. He saw her tear filled brown eyes before she lowered her
head again and walked out of his room.JC sat down on his bed with a sigh.
*~*~*
Justin stopped in the doorway to the waiting room, studying the two girls sitting there. They looked totally
out of place, even Sarah, who was the most normal of the them. They were all dressed in dark colors, Sarah in
black jeans and a dark gray sweatshirt, Elona in a long black skirt and red and black shirt and her black cape.As Justin walked in the waiting room, followed by Lance, Faith walked in from the other direction. She
was pale, ghostly pale. She collapsed in the chair next to Elona.Justin sat down next to Sarah, across from Elona and Faith. “What happened to them?” he asked.
Faith didn’t look up as she answered. “Wade Robson and some of his friends attacked them. Cat was
raped by all four of them and JC was knocked unconscious.”“Are they okay?” Justin asked.
“JC is. Cat will be.”
“Are they going to press charges?” Lance asked.
“JC might, but I know Cat won’t,” Faith responded.
“Why won’t she?” Lance asked.
Faith shrugged. “I don’t think I’m the one who should answer that question.”
“Faith, what’s wrong?” Sarah asked, looking at her then Elona. They could both feel that something was
wrong.Faith pushed her black hair out of her face and took a steadying breath. “Wadethreatenedallofus,” she said
one breath.“What?” Elona asked. “Faith, speak slower.”
She took another deep breath. “Wade threatened all of us,” she repeated. “He said that Cat was just the
beginning, and that we’re all going down.” She dropped her head into her hands, her palms pressing into her eyes,
trying to rub the tears away. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t allow herself to. She hadn’t cried for years. Tears
would do her no good right now.“Faith, you have to go tot he cops with his threats,” Lance told her.
Elona shook her head. “It won’t do any of us any good. I’ve lived here all my life. The police aren’t worth
the name. Besides, even if they were good, they couldn’t do anything until he acted on his threats.”“Then what are you going to do?” Lance questioned.
“Oh, it’s not just us who have to watch out,” Faith said. “All of our friends do, too.” She looked at Justin
and Lance. “And since you have been seen with us, that includes you.” Her eyes burned into Lance’s green ones.
"So you have to watch out too.”Lance stared at her open mouthed. He, by association, was now being threatened. All because he had been
seen hanging out with Faith. His eyes darkened with anger as he stared at Faith.“I knew you were going to ruin my life,” he told her, storming out of the hospital.
“He didn’t mean it,” Justin began, but Faith stopped him.
“Yeah, he did.”
*~*~*
“Cat, I’m really sorry that happened to you,” JC began, sitting down next to her bed. Catriona turned
haunted green eyes on him. “I didn’t have anything to do with his plan. I would have never done anything like
that.”“I believe you,” Catriona said softly. Her voice was barely above a whisper and JC had to strain to hear
her. She turned back to staring out the window.“Cat,” JC said, touching her shoulder. Catriona flinched and pulled away from him. “Please don’t shut me
out. I’m here for you.”Catriona nodded and silence fell over the room.
“It’s not anything new,” she said suddenly, after about five minutes of silence. “I- I was raped when I was
seventeen. I was home for the summer, and I fell in love with Mr. Perfect- blond, blue-eyed, captain of the football
team, jock, prep- all of the things I hate now. It was near the end of the summer, and he kept asking me to have sex with him. I always refused. One day he couldn’t take it anymore. And he raped me.”JC didn’t say anything, not knowing what to say. He took her hand and when she didn’t flinch or pull
away, he tightened his grip around it.