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Ruth looked nervous. “You probably don’t want to rip that up,” she said. “You probably should want to keep it as…you know, evidence.”
“Evidence?” My jaw dropped. “What’s going on, Ruth? Why is someone trying to sabotage me?” Tears of humiliation and hurt streamed down my face and I wrapped my arms around my body, hugging myself tightly.
Ruth licked her dry lips. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “Is someone mad at you, June? Is that what’s going on?”
“I have no idea,” I said. Then, an image of Andy popped into my mind and I shuddered.
“June?” Ruth asked cautiously. “It’s okay – you can tell me.”
I shook my head and bit my lip. “Forget it,” I said. I tried to pull myself together, and wiped the tears from my face with the backs of my hands. “It’s not worth talking about.”
Ruth nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said. “But if you need to talk, I’m here.”
I set my lips in a thin line. “I’m fine,” I said softly.
At least, I hoped I was fine.
By the time I left school, I was a nervous wreck. All of the happiness and joy that my date with Thomas had brought me over the weekend had vanished. Why was Andy doing this? Why did he hate me? I knew that I shouldn’t have ghosted him, but that didn’t warrant any of this insanity! He was acting like a total crazy person.
I was a few blocks away from school and almost to the subway when someone grabbed me and pulled me into an alley. Before I could scream, a hand clapped over my mouth. Someone’s arms wrapped around my torso, pinning my arms to my sides, and carried me far away from the street.
“Help!” I tried to shriek. It only came out as a muffled grunt. Panic began to race in my belly and a cold sweat broke out over my body. This is it, I thought as my unknown assailant dragged me farther and farther from the safety of the street.
“Shut up, bitch,” a familiar voice hissed. “Did you like my notes?”
When I realized it was Andy who had grabbed me, I twisted and shrieked in fear. Andy gripped me with surprising strength – he was a smaller guy, and I was shocked that he was able to carry me at all.
Finally, Andy took his hand away from my mouth and I gagged and coughed. Pain bloomed in my chest and I shuddered as sobs began to wrack my body. When I looked at Andy, he looked smug and satisfied.
“Hi, June,” Andy said coldly. “I was hoping you’d see my drawings.”
“Why?” I asked softly. “Why would you do something like that, Andy?”
Andy’s eyes flashed with anger and he stepped closer, balling his hands into fists. I shivered with fear.
“Please don’t hit me,” I said softly. “Please, Andy. I’m sorry – I know I shouldn’t have stood you up, that was wrong and I’m sorry.”
“You’re right,” Andy said coldly. “That was a shitty thing to do, June. I thought girls like you were nice – I thought girls like you didn’t mess with innocent men and their emotions.”
“I swear, I wasn’t trying to hurt you!” I shrieked. “I was just feeling scared. Andy, you made me feel like I couldn’t s
ay no to you! But I don’t have time for a relationship,” I added quickly. “I don’t have time to date you – or anyone else!”
Andy shook his head and licked his lips. “I don’t believe that, June,” he said softly. His voice was as cold and chilling as steel. “I think you lied to me on purpose because you wanted to hurt me. Tell the truth, June – you lied because you wanted to hurt me.”
He stepped closer and my heart began to pound in my chest. Cold sweat raced down my back and I put my hands up in a weak defense as Andy advanced on me. My bag slipped from my shoulder but I was barely even aware of the contents spilling all over the wet asphalt of the alley.
“Andy, please,” I begged. “Please, please don’t hurt me!”
“I’ll do whatever I want to you, June,” Andy hissed. “So don’t think you can get out of this alive.”
When he put his hands on my shoulders, I screamed and screamed. My throat was burning as I called for help. Knowing that I was only feet away from the safety of the street somehow made me feel even more panicked, and I twisted furiously, trying to free myself from Andy’s grip. Enraged, Andy pulled one of his hands free from my body and slapped me across the face.
The pain stung, but it was enough to startle me into action. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I screamed and threw my whole weight to one side.
“Help!” I screamed. “Help, someone’s trying to assault me!”
Andy was clearly stunned and he made another grab for my arm but I darted out of the way and started to run towards the street.
