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RACHEL
“Ijustdon’tunderstand why he’s acting like this,” Lauren croaks. She pushes her hair away from her face. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are swollen. She’s managed to stop crying, and I’m impressed she’s able to keep herself together long enough to say that one frustrating sentence.
I warned her, I think while reaching for another slice of pizza, the box lingering in the middle of us. I warned her and she refused to listen to me, thinking she knows best. I suppose I can’t fault her for thinking with her heart. However, surely she saw the signs on her own, she just refused to actually look. My gaze catches Alex and Seth, who are sitting with us on the floor, keeping silent. I’m impressed they lasted this long. I thought they would have left by now. Furthermore, I’m happy to see Seth is on his second slice of pizza. That is some improvement.
“He was always so nice to me, and now…” Lauren sniffs, her bottom lip trembling. “And now…” Her face grimaces and she chokes back a sob as her head hangs from her head. Her soft whimpers waft toward me and my heart wrenches, wanting to find some way to console her. I guess now would be a terrible time to say, I told you so.
I cram a slice of pizza into my mouth, hoping chewing will buy me some time to come up with something to say. Charlie sits on Lauren’s other side, stroking her back, looking so calm given how terrified she was only a few hours ago. She pulls Lauren into her arms, shushing her while she continues to caress Lauren’s back.
“It’s going to be okay,” she whispers. “You’re going to be okay.”
I nod when Charlie’s gaze meets mine, feeling on the spot and having nothing to say. Lauren was so cruel to me before. We were friends for a semester before she decided to dump me in favor of Josh. I don’t even feel like I should be here. I’m happy she’s safe. I’m worried, but what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say to someone who’s been slut shaming me for the past year?
“You should probably get some rest,” I say uneasily.
Charlie offers me a small smile. “Yes, that’s a brilliant idea. Sleep will definitely help.”
“I don’t think I can sleep,” Lauren whispers while pulling away from Charlie. “I keep hearing him in my head. His yelling, how angry he was.” Lauren shivers and more tears stream down her face. “I don’t understand what I ever did to him to deserve this.”
“You did nothing wrong,” I rush out, leaning toward Lauren.
Her eyes widen on me. “How are you so sure? I was so stupid to get so drunk. I should have known better.”
“Yeah, you had a little too much,” I say while taking her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, “but he was in the wrong. He should have brought you home. A good boyfriend would have ensured your safety. A great boyfriend would have taken care of you and made sure you had water and something to eat in the morning.”
Charlie nods. “That’s right.”
“But I made him so angry,” Lauren says with a wince. She leans back against the bed behind her, her head tilting upwards to gaze up at the ceiling.
“How?” Charlie asks. “Did he give you a reason why he was so angry?”
Lauren inhales a shaky breath, her hands fisting and I can tell it’s hard for her to remember the morning—that it was traumatic for her. Even I can remember the last five minutes of his yelling, how angry he sounded, how cruel. I don’t think I could ever stand being shouted at in such a manner. That’s not how you speak to someone you love.
“He was just upset about how I made him look in front of other people,” Lauren whispers. “He was telling me how Mike kicked him out.” She gasps and wipes a tear. “And how Mike won’t invite him to any other parties, and that it’s my fault.”
Charlie rolls her eyes. “None of that was any of your fault. Josh was trying to take advantage of you.”
Lauren whimpers as she wipes more tears from her eyes. She inhales deeply, her fists shaking at her sides. A sob escapes her lips and she clamps her eyes close, her head moving back and forth as if she’s trying not to think about Josh and how he nearly took advantage of her.
“I think all of you should go,” she sobs, her head lowering to her knees. Her shoulders shake as she cries quietly.
“Do you want to go to bed?” Charlie asks as she rests a hand on Lauren’s shoulder. “Maybe getting out of these clothes and lying down in something more comfortable will help you feel better.”
Lauren bobs her head up and down. She slowly rises from the floor, hiding her face from us as she moves toward the closet. All of us stand. Alex and Seth look around, and I can tell they feel a little lost. It’s probably awkward with them being here, with a person they barely know. I feel bad for them and I kinda want to send them home, but who knows if Josh will try something else later.
“Rachel,” Charlie whispers a she grabs my arm and pulls me toward her. “Go ahead and leave. I will stay with her.”
“Are you sure?” I ask while glancing over my shoulder, watching Lauren trudge into the bathroom with her sweatpants in one hand a sweatshirt in the other.
“Yeah, I don’t think she needs a whole audience.”
“What about Josh?”
“I’ll let you know if anything happens. I don’t think she should be alone, but I also think she needs to get some sleep. Don’t worry,” she adds with a soft smile. “I’ll keep you updated.”
I nod and walk toward the bros, grabbing their hands and tugging them toward the door. “We’re going,” I whisper to them.
“Hey, Lauren!” Charlie calls while walking into the bathroom. “I’m sending Rachel and the guys home. How about I put on a movie for us to watch? Interested in Carrie? Or perhaps Teeth?”
