Under My Skin

 

     It took almost a month for Christy’s eyes to finally lose that haunted, empty look that was making me almost nauseous with fear. I was seriously afraid that she’d try killing herself. Alex kept trying to get her back and she wouldn’t even look at him. He talked to me almost fifteen times, and every single time, I was restraining myself from beating him into bloody pulp. He sobbed, he begged, he stood on his knees, and finally, I told him to get the hell out and to stop bothering Christy and me. When I told Christy that I knew about Alex cheating on her, she just shrugged it off. I said I was sorry that I never told her, but she twisted her mouth in a bitter smile and said that she probably wouldn’t have the guts to tell me something like that either. Very slowly, she was getting back to normal, and I was beyond relieved. Once again, I was dumb enough to think that this was probably it, and that things couldn’t get any worse. I am one of those people who never learn.

   On the last Friday of April, Christy called me and said that she was going to the mall and asked if I wanted to come with. I winced. I hated the mall.

   “Chris,” I said patiently. “I might be insanely attracted to guys, but I still hate mall, okay?”

   She laughed and said that she would buy me a fridge magnet or something and that she would stop by on her way home.

   “Okay,” I smiled. “See you tonight then.”

   Around ten at night, I finally finished the last of my homework and shut the book with a sigh of relief. I looked at my watch and wondered if Christy decided not to come over tonight. I called her house, but Mary said that she was still out. I hung up the phone and frowned. Weird. She called me around four or so, and now it was almost ten. No way could she still be at the mall. I called Matt, and his girlfriend answered the phone.

   “Hey, Jackie,” I said. “Is Matt there?”

   “Yup,” she said lightly. “Hold on a sec!”

   “Hey,” Matt said a minute later.

   “Matt, it’s Jake,” I said and he chuckled into the phone.

   “Sam is really at work, dude,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

   “I know that, smartass,” I said and he laughed. “That’s not why I am calling.”

   When Matt found out that I was gay, he all but high-fived me. I couldn’t believe at how easy it was for him to accept it.

   “What’s up, Jake?” he asked.

   “Have you heard from Christy?” I said, fumbling in the draw for a pack of cigarettes.

   “No,” he said. “Why?”

   “She called me earlier today,” I said, finally finding my cigarettes. “And she said she was going to the mall…”

   “Dude,” Matt laughed. “It’s my sister we talking about! She will probably stay there until midnight!”

   “Matt,” I said, lighting my cigarette. “The mall closes at nine-thirty, and it’s almost ten. She said she’d stop by my place on the way back, but she hasn’t even called.”

   “Hmmm,” he said. “Maybe she forgot and went home?”

   “No,” I answered immediately. “I just called your parents’ house, and Mary said that Chris wasn’t there yet.”

   “Weird,” he muttered, and then someone rang my doorbell.

   “Oh, hey,” I said with relief. “That’s probably her…”

   “Okay,” he said. “Good. Call me if it’s not Crispy, okay?”

   “Will do,” I laughed and hung up the phone.

   I walked to the door and the doorbell kept ringing.

   “Hold on!” I yelled. “Geez… Impatient, are you?”

   I unlocked the door, and at first, I thought that it was some sick joke.

   “Jake…” she muttered and almost fell into my arms.

   I brought her inside and kicked the door shut. She was shaking so bad that I thought she was having a seizure or something.

   “Chris,” I kept saying her name over and over again, but it seemed like she didn’t even hear me.

   I lowered her on the couch and ran to the kitchen. I grabbed a couple of bottles of water, some towels, and went back. Christy was sitting on the couch, hugging her knees. Her eyes looked huge and unusually dark on her pale face. Her left cheekbone was swollen and there was blood on her mouth. Her shirt was all but shredded, and I could see a dark bruise blooming on her chest.

   I sat next to her and carefully wiped her face with a dump towel. She winced and started to cry. I pulled her torn shirt off and wrapped her into one of Sam’s shirts that was lying on the back of the couch. She hugged me and buried her face in my chest. She cried for almost an hour, and then I’ve heard the front door opening. I turned my head and saw Sam.

   “Jesus,” he said quickly when he saw us. “What the hell happened?! Christy, you all right?”

   She pulled her face away from my chest and Sam winced when he saw her bruises.

   “What happened, Jake?” he asked softly and I just shook my head.

   “I don’t know,” I answered quietly. “She came here at ten and she looked like hell…”

   Sam kneeled next to the couch and carefully took Christy’s hand.

   “Chris,” he said softly. “What happened?”

   She looked at him, her bloodied lips trembling.

   “He raped me,” she said finally in a small voice.

   “Who did?” Sam asked and I immediately knew the answer.

   “Alex,” she whispered, and everything around me turned brilliant-red from the rush of hatred that I felt.