The Curse
Chapter 9: "Can You Chase Away The Darkness?"
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Vic asked as we pulled into my apartment complex.
“I have to do it sometime,” I said. “It’s inevitable.”
“Well, I could do it myself, you know,” he suggested.
“No, that’s okay. I need to get over it,” I sighed. I jammed my keys into my apartment door, budging the stubborn door open.
I took a deep breath. “It’s not that bad,” I said to myself.
“It was worse before. I tried to clean when I came here by myself, but…”
“But what?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It felt haunted,” he admitted.
“Aw,” I poked him in the rip cage. “Was Vicky-poo scared?” I asked in a baby voice.
“Stop that!” he laughed, tickling me back.
It had been a few weeks; my wounds were mostly healed. I had lost too much blood, which was why I almost died, but no major organs were disrupted. The bullet had miraculously avoided my liver, stomach, kidneys and other vital organs.
So now, I was able to dance around and be tickled without discomfort.
My apartment was mostly just stained. It smelt like smoke and alcohol. Jake had torn down a few posters, smashed a few photographs. I looked at my bed, and the covers were already stripped.
I raised an eyebrow at Vic.
“I threw them out already,” he said quietly. That’s when I noticed a line of color on the headboard of my bed. Spray paint.
“What did it say?” I asked, referring to the word Jake must have spray painted on my comforter.
“I’d prefer not to say,” he said quietly.
“Come on, just tell me,” I pressed.
He sighed. “If you really want to know…”
I waited.
“It said ‘slut’, in all caps,” he muttered. My insides heated up. The audacity of Jake to call me a slut!
“He beat me because I said no to him,” I explained with a growl, punching the mattress. Vic pressed his lips together into a thin line. “And he has the fucking nerve to call me a slut,” I sniped.
“He’s a worthless piece of shit, bear, don’t worry,” Vic said. “And look, I got you new covers,” he said, pulling a blanket out of his bag.
They were black and white and fluffy and amazing. “Thanks, Vic!” I hugged him, and then he helped me make my bed.
We spent the rest of the evening making sure everything was back to normal in my apartment.
“Are you excited for the show tomorrow?” he asked when we were done cleaning. Jake’s presence was hardly noticeable, and, when I was with Vic, I forgot about him completely.
“I’m pumped!” I squealed, doing a belly flop onto my bed. Vic slid next to me. He pretended to be asleep, snoring obnoxiously.
“Wake up, moron,” I said, putting my hands in his face.
He laughed, putting his hands over mine.
That was when I saw his arms. I didn’t say anything. I’ve never noticed his scars before. They were so thin, so faded, so buried in his past. They were completely healed and almost hardly noticeable; this indicated Vic’s strength and how he overcame his demons. He must have been clean for a long time, and I admired him so much for that.
I buried my head into a pillow, genuinely tired now. Vic sat up. “Are you sleeping here, tonight?”
“I think I should just try, right?”
“It’s up to you.”
Vic was able to overcome his past. Maybe I could, too. “I think I am going to, yes,” I finally answered.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow morning, alright?”
I smiled. “Sounds good.” Vic looked at me for a moment, and I wanted very much to be selfish and ask
him to stay. But for some reason, the words didn’t come out. I wasn’t ready to be selfish.
He walked up to me, and then, gently lifting my chin up with his hand, he softly kissed me on the lips.
“Good night, Claire,” he said in a breath.
“Good night,” I barely managed to say.
And then Vic Fuentes walked out of my apartment, and I was alone for the first time in three weeks.
I was happy to wake up in the morning with a full night sleep, no nightmares interrupting. The past few
weeks while I was staying at Vic and Mike’s house my nightmares had slowly subsided. Despite Vic’s
protesting, I insisted that I slept on the couch. Except I think Vic would go to the recliner near by, just in
case I had a nightmare. Because whenever I did, he was always there to comfort me.
I checked the time; it was eight-thirty in the morning. I decided to take a shower and get ready for the day before I had breakfast, and I took my time. I put on what I planned to wear for the concert: my grey “Young
& Reckless” tank top, my dark ripped jeans, and my grey vans. I threw my hair up into a bun and put a sweatshirt on; it was cold, and I didn’t have to be anywhere in a while.
I heard a knock on my door, then I checked the time.
“Hm, Vic is thirty minutes early,” I said to myself.
I smiled when I opened the door, but then frowned when I saw a girl I didn’t recognize. “Um, may I help you?” I asked.
“You whore. It’s all your fault that Jakey is in jail!” the girl shrieked, shoving herself into my apartment.
“Hey! Get the fuck out of here!” I yelled, pushing her back. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“I’m Jake’s girlfriend, bitch, and now he’s in jail because of you!” she shrieked again.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” I said, shoving her towards my door.
“You’re going to pay, slut!” she yelled, and something inside of me snapped.
I was about to lunge at her, but I was too slow. She punched me square in the face, and I stumbled back.
“How did you find me here, stalker?” I grunted.
“Jake sent me, and I’m here to put you back into your worthless place,” she growled. I wiped the blood
dripping from my probably-broken-nose and stood up straight again.
“No you are fucking not,” I said, and this time I was able to reach her face with my fist. She stumbled back, and I was able to get to my door and open it.
She yanked at my hair, pulling me back, but I managed to keep the door open. Somehow I reached behind me, and I dug my nails into her arms. Then, I regained strength and shoved her out of my apartment. I went to go slam the door in her face, but I couldn't because someone was standing in the way, holding the screaming girl back.
“Why don’t you call the police, and I’ll keep her here?” Vic suggested, clenching his teeth as the girl continued to struggle.
I nodded, and turned for the phone.
When the police arrived, I sat against a wall grumpily next to Vic. They detained the psychotic girl, and I told them the story several times in a row. I had to go far back, all the way back to the beginnings of Jake’s abuse. Vic held my hand the entire time I spoke. The cops seemed to believe me, and eventually left. It was eleven in the morning by the time they had finished questioning.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because shit keeps happening,” I said lowly.
“It’s not your fault that you were stalked and harassed. Besides, I’m glad you fought back,” he grinned,
touching my nose, which luckily wasn’t broken.
“I probably looked like a madwoman,” I said.
“Nah, you looked strong. And hot. You are clearly done with taking shit from people,” he said, winking.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, maybe I kind of lost it. But I will never be deemed vulnerable again,” I said,
crossing my arms and furrowing my eyebrows.
“You’re a tough cookie,” he said, ruffling my hair. “Let’s go,” he said, and together we went back to his house, spending the day with the guys getting ready for the hometown show.
“I have to do it sometime,” I said. “It’s inevitable.”
“Well, I could do it myself, you know,” he suggested.
“No, that’s okay. I need to get over it,” I sighed. I jammed my keys into my apartment door, budging the stubborn door open.
I took a deep breath. “It’s not that bad,” I said to myself.
“It was worse before. I tried to clean when I came here by myself, but…”
“But what?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It felt haunted,” he admitted.
“Aw,” I poked him in the rip cage. “Was Vicky-poo scared?” I asked in a baby voice.
“Stop that!” he laughed, tickling me back.
It had been a few weeks; my wounds were mostly healed. I had lost too much blood, which was why I almost died, but no major organs were disrupted. The bullet had miraculously avoided my liver, stomach, kidneys and other vital organs.
So now, I was able to dance around and be tickled without discomfort.
My apartment was mostly just stained. It smelt like smoke and alcohol. Jake had torn down a few posters, smashed a few photographs. I looked at my bed, and the covers were already stripped.
I raised an eyebrow at Vic.
“I threw them out already,” he said quietly. That’s when I noticed a line of color on the headboard of my bed. Spray paint.
“What did it say?” I asked, referring to the word Jake must have spray painted on my comforter.
“I’d prefer not to say,” he said quietly.
“Come on, just tell me,” I pressed.
He sighed. “If you really want to know…”
I waited.
“It said ‘slut’, in all caps,” he muttered. My insides heated up. The audacity of Jake to call me a slut!
“He beat me because I said no to him,” I explained with a growl, punching the mattress. Vic pressed his lips together into a thin line. “And he has the fucking nerve to call me a slut,” I sniped.
“He’s a worthless piece of shit, bear, don’t worry,” Vic said. “And look, I got you new covers,” he said, pulling a blanket out of his bag.
They were black and white and fluffy and amazing. “Thanks, Vic!” I hugged him, and then he helped me make my bed.
We spent the rest of the evening making sure everything was back to normal in my apartment.
“Are you excited for the show tomorrow?” he asked when we were done cleaning. Jake’s presence was hardly noticeable, and, when I was with Vic, I forgot about him completely.
“I’m pumped!” I squealed, doing a belly flop onto my bed. Vic slid next to me. He pretended to be asleep, snoring obnoxiously.
“Wake up, moron,” I said, putting my hands in his face.
He laughed, putting his hands over mine.
That was when I saw his arms. I didn’t say anything. I’ve never noticed his scars before. They were so thin, so faded, so buried in his past. They were completely healed and almost hardly noticeable; this indicated Vic’s strength and how he overcame his demons. He must have been clean for a long time, and I admired him so much for that.
I buried my head into a pillow, genuinely tired now. Vic sat up. “Are you sleeping here, tonight?”
“I think I should just try, right?”
“It’s up to you.”
Vic was able to overcome his past. Maybe I could, too. “I think I am going to, yes,” I finally answered.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow morning, alright?”
I smiled. “Sounds good.” Vic looked at me for a moment, and I wanted very much to be selfish and ask
him to stay. But for some reason, the words didn’t come out. I wasn’t ready to be selfish.
He walked up to me, and then, gently lifting my chin up with his hand, he softly kissed me on the lips.
“Good night, Claire,” he said in a breath.
“Good night,” I barely managed to say.
And then Vic Fuentes walked out of my apartment, and I was alone for the first time in three weeks.
I was happy to wake up in the morning with a full night sleep, no nightmares interrupting. The past few
weeks while I was staying at Vic and Mike’s house my nightmares had slowly subsided. Despite Vic’s
protesting, I insisted that I slept on the couch. Except I think Vic would go to the recliner near by, just in
case I had a nightmare. Because whenever I did, he was always there to comfort me.
I checked the time; it was eight-thirty in the morning. I decided to take a shower and get ready for the day before I had breakfast, and I took my time. I put on what I planned to wear for the concert: my grey “Young
& Reckless” tank top, my dark ripped jeans, and my grey vans. I threw my hair up into a bun and put a sweatshirt on; it was cold, and I didn’t have to be anywhere in a while.
I heard a knock on my door, then I checked the time.
“Hm, Vic is thirty minutes early,” I said to myself.
I smiled when I opened the door, but then frowned when I saw a girl I didn’t recognize. “Um, may I help you?” I asked.
“You whore. It’s all your fault that Jakey is in jail!” the girl shrieked, shoving herself into my apartment.
“Hey! Get the fuck out of here!” I yelled, pushing her back. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“I’m Jake’s girlfriend, bitch, and now he’s in jail because of you!” she shrieked again.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” I said, shoving her towards my door.
“You’re going to pay, slut!” she yelled, and something inside of me snapped.
I was about to lunge at her, but I was too slow. She punched me square in the face, and I stumbled back.
“How did you find me here, stalker?” I grunted.
“Jake sent me, and I’m here to put you back into your worthless place,” she growled. I wiped the blood
dripping from my probably-broken-nose and stood up straight again.
“No you are fucking not,” I said, and this time I was able to reach her face with my fist. She stumbled back, and I was able to get to my door and open it.
She yanked at my hair, pulling me back, but I managed to keep the door open. Somehow I reached behind me, and I dug my nails into her arms. Then, I regained strength and shoved her out of my apartment. I went to go slam the door in her face, but I couldn't because someone was standing in the way, holding the screaming girl back.
“Why don’t you call the police, and I’ll keep her here?” Vic suggested, clenching his teeth as the girl continued to struggle.
I nodded, and turned for the phone.
When the police arrived, I sat against a wall grumpily next to Vic. They detained the psychotic girl, and I told them the story several times in a row. I had to go far back, all the way back to the beginnings of Jake’s abuse. Vic held my hand the entire time I spoke. The cops seemed to believe me, and eventually left. It was eleven in the morning by the time they had finished questioning.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because shit keeps happening,” I said lowly.
“It’s not your fault that you were stalked and harassed. Besides, I’m glad you fought back,” he grinned,
touching my nose, which luckily wasn’t broken.
“I probably looked like a madwoman,” I said.
“Nah, you looked strong. And hot. You are clearly done with taking shit from people,” he said, winking.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, maybe I kind of lost it. But I will never be deemed vulnerable again,” I said,
crossing my arms and furrowing my eyebrows.
“You’re a tough cookie,” he said, ruffling my hair. “Let’s go,” he said, and together we went back to his house, spending the day with the guys getting ready for the hometown show.
Notes
Chapter 9!Chaper 10 is already written, and I think you'll like it ;)
Thank you thank you thank you thank you X10000000 :)
@The eleventh Alexa
aw i'm glad to hear! thanks for reading! :)
3/10/15