Luci comes running in and falls in the seat beside me. “What’s up Luce?” My face is filled with concern she seems scared. Her eyes brim with tears. “I-I-I-“, she blubbers. I grab her hand. “Close your eyes, and breathe.”
She follows my instructions. “Now what is wrong?” She takes a few more breaths. I can feel her hands stop shaking. “Jeremy”, her ragged breaths came, “yesterday I got in my car after swim practice. He wrapped his hand around my mouth to scare me. Then I climbed in the backseat and he asked if I loved him and-“ Her breathing picked up and I could feel her pulse racing. “What did he do?” My voice sounded dark and cold, like ice. “He”, she hiccupped, “he took… he took advantage of me.” I could hardly make out the last sentence.
“When I get my hands on him-“,anger boiled inside me. “Jessie Xanthippe Kooper, don’t you dare. Everything I told you is between us!” She had a face of pure fear. Her eyes were hard. My head dropped. “Okay”, I gave in. She was leaving something out and until I knew that, I wasn’t going to say anything. The bell rang and I heard her call out to me over her shoulder.
I saw her in third period. She had her jacket off and her long sleeve blouse had come up just enough to show a bruise on her wrist. I figured it to just be her clumsy self until lunch. We sat with Tammy and Amy Carter, or the Chatterbox twins as they were known.
Tammy was blonde and had green eyes, she was either talking to Amy about boys or school. Amy was a brunette with blue eyes, she always had her nose in the air looking down on you. They were so obsessed with themselves. How could they never see if something was wrong? So annoying!
At lunch Luci always sat in beside me. As we were talking about the project we were working on Luci started to look really pale. That was when I looked closely at her face. She had a shadow of a bruise across her nose, it looked like it was broken. Under her left eye was a bruise beginning to yellow. Someone had beaten her. It must have been Jeremy.
“What happened to your face?” I almost shouted. Tammy and Amy stopped talking, for once, and looked at us. “Nothing hap-“, she stopped talking her eyes begin to flutter and she fell backward. I caught her before she could hit the floor.
As I held her head I moved my hand and it was covered in blood. “Help” I screamed. I held my friend in my lap, my tears splashing on her face. Mrs. Baker rushed over and called the police.
“Jessie come with me”, my principle Mrs. Griffeth was there. Mrs. Baker nodded for me to follow her. I left Luci in Mrs. Baker’s care. Tears still fell down my face. The last thing I saw in the cafeteria was Chris running over to where Luci had fallen.




Silently, I followed Mrs. Griffeth. She was short, with short black hair, and glasses. I started counting tiles 18, 19, 20… Mrs. Griffeth spoke up, “So, do you know what happened to Miss Jenkins?” “No ma’am she said she felt sick and fainted.” She did not look convinced, but I wasn’t lying. “She has not said anything about the bruises on her arms, face, or how her head was bleeding? Everyone in this school knows you two are best friends.”

I bit my lip. I promised Luci I wouldn’t tell. Looking down at the floor I reply “I am not sure, but I think I know.” “Well, what is your theory Miss Kooper?” “Jeremy Michaels” I mumbled and prayed she wouldn’t ask me to repeat it. “Speak up child!”


“Jeremy Michaels”, I said louder. “Hmm.” Mrs. Griffeth looked deep in thought. She tapped her chin methodically. “Why do you believe it was Jeremy Michaels who did this to Luci?” I could not answer her without betraying Luci. “Miss Kooper by telling me what your keeping I could help Luci.” I took a deep breath and spilled everything! When I finished I felt guilty, dirty, deceiving, and just plain horrible. I looked down ashamed of myself. “Is there anything else Miss Kooper?” I did not know what to say. “Well, umm, I have never slept over at her house. She always says she hates her dad and in third grade her mom was murdered.” I sighed.

“You are dismissed Jessie.”
I turned, praying for God to forgive me for betraying my friend. Praying to God for her to forgive me.


I slowly slide out of my chair and leave. As I shut the door behind me I feel relieved but heavy with guilt. I silently walked down the hallway in no rush to get to class. I look up in time to see him…Jeremy. I can not hide my disgust. ”You are a pig”, I scream at him. I run towards him. My fist slams into his nose. “What the hell?” His nose is now gushing. The reality of what I did hit me. I started to walk away. He grabbed my arm, spun me, and slammed me into a wall.

“Let go of me”, I screeched! Anger coursed through me like adrenaline. This bastard hurt Luci. She would be okay if it wasn’t for him. My leg kicked up and hit its mark. My years from swim and cheer have made me strong. He fell and I stood over him. I felt no sympathy. “I thought you actually loved her, you b****!” I got one last kick in before I walked away.

I looked down at my hands. I saw slight discoloration but felt no pain. The fire inside me dwindled down to embers. I began to think more of Luci. Was she okay? Would she be okay? What would happen to her? Tears began to flow down my cheeks. My vision blurred and I had to lean against the wall.

Again I began to walk. Slowly. Silently. Observantly. No one spoke, at least not to me. As soon as the bell rang I left, skipping cheer practice. I pulled into the driveway. I ran straight into my room and shut the door. It creaks open and my mother listens to me. She holds me as though I am still a little girl. I just sit there crying in her arms. I just sit there telling her everything.

Everything went fuzzy. Jessie’s face disappeared in a haze. My hand flew to my head which had begun to throb. I felt myself falling but I lost consciousness fast.

I gradually open my eyes. I feel numb all over. There is a needle in my arm. I am in a thin robe. Everything around me is white. A sharp, clean stench hits my nose. I realize I am in a hospital. No one is here around me. Only a curtain separates me from other patients and their loved ones. No one is here for me.

A doctor pulls open my curtain and walks in. “You had a concussion”, her voice is sharp but caring. She studies me carefully and strangely enough I feel uncomfortable. “How did you sustain this injury?” Her eyes, a bright green, narrow as they watch me. “I…I- umm… I must have hit my head during practice.” The fact was I actually do not really know how I got this injury. I only know that it was caused by him. Not Jeremy but the devil incarnate.

“Oh?” She looks at me quizzically. “Then how do you explain the bruises? The broken finger? And what about the badly healed fractures and sprains?” I bit my still- swollen- lip and pinched my palm. I refused to answer. Why would this stranger actually care about my life? She just stands there observing me. “Luci,” she began, “I am a doctor, I am supposed to care. No one can help you if you don’t tell anyone the truth about what happened to you.” She walks over and picks up my hand. Hers were warm and soft. For the second time today, I burst into tears.

She sat there holding me like a child. She reminded me of my mother. Still though, I refused to answer. After a while she got up and walked away. I fell asleep after she left. Her voice stayed with me. Her face floated around in my dreams. When I awoke Jessie was there. Her dark hair covered her face. Jessie’s shoulders moved rhythmically up and down, softly, carefully.

“Jessie”, I said. I shook her a little. She sat up. Her hair stuck to sides of her face. She looked around. “Luci!” She practically shouted. “You’re okay. I mean are you okay?” She looked concerned but I brushed her question aside. “Jess, I need your help.” Jessie eagerly nodded. “Anything”, she whispered moving towards me. “You have to get me out of here”, my voice was urgent. She quickly backed up. “Anything but that!” she yelled, “What are you crazy? You can not leave.”

I grunted and slumped back in my bed. “Luce?” Jessie looked downward. “I am really sorry”, she whispered without looking up. I got suspicious. “Why are you sorry? What did you do?” She stood there silently for a moment. “Luci I did this to help you. Please don’t get mad but I told the principle about your dad and Jeremy-” I winced but she didn’t stop. “- and then I saw Jeremy in the hallway and broke his nose.” She breathed. I was speechless.

A few minutes later my doctor and a group of nurses ushered Jessie out but I still had not spok