Chapter 9

Once we get to the dance, we meet up with Andrew and Slater, who shouldn’t really even be here. I expected him to ditch us tonight, but I guess not. He looks amazing in his all black suit and shirt, really fucking good, actually.

All the dark makes his blue eyes really pop.

“Cora, you look lovely,” Slater tells me when we approach. Andrew is all over Lizzy like a rash, and their PDA, along with Slater’s unexpected compliment, makes my cheeks heat.

“Thank you. So do you,” I reply honestly. There may be a lot of unresolved…stuff between me and Slater, but I think for one night I can play nice with him. He’s clearly making an effort with me, I just don’t know why.

“Shall we dance? Or would you like to get a drink first?”

“A drink would be great.” I’m not ready to be alone with him on the dance floor. Despite my resolve to get along tonight, alcohol loosens my tongue, and I might be tempted to ask all the questions that have been circling in my head all week.

“Come on then. Do you guys want a drink?” Slater asks Lizzy and Andrew. They break apart and come up for air, looking guilty.

“Umm, no. No, thanks. We’re just gonna dance some more,” Lizzy says, flushed.

“Is that what they’re calling it now?” I tease, but they’ve already gone back to their kissing. Slater chuckles, slips his hand in mine and tugs me across to the drinks table.

“Punch?” He offers me a plastic cup with a dubious looking, obnoxious smelling, fruit cocktail.

“Aren’t those things always spiked?”

“So?” He shrugs.

“It could be dangerous.”

“I thought you liked to live on the wild side, Cora?” Slater asks slowly, making my pulse spike.

“Who, me?” I laugh nervously. “No. I’m pretty safe…and boring.”

He moves closer, standing at my side, so that he can bend down to whisper in my ear and place his palm on the small of my back. The heat from his skin sears me even through the material of my dress.

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true at all. I bet you have all sorts of secrets I could uncover.”

His words make me feel hot and clammy at the same time. But before I can say anything, he’s handing me a bottle of water with a smirk.

“Best have that then, miss sensible. I’ll catch you later.”

“Where are you going?” I ask, worried now that he is ditching me.

“Just to the bathroom. I’ll see you soon enough, Cora.” He winks and disappears into the crowd of dancers, leaving me alone to find Lizzy and Andrew.

I edge my way around the room, keeping clear of the dance floor and standing on my tip-toes to try and find them. I can’t see them anywhere though, and I wonder if they too have snuck off to the bathroom – though for a different reason than Slater.

God, I hope not.

I feel self-conscious and awkward, standing by myself. Alone on my birthday and at the school dance. That’s doubly sad. I contemplate messaging Lizzy to see where she is, but think better of it. I definitely don’t want to interrupt.

I shift awkwardly, the desire to fiddle with my underwear burning strong. I’m not used to wearing thongs. Are they all this uncomfortable, or is it just because I shaved down there and everything’s oversensitive tonight?

“There you are!” Lizzy cries, making me jump. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”

I raise my brow at her. “You have? Because I went to the drinks table and then came straight back, but you were gone.”

Lizzy giggles as Andrew nuzzles her neck. Jeez, is he hungry? Give the boy a damn granola bar so he leaves my friend alone.

“We went for some fresh air, but as soon as we came back in, we were looking for you.”

“And when was that?”

“Umm, just now. But we found you, and that’s all that matters!” Lizzy beams, then her face falls. “Where’s Slater? You two didn’t have a fight, did you? I thought things were getting better between you both.”

“He’s in the bathroom.” Actually, he went to the bathroom some time ago.

I check the time on my phone. Eight fifty.

“Hey, I’ll be right back,” I tell Lizzy as Andrew flirts up a storm.

It’s time to meet Victor and decide what I’m going to do. At least with Slater gone, he won’t be able to follow me out to the baseball field.

I leave the dance and make my way outside, cutting across the lot to get to the meeting point. It’s dark as fuck out here, but I don’t turn on the light of my phone, worried someone might see it and follow me over here.

That would be a disaster, and I don’t have a good cover story thought out for if we do get caught. I can hardly claim he was helping me with my homework, can I?

“Cora!” Victor smiles brightly, rushing over as soon as he spots me. We’re in the dugout, like he suggested, and I’m grateful. I wasn’t about to walk in the red dirt in my new heels.

“I’m so glad you asked me to meet you here. I’ve been missing you like crazy.” Victor holds me too tightly, but I’m focused on his words.

“I didn’t ask you, you invited me,” I insist, and Victor just shakes his head.

“What?” He sounds confused, but with it being so dark, I can’t see his face that clearly.

He starts to paw at my dress, and I squirm to try and get free. Something is off. It doesn’t feel right.

“Victor, no. Stop.”

He doesn’t listen, caging me into his embrace and sucking at my neck in a way that sends sparks of pain across my skin. When Andrew did it to Lizzy, she looked like she was loving it, but it just hurts. Do people actually enjoy this?

His hands are frantically moving across my skin and my dress, almost like they’re searching for something.

“Victor, stop. You’re going to rip my dress! Stop! You’re hurting me,” I protest. He groans, low and pained, and all the hairs along my arms stand to attention at the sound.

He likes the idea of hurting me.

My stomach churns as I struggle to push him off, but he’s so strong. Stronger than when we were in his car. Or maybe he was just as strong then too, but I had the element of surprise on my side.

Victor’s hands find my zipper and the sound of it being opened fills the quiet night air. My breath is ragged and a panicked sob escapes me as I desperately clutch the top of my dress to my chest.

I don’t want this! I don’t want to be standing out here in the dugout in the dark, bare before my teacher but for my panties and my heels.

A flashlight brighter than the fucking sun is shined on us, and I freeze. I don’t move an inch, but Victor does. He shoves away from me like I’m on fire, hard enough to make me stumble. I barely manage to stay standing and covered up.

He throws his hands up, trying to see through the light.

From behind the light, a dark voice sounds, and there’s a metallic flash of something metal.

A gun?

Fuck.

“You’re a very bad man, Mr. Spiro.”

I can’t tell who’s speaking, because the voice is muffled somehow, and I can’t see a thing beyond the starbursts in my eyes whenever I blink.

It definitely sounds like a man though.

Oh god, is it the police?

The flashlight is lowered, so it’s no longer blinding me, but the shadowed figure lifts a phone. He taps the screen, and it lights up enough to show a large, male figure, dressed entirely in black, holding it. He’s even wearing gloves and a mask. That explains the muffled voice. He taps the screen again, and the video I made for Victor plays.

I gasp.

“H-how did you get that?” I stammer, stepping forward to try and snatch the phone away, but the masked man tuts and raises his other hand - which holds a gun - and it stops me in my tracks.

“Naughty, naughty, little Cora.” He slides the phone back into his pocket. “I found them on your history teacher’s phone. Easy enough to hack. You should really pay more attention to where you leave that thing.”

The masked man moves closer, and I step back, wobbling on my heels once more. I’m not his target though. He goes right for Victor.

“It’s not what you think! She’s eighteen! We— I…it was consensual!” Victor stammers, and the masked man laughs.

“She turned eighteen today. She sent this video while still a minor.”

How does he know that?

The masked man releases the safety on the gun, the sound so loud in the quiet night even over my panicked breathing, and I yelp, taking several steps away, but too scared to try and make a full run for it.

“What’s more, you sent it to your home computer, and that’s distribution of child pornography. You’re in a lot of trouble now.”

“Oh god,” I whisper, terrified.

This is all my fault. With trembling fingers, I reach to re-zip my dress. The material catches, but with a gentle tug it comes free, and I can close the zipper fully. I feel marginally safer, but I know it’s just an illusion.

“Listen carefully, Victor. You’re going to resign. You’re going to pack up your shit, and get the fuck out of this town, and if you ever so much as look at Cora again, I will use this gun to blow your fucking brains out.”

The stench of piss permeates the air, and I’m sure if I were to look down I’d see a wet patch on the front of Victor’s pants, but he, himself, agrees, as tears roll down his face.

“I promise, I promise, please don’t kill me.”

Victor takes off running, without sparing me a second glance. I don’t know whether to be relieved that he’s left me alone, or furious that he’s left me with a dangerous, armed stranger.

The masked man lowers the gun. He doesn’t even look in my direction. I’m alone with a man who just used a gun to threaten someone. If I scream, will anyone hear me?

“You look so frightened, Cora. Do I scare you?” the man asks as he turns to face me. He walks my way and I nod, pressing myself back against the wall. I don’t look up. I can’t. “Good.”

The masked man presses his body against mine, brushing my long blonde hair behind my ear with a gloved hand, and I yelp when I feel the outline of his hardness against my abdomen. I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing this moment would end. As if closing my eyes can somehow make him disappear.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” I beg softly. Pathetically. I sound weak even to my own ears.

“Hmmm, what I want to do to you won’t hurt. At least, not after a few thrusts.” The husky voice makes me shiver, but the words he says sends shards of ice straight to my heart. He wants to hurt me…

“Just let me leave.” I try again, hoping he’s just toying with me. Praying I walk away from this unharmed.

“You can go…for a kiss.”

I shake my head, not wanting this man touching me at all. I certainly don’t want to kiss him.

“No, please.”

“Oh, but you’ll kiss your pedophile history teacher?” he snaps, making me flinch. He sighs. “Fine, Cora, have it your way. I’ll take these instead.” The man’s hands are up my dress and tugging my underwear down faster than I can react. My knees shake as I feel him slide them down my thighs. “Step out,” he demands.

I try to do as he says, scared that if I resist, he’ll do worse, but my legs are shaking so badly I can’t lift my feet.

If he takes my underwear, will he leave me alone? Fuck, I hope so. But what will I say to Lizzy? It was such an expensive gift and I only just got them. She’s going to be so mad when I can’t explain…

Losing patience with me, he pulls and the material burns the back of my calves before it yields to his strength and tears.

Tears well in my eyes, and I have to swallow hard to keep my sobs at bay.

He stands and brings the tattered material up to his mask, inhaling deeply even though there’s no nose piece.

“Delicious,” he breathes, before pocketing the scraps of lace. “Better get back to the dance now.”

I stand there, shaking, as my heart pounds in my chest. When I finally open my eyes, I realize I’m alone.