WARNING: This chapter contains explicit details of rape and abuse if either of these is triggering please feel free to skip this one.
I was sitting in one of the chairs in Jared's office. He was having a conversation with Laura but I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. My mind trailed off repeatedly to the same two words, I was raped. I tried to shrug off the thought but I couldn't. I could see the pain in the girl's eyes and it broke my heart because it was the reality we lived in.
It wasn't the first time I had heard a girl saying she was raped on campus and she wasn't going to be the last because nobody cared. They just did their best to make it go away, but of course, that was something no one dared talking about.
To them, you should know better than to be walking alone through campus alone. You should know better than to wear a tight revealing dress or a short skirt. And you should definitely know better than to get drunk at a party. That's total bullshit, wearing a tight revealing dress or a short skirt doesn't give anybody the right to take advantage of you. No means no, period.
"Everest." I heard Jared's voice call me and he snapped me out of my thoughts. "Everest, are you okay?"
"Yes," I reply. "I'm sorry, my mind just trailed off. What were you saying?"
"I was discussing with Laura that it would be a good idea for you to be present while I interview Macy. She would feel more comfortable sharing the details with you there and it will be the first case you will be shadowing with me, so take notes. You might catch something that I could miss." Jared explains and I nod my head. "That is if you're only up for it, these cases can be tough."
"Don't worry, I can't handle it."
Soon after the short brunette blue-eyed girl, Macy walked into Jared's office. I tried to give her a smile to make her feel a little bit more comfortable. But I knew it wasn't going to make things better, especially if you have to go over in detail about something you wish you could just forget ever happened. She looked tired, the bags under her eyes gave it away. Macy looked like your average girl on campus, Laura mentioned that she was a freshman and it all made sense. Frat boys on campus liked to prey on freshmen, to them the more inexperienced they were the better.
"Before we get started Macy I want to ask you if you made a police report because without one I can't help you. Did you report your assault?"
Macy stayed silent for a minute but she then spoke (barely). You could tell she was having a hard time trying to make out the words. "Yes, I went to the hospital a few hours after it happened. My best friend Natalie took me to Hopkins Memorial. They took a rape kit, I don't know how much the rape kit will help, because they used condoms. After the rape kit, they called Detective Porter, Olivia Porter. She told me to come to see you."
"It doesn't matter, there is always a trace of DNA left behind. Believe me. We're heading in a good direction. You did great by not showering Macy, I know it mustn't have been easy." Of course, it wasn't easy Jared.
"Detective Porter told me the same thing, I really wanted to, it was all I wanted to do. I can still smell their scent on me and I showered about ten times after I left the hospital." Macy pauses and tears begin to fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm a mess." Their scent? How many were there?
"You don't have to apologize, Macy, just take your time," Jared says trying to reassure Macy that it was okay. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't get out the words, so I just listened. "Now, I need you to tell me in detail everything that happened, it's very important that you don't leave anything out. The smallest details that you think are irrelevant usually are the ones that are most important and significant to the case. You can start by telling me where it all started."
"It all happened last Friday night, I went out with my friends to see the Laker's game at AJ's. I didn't want to go out that night but Natalie insisted so I gave in and I went to AJ's with her and Lucas. Lucas is one of my closest friends as well. During the second quarter of the game, Natalie introduced me to one of the guys from the Alpha Beta Gamma house. I didn't know most of the people there so she just wanted me to have someone to talk to while she flirted with one of the guys from the soccer team." Macy paused. "His name is Thomas Scott, everyone knows him by Tommy on campus. After a couple of drinks, four to be exact, we hit it off pretty well and by the end of halftime he invited me over to the house."
Tommy Scott? He's the captain of the soccer team. Everyone knows he's a dick, especially with girls. I just never thought he would go to the extent of raping one. That asshole must've had it all planned out, he waited for the exact moment when he knew no one would be at the house to witness the rape. I hope we can get some DNA from the rape kit because if not it becomes a matter of he said, she said. And to a jury, her story will not be credible if she had alcohol or drugs in her system.
"Did you two go alone?" Jared asked.
"Yes," Macy replied. "I got into his car and we drove over to the frat house. It was empty when we got there, everyone was over at AJ's. He leads me up to his room and we started to kiss. I pushed him away once he started going too fast, I told him to slow down. It was my first time and I didn't feel quite ready yet. He ignored me and started pulling up my skirt. I told him no, I told him to stop but he didn't listen he just kept going."
Macy broke down in tears and started to sob. "After he pulled up my skirt and had unbuttoned my blouse he said she's ready for you boys that's when four of his friends walked in. It all happened too quickly before I knew it they were on top of me."
"Did you know the other four boys Macy?" I asked.
"No," She cried. "I've never seen them on campus before."
"And then what happened?"
Macy took a deep breath. "I tried to scream, I tried to say no but Tommy forced my mouth open and the other four took turns. Both in the front and back. It hurt so much, they just laughed and high five each other. I just froze and I looked at the posters on the ceiling until it was all over."
I tried to calm Macy down but she broke down even more. "Macy, did you report any of this to campus security?"
"I did," She replied wiping off the tears from her cheeks. "I met with Chancellor Scott almost immediately after I reported it, he asked me all these questions about my family, my grades, and if I had had any other hookups gone wrong." He what? Had any other bad hookups gone wrong? Is that what you call rape nowadays? The nerve he has.
Jared asked Macy a few other routine questions so he could proceed to take the case to court. We were supposed to discuss the details about the other cases he assigned me to go over but as of right now, Macy became his top priority as she did to me as well.
I was determined to do anything I could to make the bastards pay for what they did. I left the firm in a little bit of a hurry because I had swim practice and I was a little behind schedule, I desperately wanted Coach Jennings to send a message canceling today's practice because after what I had just witnessed in that office I couldn't think about anything but that. I waited for the message while I drove to campus but the message never came.
.
"Hey Everest, you seem way too distracted today." Regan interrupted my thoughts and I nodded. We were all currently in the pool waiting for Coach Jennings's instructions.
"I am, I just had a tough day at work," I replied, making as little conversation as possible.
"Peyton told me you started an internship today at a firm. With that internship, you have your spot secured at Sandra Day. Jared Baron is the best district attorney in the state." Regan was talking about the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law back home in Arizona.
I've always wanted to go there, mainly because my mom got her degree there. For some reason, I've always thought that by going there I could find some of my missing pieces. Aunt Claire said my mom loved it there, they were the best three years of her life she said.
"I'm not so sure about that Regan, but it for sure helps."
After a few minutes, Coach Jennings finally made an appearance and instructed us about what our goal for today's practice was. The first competition of the season was basically around the corner. "Let's start off today's practice with a 400-meter warm-up. I want it at a 100% rate."
Great. Coach Jennings was in a mood today. While I swam the warm-up all I could think about was Macy, I relived all those moments in Jared's office repeatedly. I finished the warm-up pretty fast, it was pretty clear I just wanted to be done with practice today. "We will be dividing today's practice into three sets: the main set, the pull/kick set, and our final set." Oh brother.
Killer fell short to what Coach Jennings made us go through, thankfully I shrugged off my thoughts about Macy's case because I focused all my attention to the pain and shortness of breath I was enduring. The main set consisted of 200 freestyle at a moderate pace, 2x50 drill breast/50 swim breast, 200 freestyle at a moderate pace, and finally 200 breaststrokes with a negative split. Then his so-called pull/kick set consisted of 8 x 50 pull freestyle with only a 10-second rest and a 200 kick at a moderate pace. The final set was the hardest one, I found myself looking for oxygen every other second. It consisted of 8 x 50 with no rest and a 200 freestyle. That summed up for a total of 2,200 meters without our 300 meter cool down.
I got out of the pool and I took off both my goggles and my swimming cap. My long black hair that sat in a bun now reached right below my elbow. I picked up my swim equipment and I shoved them inside of my bag. My plans for the rest of the day included eating take out and reviewing my notes for the economics exam I had tomorrow morning.
"Hey Everest, wait up," Connery called making a stop in my tracks.
"What's up, Connery?" I asked trying to sound as normal as possible.
"I have a favor to ask, I know you're tutoring me as a favor already. But I swear I had no idea."
"Spit it, Connery, what is it?" I ask a little impatiently. He wasn't getting straight to the point and everyone knows how much of an impatient person I am.
"I know we were supposed to meet up at my house for my tutoring session tomorrow but by any chance can it be today? My manager called and I have a meeting tomorrow with some sponsors for the Olympic Qualifiers." I was going to kindly decline, but Connery looked desperate. "I wouldn't ask but we have a test on Friday and I really need to do good."
"Sure," I reply. "I will come by a little later than seven if that's okay. I have to review my notes for an exam I have tomorrow."
"It's no problem and thank you, I'm pretty sure you already had plans." No kidding.
I walked into the locker room and I took a shower before walking out of the pavilion. If I was going to tutor Connery later I was definitely not going to drive back to my apartment so I put on a pair of extra clothes I had in my locker. I had a white sweater with a printed skirt and the pair of loafers I had on for my first day at the firm today.
Aunt Claire called me while I was on my way to the coffee shop near campus to ask me about my first day at the firm. I wished I could tell her about Macy's case but I couldn't (attorney-client privilege). Even if I couldn't talk about the case, talking to her, in general, made me feel a little bit better. We talked about everything and anything, but the thing that caught me off guard was that she was going on a date with a guy from work. That lightened up my day a little, if anyone deserves to be happy after all these years it's her.
While I was at the coffee shop I drank two iced coffees (I needed the energy if I was going to tutor Connery and take a test tomorrow) and I successfully reviewed my notes for the economics exam. Fingers crossed I aced it because I couldn't afford to fail this class especially since graduation is just around the corner.
Before I knew it I found myself outside of the Alpha Sigma Phi house, I was twenty minutes early but I figured that the faster we started the sooner I got to go home. I knocked on the door and I waited for an answer. To my unfortunate luck, Dant opened the front door. "What a surprise to see you here Green. Did you finally come to your senses?"
"You wish Dant," I spit. "I'm not here to see you, I'm actually here to see Connery."
"Ah," He says letting me in. "He's in his room, I assume you already know the way. Oh, and if I were you I would knock first."
I nod and I begin to walk up the flights of stairs. It was all familiar to me since I've been here before but I hoped I knocked on the right door this time. Lord knows I how scarred I was after walking into the wrong rooms last time. I knocked at the door and I definitely wasn't expecting a tall blond girl wearing just a t-shirt to open it.
I knocked on the wrong door, didn't I? Damn it. "Hi," She greeted.
"Hey," I waved awkwardly. "I'm looking for Connery, is this the right room?"
"Yes," She replied. I stand corrected. "He's in the shower, I was already on my way out. You can wait downstairs."
"Who's at the door, Inez?" Connery pops up with only a towel wrapped around his waist. "Is it Dant again? Tell him to mind his own fucking business."
Connery looked like he had seen a ghost once he saw my small figure outside of the door. "Everest? What are you doing here? Did I lose track of time?"
"No, it's my bad. I'm just a little early." I reply embarrassed. "I'll just wait for you downstairs."
I turned around before he could say anything else before I embarrassed myself even more and I headed downstairs.
A/N
hey everyone! I apologize for missing Wednesday's update, I had a very hectic week. I changed my updating schedule to see if I could keep updating the book two times a week. I will be updating Monday's and Friday's from now on, I want to give a try to see how it goes.
I hope this chapter makes up for Wednesday's update. I want to read your theories, comment on who you think are the four other guys. I'm dying to read your guesses.