Confused
-West-
…..
Coach sneers at me as soon as he sees me in his office. “What brings you here?”
“I wanted to apologize…”
He looks at me and laughs.
“That is nice… Be a rebel in front of everyone and be a compliant fuck in person!”
I stay quiet. If she is indeed coming to see me play, I want to make it work.
“Explain yourself!”
I look at him and tell him the truth. “A friend slipped something in my drink a few days ago.”
He snorts. Probably thinking it’s a lame excuse. “How many days ago?”
“Five I think…”
“Do you know what it was?” He asks while opening his cabinet taking out a kit.
I shake my head.
He walks over to me with a syringe to draw some blood for the test and says,”If it comes back positive. I will delay the Team’s test by three days. Stay the fuck clean until then!” He warns me.
My heart fills with gratitude.
“Thanks.” I can’t believe he is doing this for me even after how I behaved in the locker room.
“This is the last chance ever West. Last fucking favor in hopes that you mend your ways,” He warns as I am about to leave.
I nod. I want to make it work.
Maybe things can work out. Maybe it’s not all hopeless.
…… …… …… …… …… ……
🤍🖤🤍 Natalie 🤍🖤🤍
…… …… …… …… …… ……
I knew something was wrong the moment I heard Officer’s harsh voice. They don’t ask you to step out of the vehicle unless they plan to arrest you. Or maybe it was a routine I didn’t know about.
Jacob cooperated.
One more police car approached us within a minute. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. I got out of the car unsure but didn’t go near Jacob. I knew the officer would react harshly to it. He was being aggressive for no reason.
It was like he knew something I didn’t. It made me scared. I don’t even remember what happened next. Two more officers approached us. Jacob demanded to know what was happening.
All he said was, “You cannot arrest me without telling me what is happening!”
“I am not required to tell you anything!” the officer hissed at him. ”But I will tell you anyway… You fucking assaulted that girl, didn’t you! You were last seen with her!”
He said and slammed Jacob on the ground. I freeze in my spot, unable to process what he just said.
…. …. ….
It’s been three weeks. And that day still haunts me. What we figured out afterwards was even harder to process. Riley was dropped at her house in wee hours that morning, in blood-soaked clothes. Unconscious.
They acquitted Jacob. The obvious evidence pointed out he wasn’t even in the city. Riley confirmed Jacob had nothing to do with her going missing. But they are not trusting Riley. Everyone thinks she is probably still in shock. They are right to have doubts. She said she wasn’t sexually assaulted, but the rape kit suggested otherwise. My heart aches every time I think about it.
I take a turn in bed and Jacob hugs me from behind.
“You okay?“ He asks. we often slip into each other’s rooms these days. I mostly prefer his room. It’s hard to sleep alone.
“No.. I am anxious.“ I have to see Riley today. “It feels too much pressure.“
Her family is expecting her to open up to me and tell me something that will make sense in her abduction. She has given a statement, but they think she is hiding something or is afraid.
West is on the run and the kit sample matched his DNA. He had given his blood sample for a drug test in school. I cried for hours the day I heard the news. I still find it hard to process. How could he do this?
I thought he cared about her. Did he only want to possess her?
“Be there as a friend. No matter what others say,” Jacob says after a while, “Don’t pressure her to say something she doesn’t want to confess yet.“
….
After a few hours, I reach her place. She smiles when I walk into her room. It looks like someone has stolen her light and her smile looks forced.
“Hey..” she says, probably dreading my presence.
“Hey.. how are you feeling now?” I ask her. I am not sure what I am supposed to ask or talk about after everything that has happened.
She stays quiet for a moment, then says, “Confused.”
