Ch.8 “Learning Something New”

Amber’s POV

It was morning….or at least afternoon. I could tell by the way the sun hit my skin and glowed causing some warmth to flow over my arms and my legs. I looked over to my side and Jasmina wasn’t there anymore. Images of the night before were being replayed over and over again through my head like some sort of a highlight reel from a movie. Having first met her…I never thought she’d do something like that. I’d imagined it plenty of times in my head but never had I thought she would actually do it let alone like me or enjoy my company. Just being in her presence was alluring and everything about her made my body and mind feel things that I never knew I could. My mouth watered as I remembered the way that she tasted and the way that she tasted me. If I continued laying here thinking about this I would have never gotten out of the bed.

I finally managed to put the thoughts away as best as I could and I got out of bed. I managed to get my clothes on. Just as I was attempting to fix my messy hair Jasmina came walking back into the room with her hair dripping wet and a towel around her body. It was very tempting to take her right then and there but I did the best that I could to refrain. Instead I smiled over her and she smiled back at me. “Oh so you’re finally up” she said rather cheerfully. I wanted to crawl over to her and the drops of water that were rolling down her thighs but instead I said “yeah…I am” with an almost comical laugh. I watched her as she dried her hair and combed it out putting it up into a messy bun. I watched her remove the towel from her body and dry herself. I watched her apply a jasmine scented lotion that generated a beautiful aroma on her soft pale skin.

I’m sure she was doing anything that she could to tease me. Luckily I had some form of self control…around her it just seemed like it was deteriorating somewhat. She slipped on her and pants and just had put her bra on when I walked up behind her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and gently kissed her neck and playfully bit her ear. She turned around in my arms and rather forcefully grabbed me and kissed me. She pulled away smiling as she went to put her shirt on. “Come on….let’s go get some coffee.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her out with me. Naturally at first a lot of the people stared but I really didn’t care….the only ones whose eyes I cared about looking at me were hers.

Jasmina’s POV

We took a seat at a small table in the corner that had a nice view of the surrounding landscape. We got our coffee and I watched Amber as she slowly sipped her. “Hey Amber…..what’s the whole thing with Mr. Rivers?” She looked up at me an expression that read a mixture of confusion, alarm, and mystery. This had been a question I wanted an answer to since I got here. She shifted slightly in her chair almost as if the subject or mention of his name made her uncomfortable. “He….he’s just not a good person Jasmina.” She took another sip of her coffee but that didn’t seem like a good enough answer for me. “Amber…what happened? Did something happen between you and him?” A glimmer shot across her eyes as she looked up at me. She played with her cup of coffee in her hands for a few moments before her lips moved to answer my question.

“I moved around from school to school. This is the first place that’s ever been stationary for me….the first place where I’ve actually been able to make friends.” She shifted in her seat once more as if the topic were making her really uncomfortable. She looked around the room as if to check if anyone was looking at them or trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. I couldn’t help but to begin feeling nervous myself by the way she was acting. “I’ve never told anyone about this and for good reason. I didn’t want to ruin everything here. Plus….I wouldn’t want to have to change schools again I just can’t do that.” She kept pausing as if she were trying to delaying having to say it if at all. I scooted closer towards her and placed my hand on her leg in hopes of comforting her. She grabbed my hand nervously for a moment and then let go of it while returning to speak.

“I’ve never told anyone this before Jasmina….I’m only tell you this now because I trust you. Can I trust you not to tell anyone else?” I looked up at her saying “yes” and I eagerly waited for her answer. “Not too long after I got here…..I had a class with Mr. Rivers. He’d always ask me to stay after class to help with some things and I never had really thought anything of it. Not until one night.” She paused looking around the room again and I grabbed her hand squeezing it tightly. “He….he grabbed me. And uh…” It seemed as if she was having troubles trying to get the words out. “He tried having his way with me Jasmina…..I fought him off of me. I tried going for help but I knew Mr. Rivers was in good with all of the professors at the school and that no one would believe me if I told them. I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone. I knew that if I did I’d lose everything that I had started here. I would lose all of my friends….and I wouldn’t have met you Jasmina.”

I pulled my hand away for a moment letting everything sink in. I wanted to scream….I wanted to murder him. The fact that he did that to her….and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he had wanted to do the same thing to me. My skin began to crawl as I pictured his eyes roaming all over my body. “Amber….you need to tell someone and not just me.” I could feel anger burning in me and I went to stand up but she pulled on my wrist and sat me back down by her. “You can’t tell anyone Jasmina….I don’t want anything bad to happen.” I pulled my wrist away beginning to feel angry. “The only bad thing that happened here Amber is what happened to you and the fact that you didn’t tell anyone. All this time you’ve just let it go by as if nothing happened.” She looked away from me and out the window.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to Jasmina….it’s that I couldn’t. All my life I moved and moved and never had anything permanent. I wanted to keep my friends here. I want to be here with you!” I know I ran from things in my life…I didn’t want her to do the same. “You have to say something Amber….you have to do something or else he’s always going to have power over you and you’ll never truly be happy.” I got up and walked away…I needed to clear my head. I could feel Amber’s eyes on my back and I didn’t have to turn around to know that they were full of emotions that had been dug up and resurfaced. I went to an area of the school that not many people go to in one of the far corners of the building. I always found it peaceful to stare at the beautiful paintings….it helped me clear my head and answer some of the questions on my thoughts that I had….and I had plenty of those lately. I stared up at them seeking some kind of an answer.

Amber’s POV

I watched her walk away and couldn’t help but have a sick feeling in my stomach. I’m not sure why….but it just kept growing and began to form in my head. I can’t believe I told her. I never thought I’d tell anyone but with Jasmina it just seemed right that she should know. I trusted her but after what went on….seeing the look in her eyes…I don’t really know if telling her was actually a good choice or not. It seemed like forever before I finally finished my drink and tossed it in the trash. I made my way into the hall and walked about aimlessly with my hands in my pockets. I thought about maybe hanging out with one of the girls but I realized all of them were already out having been committed to other plans that they had made. I continued walking around the school for several minutes….it was always a habit…more like a hobby of mine. I went back to my room to check if Jasmina was there but she wasn’t anywhere to be found. I asked a few of the girls if they had seen her but they all gave the same answer that they didn’t.

And naturally when I called her phone she didn’t answer. It’s not that I was worrying….actually I was. I continued wandering the halls hoping that I could find her within them somewhere. Suddenly Mr. Rivers crossed my path and looked in my direction. His eyes seemed dark. I turned away hoping to avoid any further contact with him….his presence alone gave me the chills. As he walked away I turned slightly to see him walking towards the far corner of the school down a long winding hallway. I stood there for a moment peeking around the corner watching him disappear the further and further down the hallway he got. He must have reached the end by now. I turned away but turned back deciding to check that hall for Jasmina hoping that I would be able to find her.

Jasmina’s POV

I got lost in the series of beautiful colors before me on the wall. My thoughts seemed as if they were becoming easier to deal with….they weren’t gone but I was managing with them at the moment. I paced the small corner of the hallway while thinking and looking up at the paintings. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t realized a person was in front of me when suddenly I bumped into them. I looked up and grew surprised and slightly tense when I saw that it was Mr. Rivers. He smiled down at me….an almost menacing smile that he was able to mask by the fake kindness that he displayed through his eyes. That must have been how he fooled everyone throughout the school….he wasn’t a good person and he definitely wasn’t fooling me.

“Hello there Jasmina….enjoying the paintings? I like to come here sometimes too….funny I haven’t seen you over here before.” He said as he began to pace a small circle around me as he stood back in front of me again. “Umm….yeah” I managed to utter out of my mouth nervously. I wanted to get away from his as fast as I possibly could. Part of me also wanted to rip his head off but I decide the first option wouldn’t be as troublesome for me…or so I thought. “Mr. Rivers….I really need to go now. I have to study for a test that I have in one of my classes tomorrow.” I went to walk away but he grabbed my arm stopping me in my place. “I’m not finished with you Jasmina” he said in a low growl. He pulled me back and threw me up against the wall pinning me to it. I tried kicking him but his torso was pressed up so strongly against mine that I couldn’t move my legs. I went to scream but his hand covered my mouth.

“Oh I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you….now I’m going to have you.” The hell he was. I ed my head foreword and smashed it into his nose. He pulled away slightly dazed as he began to hold his bloody nose. He looked at the blood in his hand and then back up at me in anger. I went to run past him but he tackled me to the ground and climbed on top of me. His menacing smile returned as he went to unbuckle his pants. He was reaching for and began to pull it out when suddenly he was no longer on top of me. I heard him tackled to the floor. I looked over and I saw Amber on top of him pounding her fists into his face while he tried to block them as they kept coming. “You’re a monster!” She screamed as she continuously pounded her fists into his face. His lip was now busted and blood was all over his face and Amber’s knuckles. I ran up to her trying to pull her off of him but she kept going.

“Amber enough!” It was as she wasn’t hearing me. Finally I pulled her up and made her look me in the eyes. “Hey...Hey! Listen to me. Look at me Amber. It’s okay….I’m okay. Everything’s going to be okay all right?” Suddenly she began crying. It was everything that she had been holding in since the incident first happened. I pulled her closer to me and hugged her. I looked over her shoulder and saw Mr. Rivers laying there seemingly unconscious on the ground. I heard footsteps running and they turned the corner. A gasp escaped from their lips and I looked over to see a few students and a security guard from the school. “What happened here?” He asked us accusingly. “Sir…he attacked us.” He looked up at us in disbelief. “I’m going to need both of you ladies to come with me….immediately.” He grabbed his phone out and called a number for the ambulance. The walk to the office was somewhat of a blur. I didn’t like it…but me and Amber were taken away from each other and were questioned in separated rooms. It seemed as if hours had gone by.

Several phone calls were being made. I began to lose count of the endless questions I was asked. All I could think about was Amber and what had happened. I wanted to see her….I wanted to see if she was okay. I was sitting alone in the room for a while now when an officer finally came walking in and sat down at the table in front of me. “Mr. Rivers is in custody…..both of your reports hold up. As does the visual evidence we received from one of the school cameras.” I looked up at him. “How long is he in for? I hope that bastard stays in there forever.” I looked away and back down at my hands. “He’s going to be locked up for a long time miss. We recorded several accounts from other witnesses that had or have received some form of ual harassment or assault from him….he won’t be getting out anytime soon if at all. He’s got several outstanding warrants from other incidents such as these. You’ll be alright.” I couldn’t help but feel some form of relief….I just hoped that it would last. “Officer….when will I be free to go?” I’d been here for several hours and was dying to leave. “You’re free to leave miss. I’ll have you escorted back.”

Finally! I mentally screamed in my head. I rushed through the halls. I couldn’t wait to see Amber….to tell her that everything was going to be okay now and that he was gone. I wasted no time in busting through the door. The smile that was on my face faded. Her entire side of the room was empty. Nothing was there at all. None of her pictures or belongings…..she was gone. I ran out of the room. I ran past a figure and heard her scream my name. I turned around and saw that it was Victoria. “Jasmina….she’s gone.” She confirmed it for me. “Where is she….where the hell is she?” I was beginning to grow frantic. “She’s gone Jasmina….her parents came for her and got her out of the school. I’m not even sure where she is Jasmina and I don’t know if she’s coming back.” I looked up at her eyes and could see that tears were threatening to spill out of them….Amber had been her best friend. To me….Amber had been so much. Knowing she wasn’t here was killing me inside. I needed her here so bad. I know we’d only recently gotten close but god damn it I needed her and she wasn’t here. I sunk down to the floor and buried my head into my lap. I could feel sobs getting caught in my throat. She wasn’t here…she was gone.