As she sat on the couch in the lobby, Gem cried quietly as she tried to calm her thoughts and nerves. She was scared of someone she just met, someone whose name was the only thing she knew about him. ‘Niro… I wonder if he’s looking down on me now that I acted like a big ass baby. It’s my fault anyways… everything is always my fault.’ With that thought, a wave of her memories flowed through her mind. Gem covered her eyes as her weeping continued, ‘It’s okay, you’re okay Gem. He’s not here, he won’t hurt you.’ She closes her eyes and lets the memories flow through her mind and hopefully out of it as the events of the day continue to take a toll on her.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfLbLFVv42
20 minutes before167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVhquzlHjz
The golden-brown man’s jaw tightened as he stared at the plump girl who trembled beneath him. He looked her up and down and grinned at her until he realized something strange, ‘Why is she shaking?’ he thought. Confused at her actions he bellowed, “What’s your problem? You started this so why shake, you got a problem with me or something?” Gem said nothing; struck with fear, she stood there unable to formulate a sentence. ‘Please go away…’ A tear slipped down her face and Niro stepped back slowly.
“Um.. what the hell?” Niro puzzled. ‘What is with this chick?’ Then, without another word from either person, he facepalmed and walked back through the door, disappearing into the night. Gem stayed glued to the way for another minute or two trying to focus her mind back to reality.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQzngcV20c
Flashback167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqqdz2vYyG
“GEMMA!”
The man stomped furiously around the house looking for the target of his rage. “GEMMA, GET THE FUCK OUT HERE!” he shouted. The child trembled as she hid inside her closet, covering her ears as she tried to ignore the shouting. ‘He’ll go away soon, please just go away!’ she thought. The footsteps neared the door as she prayed for them to go away, and then they stopped suddenly. The unnerving silence washed over the house and lingered throughout the room as the girl kept her hands close together and tried to make herself seem smaller if it were possible to do so.
Then, suddenly, the closet door swung open revealing the girl as she was then quickly yanked out from her corner. “No, no, let me go!” she cried. Once she was then thrown on the floor violently, the man towered over her with a look of malice on his face. “YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO COME STRAIGHT HOME AFTER SCHOOL, NOT GO TO SOME DUMBASS CLUB MEETIN’ THAT WON’T DO JACK SHIT FOR YOU! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT?! YOU’RE JUST LIKE SHE WAS, FAT AND STUPIDLY FREE-SPIRITED,” he spat.
Looking down at her, he cocked his arm back and struck with no remorse. And then again. Again. Again. There the child lay on the floor in a ball. Unmoving, inaudible, and tears streaking down her face. ‘I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. No more please,... no more,’ was the last thing the girl thought as she silently whimpered to sleep on the cool hardwood of her bedroom floor.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nJqVl8U1y
***167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pU3ahVum5
Present167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFD4ZrNipL3
“Gem?” Whispered a soothing voice from the side of the wall where the hall leads to rooms. Walking over, the person slowly crouched down next to the crying girl. Cautiously, Gem raised her head slightly to see the concerned face of her best friend. “Josie,” she responded meekly. Josie frowned and inched closer to Gem, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. “I don’t know what’s happened, but you look like you could use a hug. You don’t have to talk about it now, you just need to get some rest,” Josie cooed as she rubbed Gem’s back and then backed away slightly so that she could help pull her to her feet. Before walking to the dorm, Josie looked around with a confused look on her face, “Hey where’s your bag and stuff?” Without a word, Gem kept her eyes glued to the floor and simply shook her head. Silently understanding, Josie nodded and they both walked down the hallway towards their room.
Once inside, it was almost as if Gem was on autopilot. She grabbed everything she needed: her towel, washcloth, robe, and a tank top with shorts. After telling Josie not to close the door completely, she quickly walked a little ways down the hall to the bathroom where she washed the day from her body. After she finished, she got dressed and walked back to her room. With a clean body and an almost clear head, she pretended not to notice the sad, concerned looks Josie kept giving her and crawled into bed before finally trailing off to sleep.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW01YA05WFj
Next Day167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRYo6JVrJf
The warm light of the sun seeped through the slightly cracked blinds of Gem’s window. Morning. ‘I don’t want to wake up yet, there’s too much going on already, I can feel it.’ The girl tossed and turned until she could no longer ignore the fact that her brain and her body were now both fully awake as a small wave of pain shot through her leg. “Shit my ankle,” she quietly hissed. She turned over to find Josie laying on her bed typing away on her phone, ‘Probably Murphy no doubt, she’s liked him long enough. Ughhh… I guess I’ll get up.’
Slowly, Gem sat up and started to get out of bed. “Woah, Woah, where are you going?” Josie protested. Gem smiled, “Nowhere, just trying to stretch my legs.” Josie sprung out of her bed and looked Gem up and down as if she were inspecting her to make sure she was okay, “Mmhm. You wanna explain to me where the hell you were? I was worried about you when you didn’t show up to Psych so I texted you, but you never answered so I went looking for you.”
‘She’s so sweet,’ Gem thought. “You want the short version of the story or the long version?” she questioned. Josie crossed her arms and leaned back a bit, “What do you think?” Sighing, Gem sat down at her desk and began telling Josie the details of her adventurous afternoon and evening down to meeting Niro at the door.
“YOU WERE ROBBED?!” Josie shouted astoundedly. Gem quickly tries to cover her mouth, “Be quiet! You’re too loud stupid, these dorm walls thin as fuck remember?” Josie nodded and pulled Gem’s hand down carefully, indicating that she was calm now. “I mean… that’s just- wow. Just… wow. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that girl. I told you I’d come with you,” Josie exclaimed. “Then you might’ve been hurt too,” Gem said as she shook her head, “Anyways, that’s all that happened.” Josie crossed her arms again, “I would’ve tried to protect you; Gem we need to go to the police ya know. And what’s up with you and Niro, don’t you know who he is?” Gem nodded and then a confused look grew on her face at that last part, “Should I know who he is? I’m not exactly in the mix with things J.”
Josie simply shook her head and looked down, “He’s trouble, that’s for sure. But, enough of that. Hurry up and get dressed so we can eat and talk to someone; but mainly eat, I’m starving.” Gem and Josie laughed until their stomachs hurt before getting dressed and grabbing food. After breakfast, the two walked through the chilled air of the campus as they made their way to the police station. On the way, Gem spotted a familiar face, “H-Hey Caleb!” The boy turned away from what is assumed to be his friends and spotted her. Waving bye to his friends he jogged over to the girls, “Yo, bench girl, how’s the ankle?” Gem playfully rolled her eyes and laughed, “My name is Gem, and the ankle’s better.” “Well ‘scuse me that I never got to know your name, you did kind of run away from me,” Caleb uttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah… sorry about that, I’m not much of a people person,” Gem said sheepishly before Josie gently elbowed her arm, “ahem!” “Oh, Caleb this is my best friend Josie, J this is Caleb. I met him last night after the whole thing,” Gem exclaimed. “Hi,” Josie smiled and Caleb turned towards her, returning it, “Sup.” Turning his attention back to Gem, he questioned her about going to the authorities. “That’s actually where we’re going right now. I already canceled all of my cards and everything before we left for breakfast so we’re walking over to see what they’ll say,” Gem replied. Caleb nodded and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Can I tag along?” Gem nodded and the three walked on towards the police station.
The walk to the police station was filled with cheerful conversations and laughter. “Haha, so you texted your mom that you wanted to get your back blown out by mistake?! Caleb laughed. Josie’s face turned beet red as she looked down, “Don’t laugh! I thought I sent it to Murphy…. My mom’s contact just happened to be right under his. At least I didn’t accidentally lock myself in the storage room trying to get some stupid paint,” Josie rolled her eyes and looked at Gem who simply looked away.
“Hey! You said you’d never tell anyone about that… I needed it for a project and you know that,” Gem replied.
Josie snickered, “Oh yeah, I remember your very special project you were working on.” Gem elbowed her, “Shut up!” Caleb gave the girls a confused look, “Umm… don’t ask?” Gem nodded, “Don’t ask.” Caleb laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, “Heh, so anyways… you like to paint?” She smiled, “Yeah, from time to time I like to dabble.” The boy returned her warm smile and hummed silently to himself for a bit.
“So… what else do you like to do?” The girl paused for a second, ‘Nobody has ever cared about what I’m into, nobody besides J of course. What’s wrong with this dude? It’s almost sweet.’ “Hmm… Photography, bowling, and calculating numbers,” She said. Looking up at him she returned the question, “You?” “That’s an interesting combination; but, drawing is fun and I um… s-sing,” He replied, whispering the last part. But it was too late, the girls had already heard and were eager to find out if the boy could really carry a tune.
“Oh would you look at that, we’re here! Let’s go in now, “Caleb blurted as the trio arrived at the station and took off in front, disappearing through the doors.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
Thank you all for reading this chapter of 'Stolen Romance'. I hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter which will be released next week so be on the lookout for that. It'll focus a little more on the situation with the police and much more.
