WE STILL EXIST

Chapter Twenty-Two - Help Me

NOAH BLAKE

I get out of the much-needed shower, and my hair and body thank me greatly. The bruising has finally gone down, but my internal healing hasn't begun.

My legs are still bruised as well as my arms and stomach. Luckily he wasn't too rough with strangling me the other night.

He was calm at first as we walked home he probably didn't want to wake anyone up. It was just after sundown, so there was a chance of someone being up.

When we got inside my house and in my room, he took no time with knocking me onto my bed. His hands touched every part of me while I pleaded with him to stop, I knew where this was going to go.

I knew that this would happen...That is why I told Coden not to say anything.

My hands brush over the soft towel wrapped around me, I fix on a long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants for the look today.

Two days ago, I finally graduated from school. Maddie and I are going to the west college campus to scope out the area, we'll be starting there in the fall.

Maddie got accepted in this Summer program that allows you to take one class for the Summer. It starts next week, she'll be staying there for the time being. We got placed as housemates as well as some others from our camp.

I say goodbye to my dad who is lying on the couch. His illness is progressing and we think it will only be a few months until he is gone. My heart hurts thinking about it, the pain is so surreal. I know that it will be difficult when he leaves us, but we have time to say goodbye.

My mother is discussing medical currecny issues with our captain at the meeting hall. Under his advisory, Coden is taking us up to the campus. I didn't want him to take us, I thought Andrew was since he will be going with us this fall.

However, Mr.James thought since Coden went there last year, he would be able to show us around. Avery won't be coming with us, thank god. I don't think I would have been able to survive that drive up, walk around, and drive back home with him suffocating me.

Maddie meets me at the meeting hall entrance, she wears a long sundress and sports some flats on her feet. I don't get why she would wear something like this, we will be walking around, not lounging by the pool.

"Are you ready?" She looks me up and down, "you do know that it is gonna be like super hot up there, right?"

I know, Maddie. "Yeah, but we will be walking around, so I thought I would be prepared." There was a white short-sleeved shirt that I was thinking about wearing, but you can still see light fingerprints on my skin by my elbow. "I can roll up my sleeves if I get too hot."

She looks around with her hand on her forehead blocking the sun from her eyes, her head turns in each direction until she spots her brother walking out of the meeting hall.

"Ugh, men." She rolls her eyes when she turns her attention back to me, "He has been having meetings with my dad for the last two weeks about the reservoir."

"Yeah, has he said anything to you about it?" The proposal hearing is three days from now, "there wasn't any news about it from the initial review."

Coden pops over, but I look away from him. "Never mind." I grab my hands out of habit, clasping them together.

Maddie breaks the silence from both of us, "Okay. Let's go!"

She marches off to the car and leaves us behind. I drag my feet towards Maddie and hope he doesn't say anything to me other than, you owe me gas money.