Aftermath

3

"Wake up, Ben. You are on my floor, and I need you to move."
I smirk down at my friend.
He's aching all over, that's very clear. I find it very amusing. He does not find it near as funny.
"That's why you don't sleep on the floor. My floor, in particular."
I hold out a hand and yanks him up. Where the strength came from, I don't know.
"The yank was your caffeine replacement." I say, still smirking at him.
He looks at me with a very stupid expression. He makes the same face often.
"Thanks, you're so generous. How are you already ready, it's early, right?" He asks, looking me up and down. His eyes eventually stop back at my eyes.
I'm wearing a perfectly pressed pantsuit. No sign that I was attacked.
Yet, I know he's ultimately focused on my face. I can't hide all of my feelings. He's surely noticing little things about me that may give away my true emotions. I can never hide well enough from him.
"I get up early. No use wasting daylight." I smile a little, but it's forced. It's hard to even fake happiness at this point.
"Are you okay?" He furrows his brow in concern. He knows me well, and I know he knows that I am not okay. But is am going to take time off or ask for help?
I would never.
"I'm fine, thank you. Really, I am." I lie easily.
He won't take that excuse.
He shakes his head, and immediately i'm forcibly engulfed in a hug. Great.
I stiffen up as my face is pressed into his button up shirt. I hate physical contact, especially when it's forced on me.
"Thanks for not being almost as stiff as usual." He says, squeezing me tightly.
I may not love hugs, but there is something very familiar about Ben that just makes me feel safe. I don't want to fight him off.
Maybe it's his cologne, maybe it's just the warmth of his hugs.
But I won't ever forget this any sooner than I'd forget him.

I wake up with a loud gasp, hitting my head on the rock hard ceiling. I do this often.
I let out a wince, rubbing the top of my head as I lie back down on the thin mattress and pillow. Comfort is a thing of the past.
I slide back down into my blankets, closing my eyes. I want nothing more than to disappear.
My heart is pounding, I'm still broken out in a cold sweat. I feel a headache coming on.
Ben.
I shut my eyes tightly, feeling my stomach growl unhappily as I'm overcome with nausea.
All I can see is my best friend dead whenever i close my eyes. It won't stop.
My eyes sting with tears, and I shut them tightly. I won't cry. No. I bite down on my lip to try and keep myself together.
I turn over on my side, covering every part of my body with my blanket.
It's freezing cold in here, as it always is. The blanket helps as much as a thin blanket can.
I get lost in staring at the floor, just as I've done constantly for the last 24 hours.
My mind is plagued with thoughts of him. I'm cursed with the vivid detail of his loss.
I ignore the woman that sets down my plate of breakfast.
I ignore Evelyn walking past and sneering at me. She does this often.
I ignore everything.
i'm stuck in the memories, stuck in the thoughts. Stuck in my mind.
I still feel too sick to my stomach to even touch the food by the door.
I want my best friend back.
It isn't fair. I know life isn't fair, but haven't I had enough curveballs thrown at me?
I can't do much but fiddle with the necklace around my neck. His necklace, of course.
I don't think I'll ever take it off. It's a reminder of what happened. It's what Evelyn did to me, and more importantly what she did to him. I can't afford to forget that. I close my eyes and lose myself again.
By the time it's noon, I'm starving, but I don't want to move any more than I did five hours ago.
I feel depressed.
Which is ridiculous. Depression happens when emotions go numb because life is too much to handle. At least, that's why it happens to me.
The only thing that should be making me feel numb is me when i shut down my feelings. But instead my mind has shut down on me and made me feel like absolute garbage.
I jump a little when a voice pierces my thoughts.
"Enough, Jeanine. Get up and eat your breakfast. Quit moping."
Evelyn. I don't even look at her. I ignore her with every bit of strength I have. It's either I ignore her, or I punch her in the face. The choice is clear, just as it was yesterday.
"Get up, Jeanine." she snaps.
I turn away, so I don't have to look at her stupid face that I hate so much.
I hear the door open. I still don't move. I couldn't care less about whatever she's about to do. She could kill me, I wouldn't care.
I can't deny that it does surprise me when she yanks me to my feet. I get a huge head rush, and I'm still drowsy enough that I can hardly focus. I stare at her, disoriented and caught off guard.
"I told you to get up. You don't get to make your own choices anymore." she says, adjusting and then tightening her grip on me to the collar of my shirt.
I smirk. Her anger brings back some of my lost confidence. "I couldn't care less about what you're saying. Don't you have someone else's friend to be murdering?" I snap.
She doesn't even think twice about letting her anger control her.
She slaps me hard.
Once again, I admit that that was surprising. But it was fine, I can recover from that. Even though my face is burning and i'm sure it'll bruise. It's still less than the emotional torment I'm feeling.
"So mature." I taunt. I admit that it's kind of amusing to see her so pissed. I know i'm antagonizing her further, and that it's probably going to get me really hurt, but I continue anyway. What do I have to lose?
"So you're just like Marcus now? Hm, I
never thought you'd take after him." I say, faking curiosity.
She looks at me- her lip twitches. She's in a state of absolute rage. Rage isn't hard to recognize in Evelyn, especially since I'm so good at making her mad.
She shoves me back, letting go of my shirt and storming out.
I feel satisfied by how angry I've made her, even if whatever she unleashes on me next will be even worse. I still have a sense of accomplishment.
I lie back down in my bed, staring at the stone ceiling. I've tired myself out after not moving all morning.
I'm very conscious of the stinging in my cheek, but it doesn't bother me. It'll fade, leaving a bruise at most. It isn't a big deal.
I close my eyes, hoping maybe I can fall asleep again. Maybe the bit of revenge I've just gotten will alleviate a nightmare.
I'm forced to open my eyes again when the door slams open. I sit up, and analyze the situation.
A tall, muscular man stands in my cell. His expression is placid, and I see no pity in his expression.
This must be Evelyn's doing- in fact, I'm sure of it. She can't hurt me as much as she'd like to, so she sent someone who could.
"Up." he commands.
I'm not sure if I want to argue with him- he isn't smaller than me like Evelyn is.
I don't move- instead, I just stare at him.
Why not spend what could be my last few minutes being stubborn?
He reacts as I, for the most part, expected him to.
He grabs my forearms and forces me to my feet. Which are barefoot, I might add. The floor is cold.
He's strong- his grip is not something I would have the physical power to pull away from. I can see my skin turning whiter from where he's pressing his fingers down.
I look up at him- without my heels, I am only 5'4", and he has to be 6'0" or more. I've got no advantage.
He smirks. "She was right to ask me to do this. I have no problem hurting you."
He throws me down to the floor. Ow. I'm beginning to regret my actions.
Before I can even try to pull myself away in an act of self preservation, he kicks me in the stomach. I'm as good as dead.
That hurts more. I realize I'm going to have to exhibit very large amounts of self control. Even if I don't have the energy to do so.
I stare up at him as he steps on my shoulder so I can't move. "Do not challenge Evelyn's authority again." He says, and I narrow my eyes. Why not make him angrier?
"I feel bad for you. You have a terrible job." I snarl. It isn't hard to feel hatred for Evelyn and her affiliates.
He rolls his eyes and kicks me in the jaw. I nearly black out.
It's a wonder that he didn't break my jaw right then and there.
He almost laughs at my shock.
I know that this is just the beginning. I brace myself and take what I'm given as it comes.
Half an hour later, and he's finally done with me. I assume he's bored, or he's not allowed to kill me yet.
Yet.
I ache all over, from head to toe. Everything hurts.
My head is pounding. It's a miracle I haven't gotten sick from the ache of it all. My whole body is bruised and battered.z
I'm rather happy that my healing bullet wound wasn't touched. I don't know if I could've handled that. Maybe Evelyn is saving that card to play against me later.
I slowly push myself up into a sitting position, groaning in the process.
The second I do, I'm overcome with nausea and I gag.
I nearly throw up, but I keep my hand pressed to my mouth and swallow hard. No. I won't.
I clench my teeth together when I hear boots against the stone.
"Feeling ill?"
I look up in the doorway.
Why does Evelyn always show up to mock me?
Oh, right. Because she's an awful person.
"Oh, leave me alone. I've had enough of you for a long time." I hiss, shooting a glare at her.
I still want to throw up, and for a moment I seriously consider throwing up on Evelyn's shoes or something.
She'd probably kick me in the face if I did that. I've been kicked in the face enough for one day.
"Don't mess with me, Jeanine. You've lost your power. So I suggest shutting up before I have you tortured even further." she says, smirking down at me.
Evelyn has spent so much of her life weak that she can't help but go on a power trip.
I don't know how or if i should respond. The best choice is to not.
I don't speak. I just force myself up and drag myself into bed.
"Have fun in your cell."
The door bangs shut.
She leaves me alone to think, and think I do.
I will find a way to make the best out of the situation. By that, I don't mean that I intend to be optimistic. No, I mean to twist the situation so that it works to my advantage.
I will get out of here.
If not for myself, for Ben.