I lazily reached over to my dressing table to pick up my phone that had been ringing non-stop.
'It's me. Open your door.' Dontae says before hanging up. I get up, not caring that I probably looked like utter shit and opened the door for him.
'Why aren't you in school?' I ask as we travel upstairs to my room, it was 9am. I hadn't been to school this week, and it was currently Thursday. I had work experience next week so I had to firm it but throughout the whole week, I had been having nightmares similar to the ones I had when I was 11. They gradually got worse every night and I slept for about 2 hours per night, if that.
'Missed you.' He says staring at me. I had also developed this reflex action. I could not be touched by males, in any way. When Jayden tried to hug me, I went mad. Literally. I was screaming and crying, it took my mum 45 minutes to calm me down. I actually just felt like shit. 'How you feeling?' He asks sitting next to me but not too close. I shrug, not even bothering to try and explain the emotions running through me.
'Who is he?' I ask.
'Who?' I look up to see he was avoiding my face. I narrow my eyes at him. They had all ignored me this whole week, everytime I tried to ask who this guy was. They were also too over-protective of me. Even though I hadn't left the house, I was on 'Jayda-Watch' which meant that my family had made a rota of who would watch me whilst I stayed home. Today was the one day where no one was here. I felt like a child, it was depressing.
'Do not piss me off Tae. Ever since I mentioned this guy, you, Jay and Jayden are all acting weird and I'm having nightmares? Do you know how it feels to have everyone know something and you don't even though it involves you? And don't tell me you don't know who he is, cos you do. And I'm sure he's something to do with my past so answer me. Who the fuck is he?' I ask feeling highly irritated. Dontae sighs.
'Jay don't want you to stress. I mean you don't even know him and look at the impact he's had on you already? I can't even touch you without you crying. Do you know how I feel? I can't even comfort you, or hug you when you cry or shit. I don't want you to get worse.' He drags his hand down his face.
'Just tell me! I deserve to know! And if you don't tell me I swear I'll find out.' I say. He sighs.
'Alright. But..argh.' He groans. I knew he was contemplating telling me.
'Please Tae.' I plead with my eyes.
'He's Junior's little brother.' Dontae mutters. Have you ever had that moment when the whole world freezes, and the only sound you can hear is your heart beating? I just had that moment. Hearing his name made me want to cry. Images flashed through my mind of that day. The day he had ruined not only mine, but his younger sister's life. Junior was Dani's brother. He had been the one that set up the rape. He got paid to allow boys and men to rape me and his little sister. How can someone be so sick? So twisted and perverted that they don't mind two 11-year olds getting raped by boys aged 19, only as long as they were getting paid?
I felt the vomit rise up as I realise my past would never stay in the past. I figured his little brother was back to get revenge or something. A year after the horrible events, I was brave enough to stand up in court and testify against Junior. He hadn't actually raped me or Dani, but he had planned it out. It was basically procuring with minors, and he had committed three of the four crimes involved: operating a prostitution business, transporting a prostitute to the location of their arrangement and deriving financial gain from the prostitution of another.
Also, since Dani had died he had been sentenced to 15 years in prison which was a lot more than he would usually get. Every single person who was in that room, when I was 11, was now in prison as they had all been caught.
