Disguised as a Nerd

Chapter 21

"Vanessa what the heck happened?" she asks in a demanding and serious tone.

I look at her and cover my body with the closest towel to me.  

"Vanessa answer me!" she pleads once more. 

"Tatiana..." I whisper. I feel guilty because last time I told her that Tatiana has stopped the physical violence against me. Emily lets out a sigh, a heavy one. She begins to walk towards me and hugs me to show me that she isn't mad. 

"I'll be back, just change into your sleepwear and wait for me in the bed," she says and walks out. I quickly get myself ready for bed and hear her footsteps nearing my bedroom. She walks in with an ice pack and tells me to show her my stomach with which I comply.  She holds the ice pack against my skin and I wince at the contact of something cold with my bruise that has developed over the day.

"Vanessa, its been happening again?" she asks but I know its more about getting the truth from me. I simply nod too scared that I might say something wrong. "Did it happen this morning?" she asks again. I nod once more as I'm holding my breath as I feel the coldness in my body. 

"Is this why you didn't have lunch with us?" she asks but making sure she makes eye-contact with me. 

"Kind of... it has to do with someone else," I answer truthfully. She begins adding a cream which I'm guessing will improve my bruises. 

"Care to explain?" she asks.

"It's Asher..." I begin and she gives me a look like she knows where this is leading up to. "She somehow found out about our trip and I'm guessing she thinks I'm after Asher. She told me that I should back away," I confess.

"Vanessa, I'm sorry but how do you allow this? She has no right to tell you what you can or can't do. I'm telling the guys, that way we can keep an eye for her," she says in an authoritative tone and stands up. I grab her hand immediately to stop her from walking further.

"No, Emily you don't understand, she wants this attention, we shouldn't feed her with what she wants. Plus, Asher and I are only friends... we will never be anything else," I say the last part quietly. Emily squeezes my hand and I continue, "... hopefully, she will realize it and she will leave me alone."

"Vanessa, fine I won't tell the guys but promise me that you'll stop listening to her remarks. Instead, I'll find a way for at least one of us to be with you at all times that way it decreases the chances of her finding you alone," suggests Emily.

"That sounds better-" I begin but get interrupted.

"Hon, I wasn't done, you will continue to hang out with all of us. That includes Asher, you won't follow her wishes, understand?" she says the last part as she was scolding me but breaks into a small smile to show me she was joking.

She throws herself at me embracing me in the tightest hug I needed. I hug her back with the same energy. 

"Now go to sleep!" she exclaims but tickling my side a bit. I let out a small laugh and release myself out of the hug.

"Okay fine but you do the same," I say.

"You don't have to say that twice, good night," she exclaims and runs out of my room.

Gosh, I love her, she is so amazing and strong. She always knows how to cheer me up. Once I get myself under the covers I realize how tired I am since my body decides to go into a deep slumber quickly. My last thoughts were about how grateful I was to have a friend like Emily.

It's the next day and just like Emily promised, I have at least one person with me at all times. It's not necessarily always one of the group but sometimes it's a friend of the boys. They mostly make small conversations whenever Tatiana is around. Once she is out of sight, they guarantee me that they'll be around.