𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 || {𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐍𝐎𝐋 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬}

°Two°

 "Em, do we really have to do it here of all places?" Kalea groaned

   "The assignment is due for Thursday." Emily stated, "What better place to spend two days of work and research other than Sanzborough’s very own library?"

   Before she could protest with a sly comeback, Emily grabbed the younger girl's hand and pulled her inside the building against her will. It was quiet, obviously because it's a library, but more so than usual. They sat at a desk and took out their notes. Kalea pulled out her Chromebook and flash drive.

   "Wait, what's the password here again?" Kalea said out loud, trying to jog her own memory.

   Emily shrugged. "I'll go ask the librarian. I could tell that she loves when I bother her while she’s on her break. She always rolls her eyes to show her elation."

   Kalea laughed. "Flash her that charming smile of yours"

   "Will do." The girl giggled and strolled away.

   Suddenly, Kalea's head started to pound intensely. As though someone was using a jackhammer on her skull. Though she had grown familiar with the pain, it was still unbearable. It had been going on for months — always acting up at the most random and inconvenient times. On most days, that pounding feeling lasted hours until she passed out, then she'd wake up feeling nauseous and covered in cold sweat, gasping for air. Other days, there’d be a high-pitched ringing that seemed to only target and torment her. She’d even seldomly get bodily cramps, as though a Sumo wrestler had trapped her in a long and uncomfortably tight bear hug. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions, mostly because she wasn't 100% certain, but her agony began a month after her little 'mishap' with a certain 'someone' — and that incident had happened over a year ago. At first, she thought she was pregnant and was really worried about that possibility because she was already in enough trouble with her mother, but pregant women don’t experience those symptoms… right?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

   When she woke up that morning after committing such unforgivable acts the night before, and she realized that that coward had run away, Kalea had a mental breakdown. It didn’t last very long, though. Shortly after, she composed herself, trashed his room, gathered her things and called a RideShare. While in the car, she went through all the missed calls and messages her mother and best friend had sent, and she began plotting her next move. She knew she couldn't just waltz into her mother's house after she had been MIA for a whole night without an explanation, so she decided to tell her that she was kidnapped and molested.

    Now before you say anything, yes I know that sounds ridiculous and a bit extreme, but it surprisingly worked. She even had sufficient evidence; the scratches and bruises, ragged clothes --- which she deliberately tore to sell her story, of course --- and her biggest proof yet... her virginity was now a thing of the past. Her mom wanted to go to the police, but Kalea begged her to leave it be, claiming that she had Stockholm Syndrome and that dwelling on the matter won't help. Ms Webster was very much reluctant to drop the issue, but she eventually let it go. Kalea felt guilty lying to her mother like that, but it had to be done. She couldn't even tell Emily the truth, despite them being best friends who tell each other everything. She just didn't want her friend to look at her with pity in her eyes. This was a secret that she would have to take with her to her grave. She hoped that Mr Hit-It-And-Quit-It wasn't the type to show and tell after they... well, you get the point.

   It took a while for things to die down. Her mother refused to let her leave the house for a week, not even to go to school. When she eventually did, Ms Webster insisted that Emily had to be with Kalea at all times. It was embarrassing, but what did she expect? Telling them the truth would be worse than having a chaperone, so she kept quiet and accepted it. It took weeks for her mother to calm down a bit, and she was relieved by that, but just when she was starting to breathe again, she had trouble breathing on her way to school one day. It was an asthma attack. Kalea didn’t even have asthma. Emily tried to console the girl. She tried calling for an ambulance, but even in her afflicted state, Kalea wouldn’t let her. Conveniently, Emily had a brown paper bag on her person which she quickly gave to Kalea to breathe into. The girl started to slowly calm down and breathe normally again.