One Year Ago

Elizabeth popped a piece of spearmint gum in her mouth and reached forward to change the radio station. “What’re we doing after the game tonight?” she asked.

Ric shrugged and shifted the car into gear, pulling it out of the parking spot and heading for the street entrance of the high school. “Don’t know. Grab a burger? See a movie? Depends if we win. What’re you up for?”

“I have a test in calculus on Monday so we can’t make it a late night tonight if we want to go Jason’s party tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, twisting the radio knobs to find a station she liked.

“We could go back to my place,” Ric suggested with a sly grin and a quick glance at her out of the corner of his eye. “My parents are visiting my aunt in the city this weekend.”

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ric. We’ve talked about this–”

“Come on, Liz. It’s been three months. How much longer are you going to hold on to that virginity deal?” Ric demanded. He steered the car onto her street and stopped at a traffic light.

“Until I’m ready,” Elizabeth said, defensively. She tugged her book bag into her lap. “We’ve been having this discussion since our fifth date. I’m seventeen years old and I am not going to just have sex with every guy I date, okay?”

“After three months, I’m hardly just any guy, ” Ric shot back.

“After a year, maybe,” Elizabeth retorted. “I want to wait and the more you push this, the more I’m going to say no.”

“Whatever. Look, we don’t have to do anything tonight,” Ric sighed. “You’re having trouble in chemistry right? We’ll look over this week’s stuff. Is that okay?

“Yeah, sure.” As soon as he pulled up to her house, she pushed the car door open and practically ran up the path to her house. She was so sick of having this argument with him.

---

“So, I’m gonna nail her tonight.”

Jason glanced up from his locker and frowned. “What?”

Ric strapped on his shoulder pads. “Elizabeth,” he clarified. “Tonight’s the night. I’m getting tired of this virginal act.”

“What makes you think she’s gonna go for you tonight when she’s turned you down for three months?” Jason asked. “And what’s the big deal? She’s a great girl–sex shouldn’t be the end all thing between you.”

“What am I gonna do with someone who won’t put out?” Ric demanded. “There are plenty of girls out there–I don’t need Elizabeth Webber.”

“Then leave her alone,” Jason advised. “She’s turned you down for three straight months. She’s not going to give in tonight.”

“That’s what you think.” Ric smirked and reached for his helmet.

---

“I just don’t understand quadratic formulas,” Elizabeth sighed. She propped her chin on her hand and doodled on her homework.

“You should just drop chemistry,” Ric advised, shutting his textbook. “You’re hopeless.”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Gee…thanks for the support.” She folded her homework papers and stuffed them into the book. “Jason was helping me in study hall this week and it seemed to make sense then. You’d think he’d tutor me?”

Ric narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately.”

Elizabeth shrugged and stood to put her things back in her bag. “He’s a good guy. I’m glad I got a chance to become friends with him this year.”

“He’s not your friend, Elizabeth,” Ric remarked. He stood and grabbed her elbow, startling her. “He’s mine. He’s only nice to you because he wants to nail you.”

Elizabeth glared at him and yanked her arm from his grasp. “Not everyone is obsessed with sex, Ric. Jason is my friend–”

“He’s my friend, Elizabeth. All the people you think are your friends are mine,” Ric retorted. “If I dropped you right now, not one of those people would give you a second glance on Monday morning.”

“That’s not true,” Elizabeth said softly. “Maybe we started to hang out because I’m dating you but it’s not true now–”

“Really?” Ric shook his head. “You know better, Elizabeth. Until I picked you out of a crowd, you were nothing. Nobody. Just another chick destined to be unmemorable.”

She stepped away from him. “Ric…I don’t know what’s gotten into you but I think I’d better go home. I don’t really like you right now–”

“Oh you don’t like me right now…” Ric chuckled. “Elizabeth…you’re not getting the concept here. Without me…you’re just another geek from the school newspaper. I could do anythingto you and no one would believe you.”

A little disturbed now, Elizabeth reached for her bag and slowly started to back up. “Ric…I’m gonna leave now, okay? We’ll…” she hesitated and swallowed hard. “I’ll call you tomorrow and we can talk a-about this.”

She turned and made a mad dash for the door but he was quick and he slammed it shut before she could get out.

---

Jason flicked through the channels a little bored. His parents were with Ric’s in the city, catching the new Broadway show and he wasn’t interested in going to the after game parties.

When the phone rang, he let it go for a few rings before reaching across the coffee table and digging cordless out from underneath a bag of chips. “Yeah?”

“You really shouldn’t doubt me,” Ric laughed. “Elizabeth just left here.”

Jason frowned and glanced at his wrist watch. “It’s nearly three in the morning–” He couldn’t help but grin. “How the hell did you manage to talk her into it?”

“Charm, Morgan, charm. Look…she was mad when she left though…I had to kick her out–didn’t want my parents to see her when they get home tomorrow. She was pissed, so she’s probably gonna call you and bitch about me.”

“Yeah…I know what to expect now,” Jason laughed. “You treat girls great until you sleep with them. And then they hate your guts. I’m beginning to think it’s something you’re doing.”

“Yeah, you wish,” Ric snorted. “I’m gonna go, I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Just as Jason set the phone back down, he heard a loud banging on his front door. He jumped up and pulled the screen door open before stepping onto his porch.

He pulled that door open and Elizabeth all but fell through it, sobbing. Alarmed, he caught her before she hit the ground and he hoisted her up. “Jesus, Elizabeth!”

“J-Jason,” Elizabeth chattered. She clung to him, her eye-make up smeared from her tears, her shirt torn on one side from the shoulder to the wrist. She was trembling violently and Jason could smell some alcohol on her.

“Where were you?” he demanded, helping to one of the porch chairs. He sat her down and kneeled in front of her. “Did something happen to you on the way home from Ric’s?”

Elizabeth crossed her arms tightly and shook her head. “N-no–” she hesitated and took a deep breath. “How’d you know I was at Ric’s?”

“He just called,” Jason remarked, a little confused. “Where’d you go when you left there?”

She stared at him. “R-ric called you?” she asked a little disconcerted. She let her hands drop to her lap, trying to tuck the torn side of her skirt underneath herself.

“Yeah…to tell me…” Jason flushed. “Well…that doesn’t matter. He said you were mad at him…did you go somewhere? Meet up with someone?” he leaned forward and took a little whiff of her scent. “Were you drinking?”

She stared at him, her glazed over. “You don’t get it do you? It’s not even…” she glanced down at herself and looked back at him.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened,” Jason told her. He took her hands in his. “What ever it is…we can deal with it, okay? I’ll do whatever you need.”

She nodded. “I… was at Ric’s a-and we were fighting. And I tried to leave b-but he wouldn’t let–” her voice broke and she cast her eyes away. “He wouldn’t let me,” she finished in a hushed tone.

“I don’t…I don’t understand. How’d you get from arguing with Ric to sleeping with him?” Jason pressed.

Her head snapped up and her mouth dropped open. “What exactly did Ric say?”

Confused, Jason shrugged. “That you’d slept together but he made you leave so his parents wouldn’t catch you. You were mad–” he narrowed his eyes. “What are you trying to insinuate here, Elizabeth?”

“Insinuate?” Elizabeth repeated, mystified. “That son of bitch raped me and then poured whiskey on me so people would think I’d been drinking!” she shrieked.

Jason stood. “Look, I think you’re a nice girl and everything but I’m not going to sit her and you let you tell lies like this about my best friend. You got a problem with Ric? Take it up with him. Don’t get me in the middle of this.”

“Lies?” Elizabeth shakily got to her feet and held her arms up. “D-do you think I did this to myself to get back at him?” she asked, horrified.

I could do anything to you and no one would believe you.

“Elizabeth, Ric’s been my best friend since we were kids. Do you really think I’m gonna believe someone I’ve know for three months over him?” Jason demanded.

Her eyes burned with tears. I could do anything to you…

“Jason…please…” her voice broke. “You have to believe me.”

He took a deep breath and looked down to block out the sight of her torn clothes and tear-stained face. Blocked out the scratches on her arms and the shaking of her hands. Ric had told her ages ago that while she looked innocent, Elizabeth liked to party. It wasn’t hard to believe that she and Ric had had a fight, she’d found someone else and he’d beaten her up pretty bad. And who was Jason supposed to believe? His best friend or a girl he helped out with chemistry sometimes?

“I think you’d better go home,” Jason said quietly.

“Jason–”

…and no one would believe you.

“I’m not going to tell Ric what you said and maybe you’ll think better of this in the morning.” He touched her shoulder but she jerked away from his touch. “If you ever want to talk about what really happened tonight…”

“I wouldn’t tell you what happened if I were being force fed arsenic,” she snarled. She shoved him out of her way and darted out of his house.

I could do anything to you and no one would believe you.

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