was cancelled because others were now sick. I only had one class that afternoon so I text Theresa to meet me at the dorm immediately after she was done with her class.
An hour later I was pacing our small room, nervously waiting for her to show up. When the door opened I jumped and covered my mouth until I seen it was Theresa. “God woman jumpy much…wait what the hell is wrong you look like you just seen a ghost. Are you feeling sick again? Practice is cancelled.” She was talking a million miles a minute.
I shook my head no, walked past her to the door and locked it then walked over to my bed and sat down. “Syd what the hell is wrong?” she asked and sat down beside me while she rubbed my back until I flinched.
“I wasn’t sick.” I said and the tears started to fall.
“Wait what do you mean? Is your back bothering you?” I could tell she was completely confused.
“I…,” I took my shirt off and turned my back to her so she could see the now green yellow bruise.”
“What in the FUCK is that from?” she yelled and spun me around by my shoulders. “That is NOT from a stunt!”
I shook my head no and cried against her shoulder, “He hit me that night I got back from my parents. I wasn’t sick for three days—I couldn’t go out in public because of the bruises on my face and my back was killing me.”
Tears welled up in her eyes then a single tear streaked down each cheek, “Ronnie…he—…”
I cut her off, “I didn’t meet mom for lunch today I met with Shelby.” Then I told her the same thing Shelby had told me.
“Oh my fucking – You need to go to the cops and get a restraining order.”
I shook my head, “The college won’t do anything to him and his parents have too much money. He’s gotten by with this for so long they think he’s a golden child that does no wrong. I’m scared Theresa. He’s going to flip out when I break up with him, I can’t, I don’t have that kind of fight in me.” I started sobbing. I loved him, I thought he loved me. Obviously I thought wrong and that broke my heart.
Theresa held me as I cried, I cried so hard I hiccupped and hyperventilated, “You’re not going to his house no matter how much he begs you. And, and, you’re not going anywhere alone I’m going to be stuck to you like glue. God I’m such a shitty friend, I was the one that thought you two belonged together.” She hugged me and cried with me.
“It’s not your fault, he’s got problems…he—“ a knock on the door caused us both to jump.
“Syd babe are you awake?” Ronnie said from the other side of the door.
Theresa and I both sat there with our hands covering our mouths and our eyes wide, he beat on the door again then called my cell phone. “Fuck!” Theresa mouthed when the ringing echoed in the room. Theresa pushed me into the bathroom and pointed at the shower, so I quickly stripped down and started the shower not even waiting for the water to warm up. When she rushed out she locked the door before she shut it so he couldn’t come in.
I sank down onto the floor of the tub, my mind reeling from everything that Shelby had said. “Babe, you want me to wait for you?” Ronnie said from the other side of the door.
“I uh, wait for me?” I stuttered out.
“I figured we could go over to my place and study together then watch a movie, Theresa has a migraine I think she needs her quiet time.”
“Not tonight, I’m exhausted. I think I might actually be coming down with the flu that’s going around the campus.”
“Babe, they figured out it wasn’t the flu it was food poisoning from a bad batch of chicken served at the cafeteria.” He said with a chuckle.
“Oh, I really just want to stay here tonight.” I waited for him to pound the door in but instead I heard the door of our dorm slam. A few minutes later Theresa tapped on the door, “He’s gone Syd.” I shut the