Free We Were Us by Heather Diemer

peace sign and pushed them into my face.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” There was no way I was telling him I threw out potentially a grand worth of drugs.
    “They were in her room, under her mattress. He told me they were there.” He moved closer to me and put his hands on my shoulders and shook me. His eyes were wild now.
    “He?”
    The man looked confused for a split second, then remembered himself “She, whatever, where are the bags?”
    “I don’t know.” I found it odd that he had said ‘he’ instead of ‘she’.
    Suddenly the man threw me on the couch and followed me pushing me into the thick cushions. He leaned his knee between my legs and pinned my shoulders with his hands.
    “You are a lying little slut Jenna, just like your mom. Now I’ll give you one more chance to tell me where they are.” His voice was calm and quiet but his face was red with rage, his eyes bulged.
    “Not here.” My voice was calm, but I was scared shitless.
    “Then where?” He growled and pressed into me.
    “I don’t know.”
    “You little liar!” He roared. He pulled at my camisole but I refused to let him touch me.
    “Stop! Stop please!” I screamed.
    “Tell me where they are and I will.” His face had changed. His eyes were hungry.
    I kicked my legs wildly trying to hit any part of him that would make him stop. I stilled briefly to gather my strength, then burst my arms and legs outward and threw him off me. I thanked God I wasn’t a petite girl.
    He tumbled off the couch. I didn’t wait around to tell him to get out of my house. I ran out the door, grabbed my discarded sweater from last night, and headed down the street. I knew where I would go and prayed he’d be home.
    A car pulled up beside me making me jump to the side. I quickened my pace, I didn’t want to explain to anyone why I was walking barefoot down the street at ten in the morning.
    “Jenna!” A female voice called my name. It was Lauren in her cherry red Grand Am. She’d had that car in high school. I remembered being jealous of it. “What are you doing?”
    “Walking,” I replied. I didn’t look at her, I was afraid she’d start asking too many questions.
    “Do you want a ride?”
    “That’s okay. I’m just going to walk.” I kept walking.
    “Don’t be silly. It’s burning up already and the pavement has to be hot on your feet.”
    She was right, my bare feet we on fire. I stopped walking and contemplated what to do next. I just wanted to get to Josh’s house. I’d only have to be in the car with her for a few minutes.
    “Okay,” I said and walked around the front of her car and got in.
    “Where are we going?” Lauren asked.
    “To Josh Riley’s house.”
    “Alrighty.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Where are your shoes?”
    “I forgot them.”
    “You forgot to put on shoes when you left the house?” she asked like I was the stupidest person alive. I probably was.
    “Yes.”?
    We rode in silence the rest of the way to Josh’s house which really was only about a minute longer.
    “Jenna,” Lauren said before I could get out of the car.
    “Yes,” I was beyond annoyed.
    “I don’t know what’s going on right now, but I wanted to let you know that I’m here for you, okay?”
    Her sentiment stopped me from leaving. We both knew we weren’t the best of friends, but she was reaching out to me now and I could tell she was being sincere.
    “Thanks Lauren.”
    With that, I got out of the car and padded up the walkway to Josh’s house. I paused before knocking on the door. Didn’t Josh work all day? Crap. I didn’t see his truck in the driveway. He probably wasn’t even here. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. It rang several times and I almost hung up.
    “Hello?” He sounded distracted.
    “Hey Josh,” I said. I didn’t mean for my voice to come out sounding so pathetic, but I was so shaken by what had just happened and I was out of breath from running here.
    “Jen, what’s wrong?” I knew