three - the assault

                                    

                                          
I step outside my house in the thundering rain. I turn to lock my door, yawning, and my sneakers bump against something on the porch. I look down. Flowers. Red roses. I pick them up and turn them over, like I've never seen them before, and then I head back inside out of the rain. 
Little beads of water run down the petals and stems. I search through the nest of thorns and stems to find a little envelope. I open it up, heart lurching in my chest, and find the note to be blank. I frown. I look over the roses again. They're beautiful. Fresh and full and a deep red color. I sniff them. Rainey left earlier this morning for work, so I can't ask her about them. I go into the kitchen and place the roses in the middle of the island in a vase. I leave the house and, shoving my hood up, I hunch over and hurry through the street. Puddles form in the dips and crevices and cracks of the road and sidewalk. I pause when I reach the alleyway. Flashbacks. 
His groin. His eyes. His fangs.
I shake my head and hurry to school. 
Inside the building where everyone is shaking off their umbrellas and coats, I find my locker. It isn't long until Jared finds me. He plants himself against the locker beside me, holding his skateboard over his shoulder like a surfboard. His dopey smile is back.
'I loved what you did on the phone last night,' he says.
I remove textbooks from my locker and replace them with ones from my bag.
'I didn't do anything,' I say. Yesterday's amusement has long gone, replaced with the fear of the attack from yesterday – and also a little irritation at Jared's lack of attentiveness to what I said. Boyfriend or not, he's supposed to have my back. It makes me feel dirty and angry to think my fear is potentially a turn-on for him.
'I meant what I said,' I say with a serious tone. 'About the attack.'
Jared looks confused. 'What do you mean?'
I slam my locker shut and face him with all the new fury I have.
'I was attacked yesterday, after school, and when I tried to tell you...you...' I wave my hand at his groin area, not really wanting to say what he did.
He stares at me, frozen and puzzled, and then it dawns on him. I watch it melt his features into shock and guilt. 'Oh God! Rose!' He collects me in another awkward hug. 'I'm so sorry!'
Now that I've finally gotten through to him, something breaks inside me. I burst into tears. It's like the fear that had spawned from yesterday has grown bigger and longer roots, looping around my chest and throat like a slipknot. I melt into his arms and bury my face deep into his chest. Finally, I have some validation from him. 
'Thank you,' I say. I sniff, pulling away from the hug. 'And thanks for the flowers.'
Jared blinks at me. 'Uh, yeah, sure. I'm glad you liked them. I know they're your favorite.'
'You forgot to write in the note, though,' I say.
'Silly me,' he laughs, cupping my shoulder and then scooping his arm around my waist. 'Listen, did you call the police?'
I groan. 'No, I don't want to. It was...nothing. I swear.'
'Rose!'
'Stop! I already got this from Rainey!' I want to forget about the whole damn thing. Yet there my attacker is, pressed against me, his eyes circling over me like a shark. How can something so terrifying be so...hard to resist? 
Jared stops in front of me. 'You're okay, though, right?'
I take a deep breath in. 'Yes. I am.'
He still looks concerned. He taps his cheek for me to kiss him. I reach up and try to peck him on the cheek. He turns his head quickly and steals a kiss from my lips. Something that might have been cute, except I find it irritating and glare at him instead.