Classroom Affair - Chapter 12：Enemies Made

*TRIGGER WARNING* This chapter contains disturbing events dealing with molestation/****. I’ve uploaded two chapters instead of one, so you can skip ahead to the next if this is too graphic.

Shannon walked with the sun setting on her back, kicking an unfortunate stone that had the audacity to lay in her path.

She couldn’t stand Alexia! How could one person be so nasty? So cheap? So hellbent on making her suffer with every breath she took? Alexia Jackson, that’s who!

She came up to the swing set in the park playground and settled herself into its red plastic seat.

Her anger sent her kicking off the ground, pumping her arms, so that the swing flew beneath her fury. She felt like a bird; one royally pissed off albatross.

“I swear, if I’m ever hanging off a cliff, Alexia will Scar me to my death. Long live the bitch queen!”

The swing shot her back and groaned underneath her weight. Perhaps children’s playgrounds weren’t meant for eighteen-year-olds? She slowed her angry climbed and took a calming breath. “Don’t let her get to you. Just ignore her like you’ve done since the third grade. You’re above her. She can’t hurt you if you don’t let her, no matter how much she may want to.”

A SUV pulled into the parking lot. The doors slammed and two little girls went racing from its hold, giggling and making up games as they went. Shannon watched them and felt her heart drop. “We used to be like that.”

“Hi!” She exclaimed as Shannon hid behind the large pine tree.

“Hi.”

Alexia’s eyes shone in the sunlight. “What are you doing back there?”

Shannon glanced around like she’d been caught. “Nothing, just seeing who was moving in.”

Since the conversation turned to be an interest in her, the dark-haired girl squealed with happiness. “Oh! Well then crawl under the fence and say hello!”

Shannon looked down at the chicken wire that was meant to keep dangerous animals out and nulled over how much trouble she would be in if she broke her mother’s rules.

Alexia squatted down and reached under the wire. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

Seeing her hand reached under like that, Shannon felt compelled to take it and she allowed the neighborhood girl to pull her through the small ditch.

“There we go. I’m Alexia Jackson, what’s your name?” Alexia said brushing off her skirt.

Shannon picked some moss out of her red hair. “Shannon O’ Ryan.”

Alexia stopped brushing and giggled. “Wow, your hair is super red!”

Shannon pouted. “It’s not THAT red. Mama says it’s the perfect color. She says I’m one of the roses in God’s church.”

Alexia pondered that concept for a second before shrugging. “We don’t really go to church. Daddy doesn’t like it.”

Shannon had no idea there was an option to not go to church. Her mother had been taking her since she was two weeks old. “Oh.”

Alexia smiled and grabbed her hand. “Well, come on, I want you to see my house!”

Following the girl over sticks and branches wasn’t difficult, and Shannon was filled with the excitement of discovery, since she had never been to the property across the fence.

An old looking wooden house awaited her, with a long, wrap around porch. Shannon wondered if spiders were hiding under the lattice work? The feeling made her skin crawl.

Alexia pointed out her bike and the tree where she wanted a fort. “Oh yeah! Want to see something cool? My cat just had kittens last week!”

Shannon smiled big, as Alexia pulled her to the back garage where the tiny sounds of mewing greeted the excited girls.

She bent down to gently pick up a spotted black kitten and nuzzle it to her chin, the way her mom taught her at the pet shop.

Alexia patted the mother cat and started playing with two white kittens. “Hey Shannon?”

“Yeah?”

“You wanna be friends?”

The tone of voice when she asked question was more serious than the little girl was used to hearing. She wasn’t used to having anyone ask to be her friend, it kind of just happened on its own. Maybe this little girl didn’t know how to do it?

She set the kitten down and scooted over to Alexia, who was avoiding her gaze. “Yes! Let’s be best friends ok?”

That was the right answer. Alexia’s smile looked like the sun, bright and radiant, even if it were missing a few teeth. They hugged tight and giggled at their new found friendship.

It didn’t seem like it could get any better than that moment and Shannon’s mind was filled with all the things they could do together, until a loud, male voice came booming from the house. “Alexia?! Alexia, where are you?!”

To Shannon’s surprise, Alexia’s eyes became wide, as she quickly rushed out of the garage. “I’m here, Daddy!”

She turned around and grabbed Shannon’s hand. “That’s my dad. Just stand next to me and don’t say anything, ok?”

Unsure of where this hostility came from, Shannon nodded and waited as a large man, with glasses and a beard, took up the entire frame of the doorway. He glared down at the two little girls standing hand in hand. “Who are you?”

“This is Shannon, Daddy. She’s my new friend from next door.” Alexia said, gripping her hand.

The large man bent down and Shannon smelt smoke on his breath. His eyes were the same gold as Alexia’s, only duller and they scanned her up and down. “Hm, you’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you?”

“Th…thank you.” Shannon mumbled, always taught to respond when an adult spoke.

Alexia seemed to be frozen beside her and Shannon wished she wouldn’t squeeze her hand so tight.

The hairy man stood up, placed a hand on Alexia’s head and walked off.

Once he did, she let out a breath and let go of Shannon’s hand which, began to sting from her grasp. “I think you better go now. Daddy doesn’t like it when I’m late for dinner.”

Shannon nodded and started to leave, before Alexia called out. “Will we still be friends tomorrow?”

Shannon turned around and hugged her. “Tomorrow and forever too!”

The wind twisted through the trees, causing the now grown Shannon’s hair to dance in her face as she swung a little higher.

She remembered how frightened Alexia looked whenever her father came around, but back then, Shannon had no idea how much danger she was in whenever she went to their house.

It wasn’t until a year later that she realized just how dangerous a stranger can be….

School started and Shannon loved every minute of it. Especially the classes where her best friend, Alexia, got to sit next to her. First grade was a blast when she got to pass notes to her and giggle through recess.

But one day, Alexia didn’t come to school. Shannon wondered if she was sick or had hurt herself, so as quickly as she got off the bus, she grabbed her bike and rode down the road, so she wouldn’t have to climb under the fence.

Alexia’s dark house creaked all the time and Shannon felt like it was groaning whenever the wind made it cold. She didn’t like it.

She was about to knock on the door, when she heard a quiet. “Don’t knock, Daddy is taking a nap.”

The voice surprised her, as she turned her head and took in the figure sitting in a white dress, against the oak tree trunk, with her legs curled up.

Shannon jumped off the porch and ran over to her. “Alexia, why didn’t you come to school today? Are you all right?”

Alexia curled her legs closer to herself and looked away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Shannon’s green eyes turned down and she tried to figure out what could be so awful. It was then she noticed the stream of red coming out of the bottom of Alexia’s dress.

“What’s that?! You’re bleeding!” She yelled, as Alexia buried her head in her hands. “I said don’t want to talk about it.”

“But we’re best friends, we talk about everything.”

She placed a hand on Alexia’s shoulder. When she did, she was surprised when Alexia suddenly threw her arms around her friend’s neck and held on tight. “I don’t want to talk about it! Please don’t make me talk about it!”

Shannon tried to remember what her mother would do when she was upset. She rubbed her friend’s back and sang softly. “God will make a way, when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side. With love and strength for each new day. He will make a way. He will make a way.”

Alexia cried for a long time and Shannon continued to sing to her. When she felt her leg go numb from sitting on it and her shoulder was wet with her friend’s tears, Alexia pulled back, her voice deadly serious. “You have to promise you won’t tell anybody. Promise me, Shannon?”

Shannon looked down and bit her lip. “Mama says keeping secrets is kind of like lying.”

Alexia grabbed her hands and wrapped her pinky around Shannon’s. “Pinky swear you won’t tell anybody! If you are my friend, you won’t.”

If it was so serious that it came to losing her friend, what could Shannon do? She twisted her pinky and nodded. “Ok.”

“Alexia! You get your ass in here! Now!” The angry voice made both girls jump, as the bear-like man shot through the door and saw the two little girls holding each other.

Alexia stood and placed Shannon behind her.

“Well look who’s come to visit! How was your day, Shannon?” He bent down and Shannon smelt something bitter on his breath.

He lost his balance, as he placed his hands on his knees to look Shannon over. She peeked out from behind Alexia. “It was fine, sir.”

“Now I told you, you can call me Uncle Todd. None of this ‘sir’ stuff.”

Shannon nodded and didn’t miss how Alexia shook under her grasp. Todd looked at Alexia with blurry eyes and noticed the blood that was still dripping down her legs.

His red eyes turned to Shannon. “Alexia hurt herself, didn’t you baby? She fell down. Why don’t you kiss her and make her feel better, Shannon?”

The request didn’t sound right when Todd said it and Shannon didn’t like the look he was giving her, as she twisted and kissed Alexia’s cheek.

“Now that’s real nice. Why don’t you kiss her like your mommy kisses your daddy? Hmm? That’s what real friends do.”

He shuffled around on his knees and Shannon looked to Alexia, who was stiff with fear. Something felt very wrong.

Shannon looked down. “I’m sorry, Uncle Todd, but I have to go home now.”

“Now that’s not polite Shannon. I told you to do something.” He slurred, as Shannon started to back up, taking Alexia’s hand. “My mama’s expecting me. I have to go home.”

He looked to her hand clutched around his daughter’s. “And where do you think Alexia is going? She has some special time with Daddy planned. You could always play too, if you wanted.”

Shannon started to feel very uneasy. Without thinking, she grabbed Alexia’s hand and sprinted down the road.

Todd roared. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?! Get back here!!”

He chased the two terrified girls down the road.

Shannon panicked and sprinted as hard as she could. Alexia followed behind, still numb with fear and shock, especially when they could hear Todd’s heavy steps gaining on them.

Shannon prayed harder than she ever had in her life. She prayed and prayed and suddenly, with the appearance of the red truck her father drove, her prayers were answered.

“Daddy! Daddy help!!” Shannon screamed.

Michael O’Ryan heard his daughter’s cries from his lowered window and leapt out of the truck, with Carl jumping out of the passenger side.

Carl was about fifteen at the time and from the look of terror on his sister’s face, he knew something terrible had happened.

Shannon ran to her father’s embrace, taking Alexia with her. He bent down. “Girls, girls! What happened? What’s wrong?”

“Alexia’s daddy is chasing us. He wants to hurt us!” Shannon bawled, as Alexia looked to the ground. Michael stood up when Todd came stumbling around the corner. He placed both girls behind him and Carl stood by his father. “You’re drunk, Todd.”

“And you got my daughter.” He slurred.

Michael cracked his knuckles. “Mind telling me why my little girl is crying and saying you’re trying to hurt them?”

Todd straightened out and shrugged. “I wasn’t doing nothing. I jumped out and scared them. They just got scared, that’s all.”

Shannon pulled on Carl’s hand and whispered. “Alexia is bleeding.”

Carl turned his eyes, which looked so much like their father’s, to the dark-haired girl. “Dad, you might want to see this.”

Michael glanced down at the stream of blood that stained the little girl’s dress where her hips were, as a horrible realization came across his face. “Carl, take the girls and call the police.”

Shannon closed her eyes at the memory of the drunken man, who threatened her so long ago. How could she have known the wickedness in his heart? That every time she came over to play with Alexia, his eyes were always on them?

It made a shiver run through her, as she pushed off the swing once more. Her brother called the police and Todd was arrested, leaving Alexia in the care of a foster family.

Unfortunately for all of them, the small town had many ears and news quickly spread.

Alexia’s new family was swarmed with various cakes and pies, in an attempt to distract her from the horrible experiences a small girl should have never known. Though these acts were done in kindness, to Alexia, every knock at the door was another reminder that people knew what had happened to her.

One day Shannon came to visit Alexia at her new house, but the welcome she received was a far cry from the happy face she remembered. Alexia stood at the screen door and closed it behind her as Shannon smiled. “Hi Alexia! Guess what? Mama says you can come over and spend the night if you want. My birthday is coming up and you can stay the entire weekend! We will play games and eat pizza and…”

When the slap struck her face, Shannon stumbled back and looked to the little girl who so resembled her best friend. Alexia’s golden eyes blazed. She closed her hand into a fist. “I don’t ever want to talk to you again.”

“But, but Alexia….what’s wrong? What did I do?” Shannon stuttered, as her pale cheek turned a bright red.

The wind caught Alexia’s dark hair. “You broke your promise. You swore you would never tell anyone. Now my daddy is in jail and the whole town knows! You lied to me!”

“I had no choice! I had to tell my dad or yours would have hurt me. I had to do it!” Shannon cried as Alexia turned around. “Only one of us is hurt here and that’s me. You aren’t my friend anymore.”

Putting her foot down to stop the momentum of her swing ride, Shannon sighed and slid off the plastic seat.

Alexia never forgave her for the rest of their lives and when they entered middle school, she found the only way to make her feel better, was to torture Shannon every chance she got.

Whether it was writing slurs on her locker, or telling a boy Shannon liked that she was crazy, Alexia found no ways to end the torment.

After a while, Shannon found it hard to forgive her and mutual hatred filled her heart against the girl who was once her best friend.

Now that viper was in her sanctuary of music and had her eyes set on the object of her obsession. What would happen if Alexia found out exactly how Shannon felt about Mr. Thompson?

She unlocked her car and drove home, thinking about all the different ways Alexia could ruin her life with this crucial piece of information.