Imogen and Janie graciously assist me in packing my bag, ensuring I have everything I need. Among my belongings, I make sure to include my cherished pink bunny pyjamas, which give me a source of comfort and fun memories of all the past girl’s nights. Just as I'm about to close and secure the French doors leading to my balcony, a figure emerges from the shadows in a flash, causing me to shriek and stumble backward.
‘I’m so sorry, Rose. I did not mean to scare you,’ Xander says apologetically as he steps towards me, visibly trembling on the floor. I give him an annoyed look and head into my ensuite to collect my hairbrush and essentials. When I return to the room, Janie hands Xander my phone, showing him the text message from Xander.
He looks from the phone and stares at me, ‘You broke up with Brad?’ he asks.
'Yes,’ I reply, 'but as you just read, he refuses to accept it and intends to come after me.'
Xander's eyes narrow, and his eyebrows furrow. 'Why does he plan on punishing you? What happened at Neilson's house?'
In a calm tone, I recount the events to Xander. Imogen and Janie also listen to hear the full story. 'We were at the party, enjoying ourselves and dancing, when Brad's friends entered the room,' I explain. 'Suddenly, Brad forcefully kissed me, attempting to show his friends I belonged to him. It caused me immense pain, so I instinctively bit his lip. The room erupted in laughter as Brad wiped the blood from his mouth. Enraged, he gripped my wrist tightly, leaving bruises that faded within minutes after he dragged me into another room. He yelled at me and proceeded to punch a hole through the door. Imogen witnessed the ordeal, seeing how Brad pinned me against the door.'
Angry at the mention of the bruises on my wrist, Xander asks, 'He hurt you before? This isn't the first time?'
Regretfully, I nod. 'Brad had hurt me before when he kissed me forcefully on a previous occasion. I pushed him away to stop the pain, but he retaliated by shoving me into his locker, causing further harm to my wrist when no one was around to witness it.'
Feeling an overwhelming sense of shame, tears streamed down my face as I clutched myself tightly. Janie approaches, offering comfort and reassurance. 'It's over now. It's going to be okay,' she says soothingly.
'No, Janie, it's not,' I sob. 'I lied to you. When you called me, afraid I might be in trouble, Brad warned me not to answer my phone. Against his wishes, I answered anyway. Realising he was about to discover my tail. I used the call as an excuse to distance myself from him. Brad became furious when I wanted to respond to your call. He forcefully took my phone and threw it away, then cornered me against a tree, causing scrapes across my back. In his rage, he punched the tree, intending to intimidate me, but he ended up grazing his knuckles. He shifted the blame onto me, making me believe that I was a terrible girlfriend.’
As I pour out my painful confession, I cry into my hands, overwhelmed by the weight of the deception and cruelty, I had gone through and the heartbreak I'm feeling.
‘I’m going to kill him!’ Janie says angrily and swings my French doors open, ready to cast a spell and descend to the ground. However, Xander swiftly intervenes, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back.
‘You are not going to kill anyone, Janie. As much as we all want him gone, there’s a protocol you need to follow in this world, and I won’t have you imprisoned. We can go with Rose and report him to the police and the headmistress,’ he says.
‘The police aren’t going to arrest him when my injuries healed so quickly from my werewolf abilities. They will think I’m lying. The headmistress too,’ I tell Xander.
Xander, seeking alternatives, asked, 'So, what other options do we have?'
I wipe the tears from my face, collecting myself. I take a deep breath and reply, 'Maybe some distance will help. We're already planning to go to Felderia. He might have lost interest in me when we return to the academy. If he tries anything, we can address it with the headmistress and hope she can help resolve it.
Realising our limited choices, Janie reluctantly agrees, 'I guess that's the only alternative we have for now.'
I nod, turning to Imogen for her opinion. Imogen meets my gaze, 'We have your back, Rose. We'll do everything we can to ensure you're never alone at the academy, so he won't have the opportunity to harm you.'
‘If you have everything you need in your bag, we should get going and drive to Grammy’s old house,’ Janie says.
Imogen raises her hand, ‘I didn’t pack any pyjamas or spare clothes,’ she says with a nervous laugh.
‘It’s fine, Imogen, you can take some of mine,’ I say to her and point to a draw.
‘Thanks!’ she says, grabbing herself a set.
‘Our clothes for Felderia are already at Grammy’s as well. I took them with me earlier,’ Janie says to us.
‘I’ll meet you all in the car. I’m going to leave a note on my parent’s bedside table,’ I tell them.
They nod, walk downstairs and out the front door whilst I walk past the kitchen to my parent’s room. I knock and slowly open her door. She’s sound asleep, hugging a pillow the same way I do. Now I know where I get it from. My smile fades as I see my father’s side of the bed is still made. My heart sinks as I know he’s with another woman. Mother hasn’t said anything to me about it. Surely my father would have told her by now that he’s having an affair. I gaze at my mother’s beautiful face. She has been the most devoted mother and wife. I’m struggling to understand why my father would betray her like this. I kiss her cheek and place a note on her bedside table, reminding her I’ll be with Janie at her Grammy’s old house. I grab the pen and add an extra message at the bottom. ‘P.S. I love you so much, Mum.’