Juliette chest tightened at the suggestion of Tristan, panic that one of these women might try going after him, and was confused they knew who he was.
"Kai's too tall.” April studied a nail, “and Aaron's a prick. I wonder about Tristan. He's hot, he's got money, and if the rumors are even half true, I might go for him. Hey, Julie, you haven't said much. What do you think?"
Juliette ran through excuses as quick. "No! Nathaniel doesn't like him. He, um, looked at me wrong, and Nathaniel hates him for it."
"He lets Daniel grope all over you." April raised a perfectly-plucked eyebrow. "Why would someone else looking at you get him in a tizzy?"
Halley leaned toward her. "Julie, are you thinking about, uh, trading in on Nate? You already won getting him."
She shook her head. "No trades. Nathaniel just hates him, and if they were in the same room, there'd probably be a fight."
Halley snorted. "Geez, they need to quit acting like animals."
April shrugged. "So Tristan's out. All right, Julie?"
"Thanks. It'll be better for everyone." Especially me.
"Oh! I know!" April started bouncing in her seat. "There's the Greek guy, Andreas! I'll ask him."
Libby walked in and stopped. Her jaw dropped. Juliette didn't hesitate to get up. "I'll be right back!"
She hobbled over to Libby, who had narrowed her eyes.
"Is this why you cut me out?" Acid laced Libby’s whisper.
Juliette shook her head. "Nathaniel found out everything, and he won't let me have contact with you, Tristan, or anyone else he doesn't approve of. I’m not even allowed out of the house without supervision."
Libby glanced over at the two women still chatting about the event. "Why are they okay to be around you?"
"Members of what they all call 'the club.' They also blab and will tell Nathaniel if I talk to a male cashier."
"Why do you put up with this?" she hissed.
Juliette stood silent, unable to come up with a reason.
"You don't even have an answer anymore, do you?"
Her blue eyes cast down, she whispered, "Not really."
Libby shook her head and pulled a battered folded piece of paper out of her pocket and tucked it into Juliette's hand. "A note Tristan gave Alex to give me to give to you. I've been hoping to see you one of these days."
"What's Alex up to?" She was easier to ask about than Tristan.
"Seeing someone. She's fine. Look, call me when you're ready to make a run for it. As far as I'm concerned, you're still like a sister, and I have your back. Some things won’t change."
"Thanks, Lib," Juliette said, her voice catching in her throat. "That means a lot."
Libby opened her mouth to say more, but vigorously shook her head instead. "I'll get my nails done somewhere else. Please call me."
"I'll try."
"Julie!" April called.
Juliette backed away from Libby. "I have to go." She bit her lip to hold back tears, and turned toward April and Halley, to rejoin a world she wanted no part of.
* * *
Music blasted out of the surround sound system. Dozens of bodies danced and gyrated, many on the floor, some on tables and chairs. Other attendants were swimming. Nathaniel's first house party of the summer had started, and his only intelligent decision was hiring a lifeguard for the event. Alcohol flowed freely with no restrictions on age or regard for any laws. Partiers dropped red plastic cups and abandoned them without care. It didn't take much effort to find a couple doing things better kept for behind closed doors.
A game of beer pong was underway near the pool, with drunken soccer going on in the yard. Thousands of twinkle lights illuminated the grass, but the thick leaves on the bushes and low trees afforded much privacy. The black panther had been long forgotten.
The party was an orgy of self-indulgence. Beer, sex, rock and roll. Juliette was relieved to not have seen any hard drugs, but she didn't doubt some were present.
She stepped over a soiled condom and yet another pair of panties, trying not to roll her eyes. She couldn't believe how many people had participated in the swinging game. Over a dozen girls had dropped their underwear into a pillow case, and the boys who won a lottery each grabbed a random pair. She didn't bother finding out which thong Nathaniel had pulled.
The big black garbage bag she'd carried had quickly filled with trash she'd picked up. She tied the top shut and set it by the back door.
A pair of large arms folded around her waist from behind and a drunken man slobbered on her neck. She cringed.
Nathaniel licked her ear. His hair was disheveled and he smelled of sweat and cheap perfume. "Whachoo say you show me what you and Tris'an did." His putrid breath washed over her face. He kissed her cheek.
Juliette struggled out of his hold. "We did nothing, Nathaniel. I wish you'd understand. We didn’t do a single thing." She dropped the second garbage bag she'd been filling and fled upstairs.
A rubber band around the handle of her bedroom door signaled someone inside. "Oh no." She opened it, and a young man and two women were in various states of undress.
"Do you want to join?" he slurred.
Her jaw dropped.
"Then do you mind?" a drunken woman said.
"This is my bedroom. Get the hell out." She grabbed bits and pieces of clothing items and threw them at the sweaty bodies.
"Hey, you're ruining the buzz," the man protested.
She slid the window open and tossed a couple shoes outside. "I don't care. You're in my room. Get. Out."
The three stared angrily.
"Out!" She pointed to the door. "Out. Now!"
The half-naked trio struggled to stay upright as they hurried to the bright hallway. Outside a few other guests hooted words of admiration for the man who'd just had two women at once. A thong was still on the floor. She gingerly grabbed the side with two fingers and dropped it over the banister to the revelers below. "Look what I got!" someone excitedly shouted.
The thumping of the music reverberated in the walls. Anything requiring any focus wasn't possible. She leaned back against her headboard and threw an arm over her eyes. "Why the hell am I staying in all of this?" she yelled, hardly able to hear herself. She got up and found her purse under the bed, and pulled out Tristan's note and the ring. She slipped the trinket onto a left finger and smiled. For a reason she couldn’t place, it reminded her of her friend and brought her comfort. Gently she unfolded the paper in her lap.
Something's been missing from my life since you had to leave.
She ran her fingers over the bittersweet words.
No matter what happens, you're always going to have a place in my heart. I'm still your friend.
Juliette read these sentiments several times. "‘Always’ is a long time when you don't get to see someone."
My sincerest desire is for you to be happy.
"Oh, Tristan. I wish I could be too." She glanced at the ring, and her eyes opened wide. A quiet laugh escaped from her lips. “The fleurs de lys are French!”
She'd just refolded the note and stuck it with the ring back in her purse when the music abruptly ended. Concerned that something had happened, she ran to the hall. From the top of the stairs, she saw cops at the door. She went down and pushed her way through the mass of people gawking at the officers. Nathaniel was trying to charm them with a sloppy grin.
"Excuse me," Juliette said with a sigh, "can I help you?" Static from an intercom on the taller cop's shoulder startled her.
"I'm Officer Qualls,” he told her,” and this is Officer Reed. We just got a call about the noise. At this hour the volume violates the residential ordinance."
"What’s your name? Is there any underage drinking going on?" the shorter blonde cop asked. The woman pursed her lips, as she peered into the living room.
"Juliette St. Claire, and no, Ma'am," Juliette lied. "I'm the only underage person in the house, but I live here, and I'm not drinking. I don't even like beer. You can give me a breathalyzer if yo
u want."
Officer Qualls stepped aside, speaking into his intercom.
"That won't be necessary," Officer Reed told her. "But-"
The man tapped his partner’s arm and muttered something about a code in a different part of town.
Officer Reed pulled a card from her pocket. "We have to take off, another call just came in. Miss St. Claire, if you need anything, give this number a call. Keep the volume down. If we have to come back here tonight, arrests will be made."
"I understand. Have a good night."
Juliette closed the door and turned to Nathaniel. She spoke slowly like a mother to a child who didn't want to listen. "This party needs to settle down. They will arrest you, Nathaniel, which means no more parties."
"Aww right. Lis'en up, ev'r'body, shindig over, git out!"
Loud boos rang around them.
"I'll call cabs for anyone who needs them!" Juliette shouted.
About half the partygoers decided to drive themselves, and Juliette crossed her fingers hoping for no accidents. Within another hour, taxis had picked up the rest of the guests to take them home. She leaned against a wall and took in the scene. Trash littered every available surface, and a couple dark, wet spots on the rug appeared to be beer vomit.
She trudged her way upstairs and back to her bedroom. The door was ajar, and Daniel was passed out on her bed. A hand in his pants moved slowly. "Gross," she whispered, cringing. There would be no sleeping in her room that night.
Juliette found the box of black garbage bags and shook one open to collect refuse. The cups and paper plates, remnants of pizza and empty beer cans filled nearly three of them. She set trash with the earlier ones. A couple of girls who appeared to be lovers were passed out on the side of the house together near the trashcans, but she left them alone. They were in no danger.
Nathaniel honked and snored on the couch. The light Juliette turned off jarred him awake. "Why aren't you a’sleeping?"
Juliette crossed her arms and lifted her face. "Daniel fell asleep in my bed, so I was cleaning up. The housekeeper quit this morning, remember? There’s a lot to do." Her brow furrowed as she tried to forget the superstitious woman’s warnings.
"Be nice to him, Julie. He likes you."
"You’re my boyfriend. You're not supposed to put up with what he does to me, especially from your own friends."
"He's my main woofie. You be a good girl, you hear me? You better be…" He leaned his head back and passed out again.
Juliette couldn't sleep in her bed, wouldn't go to Nathaniel's bedroom, and had found a large vomit puddle in the guest room. With Nathaniel on the couch, she had nowhere to lie down. So she pulled a chair up to the kitchen table and laid her head on her arms, wishing she was with Tristan, or Libby, anywhere but where she sat. Maybe I'll go soon….
* * *
Nathaniel cracked open another beer and took a big swig. He nursed his hangover headache from the night before with more alcohol. Juliette sat on the floor, mindlessly watching the TV screen as Nathaniel and Daniel drunkenly conspired to take down the enemy troop in one of the video games that was nearly identical to so many others they had. She tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling she'd had all day, an unsettling sense of foreboding. It had been weeks since Nathaniel last raised a hand to her, when he'd choked her and forbade her from seeing Tristan anymore.
The dog days of summer had set in, each day the same as the one before, without classes to break up the monotony, and no job Nathaniel had to work thanks to his trust fund paying the bills. The housekeeper’s sudden resignation with a parting warning to her merely meant more housework for Juliette, but it had filled her time. Aside from letting his best friend grope her and make passes at her, he'd been almost nice to her. She managed to convince herself that her ominous feeling was nothing more than not being used to a full week passing without a hand hitting her, and the habitual expectation of a fist.
"Do either of you want another beer or anything?" she asked, catering to their mostly good will.
Daniel let out a long, low burp, burping as far into the alphabet as he could, reaching S.
"You owe me five dollars for not getting me Z," Nathaniel laughed. "Beers, Julie, and get us more pizza."
Wrinkling her nose at their choice of body function entertainment, she stood to head to the kitchen. As she passed Daniel, he reached out to slap her bottom.
"I'll tap that," he sneered at her, wiggling his eyebrows.
She looked over at Nathaniel, who smirked instead of defending her.
"Like hell you will," she told Daniel, hoping he'd take her self-defense seriously. She rushed to the oven to get away.
Over the sounds of the creaking door as she pulled out a few slices of the warming leftover pizza, she caught sporadic words of their conversation.
"…Fifty grand…her…"
"…hundred…first time…rare…"
"…pimpin'…lucky…"
Juliette’s stomach churned while she tossed the slices on a couple plates, covered them with napkins, and set a cold beer on each. She balanced the cans as she took the food to the living room, setting a dish by the players.
"Hey, kitten, think I can make you purr?" Daniel asked.
"Think I can change your religion with my knee?"
"How come you didn't tell me she's a little spitfire, Nate? That's a grand off."
Nathaniel laughed. "No, it's a bonus. Grand up."
Juliette, not appreciating being the subject in their bantering, headed to the staircase. "I'm going to read. I'll see you in the morning."
She shivered stepping up the stairs, repulsed that they didn't even wait until she was out of earshot before becoming more explicit in their jokes. She had no desire to hear what Daniel wanted to do to her, and was angry that Nathaniel allowed the discussion. But it had been several weeks. Denying to herself the growing feeling of impending danger, she curled up on her bed with a book and read until the sun had set and someone knocked.
9. Escape
The door swung open. Juliette's head snapped up from the page she was reading. Nathaniel and Daniel stood drunk and menacingly in the doorway.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, my pet. It's just the night I've been telling you about," Nathaniel said nonchalantly, his words slurring slightly.
"What do you mean?" Her stomach churned.
Nathaniel raised his eyebrows and backed out of the room, closing the door between Daniel and himself.
"Daniel, why are you up here? In my bedroom?"
Slowly, Daniel took several, measured steps toward her. He lifted her by her arms and pushed her back onto the bed as if he owned her. "Lay down."
"Daniel! No!"
His hands grabbed at her clothing. Realization slammed into her, and she knew exactly what was about to happen. He tore her blouse. The touch of his palms on her bare skin made her stomach turn. Every muscle in her body tensed against him.
"No!" Juliette tried in vain to close the torn edges.
Daniel shoved her down and crumpled up her skirt, ripped her panties off, and jammed a few fingers roughly into her as far as he could.
"No! NO! Stop!" She pushed his face with one fist and grabbed his crotch hard with her other, twisting and pulling, her fingernails digging in.
The injured man yelped and jumped off her, slightly bent over. Frightened, she took the chance she had to kick between his legs. He whimpered and yelled out an expletive.
Nathaniel burst into the room and observed the scene. "Daniel, out for a minute." A vein in his forehead throbbed as he waited for his friend to stagger out the door.
Juliette violently trembled, her eyes wide and her legs closed tight. The hands were gone, but they still seemed to touch her in ways she hadn’t touched herself. Breaths came in short gasps.
The Menace stared at her and his hand lashed out to backhand her across the face. He grabbed the front of her torn blouse and pulled her up, slapping her again, harder than the first time, and hit the side
of her head her with his wrist. Without pause, he threw her against the wall, and she sank to the floor, choking back sobs. The front of his steel-toed boot made contact with her stomach, and again with her ribs. Juliette doubled over, gasping in pain.
"I told you I had something planned for you. You knew this was coming."
"Why this, Nathaniel? How could you do this?"
"College virgin girls are rare, and he bid the most.”
“I’m 18! That’s usually high sch--”
“You’re an adult, fair meat. You are going to do everything he tells you to, or I'll make you regret it. You don't even want to know what I'll shove up in you. If Dan's not okay, you'll find out."
Juliette stared the door as it closed behind him, and stood, barely trusting her legs to hold her up. She stumbled to the window and opened it. At least fifteen feet separated her from the ground. But the tile roof of the first floor led to a rain gutter drain at the corner of the house. If she reached the pipe… Wasting no time to find and put on shoes, grabbing only her purse and slinging the strap diagonally across her body, she climbed out.
The tiles were slicker than they appeared, and the angle steeper. Certain she’d fall if she looked toward the patio, Juliette kept her face up and crawled as fast as she dared. Still several feet from her first goal, her knee slipped and she scraped it against the edge of a tile, peeling the skin away, but continued on across the roof. At the corner, she lowered her feet over the side, cursing the extremely high ceilings in the bottom floor of the house. With her entire lower body dangling, she pushed, successfully holding onto the gutter. She edged to the drain, and let go with one hand. Her foot found a brace that held the steel tube to the building, and used the strap to hold herself up until she took the metal with both hands. With a deep breath, she stepped off the bracket.
She slid down fast, skinning her palms raw, and hit the ground quicker than she expected. Though her knees were bent, landing on the concrete jarred her body and she fell hard on her tailbone. For a single second that seemed like an eternity, she stared at the stars overhead. Hastily she scrambled up and darted toward the road. She didn't know where to go and picked a random direction to run. From above her, Nathaniel swore loudly out the window. She ran as fast as her wobbling legs carried her without a backward glance. A vibration in her purse stopped her, and she rifled through it.