Adelyn
It's been a few days since talking to Mark.
I'm currently almost at my parents house, I'm back in town for Renee's graduation.
I park in the driveway and turn off my car. I grab my things from the backseat and walk inside. I open the front door that's already unlocked.
"Mom?" I call laying my things on the stairs.
"Addy!" She smiles walking around the corner. "Hi!" I smile as she pulls me into a hug. "How was the drive?" She asks.
"Quick, actually."
"That's good." She smiles.
"Hey, do you have some time to go outside and talk?" I question.
"Really?" She questions. I nod my head.
I don't think my Mom and I have ever just talked.
"Of course, let's go." She agrees.
We walk through the house and out the back door. We sit on the outdoor furniture facing the beach that's only a few feet away.
"I know that we never really talked about anything. With everything that happened with Rob, I think that we should talk about it." I say honestly.
Mom nods agreeing.
"I want you to understand that never would I ever blame you in anyway for what happened. You hadn't been happy for a long time, when you found David- I was glad to see that happening for you." I explain squeezing her hand.
I can still see the guilt written on her face. "I should have noticed, Adelyn."
I shake my head. "Yes, you should have." I agree. "But so many others should have too. I should have spoken up as soon as it happened, but I didn't. There is so many should haves or could haves- we can't dwell on it."
She nods. "It's just- it makes me feel so horrible everything you would have went through and I don't even know what happened." She whispers.
I look down. "Mom. I wish I could tell you, but you'd never look at me the same. I never wanted people to find out because they'd treat me as fragile or send me pity stares. I've worked so hard to find myself, a new version. I finally have it and I don't want to give that up."
"But Adelyn, I'm your Mother. For my own sanity I feel I need to know what happened, otherwise all possibilities spin around in my head."
I sigh and look down at my hands. "He drugged me, he raped me, he abused me, he manipulated me. He was an alcoholic, a drug addict." I whisper. "He kept me from food, water, a bed."
//
"Ready, Lynny?" Dad asks poking his head into my room. "Yep, I'll be done in a minute." I explain and he walks away.
I look at myself in the mirror. I had decided on a navy blue dress with large flowers partnered all over it. It actually looked elegant. I paired it with nude heels, and my hair was out straight.
I lay my purse over my shoulder and walk downstairs. "They're waiting in the car." Axel tells me. I nod. "Let's go."
We walk outside and slip into the backseat.
The drive to the school wasn't very far. It definitely brings back some memories though, some good- most bad.
I use to have to walk to school in the rain, heat, sometimes I hadn't eaten, most of the time I hadn't slept, and most of the time I had been drugged.
"Adelyn." Axel nudges me.
I snap back into reality and realise we're already here. "Oh." I mumble before getting out of the car. Nate and Lily walk over to us, hand in hand.
Renee looked beautiful. She was wearing a black dress that matched the shiny blue cap and gown so wonderfully.
My family and I begin walk towards the entrance.
"It won't start for another fifty minutes." Mom says. "Is there anywhere you want to go?" Dad asks Renee.
I look around and spot Isabelle only a few feet away. She clearly hasn't noticed me yet, she stands talking with her family, laughing about something.
Suddenly, I get the urge to throw up.
I place a hand on my stomach, trying to hold back.
"Renee! That dress is gorgeous!" Sadie exclaims walking over. "Omg so is yours!" Renee smiles giving her a hug.
I try to swallow but it makes it worse.
"Adelyn." Ethan frowns looking over at me. I notice him here with Olivia and Mark.
"Adelyn, what's wrong?" Lily asks placing a hand on my back.
I look over and see Isabelle still hasn't notice me.
That's when it happens.
I rush over to the trash and I throw up in it everywhere. I hear my families concerned voices behind me.
Someone holds my hair back and as I finish I rest over the trash can just encase. A couple seconds pass before I look up and face my family.
Lily was the only holding my hair, Ethan stands beside me holding my hand supportively.
"Are you pregnant or something?" Lily says way too loudly.
I look over and sure enough Isabelle was looking directly at us. We make eye contact. I swallow the lump in my throat before vomiting in the trash again.
It takes a good thirty minutes for me to feel ok again. It consisted of Lily and Ethan making me chug water and eat way too many crackers from the venting machine.
Finally, I feel well enough to enter the auditorium. Lily finds our family relatively close to the front of the audience. Surprisingly, Mark and Olivia sit relatively close to them as well. We ended up sitting like;
David, Margret, Axel, Lily, Nate, Me, Ethan, Olivia, Mark.
"Is it true, are you really pregnant?" Nate teases with a smirk. "Of course not." I whisper. Nate raises an eyebrow. "Well- I don't think so." I add.
"I'm gonna be an uncle." He smiles. "I swear to god you better shut the fuck up." I whisper yell in his ear.
Nathan laughs and Lily nudges him. "Leave her alone," She says- just as I'm about to thank her she continues her sentence. "Her hormone levels will be crazy right now, pregnancy will do that to you." Lily teases.
Nathan laughs and they high-five.
I roll my eyes and sit back in my chair.
"Is it actually possible? Can you be pregnant?" Ethan whispers beside me.
I turn to him. "Clearly it's possible." I mumble.
The graduation begins as the principal speaks into the microphone.
"Can you believe it's already been four years since we stood up there?" Ethan whispers.
I shake my head. "It feels like yesterday."
"Renee Sophia Daniels." He calls.
My whole family and Ethan's family clap and cheer for Renee as she walks across the stage. She kind hide her smile as she shakes hands with the teachers before walking off the stage.
We clap for everyone but make sure to do it a little louder for 'Sadie April Orlando' and 'Thomas Jamie Swanson'.
After the speeches have finished we all begin to fizzle out. I notice Isabelle talking with her brother.
"I'm going to congratulate Thomas." I tell Ethan.
"Ok." He agrees and I walk over to them.
"Hey Thomas, congratulations!" I exclaim before leaning in for a hug. He hugs me back. "Thanks Adelyn." I pull away.
"It feels like it was me and you just yesterday." I say turning to Isabelle. She nods with a teeny tiny smile on her face. "Anyway, I just wanted to say congratulations. Have fun partying tonight but be safe at the same time."
Thomas laughs and nods before I walk back to the group.
"You ok?" Ethan asks as I appear beside him. "Mhm." I mumble. "Congrats, Ren!" I exclaim pulling my sister into a hug. "Thanks Addy!" Renee exclaims. "I graduated and became an Aunt in the same day." She whispers in my ear.
I laugh as I pull away. "No, you certainly didn't."
I look over and see my Mom and Dad talking to Mark, laughing at something.
"Woah." I mutter. "Woah, is right." Ethan chuckles.
"Adelyn."
I turn around and notice Isabelle. She looks kind of confused, maybe lost.
"Hey." I say. "Can we talk?" Isabelle asks.
The corner of my lips rise slightly. "Sure." I agree.
Isabelle gives Renee a hug before we walk out of the auditorium. We begin walking out towards the football field. "In the letter you left, you said you wanted to explain everything to me." Isabelle says softly.
I nod my head.
"If that's still what'd you like to do, I'll listen." Isabelle says. "Ok." I agree.
"Um, do you remember how I moved from my Mom's house to my Dad's full time?" I ask as we begin walking over to the bleachers.
Isabelle nods looking down at the field.
"Well, my life completely changed- from that moment." I admit as we sit on the bleachers.
"What do you mean?" Isabelle asks.
I take a deep breath. "Rob, lost his job about a month after I moved in. After that I had to cook for him but if it was burnt or he didn't like it, he would hit me."
Isabelle gasps clearly shocked. "Adelyn- I."
I shake my head. "Before you react, just let me get the whole story out."
"Ok." Isabelle agrees.
"He started out hitting me, because he was drinking- that's what I blamed it on. Then he had these older creepy men over and that's when he started doing drugs." I swallow the lump in my throat. "He was still hitting me but then I noticed it had gotten worse. He started drugging my food, or water, and that would make me sleep. So while I slept he would touch me and rape me." I muster out while tears water my eyes.
I don't look at Isabelle, I don't think I could bare to see her face.
"I started getting immune to the drugs that they wouldn't put me to sleep anymore, so if he knew I woke up I'd get in trouble and it would make everything so much worse. So, I had to pretend to be asleep." I say so quietly. "Two years into this, Rob and I were out at a gas station. Ethan and his Dad were there." I explain.
"Mark knew the signs, Rob was pushing me around- I was hiding under my clothes and I was crying every time Rob would get close to me. Mark called the cops, I got sent to hospital and Rob to jail."
"A few weeks later," I feel more tears fall from my eye as I play with the bracelet on my wrist. "I had decided I was going to kill myself."
I let that sink in for Isabelle for just a second before I move on. I continue to stare down at my hands. "But Ethan showed up and stopped me." I whisper.
"For months after that day I would harm myself every so often and Ethan would be there to pick up the pieces. He would clean me up, help me go to sleep, make sure I'd ate or showered." I explain. "Through all of that, Ethan and I, we found a way to love each other."
"We never said it to each other, but we knew that we did. By the time Ethan and I realised we would use each other for sex or manipulate each other if we wanted something, his Mom died and he needed me." I say softly. "Ethan and I'd toxic relationship went on up until a few days before graduation. Where we obviously had decided that it had to be the end."
"After graduation, we hadn't seen each other until-"
"The club." Isabelle says softly.
I nod my head. I wipe the tears from my eyes. "Isabelle, I'm so- so sorry that I hurt you. I never ever wanted that to happen."
Isabelle nods her head. "I'm so sorry I never realised what was going on. I wish I had have been a better friend, that you could have came to." She explains. "I know that I was selfish, and spoilt. I'm sorry that I was."
"I'm sorry that I betrayed you, Isabelle." I whisper. "I wish that everything happened another way."
"You and Ethan, you guys are together right?" Isabelle asks.
I nod my head softly. "Yes." I say. "I'm sorry that-"
"Adelyn," Isabelle says. "Ethan and I weren't meant to be. I wish I had realised that sooner. You and Ethan, you're clearly meant to be. The way he looks at you, he never looked at me that way."
"What do you mean?"
"He looks at you like you're the only two people in the room." Isabelle smiles small.
I can't hide my smile as the words leave her mouth.
That's all I've ever wanted.
"But tell me, are you actually pregnant?" She asks with a small laugh. I laugh as well. "I don't think so."
Isabelle nods with a laugh.
"Isabelle," I say softly.
She looks up at me.
"I'm sorry I betrayed our friendship."
Isabelle nods her head slightly. "I think you and I- our friendship was toxic."
I nod agreeing. "We lied."
"We manipulated."
I whisper, "But we still loved each other."
"And counted on each other." Isabelle whispers.
I swallow the lump in my throat. "So, I guess that's it." I say feeling my eye sting.
Isabelle nods. "I guess so." Her voice cracks.
"I think it will be good, for both of us." I say honestly as a tear falls from my eye. "I think so too. Walking away, it will be good for us. Make some new friends, I'll learn how to rely on myself." Isabelle exclaims.
"I'll learn how to love myself. And how to open up." I say softly as a few more tears fall.
Isabelle nods as tears drop down her face. "I'll still miss you."
"I'll miss you too." I whisper before pulling her into a hug.
We hold each other tight for a few seconds before we pull away. "And if we run into each other some day in the future, twenty years from now, maybe we'll go and have a coffee and catch up- like old people." Isabelle says.
I laugh and nod. I look over towards the school and see Ethan talking with someone, I can't quite put my finger on who it is though.
"Come on." Isabelle says and I follow her lead walking over towards the school.
"Isabelle." Ethan nods his head.
"Ethan." Isabelle nods as well with tiny smile.
I stand beside Ethan. "Adelyn, I believe you remember Parker Brooks." Ethan says with a small laugh.
I look over and Parker chuckles.
"No way." I laugh. "My prom date who ended up sucking faces with the prom Queen!"
We all laugh.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Parker laughs. "It's fine, I got over it." I chuckle.
"So what's going on? What are you guys talking about?" I ask. Ethan looks at me. "What?" I ask.
"I may have left out I'm dating him." Isabelle chuckles reaching for Parker's hand.
"Oh." I laugh. "Congrats." I smile.
"Maybe we could go get some lunch?" Parker questions.
Isabelle and I look at each other. "Maybe in twenty years." We say and laugh.
"Ready?" I ask Ethan and he nods. "I wish you guys the best."
"You too, you deserve to be happy." Isabelle smiles.
I give her a small smile before Ethan and begin to walk away, Parker and Isabelle in the opposite direction. "Good luck with that baby situation!" Isabelle shouts.
I laugh as Ethan and I walk around the corner.
The end of an era.