*hey guys, trigger warning. If you don't feel comfortable with rape, don't continue...*

I didn't understand how people could be so oblivious to the obvious. Like, for instance, Vienna with her boyfriend. Vienna, the girl with the 'I don't care' attitude and the ring in her nose, was compete mush for a guy that clearly didn't deserve her.

My phone buzzed against the counter as I boiled some water, pasta softening at the bottom of the pot. It was just me. Vienna went on another date, wasting her Sunday with Drew. I should have told her, but I just couldn't. She looked too happy, too joy filled.

Lydia was at some party. Honestly, good riddance. Same with Carson, whose whereabouts I had no clue of. My father and Melanie were out on a date night, so it was just me, pasta, and the television. And, well, whoever decided to call me at seven in the evening.

"Hello?" I sighed into the phone.

"Hey, Ada!" Her words sounded a little slurred.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"

"Yeah, but I don't want you to be all lonely at home. I was just thinking, do you wanna hang out with us? We had so much fun last time."

So. Much. 'Fun'.

I tapped my nail against the marble countertop. "I'm good. I have homework."

"Seriously?" I heard loud music in the background. Where were they?

"Yeah. I just wanna stay in tonight. Sorry."

"Oh, okay. Drew, hold on!" She began giggling. "Oh, I was just inviting Ada! What? Ugh, okay, bye, Ada!"

With that, the line went dead. I sighed, placing the phone on the counter and turning to my food. The water had begun to boil, so I turned off the stove and drained the water. Then, I placed the spaghetti on a plate and added a little butter. After grabbing a Dr. Pepper from the fridge, I plopped down on the couch.

After settling on a show, I stabbed my fork into the pasta and tried to shove it in my mouth. Only, I almost burned my tastebuds off.  I put the plate on the table, deciding on letting it cool down before I ate it.

Propping my legs on the glass coffee table, I took a sip of my soda. It felt nice to have a moment of peace to myself. There was no one to disturb me, no one to infuriate me.

Of course, Carson had to walk through the door.

"Aw, come on, you're ruining my date!"

"Date?" He raised an eyebrow, glancing all around the spacious living room.

I pointed to my plate of pasta. "Yeah, my date."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, a plate of spaghetti is the only thing that would ever date you."

"I'll throw the steaming hot plate at you." Honestly, I wasn't in the mood for his rudeness. I was sick and tired of fighting a loosing war with him and Lydia. Why couldn't we just get along?

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to get ready."

"For?"

"Drew's party. I bet you weren't invited!"

Something clicked in me. Vienna was at his party! If he acted anyway like he did with Tala, Vienna was in trouble. I wasn't sure why, but something didn't settle right in the pit of my stomach.

"Drew, as in Vienna's boyfriend?"

Carson slowly nodded, heading towards the stairs.

I hoped out of my seat and raced after him. "Take me there! Right now!" Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. The way he looked at her, like she was a piece of meat.

"Has Vienna been to one of his parties before?"

Carson shrugged. "He rarely has them, but his parents are out of town his weekend. Stop acting crazy!"

"Take me there right now, Carson, or I swear I'll drive myself."

He burst out laughing. "You can't even drive."

I reached into my back pocket, pulled out my wallet, and flashed him my driver's license. "By law, I can! Either give me some keys or so help me-"

He held up his hands. "Fine, we'll take my vehicle, but you're the designated driver for the ride home."

"Fine," I huffed, spinning on my heel and running towards the driveway. We jumped into his Jeep and rode off towards the party.

"I'm surprised you have a Jeep and not a Mercedes or something."

He just ignored me.

Finally, we reached our destination. I hoped out of the Jeep as though it was on fire and fought my way through various drunken teens. Alcohol and sweat filled the air as I entered the house, shoving grinding bodies out of my way in order to find the one couple I was looking for.

"Are you high or something? Ada, seriously!"

I ignored him, zigzagging my way through the house as though it was my own. They weren't in the kitchen with the alcohol, or in the crowded living room with the blaring music and dancing bodies pressed together.

I sprinted up the marble staircase, my mind running pwild with thoughts as I heard Carson's footsteps following me. His voice and all others became drowned out by my brain, which was only focused on finding Vienna.

Once I reached a row of doors, I shoved open the closest one. Well, let's just say I was scarred for life, and those people were probably really upset with me. After apologizing, I shut the door and just as I was about to pull open the next one, a scream nearly tore my heart apart.

"Vienna!" Carson screamed as I yanked on the doorknob. Locked.

"Fu- dge!" I yelled.

"Stand back!" Carson ordered.

I did as he told, running purely on adrenaline. It felt like all my breath had left me as the door burst into shambles, Carson rushing through the huge, splintery hole in the center. I heard screams and cries, but I couldn't move. I couldn't help my sister. I just stood there, paralyzed, as grunts of pain filled my ears.

The boys must have been fighting. My whole body began to shake in fear not for myself, but for Vienna. And, oddly, Carson, too. While Carson seemed capable of handling himself, Drew was far from the scrawniest kid in town.

Finally, I forced my legs to work. I forced myself to enter the room, avoiding the splinters of wood trying to prick my flesh. A fully clothed, but trembling Vienna huddled against the wall while both of the boys had blood on the faces and fists.

I wrapped my fingers around Vienna's wrist, but she barely noticed. She was too fixated on the fight in front of her, too traumatized by everything that had happened. I somehow managed to drag her from the sight. As I was about to walk down the stairs, tears in both of our eyes, I spotted Asher.

He rushed up to us. "Are you girls okay?"

I silently nodded. Then, I looked Asher dead in the eyes. "Can we get her out of here? Please?"

"What's going on?"

Vienna was trembling, leaning into my side. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Ada?"

I turned to find Chris behind me. "Call 911."

His eyes went wide. "What?"

"Call 911. Drew tried to rape Vienna, and Carson is- um, taking care of it." Then, I turned back to Asher. "You're going to get Vienna and I out of here. Right now!" Even though my voice wobbled a bit, I still sounded firm. That was probably the most I had asserted myself in a long time.

Asher finally nodded, heading down the stairs. One last time, I addressed Chris, who has his phone to his ear. "Tell Carson where we went, and that Vienna is safe and okay."

He nodded, starting to speak into the phone as someone answered.

At first, I could barely think straight, but my mind slowly started to clear. I forced myself to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, Vienna clinging to me like I was her lifeline. Tears rain rapid down her cheeks, and her lips kept moving, her words barely audible as though they were meant for her and God alone.

"Why?" I heard her whisper softly as we walked out into the night's kiss of a breeze. "Why me?"

"Vienna-"

She shook her head rapidly back and forth, her chest heaving up and down. I managed to guide her into the back of Asher's car, buckle her in, and settle beside her. Asher took off driving, able to find our house just by my telling him the street name.

"I know the streets pretty well around here, it's a small town," he explained.

The ride to the house almost seemed like it happened in an instant. One minute, I was looking back at the huge, rocking mansion of Drew, and the next, the one I lived in.

Somehow, I ended up supporting Vienna into the mansion, typing in the code to the front door and practically dragging her to the couch. She curled into a fetal position and wrapped a blanket around herself, eyes fixated on the tv, which was still on. I also noticed my pasta, which had long since gone cold.

Turning back to close the front door, I realized Asher was standing in the doorway, casually leaning against it. His eyes held a great deal of concern as he glanced at my sister, a shell of the girl she had been the last time I saw her.

Slowly, I walked over to him. And, in an instant, I wrapped my arms around him. He was caught off guard at first, but then he hugged me as well.

"Thank you so much." I pulled away, bringing a hand to my damp cheeks. "This is my fault."

"No, it's not! Ada, if you and Carson weren't there at the right moment, who knows what would have happened. It wouldn't have just been an attempt, that's for sure."

I sighed, wiping away my tears with the back of my hand. There wouldn't have been an attempt at all if I would have just told Vienna the truth in the first place. "Thanks, but I can take it from here."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

With that, Asher walked back to the car, the little silver vehicle.

With a laugh, he turned around to address me one last time. "Oh, by the way, the car is my grandmother's. Just so you don't think I'm any less of a man."

I cracked up a bit at that, silently thankful for his comic relief.

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Updates every Tuesday!

-Sarah