Chapter Eight - Comfort and Understanding
The Long hall was full of the girls of Haven one morning, as the sun tried to peek through the clouds outside. The topic of discussion was like the last few days, the speculation of what happened to Allison Cramer the night before last. Fear over the knowledge of Allison being raped also had a huge impact on everyone
Everyone had seen the girl taken out by EMS crews that fateful night, and then was sped away from the campus in a wailing ambulance. With both the truth and conjecture running through the very heart of the school, most were getting a mixed story of just what had happened, but mainly it was the truth. Someone had raped this young girl on campus.
President Megan sat with her friends at the tables that usually were reserved for the senior class. She seemed a little preoccupied inside herself, as her friends all were talking about the coming weekend, and their chance to go into the city and doing some shopping for the day. She seemed not to even know what was being excitedly talked about.
A touch on the girl's hand brought her back to the world with a little start.
" Megan..." Said her friend and co-councilgirl Ann. " I asked if you were going to buy that dress you wanted when we go on Saturday?"
The Tall school President realized what had been asked.
" Uh, Maybe..." She said, her mind clearing from her thoughts.
" Gheesh..." An said, shaking her head. " For the last few days, you have been so flighty and out of it."
" With what happened... do you blame me for pondering on it?" She replied.
" The police are on the case here..." Ann began. " They are doing all they can to solve this horrible thing... why do you fell as if you need to investigate it?""
" Maybe so, but it still is my responsibility to deal with it somehow on the school council level..." Megan said. " I am School President. I have a obligation to the student body to at least address it."
" What can you do? I say, let the cops do their thing, and we just move along with what we have to do." Questioned the girl with the thick wavy hair, who promptly looked away from Megan
Ann did not turn back to speak any more, which suited Megan fine. It seemed like Ann was not wanting even to think about what had happened, and just let it drop for the time being.
" Guess using denial is how some people cope." Megan told herself, bowing her head as she could not stop thinking on it.
She knew deep down, that the brutal rape that happened right in the dorms, scared most of the girls on the campus, especially if it was perpetrated by a man sneaking on school ground. What thought scared Megan, was it could be one of their own too. A girl like that, who could possibly do something like this, could be more dangerous than any man... She was aware of this sickening possibility.
Megan then looked over to her right. She felt her heart sink in her chest, as she spotted a solitary figure through the massive throng of girls that packed every table that was in the dining room.
The girl had spotted Lori, sitting alone at a small table in the corner of the large hall. She saw that the girl sat with her head down, eyes fixed on the steaming coffee mug in front of her in vacant concentration.
The girl looked so very pale to Megan, dark rings painted under Lori's eyes, contrasting with the crispness of her school uniform. Even to her eyes, who only knew the girl for a short time, she knew that all was not right inside this girl.
Another one of the girl's that sat with Megan noticed her gaze.
" I heard that she was this Allison's roommate." The girl piped in, seemingly ready to gossip at a moment's notice. " It is said that Allison is in a coma or something..."
" She is Allison's roommate." Megan replied, trying not to get into this with the girl, but needing to give her the right information if she needs to gossip. " From what I heard, at last report, Allison is in and out of a coma, and her parents have flown her to a hospital near her home."
" Rumor has it that this Lori girl has not slept any since what had happened with her roommate." The girl continued, almost seemingly jumping over whatever Megan had said to her.
" Not slept?" Said Megan, the information hitting her. " She has not slept, did you say Joni?"
" Not a wink, by what I heard this morning!" Confirmed Joni. " She goes to school and then to her room... I heard she simply sits and stares out the room's window all night long, until it is time to get ready for school again, drinking only coffee. She has not eaten anything at all since either"
In her mind, it was clear as a bell, Megan knew this was serious. She thought on it as she sipped on her own coffee, taking glances over at the girl until Lori got up and left the hall before breakfast was being served. She seemed to be walking with a bit of a waver, possibly from the sheer exhaustion and hunger, or even from the heaviness of her sadness. Either way, that showed that the girl was not handling it well.
With all of these feelings she was having surrounding this blond beauty, Megan felt torn on what to do, what not to do and even of she should do something. All she knew was her heart hurt for the girl.
Megan sat, pondering, as her friends talked all around her. She did not even really know this girl, but she found herself drawn to her and to try and help her. She sighed and tried to get herself back into the group talk, but found her mind wandering off every now and then.
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Night was on the School once again. The rain had finally came, after the clouds had battled with the sun and it's heavy heat all day. Now the rain pelted down, drenching everything it touched.
Lori sat in her room alone, only one light was on to illuminate everything around her. She was sitting on her bed, head bowed forward in thought. Her heavily tear stained cheeks told the story of her heart at that moment.
She had just came back from trying to get a hold of her parents in Europe, hoping to even talk to them about what was going on at school. They were out on a shoot in a very rural part of Poland, and there was trouble with the global satellite phone feed. The production company had said she would not be able to get a message to them for at least a few days. With her friends from home also not around to talk, she felt so alone and scared. That was her situation, and her heart ached for some sort of relief from all of it..
Lori just wanted nothing more than to go back home right now, or to hear something about Allison's condition. Neither one was going to happen anytime soon, and she knew that all too well. She wiped a tear away from her cheek, as her mind spun with everything.
A knock at the door stopped her tears. She looked at the door vacantly, wondering who it could be. Allison's friends had been around a little, but somehow she knew it was not them knocking.
Lori froze where she sat, as a voice came through the door.
" Lori... are you there?" It said, and Lori recognized it. It was The voice of Megan.
The long tressed girl came to the door and opened it. The taller girl stood there, hands clasped in front of herself. Lori blinked, as the short black haired girl looked at her with a very comforting look.
" May I come in?" She asked, her face having a small smile on it..
The exhaust girl stepped to one side and nodded. The girl smiled sweetly and entered the room.
Megan turned to look at the shorter girl as she closed the door. Lori looked back at her, her eyes searching her face.
" What a surprise for you to come her to our Dorm hall." Said Lori, politely yet sounding a little weak. " May I ask why?"
Megan regarded the girl with a smile.
" I heard that you were not doing very well, and I was worried." She said, almost in a comforting fashion.
" Well.... I..." The girl stammered, taken off guard by the girl's straight to the point way of speaking. Lori dropped her eyes.
" You look so very tired, Lori." Megan said, smiling. " You can't help Allison if you collapse from exhaustion."
Lori nodded her head.
" I know... I just can't sleep because every time I try to..." Her words trailed off, and she bowed her head.
Megan took a step towards the girl, her eyes seeing the great amount of pain in her bright blues.
" You can't get the image of finding Allison on the floor out of your head, right?" The older girl said, finishing Lori's attempt at explaining.
" No, I can't." Agreed the long haired girl, starting to tear up a little bit. " I just can't..."
" Sit down and you talk about it." The tall girl suggested. " Sounds corny to do, but it does help."
Lori blinked at the suggestion she had been given.
" You listen to me?" Said the girl, rather shocked. " But I am just a simple sophomore and..."
" That is a part of my job... and I want to." Assured Megan, smiling at the girl. " I am here on my own accord, aren't I?"
Lori sat down on the bed and looked at the President of her school. Megan responded by sitting on the bed next to her. The taller girl draped her arm around the girl and looked right into her face.
" If you want to just sit, we'll sit.. If you want to talk, you talk." Megan said, her voice comforting in tone. " Your choice."
Lori was just going to sit there, but suddenly her heart opened, and she poured out her images and the feelings that came with them. The head of the school council just held the girl against her, and listened.
For over an hour, Never once did Megan speak to interrupt, simply putting both arms around the form, firmly clutching the younger girl against her. She heard the anguish and fear that was filling this girl, felt the sobs as they rolled out of her and senses the loneliness that she was feeling with everything At Haven.
Sweaty from her spilling everything, Lori looked up at the girl that held her, she seemed more beautiful than ever.
" Thank you!" Lori said, feeling so grateful.
" You feel better?" She asked.
" Yes... I do."
" Then, you promise me you'll try and sleep... and for heaven's sake eat too?" Megan said with a smile.
" I promise." She said.
Megan leaned in, and kissed the younger girl on the cheek. It was a soft as a whisper, as her lips grazed the silky smoothness of Lori's cheek, then it was gone after lingering for a few moments. It was not just a kiss of concern... it seemed to be much more than what it could have been.
Lori felt her heart surge, her face redden, as this girl gave her a kiss. She swooned a little, as she realized what the girl had done. She looked deep into Megan's eyes.
" I will check in on you tomorrow." She said, then a small smile flowed over her angular face. " I have a plan to find out who did this to your roommate."
Lori was shocked.
" Y...You do?" Lori said, a little shocked. " But the police are doing that... Why would you..."
" I know the police are... but I feel like I have to find this out too..." Megan explained. " As the Student President, I need to lead...I need to know just who did this most heinous thing."
" Then may I help you investigate?" Lori asked. " I don't know what I could actually do... but I will find out whatever I can too, to help."
Megan giggled and looked at the girl, looking at her directly in the eyes for a long moment of time.
" I would not want to have it any other way." She said, turning to leave. " Good Night, Lori... Get some of that sleep...ok?"
" Good night, Miss. President, and I will." Said a very happy Lori, seeing the loving determination on Megan's face.
" Please..." Megan said, as she stopped half way through the doorway to look back at the long blonde haired girl. " Simply call me Megan from now on. No formality is necessary, My name is not President."
Lori blushed, as the girls sultry eyes connected with hers. She felt her own heart pump a little faster.
" Good night, Megan."
The girl smiled at Lori before closing the door behind herself as she left. As quickly as that, the presidential beauty was gone.
Lori stood there in the still of the room for a moment, looking at the door. With her heart racing still long after Megan had left, she wondered if this all had been just a dream, and wondered why she was feeling this way to the beautiful girl. She giggled a little, as she reassured herself that it did happen, but as for answering the other question, she knew that would take longer.
True to her word, Lori got herself ready for bed. She crawled in to bed, her whole body now wanting sleep. She barely had layed down, and she was quickly overtook by her need of sleep
All through that night, the images of the beautiful girl called Megan was in Lori's dreams. For the first time in days, her sleep was one that would be called restful.
Back with Megan, the student body president was laying in bed. She had just read over a few things that the police had left for them to read over. The information was not much, but it was at least something.
Her roommate came in from being in the bathroom at the end of the hall. The tall chestnut brown haired girl looked at Megan.
" Still going over those updates from the police?" She asked.
" Yes, I am." She said, looking over.
" Anything?"
" Not much here Sharon." She said.
The brown haired girl moved to her bed, then stopped.
" Can I ask you something?" Suddenly asked the girl to the one in the bed
" Sure." Megan replied.
Sharon turned to look at her roomie.
" Is it true... you went to see Lori tonight?"
" I did... I was worried." She replied, after a split second of hesitation.
Sharon moved closer to Megan's bed, she seemed interested in more questions she had burning inside of herself.
" Is there more to it than your Presidential duties?" The girl said, looking at her friend. " After all of these years... Are you liking this girl?"
The short haired girl looked up, the question that was posed to her loomed large in her mind.
" Truth?" She asked.
" Others might talk about it ... Ann would... I won't." Assured the girl back. " Do you know the truth? Are you feeling something for this new girl?"
Megan fell silent, her head was slightly bowed forward. She seemed torn by her own thoughts, so Sharon waited for some sort of answer to come.
" After Heather... I thought I would never like someone ... actually feeling the potential to actually discovering love again. I am finding that becoming true again." She started, her smile was not hard to see. " I find myself very attracted to her."
" Are you attracted to her physically?"
" More than that." Megan admitted with a bashful grin as she picked her head up a little. " I feel like I am drawn like a magnet to metal to this girl... just like Heather."
" That strong?" Sharon asked.
" Stronger than I have ever felt." Admitted The short dark haired girl.
Sharon nodded, as she stood there looking at the girl who layed there in the bed. She could see Megan had many internal questions for herself.
" Do you know if she likes you?"
" I don't even know of she likes girls." She bashfully explained, obviously trying to pul out her own thoughts. " From the moment I saw her... I feel myself hopelessly drawn right to her." She sighed, rubbing her eyes with one hand.. " I want to comfort her, not to scare her off, yet I just want to hug her and feel her against me....To actually know her heart." She lowered her head more. " I should just try and stay at arms length, but my heart has a whole other plan."
After saying that, Megan went silent. Sharon turned and headed to her bed, not saying a word for a little as she climbed into bed herself. The silence hung over them both in the room as the lights were turned off.
Megan layed silently in her bed, her mind was occupied by many thoughts. Sharon's voice came out of the darkness, to the short brown haired girl.
" All I have to say, is that your mind might rationalize staying aside, but your heart might trump all of that." Sharon said. " Working with her to investigate to make sense of this crime may seem right and also being plutonic, but will your heart just let you be the helper?" She sighed. " In wanting to help, will your feelings get in the way?"
Sharon stopped talking, allowing the silence of the room to collect over them both once more. It felt like it was even more still than it had been.
Megan layed there, thinking on her friend's words.
"Sharon might be right." She pondered to herself, her heart just might not let her logic to get in the way.
She soon fell asleep, thinking on the long blond haired girl. Her friend's words were becoming reality for her.