"I'm dizzy," I said.
He reached for my hand. "Here, lie down and you'll feel better soon." he said, pulling me toward the bed. He put his hands on my hips and guided me beside him. I sat, and then he lifted me under my arms so I was farther on the bed.
"Just lie back and relax. Close your eyes for a while. That's it," he said when I did it.
I felt his hand on my cheek. His fingers moved down to my neck while his other hand lowered the zipper on my jacket. Then he opened the jacket.
"That's it, relax. You're with Dr. Sex himself." he bragged. "Nothing to worry about."
I opened my eyes, but the room didn't stop spinning. It felt as if the whole bed were spinning, in fact. I quickly closed them again. I could feel Luke unbuttoning my blouse, but it also felt so far away, almost as if it were really happening to someone else. He opened my blouse, reached under my back, undid my bra, lifted and folded it until it was just under my neck.
"Um," he said. "just as I thought. We're getting a good start here."
The air on my naked breasts surprised me. I started to raise myself into a sitting position, but he pressed on my shoulders and kept me from doing so. Then he went down to my jeans and undid them quickly.
"No. stop," I said when he lifted my buttocks to slide the jeans off,
"This won't hurt... much," he said. "I've never lost a patient yet," he joked.
"Please," I cried when I felt my panties going down. My jeans were already below my
I pressed down on the bed to get momentum and lift myself up, and then he surprised me by bringing his mouth to mint, so forcefully it drove me back to the bed. That startled and frightened me, but what shocked me more was the sensation of feeling his naked legs against mine and then his hardened excitement pressing between my legs. I screamed and tried to turn out from under him.
"Nurse," I heard him say, "I think I'll need some assistance here."
Laughter came from the doorway. I turned and saw Jenna and David standing there. David had his arm around her waist, and she was gazing at me and Luke with a dopey smile on her face.
Suddenly. David lifted his right arm. and I saw he had a camera in his hand.
"Smile," he called. The camera flashed. and I screamed. "Hey, it's just for Luke's scrapbook. No big deal."
I screamed again when Luke lifted my legs higher, and then I began to pummel him as hard and as fast as I could.
"Nurse!" he screamed.
A moment later. Jenna was holding my wrists and keeping me from striking him.
"Relax," she said. "It only hurts for a moment."
How I did it. I don't know. but I managed to jerk my left knee up sharply to strike him where it hurts a boy the most. It was his turn to scream. He fell back, lost his balance, and went off the bed.
David went into hysterical laughter. Jenna released my wrists. I reached down and gabbed my jeans, pulling them up as fast as I could, not caring if my panties came up as well. Then I turned and crawled over the other side of the bed. David had moved away from the door to stand over the squirming Luke. so I lunged ahead and charged out the doorway.
"Hey, where the hell you going?" I heard David call out. "The party's just starting."
I nearly lost my footing on the short stairway and grabbed the banister to prevent myself from tumbling. The turn wrenched my side. but I didn't stop. I regained my footing and continued down the stairway and out the front door. For a moment. I just stood there, unsure which way to run. Their voices and footsteps behind me spirited me to my left. and I ran down the driveway, charging along the side of the road, running as hard as I could. My jacket and blouse were still open, my bra unfastened. but I didn't stop to dress. I ran until the pain in my side was so sharp it took my breath away, and then I stopped and went off to the left, into a small patch of trees and bushes. When I heard the sound of an automobile. I crouched as low as I could.
David,. Luke, and Jenna drove by. Jenna was looking for me on the left, and Luke was looking on the right, his face framed in the opened window, a face of rage. They went by and disappeared around the far turn. I fell back onto the ground and
immediately began to throw up. Afterward. I couldn't stop sobbing. My side hurt so much. It felt as if I had cracked a rib. I don't know how long I sat there, but every time I heard the sound of a car, my heart thumped. I didn't see them go by again. I hoped they had given up on finding me.
It was already well into the twilight hour. Night was falling quickly, and with it the temperature. I stood up, steadied myself, fixed my clothing, and walked out to the road. I stayed as close to the side of the road as I could, so that I could go off to the side every time I heard or saw a car approaching. After a while, I was positive they had given up and were gone.
Of course. I had no idea where I was going. I laughed to myself, remembering how I had been when this had all begun. I was walking to get myself last, to disappear. Well, now it looked as if I had gotten my wish. The houses on this road were few and far between. When I gazed at my watch. I realized Brenda and Mama were surely wondering where I was by now.
What would I tell them?
I was both embarrassed and frightened by what had happened and what I had done. How would I even begin to explain it? The sight of emerging stars put more panic in my chest. At least, the threat of rain had passed, but I had to get to a phone, and quickly. I thought, and broke into a jog. When the headlights of an approaching vehicle washed over me. I started for the side of the road, preparing to run into the wooded area, even though it was difficult to see where I would be going.