Warning: This post depicts sexual assault.
“Hey, guys. Your friend with the black hair is passed out inside.”
A girl in plaid pants approached Jackie and Austin, where they were still sitting by the fire fifteen minutes later.
The girl gestured toward the house, sounding annoyed. “She’s asleep in my library.”
Jackie shot to her feet so quickly her chair scraped backward, almost tipping over. “Wait, what!? Where? Where’s the guy she was with?”
“I don’t know who she was with. I just walked into the library and found her sleeping on the couch. I saw her with you earlier.”
The girl turned toward the house and Jackie and Austin followed in a hurry.
Trepidation in Jackie’s voice made her sound harsh when questioning the girl.
“You live here? Who’s the guy in the green hoodie?”
“Yes, I live here. It’s my brother Elliot’s party.” She answered with a frustrated tone.
“And I don’t know any guy in a green hoodie.”
They entered the double doors into the house. The lighting was harsh compared to the warm, flickering glow of the fire pit. Kids sprawled on the couches in lively conversation and nobody seemed particularly concerned with the three people pushing through the room.
The girl led them down a short hallway and when they entered the library, she stopped just inside. She pressed her fingers to her forehead and let out a short breath, saying, “Look, I really think you guys should leave.”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry about this.” Austin raised his free hand in a placating gesture. “We’ll get our friend and head out. Thanks for getting us.”
The library was quieter than the rest of the house they’d passed through. The music became a dull, distant thud behind the closed door, and the air smelled faintly of old books. Shelves lined the walls, book spines in all colors filling them. A large desk sat prominently in the center of the room, facing a cream colored sofa, where Isis was laying.
She looked comfortable, on her back with her arms resting on her stomach. Jackie crossed the room in a few quick steps and dropped to her knees beside the couch. The rise and fall of Isis’s chest was steady. Jackie touched her shoulders, shaking them gently.
“Isis, babe. I’m here.”
Isis’s black hair had fallen across her cheek and Jackie gently pushed it to the side with the back of her hand. Then she wiped her own cheek, which had a few tears slipping down it.
“Babe, come on! Wake up.”
Isis’s eyes fluttered open and she looked at Jackie. Jackie smiled and grabbed her hands, squeezing them.
“Looking for… you. Want to go home.” Isis mumbled, then closed her eyes.
Jackie looked over her shoulder at Austin, panic rising in her voice.
“What the fuck? It’s been fifteen minutes. What happened?”
Austin lowered himself to kneel beside Jackie, resting an arm lightly on her shoulder. His jaw tightened and then he dug into his pocket. He pulled out his keys and pressed them into Jackie’s palm, closing her fingers around them.
“Get the car started. I’ll be right behind you.”
Jackie stared at him for a full second before scrambling to her feet.
Austin slipped one arm beneath Isis’s knees and the other behind her back, lifting her from the couch, and carrying her out of the library.
They were sitting in the dark in Austin’s room, only illuminated by a soft glow from the streetlamp outside. Jackie was cross-legged on the bed next to where Isis lay, and Austin sat on a chair, deep in thought.
Austin broke he silence in the room, saying quietly, “Jackie… I think she was roofied. We should take her to the hospital.”
Jackie slowly looked up to face him. Her cheeks were wet from fallen tears and her brow was tense.
“I was thinking the same, but I didn’t want to say it out loud.” She spoke softly. “Can we let her sleep for awhile?”
A tear slipped down Jackie’s cheek and she wiped at it angrily, then she asked, “Was it that guy she was talking to?”
“It had to be. I saw him sit by the fire with two drinks but didn’t think anything of it. I wonder if he gave her one.” He leaned forward, putting his head into his hands.
“Oh my god!” Jackie said suddenly. “We have to call Roman!”
Jackie got up to dig in her purse, flinging a pack of gum, a powder compact, a crushed tampon, and some crumpled papers onto the bed before finding her phone. She had three missed calls, all from Roman.
“Fuck, I must not have heard my phone.” She dialed Roman and he picked up on the first ring.
“Jackie! Why isn’t Isis answering? Why aren’t you answering?”
Jackie didn’t get a chance to reply because he kept talking.
“My sister is NOT in the hospital. When I got there, they didn’t have anybody with her name. I called my sister and she was pissed at me for waking her up. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m heading back to the party right now.”
When Jackie didn’t say anything right away, he asked suspiciously, “Jackie? Hello?”
She tried her best to keep her voice calm.
“Roman, we’re at Austin’s place. Here’s his address.”
When Roman arrived, Jackie met him in the living room. She wanted to tell him what happened before bringing him into the bedroom and seeing Isis. Thankfully Austin’s roommate wasn’t home so they had privacy.
Roman shut the front door and looked around.
“Where’s Isis? You guys left pretty early.”
He took in Jackie’s face and posture, and realized something was wrong.
“Jackie? What… is going on?”
She told him exactly what happened at the party and what they suspected. He gaped at her in disbelief for just a second before turning and barging into the bedroom. He froze when he saw Isis sleeping in the bed. He stood in the doorway for an eternity, then took one slow step at a time towards her.
Austin stood up from his chair in the corner. He gave Roman a soft squeeze on the shoulder and left the room, closing the door slowly behind him.
Austin and Jackie curled up on his couch in the living room, tears slowly seeping from Jackie’s eyes.
They must have drifted off to sleep because sometime later Jackie was awoken by Roman’s voice and his hand shaking her awake. Her and Austin both sat up, and Roman dropped into a chair across from them.
Roman stared right at Jackie and questioned, in a low and ominous voice, “Why did you let my girlfriend walk away with another man, Jackie? What the fuck were you thinking?”
Guilt had been eating at Jackie all night and she had expected this.
Austin sat up stiffer and put a protective arm around Jackie.
“Roman, I’m so sorry. I wish I had been paying more attention. I should have walked with her, but she wasn’t drunk when she got up. That guy wasn’t flirting, they were just talking. If I had known or suspected… I wouldn’t have let her leave… I… didn’t know…” Jackie’s voice started to break.
Austin tightened his arm around Jackie and said to Roman, “Roman, I promise you man, we didn’t suspect a thing. It’s not Jackie’s fault. I’m really sorry. I’m fucking pissed off too.”
Roman ran a hand furiously through his hair and said, “There’s something going on. That text I got? It wasn’t my sister. I don’t know how… I don’t know who. But somebody got me to leave and then this happened? Not a coincidence.”
“Is… is this like an elaborate setup?… Some plan to get you to leave? I don’t even… what the…” Jackie was so flustered and confused she could hardly get her words out.
Austin said, “We need to find out who this Theo guy is. It was my buddy Elliot’s house. I’ll call him first thing in the morning and ask around.”
Jackie’s shaking voice spoke next. “I can’t believe this is happening. Oh my god…” She started crying uncontrollably. “I shouldn’t have let her leave! It’s my fault! It’s my fault…”
Austin kissed her temple and she sobbed in his arms.
Roman stood up abruptly and went back to the bedroom.
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