Chapter 12
Caleb Mysia's Point of View
Caleb and his teammates had decided to go out for a celebratory dinner. For the first time in three years, their school team had beaten Ocean High School, a feat they'd never accomplished before.
The victory was euphoric.
After dinner, the rest of the team planned to head to a club to continue celebrating, but Caleb chose to go home. He had a few assignments to catch up on and didn't want to fall behind.
The streets were quieter than usual. As they passed a corner near Hudson Street, something—or someone—caught his attention.
He leaned forward from the back seat. "Mascus, stop the car," Caleb instructed.
Mascus, his longtime driver, obeyed without hesitation. Caleb stepped out, narrowing his eyes toward the alley. He thought he saw someone who looked like Kassia. No way, he thought. What would she be doing here at this hour?
Driven by instinct, Caleb moved toward the alley. As he got closer, the shadows parted and he saw her clearly.
It was Kassia.
She stood trembling, her hands barely steady as she pointed a small handgun toward a man. Her eyes were wide with fear, her breaths shallow.
Mascus, who had followed behind, immediately recognized Kassia too. Without hesitation, he lunged at the man, tackling him to the ground. A fight broke out between them.
Caleb ran to Kassia, gently touching her arm. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
She didn't answer right away, her gaze locked on the sobbing woman lying on the ground nearby. The woman's clothes were torn, her body bruised. Kassia stepped back as Caleb knelt beside the victim, then helped her closer to the streetlight, where it was safer.
Meanwhile, Mascus managed to overpower the man, rendering him unconscious.
Caleb quickly called the police. Within minutes, sirens wailed in the distance. The authorities arrived and took statements from both Kassia and the woman.
After things settled, Caleb turned to her again.
"Kassia, are you okay?" he asked gently. "You haven't said a word. Did that man hurt you?"
Kassia shook her head slowly. "No… he tried to, but you and Mascus arrived in time," she said, her voice shaky.
"Okay. Let me take you to the hospital," Caleb suggested.
"No, I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital," she said quickly. "I just… I want to go home. Can you drop me off?"
"Of course," he replied softly. "Get in."
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After a short drive, they pulled up to a quiet apartment complex.
"Is this where you live?" Caleb asked as he turned off the engine.
Kassia shook her head. "No, this is Christy's house. Chicago's here. I think we'll just spend the night here instead of going home."
Caleb waited until she reached the door before driving off.
---
Kassia knocked softly, too exhausted to lift her hand properly.
Christy opened the door with a worried expression. "Hey, babes. It's nearly 10 p.m. What happened? You said you'd be back by eight."
Kassia walked in without answering immediately. Her eyes drifted to the couch, where Chicago lay peacefully asleep, a storybook clutched in her small hands.
Christy followed her into the kitchen, her worry growing. "You look pale. Sit down. What happened?"
Kassia sank into the nearest chair, her body heavy with fatigue. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally, she whispered, "On my way home, I took a shortcut through Hudson Street. I thought it'd be quicker... but I heard something."
Christy sat down across from her, eyes locked on Kassia.
"I heard someone trying to scream. I followed the sound and… I saw a man on top of a woman. He was raping her," Kassia said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Christy gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh my God."
"I was stupid—I shouted out of fear," Kassia continued. "When I first heard the scream, I didn't think it was something that serious. But when I saw it… I panicked. He turned on me. Held a gun to my mouth. He was going to attack me too."
Her voice cracked.
"But then Caleb showed up. Out of nowhere. And all I could think in that moment was—I can't survive one more abuse. I can't add rape to everything else I've already endured."
She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Christy moved to her side and pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay, babes. It's okay. Thank God Caleb arrived," she whispered soothingly.
Kassia nodded through the tears. "Can we stay here tonight, please? I don't have it in me to go home."
"Of course," Christy said without hesitation. "My parents aren't home anyway. You and Chicago can stay as long as you need."
She paused, then asked, "Did you go to the hospital? Just to check?"
Kassia's expression darkened. She looked down and shook her head. "No… I didn't. I don't have the money to pay any bills. And... he didn't succeed. So I thought—I don't need to."
Christy frowned, concern etched in her face. "You still need to get checked. For your own peace of mind. And there are free clinics, Kass. You don't have to go through this alone."
Kassia didn't respond. Her silence said enough.
"Come on," Christy said gently. "Let's get you cleaned up."
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Hey guys,
What did you think of Chapter 12?
Any thoughts on Christy or Caleb? I'm really curious to hear what you think!
Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Thanks for reading and sticking with me.
Xoxo,
CC