sniffling. “My back hurts, too.”
Dad stood in the doorway behind me.
Slowly, Molly pulled the comforter away from her head. She was turned on her side, and I could see a bruise on her red cheeks. She started to cry as she looked at me.
My mouth betrayed me as it opened in shock. One eye was bloodstained and the other was almost swollen shut. She covered her face with her hands. Her bare arms were badly bruised.
“Dylan, we need a towel, a wet washcloth, and an ice pack,” Mom said, looking at the back of Molly’s head.
I flew up the steps into the kitchen. I was shaking. I quickly gathered the items and ran back down to my room. Mom took them from me and told us to wait outside. She closed the door.
Dad looked at me. “Tony?”
I nodded. “He found the pictures on her computer.”
Dad shook his head in disgust and anger, and then he walked to the sliding-glass door and looked around. “Stay right here,” he said as he went upstairs. Soon I could hear him on the phone talking with the police.
I sat on the couch hating Tony for what he’d done to Molly. Anger swelled inside me as I imagined him throwing Molly across her small room. Only a monster could do something like that. I hoped they’d lock him up for good.
Dad returned and Mom opened the door. Molly was sitting on the edge of my bed in my sweatpants and one of my sweatshirts, holding the ice pack over her eye. She stared at the floor as I walked back in the room.
“I’m taking Molly to the hospital,” Mom said, “and you are going to stay here with Amy and Dad.”
Part of me wanted to protest, but I didn’t want to cause a problem. Not now.
A loud knock at the front door made us all jump. Molly looked terrified as she said, “It’s him.” She lay back down on the bed and pulled herself into a ball. “I’m so sorry.”
“Everyone is going to stay calm,” Dad said. “And everyone is going to stay right here.”
Mom gave him a concerned look as he left the room and closed the door behind him.
“You’ve nothing to be sorry about,” Mom whispered to Molly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Something wrong was done to you. You are not to blame for this.”
I intentionally stood next to my backpack, my hand near the baseball bat sticking out of it. Part of me wanted to grab it, run upstairs, and dish out some of what Tony had given to Molly.
Molly sobbed as we waited. I could hear our door close and footsteps come downstairs. I was ready to grab the bat if it was Tony.
“He’s gone,” Dad said as he opened my door. “He was looking for Molly and I told him she wasn’t here. He looked like he believed me. I watched him drive away and then I called the dispatcher. They’re sending a patrol car to pick him up.”
Mom helped Molly to her feet. She limped slowly to the stairs and then leaned heavily on the railing as she carefully managed each step.
I followed everyone upstairs and helped Molly into the passenger seat of our car.
“I’ll call you when we get there,” Mom said, looking at Dad.
I could see Molly fighting the pain as she arched her back. She held the ice pack over her eye. Mom started the engine and backed out of our driveway.
“Tony looked scared,” Dad said. “After what he did, he should be.”
Mom called Dad ten minutes later to let him know they’d gotten to the hospital. They didn’t talk long. I knew they were discussing what would happen next.
“You should try to get some sleep,” Dad said after he hung up. “Tomorrow, if Molly is ready, we’ll take you to see her. She’ll stay at the hospital tonight, and your mom is going to stay with her.”
I got ready for bed. When I saw Molly’s blood on my comforter I got angry again. I felt like a terrible friend. I wanted to be there for her the way she had been there for me. I thought about what Dad had said, “Bring her with you into the forest and stay there as long as you can.” As soon as Molly was able, that’s exactly what I planned
Dad stood in the doorway behind me.
Slowly, Molly pulled the comforter away from her head. She was turned on her side, and I could see a bruise on her red cheeks. She started to cry as she looked at me.
My mouth betrayed me as it opened in shock. One eye was bloodstained and the other was almost swollen shut. She covered her face with her hands. Her bare arms were badly bruised.
“Dylan, we need a towel, a wet washcloth, and an ice pack,” Mom said, looking at the back of Molly’s head.
I flew up the steps into the kitchen. I was shaking. I quickly gathered the items and ran back down to my room. Mom took them from me and told us to wait outside. She closed the door.
Dad looked at me. “Tony?”
I nodded. “He found the pictures on her computer.”
Dad shook his head in disgust and anger, and then he walked to the sliding-glass door and looked around. “Stay right here,” he said as he went upstairs. Soon I could hear him on the phone talking with the police.
I sat on the couch hating Tony for what he’d done to Molly. Anger swelled inside me as I imagined him throwing Molly across her small room. Only a monster could do something like that. I hoped they’d lock him up for good.
Dad returned and Mom opened the door. Molly was sitting on the edge of my bed in my sweatpants and one of my sweatshirts, holding the ice pack over her eye. She stared at the floor as I walked back in the room.
“I’m taking Molly to the hospital,” Mom said, “and you are going to stay here with Amy and Dad.”
Part of me wanted to protest, but I didn’t want to cause a problem. Not now.
A loud knock at the front door made us all jump. Molly looked terrified as she said, “It’s him.” She lay back down on the bed and pulled herself into a ball. “I’m so sorry.”
“Everyone is going to stay calm,” Dad said. “And everyone is going to stay right here.”
Mom gave him a concerned look as he left the room and closed the door behind him.
“You’ve nothing to be sorry about,” Mom whispered to Molly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Something wrong was done to you. You are not to blame for this.”
I intentionally stood next to my backpack, my hand near the baseball bat sticking out of it. Part of me wanted to grab it, run upstairs, and dish out some of what Tony had given to Molly.
Molly sobbed as we waited. I could hear our door close and footsteps come downstairs. I was ready to grab the bat if it was Tony.
“He’s gone,” Dad said as he opened my door. “He was looking for Molly and I told him she wasn’t here. He looked like he believed me. I watched him drive away and then I called the dispatcher. They’re sending a patrol car to pick him up.”
Mom helped Molly to her feet. She limped slowly to the stairs and then leaned heavily on the railing as she carefully managed each step.
I followed everyone upstairs and helped Molly into the passenger seat of our car.
“I’ll call you when we get there,” Mom said, looking at Dad.
I could see Molly fighting the pain as she arched her back. She held the ice pack over her eye. Mom started the engine and backed out of our driveway.
“Tony looked scared,” Dad said. “After what he did, he should be.”
Mom called Dad ten minutes later to let him know they’d gotten to the hospital. They didn’t talk long. I knew they were discussing what would happen next.
“You should try to get some sleep,” Dad said after he hung up. “Tomorrow, if Molly is ready, we’ll take you to see her. She’ll stay at the hospital tonight, and your mom is going to stay with her.”
I got ready for bed. When I saw Molly’s blood on my comforter I got angry again. I felt like a terrible friend. I wanted to be there for her the way she had been there for me. I thought about what Dad had said, “Bring her with you into the forest and stay there as long as you can.” As soon as Molly was able, that’s exactly what I planned
Similar Books
