Chapter 6

It was late into the evening when Angie left for the night. All the rest of the girls had already gone leaving Teresa there to make sure nothing happened to Roger. As she was left alone, Teresa couldn't help thinking back on the conversation earlier that evening.

"Now what do we do?" Heather asked, her voice even shakier then before.

"We have to do something." Teresa pleaded. "Angie could end up killing him the way she is."

Jenny swore. "What can we do? She has that tape and Roger's not going to be siding with us anytime soon."

"I could always take it from her." Melissa put in. "Angie's kinda' small - I could take her."

"I don't think so." Heather couldn't help putting a little condescension in her voice. "Angie's a second degree black belt. Don't you ever listen?"

Melissa loomed over Heather. "I listen well enough. You got a problem?"

"Fighting among ourselves isn't going to help." Jenny said stepping between the two. "We need a plan."

"Did I... did I really rape him?" Ginger squeaked from her chair. "Is that what I am?" She said barely able to hold the tears back.

"Damn it Ginger, we don't have time for this!" Jenny snapped.

Ginger just put her head into her hands and started crying. Gasping over and over about how sorry she was. It took a good ten minutes to finally calm her down again. During that time they all tried to comfort her, but her question still hung in the air: none sure of the answer. Could you rape a man? It was something they'd have to think on another day. Right now their current problem was more immense, more immediate, and all their lives might hang on their decisions.

Worst of all was Teresa's statement: had Angie gone far enough to kill? Would Roger be safe with her? And last but not least, what could they do about the whole mess? For one stupid night of drunken fun they'd caused a dilemma none of them were mature enough to deal with.

"Alright, we know that we have to do something." Jenny said after a little thought. "Maybe if we get Angie out of the situation, you know away from here, we can talk some sense into her. She's just too close to it to see what's really going on."

"If she's really out for payback that's never going to work." Melissa shook her head. "You know how she is. She's like a dog with a bone. She'll never let something go once she has a hand on it."

Teresa nodded. "Angie never backs down."

"Well, she's going to have to this time!" Jenny said as calmly as she could, though she wanted to scream. "This isn't just about her, it's about all of us... and Roger too."

"Oh yea, lets not forget him." Teresa tried to bite back some of the sarcasm that dripped from every syllable, but couldn't.

"Don't get so uptight." Ginger said with a little of her old spirit renewed. "We're going to fix everything for him. By the time we're done he'll be one of the most popular guys in school. He'll thank us when it's all over."

"You think?" Heather asked with just a touch of hope in her eyes.

"Of course!" Ginger beamed. But, Teresa, Jenny, and Melissa looked less than confident.

"I think we just need more time to think on it. One of us will stay here and make sure that Angie doesn't do anything to Roger, and then we'll all meet back here in the morning around eight to decide exactly what to do." Jenny smiled trying to sound sure of herself. After a quick agreement they all headed out, leaving Teresa as guard.

It wasn't long after Angie left that Roger heard his drawers and closet being rummaged through. Cracking open an eye, he saw Teresa searching his room while swearing under her breath.

"Going to steal my clothes now too?" Roger asked the hurt of betrayal still thick in his voice. Teresa jumped when he spoke and turned to look at him.

"How the hell could I do that when they're already gone?" Teresa snapped. Inhaling slowly she calmed herself.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Angie's already taken all your clothes and your father's too." Teresa said as she sat down next to him. "But that doesn't change anything. We're getting out of here."

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust them anymore. I'm not going to let Angie or the rest of them hurt you again."

"That's not what I meant. Why are you helping me? If it wasn't for you I wouldn't even be here like this. None of this would have happened at all!" The last few words were more snarl than words as the anger boiled up from him.

"Oh God Roger." Teresa sobbed, completely breaking down and crying into his chest. "This isn't what I wanted. I... I just wanted you to like me. I thought that if we brought you over - played spin the bottle or something like that - you'd see me. See how I felt for you." Lifting her head she looked him right in the eyes tears streaming down her cheeks. "I never wanted them to hurt you. I didn't know any of this was going to happen. All I thought was that if you were with us, no, were with me, you'd finally see me as a woman. You'd finally see that I love you." Teresa had to look away. She was pouring her heart out to someone who could only hate her now. It felt like a crushing weight on her chest. Her heart was shattering before him.

"Teresa," Roger whispered, "why didn't you just tell me?"

"How could I?" Teresa said. Shaking her head with bitter resentment. "You never even saw me as a girl, much less a woman."

"I'm sorry." Roger gasped his own emotions clashing inside, but for some reason he knew he meant those words.

"Teresa, please untie me." Taking one deep look into his eyes she nodded and started setting him free. When the last bond was gone, they sat there side by side, a new bond - not of leather or nylon - forming between them. Gently Roger took her into his arms and held her close, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Please don't hate me," Teresa cried softly, "I couldn't live if you hated me."

"I don't hate you. I'm just sorry that it took all this for you to tell me how you felt." With smooth slow strokes he caressed her long black hair. Something too was stirring inside: emotions that he'd never known were there. It all started to make sense. Why had he felt so hurt and betrayed by her? Why had he been so angry with her, so much more than the rest? Could his feelings be the same?

A warmth suffused him, as a tear trickled down. All those memories. All that time together. He'd been so close he couldn't see his own feelings, much less hers. Now he knew. He couldn't just forgive or forget the last couple days. But with time it would all pass, he knew that, and he had something much stronger to fill the hurt now. Something he'd missed, that made everything that happened worthwhile. Taking her by the shoulders he pushed her slightly away, looking her in the eyes. "Teresa. I think I love you too."