The Echo of Abuse and Love

The wind whips haphazardly through my hair as I make the short walk to school. It’s uncharacteristically warm for January, but the wind is still brutal. I yank my hood back up over my head, clutching the drawstrings of my hoodie against my chest to keep it in place. I quicken my pace, hoping to make it to the campus coffee shop in time to grab something to drink before the first bell rings.Four more months, that’s all that I have left. I can do this.When I reach campus, I veer toward the coffee shop in the middle of the class buildings, rushing into the small coffee shop, pulling my phone out of my pocket to see where Eva is, and if she wants me to get her anything. After sending off a quick text I step into the back of the line, waiting patiently for my turn. It seems like most of the kids in school had the same idea I did this morning. I look around aimlessly, taking in the cozy air of the coffee shop. People are mingling around, talking, and joking together. I’ve ne

"What do you think of this dress?" Eva parades out of her closet in a beautiful navy blue knee-length dress. Her dark hair falls in silky waves down her back, and her eyes sparkle with their normal luster. This is the 5th dress she's tried on since we got to her house almost two hours ago. "I think you look amazing."She sighs heavily, sinking onto the corner of her bed next to me. "You've said that about all of the dresses Shea! You aren't helping me decide in the slightest!" She shoves my shoulder playfully and I can't help but smile. "Okay, fine... let me think..." I look at the small pile of dresses on the bed next to me. "I liked the red lace one on you best. It ma

I hate it here. The moment Eva and I stepped into the house it was all I could do to not turn right back around and leave. Eva hadn't let go of my hand until we were deep inside the house and walking into the kitchen. It was like she could sense that I was ready to bolt. I couldn't tell if her touch was meant to be reassuring or a means by which she kept me hostage. "Here." She said, handing me a bottle of water. We had established a long time ago that I didn't drink, and I was thankful she never expected me to explain myself, and she never pressured me to do anything I didn't want to. "Let's go sit in the dining room and you can help me make fun of all the couples sucking face."

I'm not sure what I walked in on when I found Shea in the hallway upstairs, but once Jacob was gone, and I went to check on her, the sound of her quiet sobs was heart-shattering. I scooped her up in my arms and found the nearest bedroom that I could get into. She clung to me fiercely, and when I tried to set her down on the bed her arms shot out around my neck, holding my body to hers."Shea," I said quietly, repositioning us so that I could hold her in my lap. "Shea, I need to know if he hurt you." Rage was building behind my eyes, and concern settled in my stomach, sending a type of panic through my veins that I wasn't used to. Part of me wanted to leave her up here and go find Jacob and punch him in the face. But I was glued to this spot, praying that I could do something to soothe Shea's soul-piercing sobs. 

Shea took my hand when I offered it to help her out of the car, and she didn't pull away from me when I kept ahold of her as we headed into my Aunt's old diner. When Eva and I were children, my other used to bring us here all of the time. Any time we went shopping at the big outlet malls or took a day trip to the zoo we always swing by her sister's diner on the way home. When my mom died three years ago, Ev and I still made it a habit to come out here as much as we could. As soon as we got our licenses almost every weekend we would come to have Sunday lunch with Aunt Rosie. Her diner felt like an extension of home, but almost always left me feeling a little sad. Right after mom died, and Eva and I would come, I could almost imagine hearing my mother sitting at the bar, gossiping with Aunt Rosie about family drama or the people that