Page 31 of Her Alien Neighbor

“I’m telling you the truth. Trevor raped me.”

He sighs. He actually sighs at my words.

“I know he’s your nephew, and I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause any trouble,” I stammer, trying to figure out how to get him to believe me. It’s not like I even wanted to press charges. I called my mom right after it happened, and she and Dad picked me up. They saw me crying, and I told them everything. I didn’t even pause to breathe. The words just fell out of my mouth as tears ran down my face. My mom insisted we come straight here and that I tell the cops what happened.

“Well, it’s a bit too late for that, now, isn’t it?” Officer Burton says, his tone hardening. “You come in here and accuse my nephew of such a heinous crime and then say you aren’t looking to cause trouble?”

Goose bumps cover my skin as I begin to realize what a colossal mistake this was. I should’ve just gone home.

Officer Burton rubs his forehead, exasperation clear on his face. “I want you to think about this two, even three, steps ahead, okay? Let’s say,” he pauses, “you decide to press charges. That means we’d need to open an investigation. Everyone who was at the party will be questioned, so your classmates would find out about this. Then it comes down to evidence.”

I nod, staring at the black smudges of mascara on my fingers from trying to wipe away my tears.

“In most rape cases, there isn’t enough evidence to proceed, because it’s a situation of he-said she-said, so charges are dropped. Imagine,” he says, lowering his voice to a whisper, “going through all that, the comments from kids at school, for nothing. Is that really how you want your final days before graduation to go?”

My vision blurs as the scenario plays in my head––ostracized, talked about everywhere I go while wearing a cloak of shame. It’s the last thing I want.

“Or, if the case goes to trial,” he adds, “you’ll be condemning my nephew to a miserable, stunted life. He’ll lose his scholarship to UNH, and he’ll have trouble even getting a job. The kid has so much potential. I know you two are good friends. Is that really how you’d treat a friend?”

I did consider Trevor a good friend. We’ve been in a lot of the same classes since freshman year. We usually partner up on projects, and he always pulls his weight. He doesn’t leave me to do all the work. He makes me laugh, and we spend a lot of time together outside of school since he’s Beth’s neighbor.

But then…tonight happened. I certainly wouldn’t wish a miserable future on any of my friends, but could Trevor say the same? If he saw me as one of his close friends, why would he violate me? What about whathedid? What aboutmyfuture?

“Think about it, Vanessa,” Officer Burton says with a huff. “You were seen drinking tonight. People saw you follow Trevor into that bedroom, but then, suddenly, he’s a monster who attacked you? Do you think people will actually believe you?”

“Vanessa! Hey!” Sam shouts, snapping her fingers in my face. She sits facing me in the backseat of an SUV, her seat belt unbuckled as we speed down Clarke Lane. Zev is driving, and Axil is facing us from the passenger seat, his face pinched in concern.

“Hmm,” I grunt, nodding my head to let her know I’m listening. I have no memory of leaving the bar and getting into what I assume is Zev’s car, but with how weak my entire body feels, I imagine someone carried me. “Yeah, I hear you.”

“Thank god,” Sam says, pulling me in for a hug. When she pulls back, her eyes are wet. “You okay?”

I nod again, my mind still hazy. We pull into my driveway, and Axil races to open my door and help me out. I let him guide me toward the house, grateful to have Sam on my other side, ready to catch me if I collapse, which I feel on the verge of doing.

We get into the living room, and Axil sets me in the middle of the couch, then kneels in front of me. He looks as if he’s in physical pain, and I wonder if he and Trevor got into it while I was having a breakdown. Sam sits on the edge of the coffee table at Axil’s side, putting her elbows on her knees.

“What was that?” Axil asks so quietly; I almost didn’t hear him. He looks terrified. “What happened?”

Before I can answer, Sam says, “Panic attack.” Then she looks at me. “Right?”

“Yeah,” I reply, wiggling my fingers and toes, amazed the numbness is gone. I sigh loudly. “Yeah, it was a panic attack. Brought on by something Trevor said.”

“What did he say?” Zev asks from where he stands in the corner of the room.

“I don’t know, something about,” I try to remember, “not believing Axil’s side, about Trevor having a gun.” My voice sounds so small even to me. As fragile as glass. “It just took me right back to that night.”

Sam nods, knowingly, her eyes swirling with sympathy.

“When Officer Burton told me,” I continue, “no one would believe me.”

“Believe you about what?” Axil asks.

Sam, as if she didn’t hear Axil, asks, “You never went to the hospital that night, did you?”

“Nope,” I reply solemnly. “I should’ve, but after what Officer Burton said, I don’t know.” I put my face in my hands. “It just felt pointless to do anything other than go home and try to forget it happened.”

“Forget what?” Zev asks.

“It’s not like that did any good,” I add, “because by Monday, everyone knew what happened, and I was ‘the slut who tried to ruin Trevor’s life.’”

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