It All Came Out
Chapter 15
Addison’s POV
“Tammy! The same Tammy that is in my backyard right now?” Tandy asked. I nodded without saying it out loud.
“Addison, I will ask, but please know you don’t have to answer me. Was Garrett the one in the video with you?” Tandy asked carefully.
I nodded again, and the anger on her face shocked me. “I raised him better than that. Everything changed when he cut you out of his life. What in the hell is he thinking? I never liked that girl in the first place, but both Garrett and Valerie liked her, so I left it alone. I should have pushed harder when I asked Garrett what happened between you and him three years ago, I failed you, I should never have sent him over here. I got busy, and then I had to call your aunt and I didn’t want to do that in front of you. Russell was helping me out by searching through the safe for your mother’s final wishes. I didn’t want to send Holden because I knew he had a crush on you, I knew Valerie thinks she is better than anyone these days, so I couldn’t send her, I thought that Garrett was the only good choice. He would deliver the food and leave. Oh, baby girl, I am so sorry,” Tandy told me
“That’s not the worst part,” I managed to whisper. They both stiffened up, bracing for the news because they knew the video was pretty bad in itself.
“It doesn’t matter, honey. I am here now. You have me, and I promise I will help you navigate this. You can trust me. What happened?” My aunt asked me to shift down on the couch, and I was now sitting on the middle cushion between them. The concern that was showing in their eyes broke me again. I felt ashamed that I had been so stupid. I had just met my aunt, and she was going to lose respect for me the first day I met her. I felt terrible to disappoint them both
with my actions.
I cried for a few minutes before finally saying, “Garrett told me he loved me. I was waiting for the guy I love to love me back. It has always been him for me. I don’t know why he turned his back on me, but I was thrilled because he told me he would let everyone know we were together. After I took my finals, I looked for him but couldn’t find him. What I found was the fact that Tammy had sent the video to everyone at our high school. My best friend Kate isn’t even allowed to be around me because her parents saw the video. Tammy ruined me. Everyone is now calling me bad matthes when it was my first time. I am not going to go to graduation. Laheady told Principall Carson. It would be too much for me to go there.”
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“I can deal with Tammy. We will get to the bottom of it for you. Whoever made that video will
be sued, and I will pursue jail time for them as well. They can’t do that to you, and they are
about to learn a hard lesson,” my aunt said, and she started furiously typing on her cell
phone.
“Did anything else happen, Addison?” Tandy asked. This woman could read me like a book.
“Yes, there was an incident at school. But Principal Carson had already called the police and
started to deal with it,” I told them. My voice was so low they had to lean in to hear me.
“Addison, no matter what happened, we are here for you. Please tell us. We can’t help you if
we don’t know what happened,” Tandy said.
“When I was looking for Garrett, I got stopped in the hallway,” I started to say. I stopped to try
to collect myself, but it wasn’t working.
They each held my hands, and with their other hand, they rubbed my back. They knew this
was bad, and it was. I didn’t even want to discuss it: I would prefer never to talk about it again.
“They pushed me back until I was against the wall. Tripp held onto me and wouldn’t let me go.
He and Alden were acting disgusting and refused to let me leave. They just kept pushing me back against the wall, I was scared, No matter how many times I asked to leave, they refused. After the first bell rang, people just left me there with them. It was horrible; students in the hall just recorded what they were doing to me and didn’t try to help me or get a teacher. They all believed that I deserved whatever they wanted to do to me,” I shuddered as the memory was
so clear in my mind, it was like watching a video play out in front of me.
“Tripp and Alden, who are in my backyard right now? Tandy asked, shocked, I could see her starting to piece it together with the laughter and them clowning around outside while they were posing and being disgusting while looking up at my window. She was furious now, and
she let go of my hand to send another text.
‘No matter what happens, I am going to get justice for you, Addison, my aunt told me. She was texting too, and she had the same habit as my mother of pursing her lips when she was angry, Lassume she was texting her husband, just like Mrs. Pearson was texting hers. I could heat voices outside in the driveway about five minutes later. Tandy patted my hand when I
looked towards the doot, wormed that Tripp and Alden might come over
“Russell told them all that they would have to find another place to hang out from now on. He is out there on out front porch watching them. He willl make sure that they leave. He won’t let them come over here. I told him to tell the kids that it was an insurance issue as to why the pool parties were canceled. They won’t be back, honey I didn’t like how those girls acted anyway Especially Tammy I have told Wallete at least a hundred times that she didn’t have to
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11 All Came Out
be like them. I would have preferred that you were her role model.” She signed and looked at the ceiling for a moment. She was collecting herself. I saw her eyes shining with tears before she spoke again. “I was staying on Valerie so much to keep her safe that I didn’t even realize what Garrett was doing. I knew he slept with Tammy. She was too familiar with him and always touched him. She offers herself up to him on a silver platter whenever she comes over. I just hope he didn’t do it with her in our home, Tandy stated with a shudder.
She saw me flinch and look away before she fired off another text to Russell. Garrett is going
to be pissed that I outed him, but I didn’t actually say anything. She caught me off guard by
mentioning it, and I couldn’t stop my reaction to what she had said. It was honestly not
intentional at all.
“Addison, why were the police called to the school? What you said was not good, but not
enough for Principal Carson to involve the police. I know that you are not done with your story.
Please finish it. I can assure you that despite Alden being Garrett’s best friend, he isn’t a good
influence. I don’t want him, or Tripp, around you or Valerie again, Tandy said with conviction.
“Tripp picked me up and pulled my shirt up to look at my bra. He covered my mouth and nose
to keep me from screaming for help again. I tried to fight, but he was too strong,” I told them.
without looking at either of them as I looked at the fireplace in the corner.
They were stunned. Too upset to ask me anything for a little while. “You said Tripp did that.
Did Alden do anything to you?” Tandy managed to get out in a strangled voice.
“Since Tripp had to hold me with one hand and cover my mouth, Tripp couldn’t get my shirt up
enough. So Alden helped him, and Tripp ended up fondling my breast. That was around when I
passed out from not being able to breathe. They didn’t get a chance to do anything else. I
wasn’t out for long, but I did watch the video with Principal Carson. He was the one who called
the police and made a report. I was scared to press charges because Tripp is unpredictable
and volatile. I don’t trust either of them, but I am more scared of Tripp than I am of Alden. I
didn’t want them coming after me if they got arrested for assault. They would never leave me
alone, I told them.
“Well, too bad for Tripp and Alden. You are not alone. They are going to be picked up tomorrow I am going to make sure that this doesn’t get swept under the rug. Honey, go upstairs, take a warm bath, and get some rest. I am staying here tonight with you. I won’t
leave you alone here. Why chiver its at a hotel near here. He is going to pick us up at nine in the morning I want you to relax and get some sleep. I will speak to Tandy about your mother’s wishes for a little while before I come up to bed. I want you to call me if you need me,” my
aunt told me, and I modded to het
I slowly headed upstairs, feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I feel like I
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have been in a fierce fight and been beaten up. I walked into my bedroom and looked at my face. I gasped in surprise. I have no color on my face. I am as pale as a ghost. I don’t think that I have ever looked this bad. I ran a tub and put some bath salts into it. The fragrance helped to calm me, and I stayed in the tub until the water turned cold. But I did feel more relaxed.
I walked into my room, leaving the light turned off. As I walked down the hall, I heard a low murmur of voices from the living room, so I guess they were still talking. Thankfully, I didn’t have to participate in the conversation anymore. I didn’t want to change into my P.J.’s. I am just going to sleep in my robe. Movement caught my eye, and I saw Garrett watching me from his computer chair as he sat at his desk. He smiled and gave me a little wave. I would be lying if I said I expected him to do that. Wasn’t he just cozying up to Tammy just a few hours ago? I refuse to be his second choice, especially if Tammy is his first choice.
I watched as he got up to walk to the window. He was frowning in confusion at me like he couldn’t understand why I would be upset. I just closed my blinds, quickly got into bed, and ignored him. I heard him whisper yelling at me, but I just got out in my airpods and played my favorites until I fell into a fitful sleep, I had a nightmare about Tripp, but my aunt heard me and came to me to rub my back until I fell asleep. It was going to be a very long night.
