Amy staggered into the college past her friends, fresh tears streaking down her cheeks as she slammed into a brick wall, her eyes met his and she felt sick.

The smell brought back the memories of last night, where he tried to force her into things she wasn't ready for and where Maddison and Lydia had walked in on him attempting to assault her.

Amelia didn't want it getting out that she had been sexually assaulted at her party, she didn't want her family to know and she didn't want it to be real, so she hid in her room, only leaving for more booze.

Even though she knew that her family and friends would never judge or blame her, she refused to tell them the whole story.

Amelia was just greatful her friends walked in when they did and stopped it from getting worse, but that didn't stop her shutting them out.

Elijah Prescott was the colleges resident bad boy and player, he was known for being a bully and a cheater, never one for relationships. But that had changed two years ago when he had met Amy Pritchett.

The bubbly party girl had danced her way into his heart, claiming it only for her. Eli was known for one night stands and fights, not for settling down or having one girl in his life.

———

Amy was brought back to reality as he touched her arm, sliding his grip down towards her waist. "Get off of me." She growled, her tone cold and harsh, void of any of her natural spark. "Do not touch me." It took every fibre in her being not to kick him where it would hurt, but he was making it really difficult for her.

"You're my girlfriend. I can touch if I wanna. Meet me in the janitors closet in free period." He winked and let go of her, as she slid down her locked and onto the floor, her head in her hands.

The loud drilling of the bell chimed through her pounding head as the hangover kicked in fully. "See you in AP English." Lydia hugged her friend as they parted ways, after catching up to the bombshell blonde.

As Amy sank down into her chair, her eyes slipped closed and she zoned out of class and into a dark quieter room. "Miss Pritchett." The shrill nasally voice of her music class Teacher Mrs Dean erupted into her brain.

"I'm sorry that my class is boring you. Would you like a pillow and maybe a blanket?" She sarcastically offered, glaring at the student who rolled her eyes and walked out of class, raising her middle finger on her way out.

Her bag still on her desk all she had with her was her phone and her gum. She skulked into the bathrooms and sat on the window ledge scrolling through her music playlist, popping her AirPods into her ears.

An hour passed as her first class ended, the bell drilled through but her music drowned the annoying sound out. Eminem filling her ears.

"Hush little baby don't you cry, everything's gonna be alright." Amy whispered to herself, wiping away the single tear that had escaped from her red eyes.

A hand on her shoulder draws her out of her trance as she catches the eyes of her friend Jaime. "Hey JJ." She wiped her eyes and jumped down, removing the earphones and putting them in the case in her pocket.

Jaime handed the backpack to her friend and clutched her hand. "I think Deans gonna be reporting you." Amy shook her head without a care and walked out, hand in hand with her friend.

They walked into their dance studio as everyone changed into their dance clothes. Amy pulled on her pink leotard, black leggings and a white vest top and her black trainers.

Jamie, Amelia and Maddison set up for their dance number. Their style had been street, so they chose boom clap by CharliXCX, Amy was in front, a girl behind on either side.

They formed a triangle formation as the teacher pressed play on the track. The beats filled their ears as they danced to the rhythm. The three were in sync, flawlessly performing their choreography.

After the song ended, the class applauded as the three sweaty teenagers sat down and chugged water. "Well done girls. See that is what happens when you work hard with your talent." The teacher high fived each of them as they sat at the back of the class.

Amy's heart was racing as she struggled to maintain her focus in class productions. "Thank you ladies and gents. All of your pieces were phenomenal. I hope I'll see some of you at auditions for our performing arts showcase. Dancing, singing, acting or even playing an instrument. Share your talent with us."

Flyers we're handed out as they left the class after changing back into their normal clothes. The three girls headed out together, Amy sandwiched in between the two. They all had a free period and then AP English and Amy had her singing and guitar lessons.

When Amy had applied for college a year ago, she had picked performing arts as her major, combining acting, dance and singing but she also chose to study AP English and took lessons on the side to perfect her talent.

Her dream was to be a professional dancer or choreographer, but she knew the chances of achieving her lifelong goal would be slim at best.

"I'll meet up with you guys in a sec, I need to go and find Elijah." Maddison sighed as Jamie grabbed onto her friends arm.

All of her friends hated her boyfriend, but nobody could get the very stubborn party girl Amelia to see sense or change her mind.

Jamie looked Amelia straight in the eyes and saw the glint of fear in her eyes. "Are you sure that's a good idea alone, or at all?" Amy smiled and shook her head playfully heading off alone.

Six minutes later she slammed the door shut behind her in the closet, Eli immediately becoming handsy. "Woah there cowboy. Hold your horses." He groaned as he tried to kiss her neck ignoring her. "Listen to me!" She shouted as he held his hand over her mouth.

"Shut up!" He snarled, holding her against the wall with his hand across her abdomen. "I could have anyone I want and I chose you. So you fulfill my needs or I'll find somebody who can." Tears shone in her eyes as she shook them away.

They had been dating since junior year in high school and he had not always been such a toolbag, one night after his parents divorced and his dad walked out he flipped.

The once caring boy turned into a cohesive, abusive, paranoid control freak of a boyfriend who didn't let his girlfriend do anything without his approval and consent.

———

"I didn't come for a bang. I came to end this. Last night was not okay. This is not okay. The way you treat me is not okay and I let you get away with it for far too long. Not anymore. I'm done. We're over." She whispered, struggling to hold his eye contact.

She turned to leave but he had a tight vice like grip on her wrist, it burnt her skin at the tension on her body. "No. I am the best thing for you. You don't get to walk away. Cuz I'll tell everyone what you really are. A needy girl desperate for male attention because even your own daddy loves your siblings more than you."

Tears were now streaming down her cheeks as she lifted her knee into his crotch area and punched him in the face. He roared in pain and pushed her against the wall, holding her there by her arms, leaving hand shaped prints on her skin.

The door was flung open as Robbie stood there looking infuriated as he pulled Elijah out of the closet, accidentally bringing Amy along with him.

Elijah slapped Amy and pushed her to the floor as the tears spilled over. "I told you I'm done! We're over! You don't get to treat me like shit anymore! I let it pass for far too long and that's on me. You made me feel like I needed you. I don't. I've got friends who love me." Elijah lunged for her yet again as her friends jumped in.

Robbie and Dion physically restrained Elijah as Maddison kicked him in the crotch with her high heeled shoes. Bree and Lydia held their friend who sobbed onto their shoulders as the professors arrived.

"What on earth is going on here!" The sound of the College Dean boomed, everyone's heads snapping up straight as he stared at the blood on Amy's face to the marks on her arms and the bruises coating her legs, the skirt had pulled up showing her thighs black and blue to everyone.

A shaky hand flew to her mouth as she ran off towards her car. Maddison picked up her bag and followed her, the others staying to explain.

"You okay honey?" Amy smiled slightly at the stupidity of the question. "I'm so proud of you for taking back control over that knob." She wrapped her arms around the younger girl as she cried in her arms.

"I'll drive you home and then get Dion to come and pick me up. The perks of being friends with your step-brother." Maddy and Amelia switched places and drove in the direction of the Pritchett home.

Luckily for the two girls, Jay should've been at work, Manny at school and Gloria running errands. The second they arrived, the two said goodbye as Amy jumped into the shower and washed the blood and tears away.

She pulled on a comfortable tracksuit on after and some fluffy socks and fell onto her bed, watching mean girls as she fell back to sleep. Her arms and cheek still stinging with his touch.

She was free, for now.

Safe from the shouting, until her father found out what happened at the college.