The Basement

They tried to ask her questions, but she just shook her head and cried, then went back to whispering, "I'm safe, I'm safe, he saved me, please get the blood off of me, please. I'm safe, he's dead."

"Ma'am," the officers said, turning to Yvette, "a word?" he asked, gesturing out the door.

Presley quieted when Yvette left, feeling fear welling up again. She looked at Joseph and he was still there, looking sick and worried. She was clutching his hand and he was covered in blood. "Please," she whispered, looking him in the eye. "Please, I need a shower. Now. There is one in that bathroom, please? I need this blood off of me, please? Joseph?"

He hesitated, then nodded, helping her up. He held the hospital gown closed until he got her to the bathroom door, then he pulled it closed once she was in.

"No!" she cried. "Please don't leave me alone! Please?!?"

His face turned pink, his cheeks red, but he stepped in and turned his back. She turned on the shower and got in, turning the heat up as hot as she could stand it, then broke down crying again as she tried to scrub the dried blood off of her.

"Easy halfpint," Joseph said helplessly from the door.

"I can't get it out of my hair!" she wailed. It's everywhere and it won't come out!"

"I will get Yvette, or the nurse," he said, reaching for the handle.

"Please don't leave me alone!"

He sighed, then turned and went to her. He spun her and washed her hair carefully, working the blood out. Then he went over her, scrubbing behind her ears, behind her neck, inside of her ears, everywhere she hadn't already scrubbed the blood away. "That's all of it," he said quietly.

Relieved and overwhelmed, she hugged him, not caring that she was putting her face against his bloody overalls. He patted her shoulder awkwardly.

She finally stopped sobbing into his chest and pulled away to rinse off and scrub herself again for good measure. When she turned off the water, he was holding a towel out behind him as he faced the door. She wrapped up and used another to dry off. She felt a million times better now that she was clean. When she came out, there was a woman changing her sheets. Presley was so ridiculously grateful that she hugged the woman and cried all over again. The woman hugged her tight and rubbed her back like a motherly figure. "You're here and safe now young lady, it will all be ok now. Here babydoll, let me get you another gown and a warm blanket."

The woman stepped out and a nurse came in, smiling sympathetically. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you. Sorry I did that without asking."

"It's fine, we were about to let you anyway. Your sister went to get you and him both some clean clothes. She said she would also bring you the coffee you like. Here we are. Thank you LaTonya. Slip this gown on and you can climb under those warm blankets until your sister gets back."

Presley didn't correct her. She curled up under the warm blankets and reached out from under for Joseph's hand. He took hold of it gently, enveloping her small hand in his larger, calloused hand.

Another nurse came in and gave her a shot. Presley went fuzzy again and drifted away. When she opened her eyes, Yvette was sitting where Joseph had been, holding her hand. Presley squeezed and Yvette looked up from her phone and smiled, getting up to hug her.

"Hey girl. How do you feel?"

"I am better now. Where is Joseph?"

"Answering questions with the police outside. More questions. I give him five more minutes before he walks away from them. I've never seen him so upset. He is really worried about you. When you didn't get off the bus... he didn't hesitate a second. He was gone before I could even put my shoes on to go with him. Say what you want about how shy and quiet he is, he is a man of action when it comes down to it."

"He saved me. Again. Lewis was going to hurt me... worse than he already was, he said so."

"The police want you to answer questions as soon as you are able. Are you? Able?"

"Yes. Actually, I need to talk to them soon, before everyone knows what happened."

Yvette jumped up and stepped outside the door to yell for the police.

Presley told them about Juniors friends from school and how they all have videos on their phones that Junior probably deleted on his own. She numbly told them what had happened. Yvette sat on one side and Joseph the other, both of them holding her hands.

This time, when the same doctor came in, he refused to let her leave before she promised she would call the therapist on the card he gave her. She threw it away on her way out of the hospital. She rode home with Joseph, trying to avoid looking at the bag of bloody clothes on the floorboard of his truck. He was wearing clean overalls and a clean shirt, but he still had blood on his chin and jaw.

Once she got back to the farm, she didn't want to leave. It was safe. Joseph and Yvette were here and they would keep her safe. Would she have to go back to school? Was it really still friday? It felt like a week since she had been at school instead of hours. Maybe it was Saturday morning now, she didn't know. It was dark and she was tired, but she still didn't want to be alone.

She fell asleep with her head on Yvette's lap like she had that first night.

They kept her close all weekend, but when Monday came, she knew she would have to go back to school. It was fine, she told herself. Lewis was gone and his family was all in jail. No one would hurt her.

Joseph dropped her off and promised he would be there to pick her up. The day seemed long and dragging and Presley couldn't focus. When the bell finally rang, she stumbled to the door to the bright sunny day and looked around the parking lot. Her eyes froze on a man near the front. Tall. Skinny. Red hair. Glaring at her.

She took a step back as he stood up off the car he was leaning on. He was older than the others, but he was the spitting image of Dale. He crossed his arms, still glaring, but didn't move towards her, just stood there, glaring at her.

Presley's heart began pounding again and her breathing was too rapid. She went to her knees and a teacher was there as if by magic. Seconds later, Joseph was there.

"Halfpint?" he asked urgently, then followed her gaze. He stood and started towards the man, but the man got in his car and started it. Joseph turned back to Presley. "Easy halfpint," he said softly. He lifted her and carried her to his truck without asking or explaining to the gathering teachers. Once he started on his way, he called the police to tell them.

No one questioned her at all when she didn't go to school the next day, or the day after. On Friday, Miranda showed up just after noon. She spent twenty minutes telling her why she should finish highschool, that she had a support system.

"No," Presley answered, holding on to Yvette. "They can't keep me safe there."

"We will help her get her GED," Yvette said gently.

"Presley," Miranda began.

"She said no," Joseph said loudly, then got up and held the front door open. Miranda had no real choice but to leave. Presley wasn't in the system anymore.

Presley spent her days learning how to cook, learning how to farm, learning how to quilt with Yvette and watching awful television. She got her GED, but was still too afraid to try and go out and get a job. Part of her felt like she needed to contribute, but Yvette told her she was contributing by helping at the farm and keeping her company.

Summer came and went in a flash, but at the tail end, on a warm night, Joseph came in from his chores. "Get dressed," he said, pausing at the door to the living room, where Presley and Yvette were piecing a quilt.

"Where are we going?" Yvette asked.

"Not you. Halfpint."

Presley looked at Yvette, her eyebrows high. Yvette shrugged and moved the pieces off Presleys lap. Presley got dressed and went back downstairs. She had never seen Joseph in anything but overalls or coveralls, but he was in jeans and a short sleeve button down with pearl snap buttons. He was also missing his permanent ball cap that said 'Case IH' on it. (which she had discovered was a kind of tractor) He looked odd without it, his soft curls making him look younger.

He motioned his head at the door and opened it for her, then the truck door as well.

"What's the big secret?" she asked, rolling her window down with the hand crank.

He didn't answer and she knew there was no use pressing it. He wouldn't answer. They rode in a comfortable silence that she had grown used to. They worked together in the same way. It was familiar now, and comforting. Just like Yvettes constant talking was familiar and comforting.

Presley was astonished when he pulled into a drive-in movie theatre. These still existed? Joseph hardly ever watched TV or movies unless they were documentaries or it was the news and farming report.

He backed into a spot and got out. He untied a huge tarp in the back and pulled out pillows and blankets. Presley laughed and climbed up to sit back and wait for the movie. It hit her suddenly, that all of this was unusual behavior. The movie, the dressing up, the leaving Yvette behind. Was this a date?!?

She turned her head slightly to look at him nervously. She felt completely awkward now. She should have dressed up! Fixed her hair. Was the way she was laying make her tummy pooch out? Why was she sweating so much now? Did she have anything in her teeth? She should have brushed her teeth! Wait, what if he kissed her and she hadn't brushed her teeth?!? Did she have anything on her nose? A booger hanging out?

Nervously, she finger-combed her hair and braided it over her shoulder so the breeze wouldn't make it all wild. She surreptitiously rubbed her nose and wished she had thought to put more deodorant on. She had put some on that morning, but how many hours ago was that? And she had sweated all day, helping with the cows. Did she smell?

She was practically vibrating with anxiety when the movie started. It was a horror movie which was her favorite but Yvette hated. Presley had to smile. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Maybe he was just being nice, letting her watch a movie she liked without Yvette because Yvette hated horror movies. Of course that was it.

Was she disappointed?

She sort of felt like she was, but she tried to push the thought away. There was no reason to complicate things. She was safe. She was happy.

She watched the movie, but was still acutely aware of how close Joseph was. She was also hyper aware of her own body and how she was trying so hard to make sure her tummy looked flat and she was laying in a flattering way. If he noticed, he gave no sign as he stared at the screen.

Finally, she got the nerve to speak. "You look bored out of your mind," she said softly.

"Thinkin' on something else."

"Thanks for bringing me to this. Yvette would have hated it. I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

He half shrugged, then looked at her. His look was thoughtful and... nervous. He turned back to the screen, spots of color blooming on his cheeks. He got up suddenly and took off walking. Presley sat up, then laid back down, afraid. The longer he was gone, the more terrified she became.

By the time he returned with a tray with pop, popcorn and candy, she was hyperventilating again. He set the tray down quickly and hopped into the truck. "Easy halfpint. Something happen?"

"I was alone," she whispered, still shaking and clutching his hand.

He let out a breath and sat down, pulling her against him. He didn't speak, but she knew. He was upset with himself for leaving, even if it was to go get her snacks.

"I'm fine," she managed, pulling back. "Sorry. I don't know why I can't..." she trailed off, tears welling in her eyes again.

He turned her face to his and thumbed her tears away. He moved to the tailgate and picked up the tray and set it next to her.

"Thanks," she managed, picking at the straw on the pop.

He patted her leg awkwardly, then sat back to watch the movie again. She stared down at the popcorn. Would she ever be able to be alone again?

"Halfpint?" he asked.

She turned and looked up at him. He jerked his head at the screen and she half laughed. "Sorry. Yeah, I am watching it. I was just thinkin' on something," she teased, but he could see how spooked she was now.

"Tell me," he said, looking down at her curiously.

She didn't want to tell him. Instead she did the next worst thing and blurted out, "Is this a date?"

He shrugged a shoulder and his cheeks turned pink again. "That a problem?" he asked quietly.

"No. Just tired of wondering if I was reading too much into it."

He half nodded, then looked back at the screen. A moment later, he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. She lay against his chest and closed her eyes. She was hot and they were both sweating, but she didn't care. He felt good. And he kept her safe. And he was comfortable.

It could also ruin everything. And what would Yvette think? Would she be mad?

Joseph leaned up and picked her up, then moved to lay down, laying her next to him. She could still see the movie but she was more comfortable now. She sighed happily and laid her hand on his chest. This was perfect. Her heart was full to bursting and she couldn't help the smile that kept sneaking up on her. Joseph was good and sweet and wonderful and handsome. She had no idea how old he was, she had never asked. He was younger than Yvette and Yvette didn't seem very old. In fact, he seemed older than she was. Presley guessed it didn't really matter.

He moved suddenly, turning to lean on his elbow, looking down at her. She looked up at him, a half smile on her face, open, curious. Was he going to say something? No... she saw the nervousness, the way his eyes darted to her lips, how flushed he was. She reached up and pulled him to her and that was all the invitation he needed. He kissed her, pressing his lips to hers roughly, pressing too hard, pushing her mouth open. Presley pulled back slightly, a little put off. He had no idea how to kiss. She pushed him back and he looked confused, embarrassed and offended at first until she sat up and pushed him down to kiss him. She kissed him softly, but eagerly, sliding her fingers into his curls. He emulated her, kissing more gently. When he rolled her again so that he was above her, he was much more gentle and less frantic.

His warm hand on her ribs made her breath catch when she realized her shirt was pushed up so far. She didn't care. His hands felt good. He felt good.

They both jumped when headlights shone on them and looked up. The movie was over, people were leaving. He looked back down at her, then kissed her again like he didn't care what anyone else was doing.

She didn't care either.