thank you for the review… I know this story is going slowly and I apologize. I promise to keep it going, even if it’s not updated all the time. I will kick myself in the ass and try to keep it goin. with that out of the way, I must put some warnings up this time. there are some touchy subjects brought up, including sexual abuse. so, if that really bothers you, apologies.

She opened the door to reveal a tear-stained Aimee, who glanced nervously behind her at the darkened corridor, terrified to be breaking room-curfew.

“Yes?” Wren asked kindly, encouraging the girl to speak.

“I’m just… I just…” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize to Riley. I should have never turned her in.” She shrugged ruefully. “Paige was pretty pissed off at me too. I just don’t want her getting in trouble. I know it’s totally irrational, but when it comes down to it I can’t help but do anything to protect her.” She blushed and murmured, “It’s really better if you just keep away I suppose. Shane already slammed her door in my face. I won’t be offended if you do too.”

Riley came up behind her roommate and rested her chin on the redhead’s shoulder. “I don’t mind,” she said thoughtfully. “I mean, it sorta sucks to get in trouble and all, but I don’t mind that you wanted to protect your sister. I know what it’s like to have something to protect.” She wrapped her arms around Wren and continued, “I’ll just try to keep my nefarious plans out of your sight from now on.”

Aimee giggled at the dark red blush stealing across Wren’s cheeks and nodded, whispering, “Thank you,” before darting back down the hallway.

The door closed and Wren turned with a slow smile, suddenly almost certain of everything. The laughter was completely chased out of her by the look in Riley’s gray eyes. She wrapped her fingers in the short dark hair and pulled the girl to her, sighing when Riley’s arms came easily around her.

They kissed softly and tentatively, quick brushes of the lips that caused the dark-haired girl to giggle in wonderment. “Nothing’s felt like this before.” She paused and closed her eyes, feeling mildly foolish. “Is it just me?”

Wren shrugged shyly and murmured, “This is all I know.”

“You never even tried guys?” Riley said, impressed.

“What’s the point?”

“Good point,” Riley whispered, bringing her mouth down firmly on her roommate’s.

Wren whimpered and arched up as Riley spilled them both back onto the nearest bed. She didn’t even need the moonlight to see the smile on the other girl’s face and she laughed brightly in response.

Riley pulled away, breathing quickly and murmured, “Oh, God, I can’t believe half the world doesn’t know about this.”

“I think it’s more than half.”

“Can’t be,” Riley said with a firm shake of her head before throwing the line of thought away in favour of more kissing.

It was hard to imagine there had ever been a time without this feeling. It was almost impossible to believe that she had been living without. Her eyes opened slowly in the demanding early morning sunlight and she stared down at the beautiful girl sleeping peacefully in her arms. With one hand she turned their alarm off before it could break the quiet of the room and leaned down to gently kiss her lover awake.

Wren stirred, tugged towards wakefulness by an insistent touch. Her eyes fluttered sleepily open and she grinned down at Riley who was sneakily pulling the sheets back.

“Did you need something?” she asked, voice barely concealing her laughter.

“Yep,” Riley replied, glancing up as she ran her tongue over the pale stomach.

Wren’s giggles slid into a sigh and she reached down to run her hand through the dark hair, unable to take her eyes off of the beautiful girl who was touching her with such reverence. It was as if she had never been touched before. As if this were the first time her skin had seen sunlight and it responded by glowing so incredibly that even Wren was convinced, for a moment, that she was as beautiful as Riley had said.

The note was delivered on a February afternoon when the girls were about to expire from boredom. They all gathered eagerly around Anna who shooed them away before reading the note. Her face tightened slightly, but she managed a smile before tossing the paper into the trash and rising to leave the room. The girls groaned at the unfairness before returning to their game of cards.

Shane played for a little longer before rising with an easy excuse about harassing her roommate, but Riley saw her slip the note from the trash before she wandered out of the room. She glanced over at Wren who nodded in immediate understanding and the two also excused themselves shortly after, enduring the catcalls and suggestive remarks as they left together.

As soon as they hit the hallway Riley grabbed Wren’s hand and they ran down the hallway to the stairs. When they ran past an unused closet on the main floor a hand reached out and jerked Riley’s arm, pulling the pair inside. They took a moment to focus on not shrieking in shock and catching their breath, then Riley realized their abductor was Shane.

She sat on the floor and immediately said, “What’s going on?”

Anna shook her head, but Shane pulled her aside and whispered something urgently in her ear and eventually the blonde nodded in reluctant agreement.

Shane sat down next to Riley and Wren and said, “We need your help.”

“We don’t,” Anna muttered and Shane shot an uncharacteristically serious glare over her shoulder.

“We do,” she said firmly.

Wren nodded immediately and said, “Of course. We’ll do whatever you need.”

Anna glanced at her watch and knelt to murmur something to her roommate then quickly left the room.

Shane paused a moment to collect her thoughts before saying, “We don’t have much time, so you’re just going to have to trust me on some of this.” Riley nodded immediately and Shane gave them both a grateful look. “She’s so obedient about everything else, I don’t feel right not allowing her one secret, you know.” Riley grinned at that and Wren rolled her eyes at the two resident bad girls. “Here’s the thing. That note was from…” Shane hesitated, closing her eyes and quickly spilled it. “It was a note from her brother. He’s coming to visit at 4.” Riley glanced at her watch, noticing it was already 3:30. “Exactly,” Shane said, catching the gesture. “Anyway, to make a long story short,” she squirmed and muttered, “He’s a bastard. He’s pretty much the entire reason she… well the things happened that landed her at this crazy-ass school.”

Wren shivered, understanding immediately and whispered, “We have to tell someone.”

“No!” Shane said firmly. “I promised!”

“What exactly is going on here?” Riley questioned impatiently and Shane glared at her.

“You ass, he’s going to rape her if we don’t do something. In my room. On the bed that I make love to her on. He’s going to fuck her and she’s going to let him.”

Riley felt a little faint and squeezed Wren’s hand painfully tight. “What do you need us to do,” she managed to whisper.

Shane nodded, looking pathetically grateful and said, “This is my plan…”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Riley muttered as they dressed Wren up in what they assumed was teacher-like clothing. Fortunately the girl had a pretty gray wool skirt that they paired with her school uniform shirt sans-tie. They pulled her hair up into a graceful bun that left soft wisps fluttering around her temples. With her glasses and a pair of nice black shoes she looked grown-up enough to pass for someone a few years older than the seventeen she actually was.

Shane burst in and glanced over the girl, nodding in approval. “Now, I’m going to have to stay downstairs with Zack,” she reminded them, “because that idiot knows I kicked her brother’s ass the last two times he pulled shit. Remember not to mention that I’m still her roommate, okay?”

Riley patted the other girl reassuringly. “Trust us, Shane. We love her too, even if it’s not the same way you do.”

Shane sighed, pacing helplessly, even when Wren stroked her hair reassuringly. Riley glanced at her watch, realizing it was 3:50 and left the other two with a quick wave.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Shane muttered.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. She already knows a little bit about what happened to me, so believe me, she’s taking it personally. Hopefully it doesn’t come down to that, but if it does I have no doubt she’ll kick some ass, Jacob be damned.”

Shane grinned weakly at that, nodding at her friend. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.”

“It’s going to come out eventually, you know,” Wren said softly.

“I know. But I want to let her avoid it as long as she needs.”

“You’re a good person, Shane Cooper.”

“Nah. I’m just in love with someone who’s too good for me.”

Riley slipped into the room next door and raised her eyebrows at the nervously pacing Anna. “Anna, my love, you’re not fooling anyone like that.”

Anna glanced up and realized her friend had changed back into her uniform as well and sighed gratefully. “Shane said you were going to pretend to be my roommate.”

“Yes, and Wren’s a teacher. Professor Kelly.” She grinned a little before saying, “And that’s all you need to know, so you react convincingly to events.”

Anna nodded without her usual argument and glanced shyly at the floor. “I’m really sorry about this,” she murmured. “I know it’s weird and I don’t mean to drag you into it…”

“It’s not weird at all,” Riley said firmly. “We all have things we want to keep secret and I know you guys have made a point to not ask me about certain things, for which I’m grateful. I’d be a total bitch to pry into your secrets.”

“But you don’t ask me to join in and help you hide yours. You don’t even ask why I want to protect him.”

“Because you love him,” Riley said easily. “That’s not hard to understand. If I had a brother I’m sure I’d love him too, no matter what.” She shrugged, “Well not no matter what. It’d be one thing if he hurt Wren, but if it were only me…” She looked at the other girl with steady understanding eyes. “I know you’re only doing this much because you love Shane enough to not want her to suffer with the knowledge of what’s happening. You think it’d be easier if she didn’t know anything and you could just quietly play this game and let him leave.”

Anna shrugged uncomfortably, shocked into silence.

“Don’t worry,” Riley murmured, “They don’t see that at all, but I understand. Not precisely what you are going through, but still… I understand.”

She settled at Shane’s desk and pulled her Philosophy book open and began taking notes on the Kant reading for next week’s class. Anna stared silently at her for a long moment before sitting nervously at her own desk and flipping aimlessly through Chemistry.

The tension filled the room until Riley finally whispered, “You’re going to make me go crazy too, dear, and we’re not fooling anyone. Can you at least pretend like I’m not here or something? I mean, I already know your secret, so why don’t you just act like you would act if you were alone in the room and just let us take care of you this time, okay?”

“But…”

“But nothing. If anyone else has anything to say about it, you can tell them I told you to act like that and Shane can punch me once and everyone can go home happy.”

Anna giggled a little at that and whispered, “I’ll try.”

“Mmhmm… that’s all I’m asking for, sweetheart. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be begging you to pay me back someday.”

They turned back to their books, feeling infinitely lighter and more confident, so much so that Riley barely jumped when a knock finally sounded on the door. “Showtime,” she muttered, earning one last giggle from her friend before Anna reluctantly opened the door.

“Hi James,” she said, voice quiet but normal.

Riley glanced up, taking in the male version of Anna with casually raised eyebrows. “Hi!” she said, voice mildly flirtatious and threw in a quick smile.

Anna hesitated for a moment, then introduced them quickly. “James, this is Riley.” At a pointed look from her friend she added, “My roommate.”

Riley smiled and rose, extending her hand.

“Riley, this is James, my brother.”

James shook her hand briefly, but his attention was obviously not on introductions or current roommates. “What happened to your last roommate?” he questioned his little sister.

Riley made no secret of the fact that she was listening and Anna hedged, “We didn’t really get along. Riley’s new here, so…”

James nodded slightly at the explanation before turning to Riley. “Could you leave us alone?” he asked shortly, “I’d like some privacy to catch up with my sister.”

Riley had already slouched back in her seat with her feet comfortably up on the desk and she arched one eyebrow over her Philosophy book. “I’m studying,” she said, sounding offended.

“Can’t you study somewhere else?” he asked impatiently.

Riley knew intimately the tactics of intimidation and she shrugged at him, unaffected. “It’s noisy.”

Anna glared at the other girl, wondering what on earth the three had planned. “Riley…” she began and the dark haired girl sighed melodramatically and dug in her bag for a moment, emerging with headphones.

“Fine, whatever, I’ll put these on and you guys can talk family secrets.” She plopped the headphones on and turned the music up loud enough that the other two could clearly hear it, making it impossible for anyone to say she was listening in.

Anna swallowed a giggle and shrugged at her brother. “I can’t make her leave, James, it’s her room too.” He took a step closer and stroked her hair, making her glance nervously over at her pseudo-roommate. “Don’t,” she whispered.

“Then you get her to leave, Anna. Or we’ll just have to let her in on your little secret.”

“She’ll tell Jacob.”

James shook his head, laughing coldly. “I can arrange it so that she won’t, little sister. So if you’d prefer things to not go that way you should ask her to leave.”

Anna glared at him through tears and jerked her head back from his hand, stalking over to the other girl. “Riley,” she said softly, pulling the headphones from the other girl.

“Yes?” the girl responded, the lightness of her voice contrasting with her serious gray eyes.

“I know it’s a bother, but I really need to just have some time alone.” When Riley began to protest she shook her head firmly and said, “No, please just leave.”

Riley sighed, unintentionally sounding more worried than annoyed and began to slowly pack her books into her bag. She lingered as long as she dared, but finally was forced to begin to move towards the door. She turned the knob and glanced back over her shoulder at Anna, hoping she looking reassuring since the girl was obviously worried.

They both jumped as if shocked as a knock sounded sharply on the door and Riley called, “Come in!” in a relieved voice.

Wren entered looking every inch the professor and glanced around the room, her green eyes settling on James. “Ah, Mr. Spencer, I wanted to speak to you.”

“Yes?” James said curiously, “Miss…”

“Miss Kelly,” Wren supplied politely before gesturing to the hallway. She had originally intended to carry on the conversation in front of the other too, since she had been so unsure in her roll. Once she saw the relief and nerves on the other two faces, however, she changed her mind.

James followed her out of the room, raising an eyebrow when she shut the door behind her.

She smiled apologetically and surprised herself as the lies spun easily out of her. “I didn’t want to upset the girls, but we have had some difficulties lately with men in the dorms.” She paused and feigned reluctance, before glancing up with a confiding look. “I know you are the sort of person who will understand and want to help us. You see some of the girls react adversely to the presence of men in the school. They are used to the Headmaster and his assistants, but as you can imagine they are not used to anyone else being here. Some of the girls are terrified of strange men and other are… overly welcoming.” She blushed a little and managed to look shy. “So we have made a new rule about chaperones being present for any meetings between the girls and their visitors.” She shrugged apologetically and murmured, “I know it seems silly between such a wonderful girl as your sister and such an upstanding young gentleman as yourself, but if we allow it for you the other girls will not understand.”

James gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “Of course,” he said in his soft cultured voice. “I was finished anyway.”

He turned and opened the door, startling the girls who were sitting on one of the beds talking quietly. “I’m going now, Anna.” He glanced back at Wren and added, “I’ll write you soon.”

Anna nodded silently, reaching out to grab Riley’s hand as he strode down the hall and descended the stairs.

The girls were lounging around in the hallway, celebrating their success, when Shane arrived at the top of the stairs. They grinned at her, losing some of their jubilation at the look on the girl’s face.

“What…” Anna began and Shane flopped down on the floor beside her. Although the two were notoriously shy about their relationship Shane buried her face in the silky blonde hair causing Anna to smile and gently stroke the sharp cheekbones. “Shh, love,” she murmured. “It’s all over now.”

Shane pulled back a little and shrugged unhappily. “I don’t think we got away with it this time,” she muttered.

“What?”

Shane glared at the floor, furious with herself, and whispered, “You should have just let me take care of it like always.”

Anna looked slightly uncomfortable with the revelation that they might have been discovered, but rolled her eyes at Shane’s statement. “Don’t be silly. You know you couldn’t and I wouldn’t have let you anyway. I’m going to have to do something more soon anyway. So tell us what happened.”

Shane shrugged softly and said, “James went in to talk to Jacob. Something about taking you home for the weekend.” Anna’s eyes widened and she exhaled slowly, staring at her hands. “You can’t,” Shane said, voice attempting for firm but wavering into unsure pleading. “I won’t let you, Anna. You can’t.”

Anna glanced up at that and said, “I know I can’t. We have to think of something.”

Shane nodded gratefully, pressing her cheek against her lover’s shoulder and stared at their next-doors. “Help?” she said simply and the other two giggled a little and nodded their agreement.

“What about…” Riley began, falling suddenly silent as footsteps echoed up the staircase. They glanced unsurely at each other and huddled a little closer together as the person reached the last flight, continuing up to the third floor.

They all giggled nervously as Seth appeared in the hallway and raised an eyebrow at them.

“I seem to have interrupted your conference,” he said dryly.

“You’re never an interruption!” Shane teased in her relief.

“Yes well,” he said, face a little more serious, “I’m afraid I might be this time.” He turned to Anna and said gently, “Jacob wants to see you.”

She sighed a little, unsurprised, and gently detangled her fingers from Shane’s. “This really is the best plan,” she murmured reassuringly.

“But…” Shane protested, standing up as well.

“No,” Anna said firmly. “You’ve been wanting me to do this for a long time and we both know it’d never happen if my hand wasn’t forced.”

They smiled at each other, a secret smile carrying meaning only for them, and Anna turned to follow Seth down the stairs.

Jacob glanced up when Anna walked in and gestured to one of the empty chairs in front of his desk before returning to his paper. Anna settled into a chair, feeling thankful that at least James had already left. It would be easier without him there.

Jacob finally looked up and slid his papers into a drawer. He raised one articulate eyebrow and said, “So, care to explain the conversation I just had with your brother?”

Anna shrugged vaguely and murmured, “I have no idea what you talked about.”

“Somehow I find that hard to believe. Maybe I should ask Professor Kelly?” Anna winced slightly at that, staring down at her nervous fingers. Jacob watched her patiently and continued, “In the beginning I just assumed it was Shane’s normal irrational behaviour when it comes to you, but now you’ve got Riley pretending to be your roommate and Wren impersonating one of my professors. I think there’s more going on her than you’ve told me, Anna, and I don’t appreciate having to cover for you without knowing why.”

Anna looked up at that, eyes wide and grateful at his revelation that he had, indeed, covered for her, and Jacob sighed, rising from his chair and stalking around the desk.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

Anna would never do anything as inelegant as squirm, but she definitely looked a bit uneasy as Jacob leaned against the desk in front of her chair. “What going on?” she whispered. “Um…”

Jacob contemplated her for a long moment before asking, “Do you want to go home for a weekend?”

This was as easy question and Anna shook her head in an immediate no.

“Why?”

“Because I want to stay here.”

“Anna,” he said, exasperated, “That is not an answer!” He leaned forward and pulled her chin up. “You know eventually I talk to everyone about their reasons for staying here. You have managed to evade me for a very long time, which makes me imagine you have a reason you are very reluctant to discuss.”

When Anna simply murmured, “Yes,” he sighed.

“I suppose I should have done this a long time ago, but I wanted to give you a chance to come to me yourself. Of course that never happened and now we are down to two choices here. The first option is you tell me everything now and I will do anything in my power to help you and we will go on from there. The second option is I will put you over my desk and convince you to tell me.” He shook his head as she glared stubbornly up and said firmly, “And if that fails I will retrieve Wren, Riley and Shane and we will go from there. You have waited long enough, Anna, and you will tell me tonight.”

Anna felt the panic welling up inside her as the high careful walls she had built were tumbled to the ground and she shivered a little. But she couldn’t help but wonder why on earth she was continuing to fight. She had decided upstairs that she was going to ask for help. Shane, the girl of a thousand secrets, could see there were no more options. She had dragged so many people into her resistance and in the end it wasn’t going to be enough. If she refused to tell and succeeded, a slim chance, but nonetheless… Even if it were possible, where would that leave her?

She jerked her chin out of Jacob’s hand, and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. “Okay,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

Jacob didn’t move, quietly waiting for her to find the place to begin her story. He was afraid if he made a sound she would lose her nerve and it would all fall apart.

“He’s my brother,” she began. “I love him.”

Jacob nodded, but said nothing.

“I, um…” she looked up desperately. “I don’t want to say it.”

“Then don’t,” he replied softly.

Tears welled up in the soft sky blue eyes and she nodded gratefully. “I wanted to get away; even though I loved him I knew it wasn’t right. I didn’t want that, even if I wanted his love.” She shifted uncomfortably and continued, “I started studying all the time so I wouldn’t have to come home and I stopped eating, I just… couldn’t.”

“When your mother contacted me about accepting you into the dorms she said she was worried about your obsessive studying and how much you hated being touched. She mentioned you didn’t even want food to touch you,” Jacob supplied softly.

Anna nodded. “I just felt guilty and… so heavy. When you’re hungry you can feel a little light. A little detached. Unless someone touches you.” She shuddered helplessly and whispered, “I wanted to come here, I thought if I wasn’t in front of him he would forget and everything would just go on like it should.”

“But he didn’t.”

“No, he didn’t. He followed me here.”

“He came here quite a few times before Shane started… causing problems.”

Anna simply nodded.

“I see,” he murmured. “I’m sorry. We should have talked about this a long time ago.”

Anna looked up and managed a slight smile. “No, I think I would have just run.” She shrugged slightly. “But now there’s Shane. Wren and Riley. Now there’s a reason to stay and I’m just so tired of running.”

“I can make it so you never have to see him again.”

Anna stared down at her feet, trying to sort out all the feelings that coursed through her. “Can…” she hesitated and finished quickly, “Can I just not see him for awhile?” She looked up and said, “I think I’ll be strong enough to see him again sometime. Just not now.”

Jacob nodded, “Of course,” and she smiled gratefully.

She slipped her feet to the floor and said, “Not that I’m forgiving you for being a bully or anything, but I do feel a little bit lighter.” She lifted clear eyes and said, “Thank you.”

Jacob smiled back and watched silently as she slipped out of the room, no doubt longing to be back to the safety of her roommate and the friends she had gathered. He stood there silently for a long moment before sighing and reaching for the phone.

“Christian? Can you put a call through to the Spencer family?”