I looked to my left and saw pre-made drinks sitting on a tray. I reached over and grabbed two shot glasses downing them back to back, and then another two after that. Whatever it was started burning my throat horribly and it tasted disgusting.

It did make me feel a little freer and that's all I wanted. It's a new year, I'm tired of being the Trinity who everyone believes is stuck up, a prude, boring, and always following the rules.

I set the last shot glass on the bar table and got up, stumbling a bit. My eyes were set on Khalil's as we made eye contact from across the room. His eyes never left mine as I got closer to him and I automatically got turned on by that. He licked his lips and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in, as soon as I came within close proximity of him.

"Where you been ma?" He asked whispering in my ear

His lips grazed against the tip of my ear and my body instantly began to heat up.

"I'm here now, that's all that matters," I mumbled looking up at him.

He bit his lip and tightened his grip on my waist "That's good to hear."

"Jasmine, daddy brought Burger King!" I yelled running up the steps. I walked into the room and saw her sitting on the windowsill gazing out of it. "Why haven't you started to pack yet?" I asked setting the food on my computer desk.

She sniffled and wiped her tears away quickly, glancing at me.

"Jasmine don't cry! I don't want you to go home either." I said wrapping my arms around her tightly. "You can come back for spring break, or maybe I'll just visit you in California."

"It's not t-that Trinity." She choked out rubbing her eyes with her drenched sleeve.

"Then what is it?"

Jasmine almost never cries, sometimes I question if she has any feelings, so the fact that she's crying in front of me right now means something is seriously wrong. She was going to make me cry.

She remained quiet and kept crying, wiping the constant tears that are flowing down her face. I'm so lost right now. I grew worried.

"Jasmine," I said wiping my eyes before the tears began to fall

She got up from the windowsill and bent down beside the bed, pulling her suitcase out from under it. She started emptying out the drawers filled with her clothes and threw them sloppily in her suitcase.

I stared at the back of her head as she continued packing. I grew impatient. "Jasmine!"

"My father abuses me, okay!" She yelled turning towards me "I don't want to go back there, Trinity!" She fell to the floor "I can't go back there." She mumbled staring off

I stood there for a minute letting what she just told me to marinate and set in my head.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner Jasmine?" I'm pissed. More than pissed, livid! Why would she keep something like this to herself? "My dad could've done something!"

"It's too late now." She said shrugging.

"Are you fucking serious?" I said looking at her in disgust.

Her eyes grew wide like she was caught off guard. I caught my own self by surprise.

This isn't the Jasmine I know, the Jasmine I know doesn't let people push her around. We tell each other everything. She knows every single detail about my mother and what she did to me and my father, and the fact that she kept this from me so long irritated me deeply. Her acting nonchalant like she doesn't give a shit irritated me even more.

"Trin-"

"You're eighteen. You're an adult, do what you gotta do." I said lowering my eyes at her with my arms crossed.

I sat down at the computer desk, turning the computer on and digging in the Burger King bag for my chicken fries. If she wants to act like she doesn't care, why should I? She's confusing me.

"Trinity!" She yelled but I continued to ignore her. "You don't understand. I'm scared."

"What I don't understand is that you're being physically abused and you didn't tell anybody about it. You could've gotten help, Jasmine. But no, you literally wait until the last minute to tell me."

"I'm scared to go back there."

I took a deep breath closing my eyes. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since mama died."

I swiveled around in my chair with tears forming. "Seven years Jasmine?"

She was on her knees quietly sobbing to herself. She slowly pulled her shirt over her head exposing her flat stomach with bruises and old scars. I had to look away. The scene before me made my stomach churn and caused chills to go up my spine.

I looked away cringing "How have you been able to hide this from people?"

"Makeup, long sleeved shirts." She shrugged "I tried telling our teachers in middle school but they just didn't believe me or brushed it off. I guess because I was known as the trouble maker. When I was thirteen, I had the police come to the house and when they couldn't find anything suspicious he beat my ass unconscious after they left. I never tried to snitch again after that day." She took a deep and jagged breath and continued as I got up from the computer chair and sat next to her on the floor. "I tried my hardest to avoid staying in that house with that man Trinity, why do you think I'm always at yours? Why do you think I always stood up for you in middle school when you were getting picked on with no hesitation? Because I can beat up those who fucked with you, but I can't beat him up. It made me feel somewhat better that I can protect you from getting hurt and prevent you from going through the shit that I'm currently still going through."

"I'm sorry." I croaked. "I love you."

She wiped my tears pulling me into a hug. "I love you too."

After several minutes of embracing each other and silently crying, she spoke up "What am I gonna do?"

"Don't go back," I said. "Stay here."

"As much as I'd love to stay, I can't just not go back to California Trin. It's senior year, I can't afford to slack off. I have to make sure I get all of my credits."

I got up from off the floor and started to pace around "Well you can't just go back home and have him beat up on you."

"It's whatever." She wiped her tears and proceeded to pack her suitcase

"Jasmine." I sighed

"I'll handle it, I'll be fine."

'''

It's the first day back from winter break and I've already been pulled into the principle's office for the fight I had that wasn't on school grounds, but the school still want to be nosy and intervene.

They pulled me out of my second period American Studies class to give me a lecture about how fighting isn't tolerated, and they might let me off with just a warning since I've only been here for like four months and my behavior is good.

I really didn't care about any of that, though. All I could think about is Jasmine and what she's going through right now. I felt my heart break when my father and I dropped her off at the airport early this morning. I could tell she really didn't want to go home, but she had no choice.

"I don't want to see you fail Ms. James. I don't know you well as a student, but from your markings, I can tell you have potential."

It sucks that she has to go through something like that all by herself. I wish I could help, but I feel useless to the situation which makes me feel like shit.

"Do you hear me, Trinity?"

"Yeah," I said rolling my eyes

"You may go back to class now."

I got up from the chair and exited out of the Principle's office. As soon as I closed the door behind me, Kae popped up from nowhere.

"Hey, how's it going?" She asked leaning on the wall

"Stressed," I responded

"They got you too?"

"They just let me off with a warning."

She scoffed "Joey gonna violate and give me detention."

I chuckled "Did you just call the principle by his first name?"

"That goes to show how much shit I get into. I'll see you next period." She said walking into the office.

"Cool," I said turning on my heels and heading back to class.

'''

"Ah Trinity, glad for you to join us again. Your group members can catch you up on what you've missed."

I nodded and made my way to the back of the room where Chris, China, and some girl named Carla. I have gym with her but I've spoken to her before.

It got quiet and I felt all eyes on me but as soon as I sat down everything went back to normal.

New seats for the semester is trash and I really don't want to be around Chris and his constant stares aren't making things any better. I finally looked back at him challenging him to a staring contest. A smirk slightly tugged at his lips but he somehow kept the straightest face at the same time.

China then cleared her throat causing the both of us to look away and at her "So. How's Jasmine?" She asked looking at me.

"I don't know." I shrugged "I haven't spoken to her since we dropped her off at the airport early this morning."

I didn't tell any of them about Jasmine's situation but it seems like China can read what's going on and it's making me uncomfortable. It's like she's judging me for not trying enough to help Jasmine, but there's nothing I can do! I love Jasmine so much like she's my own sister, I would never leave her in the dirt knowing she's in trouble. It's not my fault that she live all the way across the country. It'll kill me to find out that Jasmine got hurt and I knew of her situation this whole time. She told me keeping this a secret will help but I just don't know. I'm so confused!

"Um, is she okay?" Carla asked.

"She's having a panic attack, someone hurry up and do something!" China yelled jumping out of her seat kneeling down next to my chair.

The whole room erupted into chaos as everyone ran over to me. I could barely breathe, I was feeling faint and my vision began to blur. I'm scared.

"Everyone, please remain calm and move away from her, I'm calling the nurse." I heard the teacher say

"It made me feel somewhat better that I can protect you from getting hurt and prevent you from going through the shit that I'm currently still going through."

I'm sorry Jasmine for being such a bad friend. You're always there to protect me, but I'm so useless I could never protect you. I'm sorry.