RAY'S POV

 I got into a cab that would take me to the first store, I bought what I wanted to buy, which was codeine for me.

Then I stopped another cab which took me to the next store where I bought herbs for me too, my parents asked me to pick them up from these stores tomorrow morning, but I got them now just in case the pain becomes unbearable this night.

When I was leaving the second store, I came by the road side to get a cab that would take me to Natly's house, then I saw a group of boys that were at the age of twenty, nineteen years, the group of boys were walking towards my direction and when I saw the lustful look on their faces, I tried stopping a cab but it seemed like luck wasn't on my side.

The guys were coming closer and closer making me scared to a point I decided to walk towards the other street to get a cab but before I could cross, the guys surrounded me, right there I knew that I was really in danger.
I tried running away but they had already surrounded me I tried talking them into leaving me but to no avail, one of them even pushed me down to the ground I stood back up and tried using my handbag to hit them but they were many of them, well about six of them.
Then and there I knew trying to fight them wasn't a good option so I started screaming for help and immediately they all started dragging me to a dark alley.

As soon as I closed my eyes and began regretting why I didn't allow Shawn drive me to Natly's house, I was feeling light headed and at that spot I felt like I was about fainting, then suddenly a familiar car drove by, and a familiar figure stepped out of the car.
He walked up to the guys who kept on asking him who he was, he was really daring and he had a frightening aura, which sent chills down my spine.
"Street guys, always looking for people to lay out their frustration on" the familiar figure said.

"That voice is so familiar, could this be really Shawn?, but how?" I asked myself as one of the guys who looked like the head of the guys slapped Shawn but Shawn didn't move a muscle for a while.
He stood there looking at the for a while and then suddenly he slapped the guy back and immediately the slap landed on the guy's cheek he fell to the ground.
One of the guys flashed light at the one on the floor to know if he's okey, immediately they all saw that the guy on the floor had blood gushing out of his mouth, the guy with the flashlight pointed it towards Shawn with fear, I couldn't see his face clearly to even know if it was really Shawn or someone else.
One other guy removed Shawn's sun glasses and immediately they looked at him, another guy asked;

"What are you? " all in fear as they all began running, including the one on the floor.

"Shawn, is that you?" I asked him as he helped me to stand up.

"Yes" he said with a calm voice looking away from me then went and picked up his glasses from the floor and put it on.
I looked at him with many questions in my eyes, but I didn't know how to go about in asking him the questions that kept bothering me.

The fear of almost being raped got a grip of me again and I hugged Shawn tightly, he also hugged me back assuring me that everything was fine now.

"Thanks" I said drying my tears.

"My pleasure" he replied

Few seconds later we stopped hugging and he helped me in picking up my purse from the floor, but he acted a little bit strange, he dropped my purse on the floor and screamed as though he was in pain, I came close to check on him, and he asked me what was in my purse.

"Not much, well I got painkillers if you need any" I stated.

"No thanks" he said standing straight.

"By the way I'm allergic to sage" he added.

"Oh yeah I also got some sage in my purse sorry" I said

"Then take your purse far from me"
"okey?"
I dropped my purse inside the back seat of his car then he drove me to Natly's house.

"What a weird thing to be allergic to, I mean how can one be allergic to sage, it's a medicinal plant" I said soliloquizing.

Right there in his car, I wasn't as scared as I was before, at least knowing now that those guys ran away in fear, but one thing that struck me is the fact that those guys were all bigger than Shawn still they took to there heels.
What was it about Shawn that scared them to that extent? how was it that a muscular guy slapped Shawn but he didn't feel any pain instead he slapped him back and the guy fell to the ground with blood gushing out of his mouth.

I had lots of questions for him, even questions about how he found me here maybe he knew I was In trouble, but how? was he following me?, how did his injury heal so fast? and how he was still standing after Dave smashed a bottle on his head.
I couldn't ask him anything at that time since I wouldn't want him feeling uncomfortable with me.

After a long time of silence he finally broke the silence by asking me a question right in front of Natly's house.

"Why are you carrying herbs and painkillers around by this time of the night?"

"Because my parents make me?" I replied

"That's weird" he said as I stared at him.

Weird, he said that is weird I mean everything about him is weird, sometimes he acts in an eccentric manner.
"how..., were you following me?" I finally blurted out.
"like how did you know that I was In danger, and what store I would be in?"
I added as he looked at me for a while.

"I...I..." that was the only thing that came out of his mouth.
He paused for a second as I looked at him waiting for him to talk.

"And why are you dressed up like this?, are you cold or you are feeling fashionable" I asked again.

Natly opened the door and saw Shawn standing next to me, I could see she felt weak in the knees, her hands were even shaking. suddenly the drama queen puts up one of her acts.
"Ah geeze" I said after seeing her now on the floor.

"Hey handsome" Natly said.

"Em..., why are you on the floor?" Shawn asked Natly sounding surprised.

"I've fallen for you and I can't get back up" Natly answered smiling at Shawn who became a little bit uncomfortable.

"Don't you wanna help me stand up?" she asked winking at Shawn which kinda pissed me off a little bit.

"Ah..." Shawn paused then looked at me.

"Drama queen, I'll help you stand back up" I said pulling her up as she stubbornly stood up like a naughty child.
 
*********
"Lee!!!, the popcorn's over popping" Tessy who was our classmate and was a friend at the sleepover yelled as Natly walked inside.

"Now that's weird" Shawn said smiling.

"I know, she's kinda crazy" I said laughing.

"You were almost raped today and instead of being traumatized you are laughing?" Shawn said to me with a faint smile

I stared at him for a while feeling a little bit sad.

"So you came for a sleepover without any sleeping bags and without pj's" he said teasingly as though he wanted to cheer me up.

"I came with my toothbrush" I replied with a smile

"Seriously?" he said then lets out a slight chuckle.

"Ok, I'll be on my way home, make sure to stay safe brave girl" he added as he gave me  a warm embrace.
Then and there I  felt a shiver went down my spine, his warm embrace was so consoling.
When he was headed back to his car, I waved goodbyes at him then felt so proud of myself for being so brave.

When I went inside Natly's house I greeted her parents then went upstairs to where the girls were, they asked me  questions about what might have happened between Shawn and I and of course I told them nothing.

Few seconds later the sleepover party begun.
Right after having my bath and brushing my teeth, I quickly changed into one of Natly's pj's, we played some board games and we also played truth or dare, each and every one of us said scary stories about creatures that we think still exist, or might have existed which was the most boring part for me.
We also watched scary movies and ate popcorn and pizza hmm my best part.

After the last activity which was a pillow fight, we got into our sleeping bags to sleep, and since I got no sleeping bags I shared with Hiedi as that was my plan all along.