“I bet you’ve never been kissed by a man or a woman. I know your type; you’re incapable of love. What? I bet you can’t even stand being touched!” Again, he started laughing. He was emboldened by Allison’s silence and the sanguine wash that colored her face. “So, Allison, how many friends do you have? Oh, I bet you’re really, really popular. Yeah, a social butterfly, huh? Nope, Allison, I think not. You know, I will inject myself and empty this entire syringe into my member if you can give me the name of one friend, just one friend you have ever had in your life. Go ahead! Take your time. I’ll let you go through the throngs of names in you head and pick out one you could actually call a friend.” Allison’s eyes burned. She felt ashamed that she couldn’t control the tears that flowed over her bottom eyelids and raced down her cheeks. There were too many of them and they were coming so fast. She grabbed her backpack and slowly turned to leave. As pathetic as he was, she was no better. The memories of her parent’s cruelty crawled from under the years of academic successes she used to bury them. She was twelve again, standing in front of her parents seated at the kitchen table as each of them tried to top the other’s drunken insults thrown at her like darts. Only now, unlike then, she cried. Nothing they said could reach her. But Phillips for some reason made her cry. She was too embarrassed to do anything but leave.

The hairs on the back of Allison’s neck stood erect when she felt the slight breeze against her skin. By the time she realized her mistake of turning her back on him, it was too late. Phillips enclosed her from behind. Her arms were pinned against her sides. His one arm crossed her chest with his hand gripping her bicep. In the other fist, he gripped the syringe with his thumb poised on the plunger. He was too tall for her to throw her head back into his nose. She writhed to keep him off balance and keep his attention on her upper body. Allison lifted her foot as high as possible then brought it down full force onto Phillips’ instep. When he released her and yowled in pain, she spun around to face him. He predictably dropped the syringe, and she scurried to it and snatched it up.