Read Online Chasing Butterflies by Terri E. Laine - Free Book Online

never going to work between us.”
    “So what you’re saying is, because I won’t have sex with you, you’re dumping me?”
    The whole dumping thing stumped me because I barely knew the girl. But there was no reason to throw eggs on her ego.
    “I like sex, you don’t have sex.”
    “What?” she snarled and things were going nowhere good fast.
    Her eyes narrowed on me. Before she could fuss me out, I added, “A little advice. If you don’t want the wrong guy to get pissed, maybe you should be more like your friend Lenny.”
    Her next words came out of nowhere when all I’d tried to do was warn her there were assholes in the world who wouldn’t take kindly to her I want it, but I’m not giving it up game.
    “You want her. Of course you do. Just like everyone else. You’re a total asshole.”
    She stomped out of the shed, and I groaned loudly, watching her march away. I hadn’t meant that I wanted Lenny even though most of me did. I’d meant it because Lenny didn’t pretend to not want to be a virgin the way Debbie did. Debbie should keep her legs closed and mouth shut before she ran into trouble. Instead, a girl like her had a mouth with a lot to say. I could imagine the uphill battle I would have with the female population by the time Monday rolled around.

Halftime had just ended when Debbie came barreling onto the field. Her hair was slightly out of place and her legs had a layer of dust on them.
    Quickly, I scrambled over, while the other girls got into position.
    “What happened?”
    Her mouth formed a sneer and then it flattened. “Nothing. I’ll tell you later.”
    She pushed past me and dusted off her legs before she grabbed her pom-poms off the ground. I studied her for a second. She’d left to meet Kelley. Apparently nothing good happened, but what did? My glance around netted me nothing. He hadn’t come after her. My concern made it hard to get through the rest of the game as Debbie refused to talk during the breaks.
    When I piled in her car after the game because my parents hadn’t come, she had no choice but to speak.
    “What?” she snapped. “Can’t you give it a rest already?”
    I breathed through her anger, trying to hold back my own. “Look, I know something happened between you and Kelley. Spill!”
    The long breath she exhaled could have gone on for days. “Okay.” She shifted the car back in park because we hadn’t moved from the spot yet. “You need to stay away from that guy. He’s bad news.”
    My forehead wrinkled in confusion. “What guy? Kelley?” She nodded, but so slowly my heartbeats slowed. “Just tell me what he did to you.”
    It had to be bad considering she didn’t blurt it out. Debbie wasn’t one for keeping secrets, or so I’d thought.
    “He tried to rape me.”
    I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. “Are you okay? How could you not say anything? We need to go to the police.”
    Vehemently she shook her head. “No way I’m going to the cops. What do you think they’re going to do? It will be his word against mine.”
    There was panic in her eyes as she glanced out the window, as if the people walking through the parking lot could hear us. I reached out a hand and clasped her arm.
    “I’ll be there with you.”
    Her eyes snapped back to mine. “No! I’m not. Do you know how they treat rape victims?”
    I couldn’t say that I did. You heard stuff on the news occasionally, but nobody I knew had ever been hurt that way.
    After I shook my head, she sniped, “They make them out to be whores. They’ll ask me all kinds of questions about my sex life.”
    “You haven’t had sex.” It hadn’t been a question. She would have told me, right?
    “No, but I’ve done everything. And you know how guys are.” I didn’t, but I let her continue. “They’ll say I’m easy or that I’ve done this or that.”
    I stared at my best friend, wondering what I really knew about her. What was this and that? And what guys?
    “My parents will know I’m