Page 6 of Degradation
‘Shut up.’
‘I mean...’ He gestures at me. ‘Look at her. Look at her clothes. The makeup all over her face. Dress like a whore, get treated like a whore.’
I stare at him, taking in his words.
Was what happened tonight in the games room my fault?
‘She’s hurt, Trav. Jesus. Maybe stop spending so much time on those Incel forums, huh? They’re turning you into a bigger asshole than you were before.’
‘Look all I’m saying is whatever happened to her tonight, she only has herself to blame for drinking too much and wearingthat.’
Mich shakes his head. ‘Go make yourself useful. Grab her a Coke from the machine.’
‘I don’t have any cash on my card.’
Mich frisbees his card over to his roommate who fumbles to catch it and mutters something I don’t catch under his breath.
‘Sorry about him.’ Mich shrugs. ‘He’s an asshole. If we weren’t roomies, I wouldn’t hang out with him if I’m honest.’
I stare at him. I know I should be doing something, saying something, but I just don’t have it in me.
‘Daisy?’
I blink.
‘You didn’t hit your head tonight, did you?’
I shake my head a little. I don’t think I have, anyway. It doesn’t hurt, not like my ankle does.
I lean back against the wall and close my eyes just for a second. I don’t mean to fall asleep, but the next thing I know, someone’s pounding on the door.
My eyes are open and I’m on my feet immediately, limping away from the sound and looking around frantically for somewhere to hide. It’s them. It’s The Heath, I know it.
Mich, who was at his desk, stands up. ‘Who is it?’
‘Campus police! Open up!’
Not The Heath then. Not yet.
But they’ll tell them where I am.
Mich shoots an indiscernible look at Travis who’s lounging on his bed with his phone, casually drinking what I assume is the can of Coke meant for me.
‘Fuck you!’ Mich mutters. ‘You called the rent-a-cops?’
Travis shrugs. ‘She’s wasted. She’s falling asleepon your bed. Even you said she might have a concussion since she’s acting so weird.’
He gets up. ‘Coming,officer!’
He grins at me, but his eyes don’t move. It’s not a nice grin.
‘You should be thanking me,’ he hisses at Mich over his shoulder. ‘She won’t remember shit in the morning, and who knows what she’s gonna say after she wakes up in here tomorrow. I’m making sure we don’t get a sexual assault charge, buddy!’
He opens the door and there are two men in the corridor. They’re dressed in black uniforms. They look like police at first glance, but their clothes only say ‘SECURITY’ on them.
‘We got a call about a drunk and disorderly female.’
Travis points at me.
