The Storm Inside
JJ sat nervously on the edge of her bed, her eyes flicking to the clock on her bedside table every few minutes. She knew that her boyfriend would be coming back soon, and the thought filled her with a sense of dread.
Their relationship had always been tumultuous, but lately, it had become almost unbearable. He was possessive and controlling, and JJ felt like she was walking on eggshells around him all the time.
As if on cue, she heard a knock at the door. Her heart rate quickened as she got up to answer it.
"Hey, babe," he said, his voice smooth as he stepped inside. "I missed you."
JJ forced a smile, even though her stomach was churning with anxiety. "Hey, how was your day?"
He shrugged, his attention already focused on her. "It was fine. But I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about us."
JJ felt a knot form in her throat as he moved closer, his hands reaching out to grab her hips. She tried to step back, but he held her in place.
"I don't think this is a good time," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't listen, though, pressing his lips to hers and holding her tightly against him. JJ felt trapped, like she couldn't escape even if she wanted to.
As he began to pull at her clothes, she knew that she needed to get out of there. But it was like her body wouldn't move, like she was frozen in place.
It wasn't until she heard a knock at the door that she was able to break away. "I'll be right back," she muttered, slipping away from his grasp and hurrying to the door.
When she opened it, she was relieved to see Emily standing there, a concerned look on her face. "JJ, are you okay? You didn't answer my text so I came by to check on you."
JJ felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she leaned into Emily's embrace. "No, I'm not okay. I need to get out of here, Em. I can't do this anymore."
Emily held JJ tightly, feeling a surge of protectiveness for her friend. "Okay, okay. Let's go," she said, pulling back and taking JJ's hand.
They hurried out of the dorm room, JJ grabbing her jacket and bag as they went. As they stepped out into the crisp night air, Emily could see how visibly shaken JJ was. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the car.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Emily said, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot. "Do you want to talk about it?"
JJ shook her head, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside. "Not right now. I just want to get out of here."
They drove in silence for a few minutes, the tension in the car palpable. Emily could feel JJ's unease, and she knew that she needed to do something to take her mind off of what had just happened.
"Hey, I know this is last minute, but do you want to go to the movies?" Emily asked, glancing over at JJ.
JJ hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah, that sounds good. What's playing?"
Emily checked her phone for showtimes before answering. "There's a horror movie playing in half an hour. I know you're not a big fan, but it might be a good distraction."
JJ nodded again, her eyes still fixed on the passing scenery. "Sure, sounds good."
They arrived at the theater a few minutes later, the line for tickets already starting to form. Emily led JJ to the back of the line, trying to make small talk to ease the tension.
As they waited, Emily couldn't help but notice how JJ seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. She looked pale and drawn, like she hadn't slept in days.
"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Emily asked softly, taking JJ's hand in hers.
JJ looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears. "No, I'm not. I'm sorry, Em. I know this is supposed to be a fun night out, I'm sorry."
Emily squeezed her hand, feeling a sense of guilt wash over her. She knew that she needed to be there for JJ, but she also knew that she couldn't fix everything.
"It's okay, JJ. We don't have to watch the movie if you're not up for it," Emily said, her heart breaking for her friend.
JJ shook her head, her grip on Emily's hand tightening. "No, I want to. I need to get my mind off of things."
They made their way into the theater, grabbing popcorn and drinks before settling into their seats. As the lights dimmed and the previews started, Emily could feel JJ's tension starting to ease.
By the time the movie started, JJ seemed almost relaxed. She was jumping at all the right moments, laughing at the funny parts, and even gasping at some of the scarier scenes.
Emily watched her, a sense of admiration filling her. Even in the midst of all her turmoil, JJ was still able to find joy in something as simple as a horror movie.
As the credits rolled and they made their way out of the theater, Emily felt a sense of contentment wash over her. Maybe they couldn't fix everything, but they could still find moments of happiness in the chaos.
"Thanks for tonight, Em," JJ said as they stepped out into the cool night air.
Emily smiled, wrapping an arm around JJ's shoulders. "Anytime, JJ. You know I'm always here for you."
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Later that night JJ sat on her bed, her boyfriend had left while she was gone, her eyes focused on her phone as she scrolled through her social media feeds. She didn't want to think about her boyfriend and what happened earlier. She didn't want to acknowledge the way her heart felt heavy with sadness and disappointment.
But she couldn't ignore it forever. As she continued to scroll, she came across a post from a friend she hadn't seen in a while. The caption read, "Surround yourself with people who lift you up, not bring you down." The words struck a chord with JJ, and she couldn't help but think of her boyfriend.
She had been with him for over a year now, but things had started to change a few months ago. He became more possessive and controlling, and he didn't like it when she spent time with her friends. He would make snide comments about them and try to convince her to stay home with him instead.
At first, she thought it was just a phase, that he was going through a tough time and needed her support. But the more she tried to help him, the worse things got. He would accuse her of cheating on him, even though she had never given him any reason to doubt her loyalty. He would yell at her for no reason and make her feel small and insignificant.
She didn't know how to get out of the situation. She didn't want to be alone, and she didn't want to hurt him. But at the same time, she couldn't continue living like this. She needed a way out.
As she sat on her bed, lost in thought, she heard a knock on the door. When she opened the door she saw Emily standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face.
"Hey, can I come in?" Emily asked softly.
JJ nodded and sat on the bed to with enough room for her friend. Emily sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked gently.
JJ took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "No, not really."
"What's going on?" Emily asked, her voice full of compassion.
JJ hesitated for a moment before finally opening up to her friend. She told her about what had happened earlier and the way he had been treating her lately. She told her about the way he made her feel small and insignificant, and how she didn't know how to get out of the situation.
Emily listened intently, her heart breaking for her friend. She knew how hard it was to be in a toxic relationship, and she didn't want JJ to suffer anymore.
"Listen, JJ," Emily said firmly, "you deserve so much better than this. You deserve someone who loves and respects you, not someone who makes you feel like crap."
JJ nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know," she whispered, "but I don't know how to get out of it."
Emily put a comforting arm around her friend. "We'll figure it out," she said determinedly. "I'll be here for you every step of the way."
JJ looked up at her friend, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over her. She knew that she was lucky to have someone like Emily in her life, someone who cared about her and would always be there for her no matter what.
"Thank you," she said softly, leaning her head against Emily's shoulder.
"Anytime," Emily replied, squeezing her friend's shoulder gently. "We'll get through this together."