I was walking back from the park bathrooms, contemplating this very idea, when I almost barreled straight into him.
“There you are,” Pullman said. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The bathrooms were pretty far from the search party’s lunch spot, positioned back behind the flag-football fields. We were at least one hundred yards from the pavilion where everyone else was, and separated by a long, steep hill. This was not where I wanted to have this confrontation. He couldn’t kill me here, people could see us from below, but he also could say whatever he wanted to, completely unheard. I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine. Real fear.
I tried to stare him down and play it cool, but I just kept thinking of his real name.Nick.
“How’s the menstruation going?” Pullman asked, a sly grin spreading across his face.
It felt like he could see right through me. I was an idiot to think confronting him was a good idea. I needed to get to the other officers. To Detective Newbury. To someone else I could tell about what I knew.
“Stay the fuck away from me,” I said, inching sideways, away from him.
Pullman blinked. “What?”
“I’m serious. Get away from me.”
He looked confused. “That’s some serious PMS you’ve got, huh?” He took a step toward me, his bulky body blocking me from everyone else.
“Back up!” I shouted, my eyes searching for anyone close by. Or at least anyone close enough to hear me scream.
“Rose, are you okay?” Pullman reached for my arm and I shoved him.
“Get the fuck off of me!”
“What is wrong with you?” he asked frantically, and I tried to bolt, shoving him again as I tried to run around him. But I didn’t make it a foot before he restrained me. I thrashed and screamed as he did.“Help!”
“What is going on?” Pullman demanded, as I screamed louder, holding me against his chest in a vise-like grip. “Why are you screaming?”
“Stop it! Help me!”People were starting to look up now.
“Why are you screaming? What’s wrong?” Pullman struggled to keep me upright as I continued to kick and thrash. I wanted to claw his fucking eyes out, but he had both arms around me in a protective cage.
I could see my family now, standing up and watching in horror. I didn’t care if I caused a scene. I didn’t care if all the people who hated me were watching.
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Pullman called out to an approaching cop, still holding me tight. “I got her. We’re fine!”
I thrashed again, this time my kick landing between his legs. Pullman groaned loudly, his face turning pink as we both went down to the ground, his body on top of mine. He managed to wrestle me onto my stomach, pinning my hands behind my back. He waved off the other cops coming to see ifeverything was okay. “It’s the sister. I’ll take care of her.” I twisted my head and realized his face was right next to mine. I forced myself closer to him and bit down on the skin of his neck as hard as I could.
“Ow!” he roared. He instantly moved away from me. “What the hell?”
He yanked me upward onto my knees. I was crying now, fat tears sliding down my cheeks as I stared at him. I was aware that my entire neighborhood was at the bottom of the hill, watching a cop put cuffs on me. My family was arguing with the police down below, trying to come to help me.
“You have to calm the fuck down, all right?” Pullman looked oddly calm considering I had just bitten him.
Was it because he didn’t know that I knew? Who he really was and what he had done? I had to play this smarter if I didn’t want to end up with the same fate as my sister.
I nodded my head. I quietly sat on my knees in the grass, my hands cuffed behind my back. My face was soaked with tears.
Pullman sighed, wiping his hands on his face. He crouched so he could face me directly.
“Are you calm now?” he asked.
“Yes,” I lied, as my brain raged, telling me to bite his nose off.
“Good,” Pullman said. “Now, tell me what’s wrong. Why are you shouting and causing a scene?”
