I saw David in the library in study period. I know I need to get it all out. I just can't.

So why do I find my feet walking towards him. I shouldn't. I can't tell him. I won't speak.

I sit down beside him. Doing all the labs required to talk to him, he helped me to not speak for the social studies essay. It's become easy to communicate with him. I should tell someone, so why not him?

"David. I-" It's hard to confess. I can't get the words out of my mouth. I grab the pen in front of him and pull the notebook towards myself. I take a long deep breath.

I WAS RAPED.

I scoot the paper closer to him, and let him read the words. I see his eyes skim over the words so many times. He thinks I'm joking. I know it.

"Follow me." He whispers. I nod, and follow him out the back doors.

"Tell me everything, please Melinda." He looks like he's about to kill someone.

"On the last day of the eighth grade I went to spend the night at Rachel's. Her brother knew someone and was invited to a party, so Rachel got him to drive us. WE did and I met a boy there. We danced and kissed, and then he took me to the bushes and pushed me to the ground. He got on top of me and I told him no, but just put a hand of my mouth and pushed my shorts down and I kept screaming and kicking but he just kept going. So after all that I went into the house and called the police, but I didn't tell anyone. I walked home. I-I. You're the first person I've told." By the time I was done I felt tear running down my cheeks.

"You're not, you don't have Aids do you?" He asked, a little stunned.

"No, I don't." I said.

"Are you okay? Who-Who did it?" He asked, looking like he was about to kill him. I realized that I hadn't said It's name.

"Andy Evans."

David looked like he was about to explode.

"Dav-David?" I asked.

"I'll kill him. You'll see, I'll kill him." He said and was about to walk off. I realized that the whole time David was there I felt safe. But when I saw him walking off, it felt like I was losing someone I loved, like my heart was breaking.

"David, wait!" I grabbed his hand.

"What?" He asked softly. That's just it, I didn't know what.

"Don't, he's bigger than you. I don't want you hurt. I don't know why I told you, I just feel safer around you. Just don't get hurt. I can't stand it." I told him the truth.

"Okay. I won't." He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. I don't know why, but I just hugged him. He slowly wrapped his arms around me. I just stood there in his arms, feeling safer then I ever have before.

She told me she was rapped. I couldn't believe it. Pure Melinda was violated. I'm going to kill Andy Evans. "David, wait!" She said and grabbed my hand.

"What?" I asked softly. I didn't want to be too rough or rude, she's had enough from men.

"Don't, he's bigger than you. I don't want you hurt. I don't know why I told you, I just feel safer around you. Just don't get hurt. I can't stand it." She told me, her eyes were so vulnerable, and I knew she was telling the truth. She cared about me. She actually cared.

"Okay. I won't." Yet. I added and smiled, squeezing her hand. She hugged me, and I was stunned at first. But then I wrapped my arms around her. I know it's a risky move, but

I can't help it, I love her.

I stopped, that's just it. I love her. I vowed to myself that I would always be there for her, even if she could give me all the things that anyone else could, I would always be there, her existing would be enough for me.

David and Melinda stood behind the library holding each other for three hours. Meanwhile, Andy Evans was currently listening to his own laughter behind his back and rumors that were true going on forever around him. I'm going to kill Melinda Sardino. Kill. Her. He thought, thinking back to see her go into the old abandoned janitors closet…