p id="docs-internal-guid-5e9f08e2-7fff-a6bc-c51c-e76345bb5030" dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Everything was perfect. I was beautiful, I had good grades, and my best friend Angela and I were as close as ever. Everything was perfect, but then everything wasn't. I had been in Angela's bedroom, working on my biology project. I was making a presentation on the Faint-banded Sea Snake, which is believed to be the most venomous snake on earth, when I heard the door to Angela's room creak shut and the latch click as the door locked. I clenched one hand into Angela's golden bedsheets in fear as I looked up to see Dan towering above me, his gaze so hungry, I wanted to dig a hole in the mattress to avoid it. Dan is one of Angela's friends he was at least 8 years older than us, and as we were 15 year old girls, being in a room alone with him and his ravaging eyes felt like purgatory. He stared at me for at least another minute until I spoke up./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Did you need something, Dan?" My voice trembled as I sat up on the bed to look him in his aquamarine eyes. His lips curled into a snarl as he kept staring. "/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Did you need something, Dan?/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"" I reiterated. The temperature in the room seemed to drop 10 degrees as he stepped closer to Angela's bed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "There is, in fact, something I need. Something you could help me with." He stretched his hand out and ghosted his fingers over my cheek. I flinched violently, desperate to flee, but Dan sidestepped and blocked the already locked door./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I whispered./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Dan quickly brushed away my homework, the papers crunching and the books thumping on the carpet. The trident tattoo on Dan's forearm would be forever burned into my memory as his arm came to harshly grip my shoulder./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I mumbled./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" His other arm came up to stroke my neck and cheek. I tried to move but his grip was strong./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I begged./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Again I tried to move. He stopped stroking and grasped my other shoulder with jarring force. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I groaned./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Suddenly, he shoved me onto the bed, his weight nearly crushing me. He smashed his lips against mine, then he moved lower./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I screamed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"—/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The next morning, Angela found me. Dan was long gone, but he had already done damage. My clothes were torn and strewn across the room. What I had left on my body covered nothing. I whimpered into Angela's arms as she shushed me and stroked my hair. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "It's ok, shhh, it's ok. It happens." She whispered. My whines and sniffles slowed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I think I need to go to the doctor." I sounded like a mouse. Angela stiffened./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No, it's fine, you'll be fine. There's no need to go to the doctor."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" This time, I froze./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Why not?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. I sat back on the bed as Angela got up to find me some clothes. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "It's just-", she pulled out a black tank top, "this kind of stuff-", she grabbed a pair of jeans, "it just happens." She handed me the clothes and hugged me again. "It's no ones fault." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" I jerked back roughly. "No one's fault?" She reached a hand out and I smacked it away. "/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No one's fault!" /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"My nostrils flared. "It is definitely someone's fault. It is the /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"rapist's /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"fault." Angela flinched. "That's right, I said it! You're best friend was /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"raped/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" in /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"your /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"room, by /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"your /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"friend, on /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"your /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"watch." I snarled./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Angela attempted to console me, "Dan just made a mistake, I'm sure he's sorry." Her soft tone was akin to that of trying to talk a child down from a tantrum. The similarity fueled my flames. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" I looked down at the floor, my best friend since the first grade is defending her predator friend over me. My gaze traveled over to my homework, still spread around the floor, like the petals of a dying flower. One of the research books was open to an image of the Faint-banded Sea Snake with its jaws around a struggling fish. I was sick of being the prey, sick of being the fish or the mouse that the snake hunts. From now on I would be the snake and the men, my prey./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Dan isn't sorry, but he will be. They all will be sorry." I grabbed Angela's snakeskin jacket out of her closet and before she could protest, I was gone. No man would ever touch me again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"—/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I had to write this for an assignment in Latin and a classmate of mine gave me the idea to publish it. I didn't have enough time to write as much as I wanted, but if you really like it, I'll add more./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Did you need something, Dan?" My voice trembled as I sat up on the bed to look him in his aquamarine eyes. His lips curled into a snarl as he kept staring. "/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Did you need something, Dan?/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"" I reiterated. The temperature in the room seemed to drop 10 degrees as he stepped closer to Angela's bed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "There is, in fact, something I need. Something you could help me with." He stretched his hand out and ghosted his fingers over my cheek. I flinched violently, desperate to flee, but Dan sidestepped and blocked the already locked door./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I whispered./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Dan quickly brushed away my homework, the papers crunching and the books thumping on the carpet. The trident tattoo on Dan's forearm would be forever burned into my memory as his arm came to harshly grip my shoulder./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I mumbled./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" His other arm came up to stroke my neck and cheek. I tried to move but his grip was strong./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I begged./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Again I tried to move. He stopped stroking and grasped my other shoulder with jarring force. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I groaned./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Suddenly, he shoved me onto the bed, his weight nearly crushing me. He smashed his lips against mine, then he moved lower./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No." I screamed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"—/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The next morning, Angela found me. Dan was long gone, but he had already done damage. My clothes were torn and strewn across the room. What I had left on my body covered nothing. I whimpered into Angela's arms as she shushed me and stroked my hair. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "It's ok, shhh, it's ok. It happens." She whispered. My whines and sniffles slowed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I think I need to go to the doctor." I sounded like a mouse. Angela stiffened./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No, it's fine, you'll be fine. There's no need to go to the doctor."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" This time, I froze./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Why not?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. I sat back on the bed as Angela got up to find me some clothes. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "It's just-", she pulled out a black tank top, "this kind of stuff-", she grabbed a pair of jeans, "it just happens." She handed me the clothes and hugged me again. "It's no ones fault." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" I jerked back roughly. "No one's fault?" She reached a hand out and I smacked it away. "/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No one's fault!" /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"My nostrils flared. "It is definitely someone's fault. It is the /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"rapist's /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"fault." Angela flinched. "That's right, I said it! You're best friend was /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"raped/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" in /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"your /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"room, by /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"your /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"friend, on /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"your /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"watch." I snarled./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Angela attempted to console me, "Dan just made a mistake, I'm sure he's sorry." Her soft tone was akin to that of trying to talk a child down from a tantrum. The similarity fueled my flames. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" I looked down at the floor, my best friend since the first grade is defending her predator friend over me. My gaze traveled over to my homework, still spread around the floor, like the petals of a dying flower. One of the research books was open to an image of the Faint-banded Sea Snake with its jaws around a struggling fish. I was sick of being the prey, sick of being the fish or the mouse that the snake hunts. From now on I would be the snake and the men, my prey./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Dan isn't sorry, but he will be. They all will be sorry." I grabbed Angela's snakeskin jacket out of her closet and before she could protest, I was gone. No man would ever touch me again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"—/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I had to write this for an assignment in Latin and a classmate of mine gave me the idea to publish it. I didn't have enough time to write as much as I wanted, but if you really like it, I'll add more./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 2.4; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" /span/p