Over the next couple of days, Julie changed drastically. She turned into a major introvert, she avoided all guys, and she barely even talked to Manny. She was so withdrawn from everyone around her that people started worrying. But every time she was confronted about it, Julie would flash a smile and say everything was fine. Nobody could get through to her.
One afternoon, Manny came home from gymnastics practice and rushed upstairs to find Julie. "Jules!" She called out. "Julie, where are you? I want to talk to you about something." Manny walked into her bedroom to find Julie wedged in a tight space between her bed and a bookcase. She was curled into a tiny ball. "Julie? What are you doing?" As Manny stepped closer, she could see tears shining on Julie's face. She could hear Julie's quick, sharp breaths. "A-a-are you okay? What's wrong?" Manny stared at Julie for a second, and then walked out of her room. She ran to the kitchen, where her mom was making dinner. Her mother looked up curiously.
"Hello, sweetie. Everything okay?" Her mom raised her eyebrows.
"I-I-I don't know. Julie's upstairs, and she's freaking out! She's in this little ball, and she's breathing really fast." Manny started shaking.
Her mother's curious look was replaced with one of deep concern. She called for an ambulance and then rushed upstairs.
Manny's father strode into the room. "What's going on?" he asked. As Manny was explaining, the ambulance arrived. They put Julie on a stretcher and carried her out of the house.
"I'm going with her," Manny's mother said. "I'll be sure to call you later with the details." She ran out after the stretcher.
Manny turned to her father. "What happened?" Her father didn't answer. "Why was she doing that? What was wrong with her?"
"Maybe we should talk about this later," her father said. "When you're older."
Manny's eyes started tearing up. "No. We're going to talk about this now. I come home to find my cousin hyperventilating on my bedroom floor, and you want to 'talk about it later'? No. Now, dad."
Her father's eyes softened, and he sighed. "You're right. Sit down." He motioned to a chair. Manny wiped tears from her cheek and sat down.
Her father took a deep breath and said, "Have you ever heard of incest?"
One afternoon, Manny came home from gymnastics practice and rushed upstairs to find Julie. "Jules!" She called out. "Julie, where are you? I want to talk to you about something." Manny walked into her bedroom to find Julie wedged in a tight space between her bed and a bookcase. She was curled into a tiny ball. "Julie? What are you doing?" As Manny stepped closer, she could see tears shining on Julie's face. She could hear Julie's quick, sharp breaths. "A-a-are you okay? What's wrong?" Manny stared at Julie for a second, and then walked out of her room. She ran to the kitchen, where her mom was making dinner. Her mother looked up curiously.
"Hello, sweetie. Everything okay?" Her mom raised her eyebrows.
"I-I-I don't know. Julie's upstairs, and she's freaking out! She's in this little ball, and she's breathing really fast." Manny started shaking.
Her mother's curious look was replaced with one of deep concern. She called for an ambulance and then rushed upstairs.
Manny's father strode into the room. "What's going on?" he asked. As Manny was explaining, the ambulance arrived. They put Julie on a stretcher and carried her out of the house.
"I'm going with her," Manny's mother said. "I'll be sure to call you later with the details." She ran out after the stretcher.
Manny turned to her father. "What happened?" Her father didn't answer. "Why was she doing that? What was wrong with her?"
"Maybe we should talk about this later," her father said. "When you're older."
Manny's eyes started tearing up. "No. We're going to talk about this now. I come home to find my cousin hyperventilating on my bedroom floor, and you want to 'talk about it later'? No. Now, dad."
Her father's eyes softened, and he sighed. "You're right. Sit down." He motioned to a chair. Manny wiped tears from her cheek and sat down.
Her father took a deep breath and said, "Have you ever heard of incest?"