Okay, now, most of you can probably guess what's going to happen. But keep reading still! I promise surprises.
The doctor came back into the room when I was getting ready to leave.
"Okay, Paige," he said. "Here's the name and the address of the support group. Its called 'Peace of Mind', unfortunately, there isn't enough people to start a sexual abuse program. But there is one on abuse, and they cover rape in there. Good luck, and I hope you feel better."
"Thanks," I said, taking the card from him. I didn't want to do this...but I definitely didn't want to go to a mental hospital. I wished that I had thought more rationally before trying to kill myself, I know it was a stupid thing to do.
I stood outside of the room where the meeting was being held. I rechecked the numbers, hoping that I had gotten the wrong room, the wrong address, so I wouldn't have to go in there. no such luck. I took a deep breath, and pulled the door open.
A woman with long, blond, curly hair and green eyes greeted me. "Hey, you must be Paige," she said.
"Yes," I answered.
"We're glad you came," she said. "I'm Sonia. Let me tell you how the first meetings go. First you get up and introduce yourself, then we go around the room and introduce ourselves...you don't have to say a lot of things if you don't want to. It's all about timing."
"Yeah," I said.
She stood in front of the room. There was a circle of chairs, each with a person in them. I was taking in the room, the soothing wallpaper, the navy blue carpet, when I heard Sonia call my name.
"Paige," she said. "Would you like to introduce yourself?"
No, I thought, but I stood and took her place. She stepped aside.
"My name is Paige," I stammered.
"And why are you here, Paige?" Sonia asked.
"I...uh...I was raped last year...and I've never fully gotten over it," I said.
"We're glad you're here," she said.
I nodded, looking around the room. My eyes fell on somebody. Dark curly hair, leather jacket. Craig Manning. My heart stopped...it was bad enough going to this stupid support group. But having someone from my school here? That was just too hard.
Our eyes met, and he looked as worried as I was. But there was a sort of understanding. Like an 'I wont tell if you don't' sort of thing.
We went around the room, introducing ourselves. There was a girl, Aura -who couldn't be older than 12-who had been molested by her step dad. Another boy, Daman, who was about seventeen or eighteen, had been emotionally abused by his father. That's when I found out that Craig had been physically abused by his dad. I sensed that there was a connection between what had happened with his dad, and what had happened between Ashley and Manny. Another girl, Michelle, had moved in with her boyfriend when she was fifteen, that's when he started knocking her around. I realized that maybe this whole group therapy thing was a good thing, it made me understand that I wasn't the only one out there that had been abused...hurt...betrayed.
That night, at the dinner table, everyone was silent.
"Are you going to eat?" Mom asked.
"Yeah," I said, trying to eat what was on my plate.
"How was the meeting?" she asked.
"It was fine," I said. "There was a guy from one of my classes there...that was kind of awkward."
"You don't think he'll tell anyone?" Dylan asked.
"Nah, he's not that kind of person. Besides, he can't tell...it's against the privacy policy," I told Dylan.
"Yeah," he said. "So do you have feelings for this guy?"
"No...I just recognized him, that's all."
"Oh," he said. "Sorry, my bad."
That night, I was laying in my bed. I was remembering that night...the terrible night. I could still see Dean's face...I could still feel him. It was so haunting.
The doctor came back into the room when I was getting ready to leave.
"Okay, Paige," he said. "Here's the name and the address of the support group. Its called 'Peace of Mind', unfortunately, there isn't enough people to start a sexual abuse program. But there is one on abuse, and they cover rape in there. Good luck, and I hope you feel better."
"Thanks," I said, taking the card from him. I didn't want to do this...but I definitely didn't want to go to a mental hospital. I wished that I had thought more rationally before trying to kill myself, I know it was a stupid thing to do.
I stood outside of the room where the meeting was being held. I rechecked the numbers, hoping that I had gotten the wrong room, the wrong address, so I wouldn't have to go in there. no such luck. I took a deep breath, and pulled the door open.
A woman with long, blond, curly hair and green eyes greeted me. "Hey, you must be Paige," she said.
"Yes," I answered.
"We're glad you came," she said. "I'm Sonia. Let me tell you how the first meetings go. First you get up and introduce yourself, then we go around the room and introduce ourselves...you don't have to say a lot of things if you don't want to. It's all about timing."
"Yeah," I said.
She stood in front of the room. There was a circle of chairs, each with a person in them. I was taking in the room, the soothing wallpaper, the navy blue carpet, when I heard Sonia call my name.
"Paige," she said. "Would you like to introduce yourself?"
No, I thought, but I stood and took her place. She stepped aside.
"My name is Paige," I stammered.
"And why are you here, Paige?" Sonia asked.
"I...uh...I was raped last year...and I've never fully gotten over it," I said.
"We're glad you're here," she said.
I nodded, looking around the room. My eyes fell on somebody. Dark curly hair, leather jacket. Craig Manning. My heart stopped...it was bad enough going to this stupid support group. But having someone from my school here? That was just too hard.
Our eyes met, and he looked as worried as I was. But there was a sort of understanding. Like an 'I wont tell if you don't' sort of thing.
We went around the room, introducing ourselves. There was a girl, Aura -who couldn't be older than 12-who had been molested by her step dad. Another boy, Daman, who was about seventeen or eighteen, had been emotionally abused by his father. That's when I found out that Craig had been physically abused by his dad. I sensed that there was a connection between what had happened with his dad, and what had happened between Ashley and Manny. Another girl, Michelle, had moved in with her boyfriend when she was fifteen, that's when he started knocking her around. I realized that maybe this whole group therapy thing was a good thing, it made me understand that I wasn't the only one out there that had been abused...hurt...betrayed.
That night, at the dinner table, everyone was silent.
"Are you going to eat?" Mom asked.
"Yeah," I said, trying to eat what was on my plate.
"How was the meeting?" she asked.
"It was fine," I said. "There was a guy from one of my classes there...that was kind of awkward."
"You don't think he'll tell anyone?" Dylan asked.
"Nah, he's not that kind of person. Besides, he can't tell...it's against the privacy policy," I told Dylan.
"Yeah," he said. "So do you have feelings for this guy?"
"No...I just recognized him, that's all."
"Oh," he said. "Sorry, my bad."
That night, I was laying in my bed. I was remembering that night...the terrible night. I could still see Dean's face...I could still feel him. It was so haunting.
