End of Innocence v2.0

By Dixxy

Chapter Three: November Night

For a few months, things between Sheila and me were going great. I was getting used to the idea of her running the show. Maybe a bit TOO used to it. It was almost getting to the point where she was treating me as an inferior, which I didn't like. I was starting to feel uncomfortable and it was high time I had a discussion with my girlfriend.

It was during the middle of November that I decided we should have the discussion. Sheila had invited me to her host family's home to watch some movies. Just a quiet evening at home. Deciding I was going to take action for once, I filled a brown paper bag with some movies, microwave popcorn, and some candy that I had found in our room (Kento would forgive me eventually for getting into his secret stash).

"Busy little bee, aren't you?" said Sage. I looked up to see the Warrior of Wisdom had taken a seat on Kento's bed. "What's in the bag?"

"Movie stuff," I said, hauling it onto my bed. As an afterthought, I went to my dresser and started to look for something.

"Armor orbe?" asked Sage. I shook my head. "No?"

"I'm just going to Sheila's," I said. "Besides, we haven't heard from the Dynasty in a few months. One night without my armor orbe won't let the universe crumble. And if something does come up, go get me and bring my armor orbe. She'll understand." I sighed heavily. "IF she'll let me go. Sheila's getting a bit TOO dominant in our relationship and I want to step up."

"What's wrong with her being dominant?" asked Sage. "You know that she's older than you- she's one year your senior. Plus, she is your first girlfriend, and you certainly can't be her first boyfriend. She probably thinks she has a better idea on how to handle a relationship."

"She's starting to treat me like a little kid," I said. I held up what I was looking for. It was a gold chain with a small, golden cross dangling on it. It had been a gift from my grandmother when I was small and it meant a lot to me. I hadn't worn it in a long time, and I got a sudden impulse to put it on. "I haven't paid for a damn thing since we started dating, and I guess. . . it just doesn't feel right."

"What are you planning on doing about it?" asked Sage.

"Talking to her, what else?" I said. "I just need to tell her to let off a little bit, that's all."

Sage shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Hey, do you know where Kento is?"

I blinked. "No, actually, I don't."

"Oh. He borrowed one of my CDs a few weeks ago and still hasn't given it back to me," he said.

I saw a CD case lying on Kento's dresser. "This it?" I asked, holding it up. Sage nodded enthusiastically, smiling as he took it.

"Thanks," he said.

"Not a problem," I said, picking my bag up again. "Enjoy your CD."

"Enjoy your date," he said. With that, Sage left the room and I headed downstairs to walk to Sheila's.

Sheila was staying in a quiet suburban neighborhood that has that warm, friendly feel to it. Like no harm can ever occur there. I walked up the familiar stone walkway to the mint green house and raised an arm to knock. As I was about to make contact with the wood, however, the door opened, revealing Sheila. "Hello, Cye," she said.

"Uh, hello?" I said, looking Sheila over. The redheaded girl, to my surprise and shock, was wearing a very, very revealing little black dress with spaghetti straps and a very, very low cut that exposed most of her breasts. She wore some make-up that made her look a lot like the models you see in magazine.

Somehow I got a bad feeling about it.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

Trying to ignore her attire, I smiled as I held up the bag. "Some movies, popcorn, and candy," I said. Sheila stepped back so I could step in, but she had a strangely disappointed look on her face. I blinked in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said. "Just put the bag down by the door. We've got popcorn somewhere around her." Her voice was strange cold and void of emotion, sending a slight shiver up my spine. Sheila was acting strange. But why?

Sheila led me out to the living room, where the couch sat in front of the television. "Have a seat," she said. "I forgot to get something."

"But I-" I started, but Sheila left. I sat down, frowning. I moved one hand up to my necklace, fingering the cross. I had a strange feeling about that night. Something wasn't right.

Sheila came back with a very juicy looking fruit salad bowl. "You do like strawberries, right?" she said. She stumbled slightly. "Oh, sorry, I'm just a little off balance tonight."

"Let me help you with that," I said, getting up to assist her. "Why did you get such a big bowl of this prepared?"

"Well, I- CYE! WATCH OUT!" Sheila cried as the bowl flew forehead and stained the front of my shirt and jeans with bright red juice. The plastic bowl bounced on the hard wood floor, spinning to a stop. "Oh, Cye, I'm SOOO sorry about that, I'm such a klutz I-"

"It's all right," I said. "It's only a shirt. It can be washed." I looked down to see that my formerly white shirt was now sporting a rather large purple blob. "Do you have something that can get this out?"

"Yeah, sure," she said. She sighed heavily. "Tell you what. Fruit juice is sticky, so why don't you hop in the shower while I get your clothes cleaned up."

I blinked. "Take a shower?"

"It must've soaked through to your skin," she said. I nodded, feeling wet against my torso. "It'll probably take a while, but I can get you a towel or something until they're clean."

"Okay," I said. "Just tell me where the bathroom is."

"Upstairs, third door on your left," she said. "There should be extra towels in the linen closet."

"Thank you," I said, walking upstairs. "Are you sure you don't-"

"I can take care of it," she said. "Go get yourself cleaned up!"

It felt a little weird taking a shower at Sheila's. I felt vulnerable as the hot water washed the fruit juices off my body. Maybe it was the lack of clothing. Maybe, even more so, the lack of my armor orbe. I felt even more naked than I already was without it.

Satisfied that I was clean, I stepped out of the shower and started to towel dry myself off. I was going to have to ask Sheila for some sort of a pair of pants, since a towel didn't seem like appropriate attire. But until I got some, then I would have to do with the large piece or terry cloth. Finding a nice, big, fluffy one, I stepped out of the bathroom, holding it tight around my waist.

Looking to my left, I saw Sheila standing outside the bathroom door wearing a small, pink bathrobe. "Um, why are you wearing a bathrobe?" I asked. Then, I rolled my eyes. "I get it. You got some of that fruit salad on your dress and now you need to take a shower, too."

"Nope," she said, walking up to me. She cupped my face in her hands as she softly, passionately kissed me. "I've been waiting for this."

"Waiting for what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Before I could protest, Sheila grabbed one of my hands and pulled me into another room. This room, I noticed, was a bedroom. "Sheila!"

"Like my room?" she said. I looked around, deciding that she'd chosen some strange moment to show me her room. It had pale blue walls, a few book shelves, white carpet, and green sheets.

"Very nice, now what's-" Sheila kissed me again before I could finish. I blinked in surprise, wondering what she was doing. Then, it slowly dawned on me just what Sheila wanted.

She wanted us to have sex.

I held my hand up. "Look, Sheila, I love you, but. . . not now."

Sheila pouted. "What do you mean?"

"I want to wait until I'm married before I, well, go to bed with a woman," I said. I let one of my hands wander back to my necklace. "I didn't come to Japan to sleep around. I came her to get an education that would look god on a job application and see the world. I'm a virgin, and I'd like my wife to have my virginity on our wedding night."

"Oh, don't be silly, Cye, it's not that big a deal," she said, laughing. "It's fun! Trust me, you'll enjoy it."

I shook my head. I was going to stand my ground about this one. "No, Sheila," I said. "I'm not going to sleep with you. I'm only fifteen anyways. I have a good reputation, high morals, and a clean record. I don't want to ruin that, so, I'm sorry. You're just going to have to accept me on a less intimate level."

From there, it got ugly. Sheila's once pretty face mutated into a frightening scowl. She reached up and slapped me hard across the face. I stumbled backwards. I looked up at her in surprise. The side of my face she'd struck stung badly and I was beginning to get frightened. "So, I'm not GOOD enough for you, am I?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked in alarm as I tried to recover from the slap. "Sheila, what makes you think that just because I don't want to sleep with you I don't like you? We had a good relationship before you got this idea in your head!"

"You must think I'm not worthy of you, do you?" she said, shoving me hard. I landed with my back against her bed. She pounced on top of me.

"Sheila, stop it!" I cried out. Sheila began to slap me senseless, at one point busting my lip. The salty taste of my own blood shocked me. She was hurting me. "Sheila, please, this is nonsense, I-"

"I'm going to show you that you aren't worthy of ME, you filthy little maggot!" she screamed. "You're going to learn that NO ONE turns down Sheila McConner. Not even you, Cye. Not even you." Sheila looked down at me with a sick look of desire on her face. She fingered my cross. She snarled, ripped it off my neck, and threw it against the wall of her bedroom.

It clattered to the floor, the chain broken. The gold links had broken only in one place, but it would never be the same again. The cross that once dangled from the chain sat motionless on the floor. A symbol of my lost innocence, youth, and dignity.

I still don't know quite how she managed to do it. Sheila overpowered me that night. I struggled trying to kick and scream for help. Maybe her host family would come home or something. Maybe one of the guys had decided that me leaving my armor orbe behind was a stupid idea.

But no help came. After beating me to the point of hardly being able to move, she tied me to the bed. After toying with me for a while, she raped me. It wasn't fun. It wasn't pleasant. And Sheila was laughing at me, taunting me with names like "good little boy" and "virgin".

To add insult to injury, Sheila continued to abuse me throughout the act. She's always had long, kind of sharp fingernails. Those fingernails against my bare backside? Those scars lasted for YEARS. My blood soaked the sheets of the bed. I was crying out, begging for mercy, only to have Sheila start pounding me.

After a while, Sheila fell asleep. I laid there for a while, crying softly to myself. I didn't want to wake her up- she'd just start raping and beating me again. I stared up the ceiling, wondering how this had happened. Why this had happened. Men weren't supposed to be raped by women- other men, sure, I'd heard stories about it, but not a woman! I had been born a boy, was a young man, and will die a man- shouldn't I have been able to defend myself against her?

I've got to get out of here before. . . no! Don't think like that, I thought to myself. What was going to happen now? Was she planning something else? Oh God, please, no more. . .

I looked "up" at the scarves that Sheila had used to tie me to her bed. Seeing that they were a little slippery, I decided to try and get out. I cracked a slight grin as one of my wrists slid out of the binding, followed shortly by the other. I rubbed my wrists, seeing some slight chafing, but nothing too serious. Looking at Sheila in disgust, I slid out of the bed, my arms wrapped tightly around my chest.

How could she do this to me? I thought to myself. I looked down. My entire body was covered in blood, some of Sheila's bodily fluids, and my own semen. That last one bothered me. Why had THAT happened? Why, out of all the ways my body could have reacted to the rape, had I. . . how did she manage to make me. . . I shook, frightened. Grabbing the towel I'd worn into the room, I wrapped it around my waist and went over to the door. Through the moonlight, I just barely saw my cross lying in the carpet. I knelt down, picked it up, and felt tears begin to streak down my face. I closed my eyes as I held it to my chest.

Shakily, I opened the door and left the room, closing it quietly. Holding the towel close to me, I started to try and find my clothing. I had to get out of that house, and fast. After a (thankfully) short search, I found what I was looking for. I dressed quickly, wincing as my shirt came into contact with the raw skin on my back. After getting my shoes on, I made a bee line for the front door.

"Just where do you think you're going, maggot?"

I froze. I slowly turned around and saw Sheila standing a few feet from the front door, completely naked and looking extremely unhappy. "You wouldn't be leaving me, now, would you?"

I stared at her for a second, unsure of what to say. That, that. . . thing, had violated me in the worst possibly way. She'd stolen my virginity, taken a bite out of my dignity, and had all but destroyed my self esteem. "Why?" I asked.

Sheila snarled, slapping me again. "You little son of a bitch! No one, but NO ONE tells me NO!"

Deciding I didn't want to get raped again, I opened the front door and bolted through before she had a chance to react.

I didn't care where I was going.

I didn't care where I ended up.

I just wanted to get out of there.