People underestimate the power of words. Words can make and break lives. Things said in one moment can feel right, only to be regretted later. This is the way of words. And this is a story about the effects of one small statement...
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Rehearsals were always entertaining, to say the least. Especially when Pony was there. Ok granted, I did have a boyfriend... But Pony was really cute, and fun to flirt with. Something that day didn't go so right though... We were sitting on the couch back stage, and there were only a few of us there, so Pony and I were alone. The flirting lead to touching, which lead to kissing, which lead to... Well, nothing. Pony started to take it further than I wanted him to, so I slapped him and told him to get off.
The slap lead to some yelling, and when I came out from back stage my friend Cris wanted to know what had happened. Not thinking about the fact that Cris's dad was a sheriff, and that Cris was a really good guy, I told him that Pony had pretty much tried to force himself on me. Cris told his dad, the cops came to the school, and it all got worse from there. Pony got arrested and left town. I switched schools because I couldn't walk the halls without people glaring at me or saying things as I walked by.
But time passed, and I moved on.
It was the summer after our graduation when Pony came back...
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"Ugh, this food sucks." I picked through the really nasty looking teriyaki beef that was slopped on top of under-cooked rice. Served me right for eating at a non-chain fast food joint in the mall food court. My friend AJ laughed, setting down her fruit smoothie. AJ was such a health nut some times, it was kind of irritating, but I had to love her.
"That's what you get."
I just glared at her and set my fork down. There was really no point in trying to eat, it was probably made out of dog or something nasty like that anyway.
"Mari!" I looked around the food court, trying to figure out who had yelled my name. Finally I saw Andre, a guy who had graduated the year before me, sitting a couple of tables away. He was with a bunch of guys I didn't know, but most of them were pretty cute, so I didn't have any problem getting up and walking over there. I hugged him across the table. "Hey Mari, I haven't seen you in a while. What's up?"
"Not much, you?" Even though I was talking to Andre, I couldn't keep my eyes off the guy sitting next to him. Tall, built, dark skin. Exactly my type. His eyes were completely unreadable, so I couldn't tell if he thought I was cute or not. But when he talked, I sort of forgot all about that. There was something threatening in his tone.
"So do you know the story of the little boy who cried wolf?"
I nodded slowly.
"What happened to the little boy at the end?"
"He um... He got eaten by the wolf because no one believed him when he called for help..." I started to push my chair back, but he pushed his back like he was going to stand up. I figured I was probably safer sitting down for now anyway. The guy nodded, as if he'd made his point.
"Do you know what happens to little girls who cry rape?"
Ok, now I definitely got it. "I have to go now..." I stood up. "Later Andre." As I started to turn around I smacked into another guy, Pony. I sidestepped around him, not wanting to look him in the eyes. "Sorry," I muttered.
I rushed back to my table, trying not to look too conspicuous, and sat back down.
"What was that about?" AJ said with a mouthful of smoothie.
"Nothing, don't worry about it."
"Ok, well I gotta run now. Later chicky." She slung her purse over her shoulder and weaved between tables towards the doors out to the parking lot. I couldn't even say anything. I just had to sit there for a while. When I got up to leave, I realized I had to walk past the guy's table to get to my car. I walked as quickly as I could, staring down at the floor, but I could still feel all of them staring at me...