Meet What They Send You

What is Written in Red

"I walked with the wolves and it haunts me"--Dermot Kennedy

Kris deserved so much more

More than what Cory had to offer. But she knew she had to try.

Try to be better

She stroked the girl's soft blond hair.

"Kris...I'll try. I don't want to hurt you, I don't. I'll try harder not to...not to be so...careless." Cory shrugged helplessly, still holding the girl.

"I...don't know what it is...what makes me like this. And..." Cory paused, not sure if she wanted to share what she had just realized about herself.

She's going to stay. Just leave it at that.

Cory held back a groan of frustration. She had never been so tired of simply being herself.

Not even back when she had...

"...okay. You know what bothers me most about this whole thing that happened?" Cory said. She knew she'd never call it rape.

"No, what?" Kris's voice was genuinely curious.

"...I don't even care about what they did. Physically." Cory's voice took on a rough edge. "These bruises and whatever...fucking amateur night. And they had to drug me to do it. I feel like...they beat me. And not in a physical sense. It's like a game...that I lost. And they cheated in order to win."

Cory heard herself say the words, knew they were true but...

Jesus wept.

What in the fuck???

Kris was quiet for a few minutes and Cory knew she was thinking. But she didn't stiffen up and pull away and turn them holding each other into a polite hug at the holidays between yourself and a relative you don't like.

"Cory...I know...n...not a lot...but I kn...know...you had a...hard...time...growing up."

Cory smiled a hard, bitter smile that Kris couldn't see.

A hard time. Yeah, you could call it that.

I grew up poor. That's all." Cory replied, her voice short. "Kris, I didn't tell you that to worry you because I know you'll worry anyway. I just wanted you to know...how I see it, is all. I don't think...I like the way I view it any more than you do."

Kris was quiet. Cory found the silences unnerving. She knew it went hand in hand with Kris's stoicism, but she was used to screaming and tears. Megan had perfected that move. Cory opened her mouth to say something when her phone rang.

She'd forgotten about her blood test

"Hang on honey, I have to take this." She said as she yanked her phone out of her pocket.

"Hello?"

"Good news, Cory, you're all clear." Jill Brunner's voice was cheerful. Cory took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Jill. You always come through for me."

"You're welcome. Feel free to call any time you need me in the future."

"Hopefully I won't need you for the same reason as this time."

Jill laughed.

"Let's hope not. Have a good day, Cory."

"Yeah, you too."

Cory put her phone back in her pocket and took a deep breath. She was relieved. But angry. Angry she'd had to take a test in the first place.