"I'd much rather have my head between her legs than yours."
***
SEQUEL TO CONTRONYM
Life is never kind to the broken.
Then again, aren't we all broken?
I've faced the sexists, the egotistics, the rapists, the catalysts; everyone is an asshole in th...
"That was very well spoken, Sylvia." She complimented. "Let's get into some nitty gritty of the trial. Do you believe that rape of an adult by a minor should be prosecuted as statutory rape?"
This was probably the easiest answer I would ever give. To me, it was blatantly obvious. "No. Rape means that the act was not consensual. If an adult is raped by a minor, the minor did the perpetrating. The adult should not be charged for doing something under duress that they couldn't stop. People shouldn't be punished for something they could not control no matter how hard they begged for it to end."
"Would you like to comment on Judge Dennis's previous case? The Sacred Heart rape? Do you think she made the right choice in that case and do you worry about the dangers of the court ruling?" Her smile was long gone and her serious reporter face had taken over. Somehow I found it more comforting than her fake smile.
"I think that false rape claims should be punished. She made the right call in that case but that doesn't mean I don't worry about the optics. I fear it will stop people from coming forward about their rapes for fear of being called a liar. It's a double ended sword." I spoke confidently. I was never one to openly state my political views despite my strong feelings. Especially since I was on such a large platform. Shockingly, it didn't bother me at all right now.
Cheryl seemed pleasantly surprised with my answer biased on her genuine grin and slightly raised eyebrows. That was a confidence booster. "Now you know I have to ask," she shifted in her seat and tried to hide a minuscule smirk. That made me nervous. "The video of your fainting episode is all over the internet. Do you want to comment on that?"
I closed my eyes briefly and let out a small smile. "In all honesty, it was a panic attack. I've never had one at that magnitude but I suppose the whole court thing was catching up to me. Luckily, I was okay and I'm grateful that my symptoms haven't been as traumatizing as many other peoples. It definitely hasn't been fun, but I think things like these need to be talked about more often; So people don't think they're alone." I took a pause before letting myself smile again.
"I have to admit, after watching the footage over, it is pretty entertaining to watch. Granted, my boyfriend and some of my friends didn't exactly agree with that sentiment." I laughed lightly.
Cheryl laughed along with me. "I can imagine your sense of humor is an acquired taste."
"Most definitely."
"Now, Sylvia I'm afraid our time is running out but it was wonderful hearing from you. Best of luck on your Olympic journey." She congratulated me. I nodded and offered a small 'thank you' before a screen cut out.
I let out a deep breath that I hadn't even realized I had been holding while I slouched against the back of the island chair. I ran my two hands over my face in relief before staring at the ceiling for a moment. My nerves hadn't been there before, but with the amount of relaxation in my stomach, you would think I almost just died.
After a few moments of silence, my phone started to ring. My eyes left the whole ceiling and found the IPhone sitting next to my laptop on the counter. A smile broke out on my face when I saw the caller ID. Without hesitation I pressed the green button and held the device to my ear.
"If it isn't Miss Texas in the flesh." I teased.
"Well, Miss Olympian, I just watched your interview. Cheryl was singing your praises once you hung up. 'Such a smart and talented young woman' 'so brave and inspiring'." The cheery voice of my female best friend vibrated through the phone.
Al and I hadn't had the chance to talk in weeks and it was depressing. I needed some girl time especially being surrounded by two teams of guys 24/7. Emma and I talked, but we weren't as close as Al and I. After all, I'd known Al for a whole year longer.
"Glad CNN likes me." I laughed back. "How's college life treating you?" I asked while leaning back into the cool chair once again.
"It's good. Busy, but good. I only have like three friends but I hear I'm doing better than Sam." She joked.
"Yep. He's got a killer roommate and that girl, Kelsey."
"Do you think they have something?" Al asked.
"Honestly? I don't see Sam as the relationship type right now but who knows. I could be eating my words in a week." Kelsey seemed like a nice kick ass girl. I definitely wouldn't be mad about my best friend dating her. She would fit in just fine. I'd only met her for two hours at a time, but we got along wonderfully. "What about you and Chris? How's long distance working for you?"
Al groaned on the other side of the phone and my nerves spiked. I hope they were okay, they were my OTP. Sorry, Finn.
Luckily, Al cut my suspicions off. "It's great but the distance is hard. I just miss him so much. We talk every day though. It's been difficult with our schedules and the whole time zone thing, but we're making it work. What about you and Finn?"
I couldn't help but smile like and idiot. Thank God she couldn't see my face. "I was worried about moving too fast or spending too much time together at first, but I'm glad I moved in with him. I swear, I'm in love with him more and more everyday."
Me from a year ago would have puked at the thought. Love. With Griffin Riley. At this point last year I was sleeping around and getting into daily fights and pissing matches with Finn. Never would I have foreseen this coming. But that made it all the more magical. He was my everything now.
"I love that." Al responded. "Girl, I got to go but I need to fly out and see you guys. Maybe all five of us can reunite for Christmas in Connecticut."
"Definitely. I got to go to practice now, but I'll text you. Love you girl."
"Love you too."
The line clicked indicating the end of the call. When I pulled the phone away from my ear I saw the unread text message on my home screen. My hand grasped the glass cup of water and the cool and somewhat metallic tasting water slid down my throat. The water filter must need to be changed.
That was the last thought on my mind though, because I was busy suppressing a smile as I drank. Finn's latest text message made my heart melt.
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