XO

2

Let's start from the beginning.

Second year of high school, and Carter ruled the school. Football and basketball, an amazing athlete and top of the school's hierarchy.

Me? The smart girl who sat in the front of class and wasn't very fond of people. To most kids they probably didn't even know my name.

I was gladly invisible, because I do not have a great past with people noticing me.

FLASHBACK TO 2 YEARS AGO:

My father was really sick and my mother was the only one providing for us. She received a promotion and her job gave us good money. My mom's amazing corporate job was near my school, so I would walk there after my classes ended and just do work in my mom's office until her shift ended.

It was pretty chill until my mom's boss started to notice me a little too excessively. At first, I did not mind it, but then he started to get too close, and shortly after too suggestive.

I remember vividly as if it was yesterday, the second he put his hand on my shoulder, my body jolting out of fear. Still having his hand tightly on my shoulder, he leaned down to my ear and whispered,

"Your mom worked hard to get this position. You would not want her to lose this job, right? So be a good girl and stay quiet".

My innocence ripped from the seams at age 13, my mom's boss raped me. I always lived my life feeling gray and numb, even when I was raped my emotions were confused, I felt violated and weak but I never really cried.

I am glad and lucky to say my parents have always taken my opinions and statements seriously. About 3 months after the incident and when my dad was close to full recovery I told them what happened. We went to court and eventually got my mom's boss into prison, which resulted my mom in getting another higher promotion, funny how the world works.

When I was raped I was not able to defend myself, so I strived to make my body as strong as I can, so if the time ever comes again I would be stronger than the last time.

END OF FLASHBACK

Like I said, staying invisible always benefitted me more than harmed me. I'm sure if I tried I could make friends, but people never appealed to me, so I have always just stuck to myself.

Sometimes I questioned if I was normal, because I've always wished to feel something beautiful like love or even infatuation, pain is easy to bare. What is difficult to experience is love, joy, and peace.

Carter let me experience that, not from the beginning though. In the beginning, oh my word he was annoying, every question asked by him made my blood boil.

Everyday he would ask,

"how are you doing today, Ivy?"

and I would respond with the same thing every day

"fine, just fine".

Of course, like all things you started to grow on me.

I remember how his eyes widen when I after my normal reply I asked

"how are you doing today, Carter?"

and with a dashing wide smile you said

"I am doing just great".

From then on, I guess a friendship blossomed, for some reason you found me interesting, and I found you entertaining.

You were pretty mischievous and flirtatious in my opinion, constantly suggesting that we

"try things out"

and wanting to allude confidence and defiance brashly responded,

"well why don't you try something?"

You froze for a second, scaring me a little, but then you stood up straight came unbearably close to me leaned down face to face so that we were at eye level, and whispered,

"is this okay" as if I was a delicate flower.

Flustered and speechless over how handsome Carter's facial features actually were all I could do was simply nod.

He immediately closedhis eyes and inched foreword, in a rush I also closed my eyes and waited forthe impact.