Ch. 13
Later that night she went to Tyler's room. "What is it Jess?" He asked.
"Will you help me?" She said, staring at him. "Help me tell mom and dad..." Tyler nodded yes and got up. They walked down the stairs together. Went to their parents room and knocked. \
"Come in" She heard her step dad say. Tyler opened the door and they walked in. their parent's looked up at there entrance.
"What is it?" Her mom said.
"I have something to tell you" Jess said. She had their attention now. Her and Tyler sat on the bed. "I got into some trouble. My group...I wanted to leave and when I told them they got mad. They threatened me...but I didn't listen and today" the tears came to her eyes as the words came out. She couldn't continue, so Tyler did. He put his arm around her.
"Today they took it out on her. This one guy from the group he...he raped her" Her parents faces went totally white. They ran to Jess and tried to comfort her.
"Are you ok?...oh my god"
"I'm so sorry....how did...how could this?" They didn't know what to say.
Jess couldn't sleep that night. Her parents weren't letting her go to school for the rest of the week which was fine with her. She stayed in her room staring at the wall blankly trying to figure out what she did. She thought she should blame herself for something...she should have been able to stop him but she couldn't. No one bothered her much for the week. They left her to herself. People called for her but she didn't answer them or call back. She didn't really talk to anyone until Friday night when Michael came by.
"Jess" Tyler said outside her door. "Michaels here" She didn't answer but Tyler let Michael in anyway. Jess was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling when he came in. Tyler shut the door.
"Jess" Michael said. She couldn't handle this.
"What?" she said as the tears started again.
"I...I'm so sorry" He said. He was now kneeling on the floor next to her bed. She turned her head and looked at him.
"I don't know what to do Michael" it came out. She needed to say the words. "I...I feel mutilated and torn. I feel empty and worthless. I cant handle this...I don't know what to do....." He took her hand.
"I can't say I know how you feel. I cant even relate to what your feeling. But...your not worthless.." She was surprised. She did not think Michael could possibly think of her this way still, after what had happened. "It will probably take you a long time to get through this, but I want to help you" He looked away from her, and then back into her eyes. "I love you..." Jess's tears blurred her vision. She couldn't even answer him, but she did squeeze his hand.
About a week later Jess left the house. Her parent's were going to officially take her out of that school. Emily and Tristan seemed to want nothing to do with her. They seemed to think that since she had dumped them, they shouldn't care. Doreen and the gang didn't care either. Her family and Michael were the only ones who stayed with her. She took a pregnancy test, which came out negative, and went through months of therapy before she started to act like her old self again. She started to gain self- esteem again, and even went back to school the next year.
One day a couple years later someone asked her if there was anything she regretted in her life. She took a moment to think about it and answered. "I've been through a lot of things. I've been to the lowest of lows and risen up again. I've been at the point that I thought I could never conquer but I did. If I could change my life, I would not because I would not be the person I am. You ask me if I have any regrets. Sir, " She paused. Taking a second to look at her family. " The answer is no..." She finished. The man wrote something down and then asked one more thing.
"Why not?" Jess smiled and Squeezed Michael's hand who was sitting next to her. "Why should I?"
After they left Michael took her aside. "Why don't you have any regrets? You've been through everything...you.." but she cut him off.
"If I regretted something I would spend the rest of my life toiling over what I could've or should've done. Why should I do that when I know there isn't anything I could have done differently?" Michael smiled at her and they continued walking. Jess's life was finally back together, and she had meant what she said. Have no regrets when there's nothing else you could have done.... No regrets.
Later that night she went to Tyler's room. "What is it Jess?" He asked.
"Will you help me?" She said, staring at him. "Help me tell mom and dad..." Tyler nodded yes and got up. They walked down the stairs together. Went to their parents room and knocked. \
"Come in" She heard her step dad say. Tyler opened the door and they walked in. their parent's looked up at there entrance.
"What is it?" Her mom said.
"I have something to tell you" Jess said. She had their attention now. Her and Tyler sat on the bed. "I got into some trouble. My group...I wanted to leave and when I told them they got mad. They threatened me...but I didn't listen and today" the tears came to her eyes as the words came out. She couldn't continue, so Tyler did. He put his arm around her.
"Today they took it out on her. This one guy from the group he...he raped her" Her parents faces went totally white. They ran to Jess and tried to comfort her.
"Are you ok?...oh my god"
"I'm so sorry....how did...how could this?" They didn't know what to say.
Jess couldn't sleep that night. Her parents weren't letting her go to school for the rest of the week which was fine with her. She stayed in her room staring at the wall blankly trying to figure out what she did. She thought she should blame herself for something...she should have been able to stop him but she couldn't. No one bothered her much for the week. They left her to herself. People called for her but she didn't answer them or call back. She didn't really talk to anyone until Friday night when Michael came by.
"Jess" Tyler said outside her door. "Michaels here" She didn't answer but Tyler let Michael in anyway. Jess was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling when he came in. Tyler shut the door.
"Jess" Michael said. She couldn't handle this.
"What?" she said as the tears started again.
"I...I'm so sorry" He said. He was now kneeling on the floor next to her bed. She turned her head and looked at him.
"I don't know what to do Michael" it came out. She needed to say the words. "I...I feel mutilated and torn. I feel empty and worthless. I cant handle this...I don't know what to do....." He took her hand.
"I can't say I know how you feel. I cant even relate to what your feeling. But...your not worthless.." She was surprised. She did not think Michael could possibly think of her this way still, after what had happened. "It will probably take you a long time to get through this, but I want to help you" He looked away from her, and then back into her eyes. "I love you..." Jess's tears blurred her vision. She couldn't even answer him, but she did squeeze his hand.
About a week later Jess left the house. Her parent's were going to officially take her out of that school. Emily and Tristan seemed to want nothing to do with her. They seemed to think that since she had dumped them, they shouldn't care. Doreen and the gang didn't care either. Her family and Michael were the only ones who stayed with her. She took a pregnancy test, which came out negative, and went through months of therapy before she started to act like her old self again. She started to gain self- esteem again, and even went back to school the next year.
One day a couple years later someone asked her if there was anything she regretted in her life. She took a moment to think about it and answered. "I've been through a lot of things. I've been to the lowest of lows and risen up again. I've been at the point that I thought I could never conquer but I did. If I could change my life, I would not because I would not be the person I am. You ask me if I have any regrets. Sir, " She paused. Taking a second to look at her family. " The answer is no..." She finished. The man wrote something down and then asked one more thing.
"Why not?" Jess smiled and Squeezed Michael's hand who was sitting next to her. "Why should I?"
After they left Michael took her aside. "Why don't you have any regrets? You've been through everything...you.." but she cut him off.
"If I regretted something I would spend the rest of my life toiling over what I could've or should've done. Why should I do that when I know there isn't anything I could have done differently?" Michael smiled at her and they continued walking. Jess's life was finally back together, and she had meant what she said. Have no regrets when there's nothing else you could have done.... No regrets.