She was desperate. She needed someone to hold on to. It was so cold. Even though it was warm outside, she started shivering. She couldn't help it. It simply came naturally. How could anyone ever really love her, after what had happened? Was it possible? Would she even ever let anyone get that close to her? Maybe... She had been hurt badly and had a scar as a reminder of the mistake she had committed "Bad choices lead to bad consequences" Jennie thought to herself. It was her fault after all. She could have begged, she could have fought back. Or could she? Jennie kept thinking of that key moment that haunted her to this day. No one knew about it. Only she knew, and Dylan, her best friend. Would anyone even care? So many questions swirled her head as she thought of different scenarios. How could he have taken something so precious from her? Would she even find someone who would want her? She thought back to the turning point in her life. It took place six years ago... It was already such a long time ago although it could have been yesterday since the images were very vivid in her mind. Jennie was only a little girl. Always had good grades in school, and was very much loved among her friends and classmates, she was only 12. Life was good. She had a family who loved her and whom she loved very much, friends all around her, and she had everything a girl her age could possibly want. So innocent, so sweet. She never thought she would experience the cruelty of this world at such a young age. "cruelty", and "Violence", weren't even words in her vocabulary yet. She should have let her mom drive her back home. Why didn't she just listen to her and stay longer at her friend's birthday party? She had no one to blame, but herself. So young. So naive. How could she have known... He was merciless. He saw no innocent little girl. He saw someone who was vulnerable and wanted an easy target to please himself. "Disgusting," she thought to herself. What the fuck was he thinking when he touched her like that. She had just left the party and was walking home since it was only a five-minute walk when he pulled her aside. He threatened whispering he wouldn't let go. She feared he wouldn't. Jennie still remembered those dark, cruel eyes. It was something she would never forget. He didn't see a person, made in God's image. He saw a thing. Something, he thought he could own. If it wasn't for the neighbor's son who heard her struggling, who knows what might have happened to her? Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. He got what he wanted and let her go, once he was done with her. Dylan came running outside to comfort Jennie, as his father chased the other man away, hoping he would never return. She felt some comfort while she was in Dylan's arms. Still, she broke down in tears and couldn't stop. She thought she would never stop crying. Up to that day, she always replayed that memory over and over again. Jennie was hurt. Badly hurt, and there was nothing she could do now. There was no going back and rewriting the past. She wanted to be loved so badly. Thankfully she knew, that she had someone to fall back on whenever she needed. He had been there for her since that day. Maybe he only felt sorry for what happened to her. Or did he genuinely like her? Jennie was scared that Dylan could never love her more than just a friend. Maybe it secretly bothered him, that she had such a past. It wasn't her fault, not really. Dylan had become Jennie's favorite person and she felt like she loved him very much. No, she knew it. With all her heart. She was overthinking again. "Not again!" she screamed, loud enough her parents could have heard her from the other room. But they didn't. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she reached for her phone to call the only person she really wanted and needed right now. Dylan.
