13 reasons why
When I was in 8th grade I was raped.
I know most people would assume rape as forceable penetration...but that is not what happened to me.
We had an 8th grade field trip to NY...everything was great until we were on our way back. I wasn’t one of the “cool kids” in the least bit. In fact one of the cool girls asked me to take a picture and I thought she meant I would be in it, but it was of her and the other girls. All the pictures I took that day were of just me...no one else. No other friends.
On the way back, I wanted memories of everyone, so I started taking pictures of everyone on the bus. A couple of the boys said if I kept doing it they would take my camera. I ignored them and took pictures of everyone else. They took my camera and pulled me into the back along with it.
They told me “this is what I wanted.” “I asked for this.”
These are the words I will never forget. These words shaped the rest of my life...
After that, I tried to block everything out. I had a dress down to my ankles with a sweetheart cut in the front (but remember, I was in 8th grade...I had NO boobs)...and I was NEVER asking for it.
They held me in the seat. Stuck their hands down the top of my dress. Grabbed my boobs and I begged them to stop because it hurt.
They proceeded to push their fingers through my dress toward my vagina and said “You like that huh? I mean I’m sure you do. All girls do.” I was mortified. I couldn’t even speak. I had NEVER been touched in that way. I don’t know what made them assume I had, but I hadn’t. I felt like I couldn’t move. Tears started forming in my eyes and it was all I could do to not break down and cry right there. And then they were done with their “fun” and finally told me to get up and go back to my seat.
I was a “good girl” my whole life. Church, you name it, I went. I had only kissed a boy at this point in my life, 14 years old.
This is the moment that would change me forever.
I blame myself for this every single day.
My mom was in the front of the bus. Why didn’t I yell?! Why didn’t I ask anyone for help? How could I just freeze like that and not do anything?
I’m now 22 years old and I think of myself as sadly an object. I want guys to like me based on what my body has to offer. I used to send nudes to whoever wanted them...that’s what they want, right? They want the physical me. My face, personality, it doesn’t matter what I look like or who I am as a person...as long as I am “sexy” that’s all that matters.
I’m trying my best to get past this, but it’s hard. I just can’t. I don’t respect myself and I don’t know how to make others respect me if I don’t.
I know I need therapy and I’m going to work on that, but for now. I needed to let my story be told.
Don’t let your younger self hold you back. It’s been 7 years and I’m finally admitting it to the world. Only 4 people know what happened to me and I begged them not to say anything but I wish they would have.
Don’t feel alone. Please. Speak out to someone and let them know what is happening to you! It doesn’t get better unless you admit to yourself what happened!
