Violent Acres

*You can find Part 1 of this story here.

Turns out, dodging the Bitch Brigade wasn’t as tough as I first imagined. I simply had to change up my routine a little. Instead of waiting for Lena to rap on my door after breakfast, I grabbed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich To-Go and headed to the pool on my own. No longer did I waste time with trivialities like T-shirts to hide my body. Instead, I strode down the street in my bikini and flip-flops with my head held high.

I made friends almost instantly and every single new companion was of the male persuasion. The boys were skinny and gawky and sported burns on their faces from shaving before they needed to. They varied in age from 13 to 15 (not a driver’s license to be had among them), but we laughed and flirted and teased ourselves silly. Sometimes, they would team up on me and cheerfully drag me into the pool kicking and screaming. Other times, they’d simply attempt to impress me with their water aerobics as I sat by the pool giggling appreciatively. Every once in awhile, an irritated word would be exchanged between them (Usually after I had made the mistake of appearing to show one more affection than the other), but they were easily soothed with a few playful caresses and whispered confessions. I wore my little men like an invisibility cloak and the Bitch Brigade steered clear of me when I was with them.

I adored the boys my age because they had not yet learned the art of concealing their admiration for the sake of appearing ‘cool.’ Their emotions hung plainly on their face and their cherry red cheeks and nervous laughter told me all I needed to know about where I stood with them. They never held back, rationing affection like some of their older, more experienced peers. Instead, they showered me with attention and I gobbled it up greedily as if I were starving for it.

I fell in love with every last one of those boys that summer. So in bliss I was, that I didn’t even notice the envious stares of the Bitch Brigade as they sneered at me behind cupped hands. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was aware of my Mother’s almost systematic attempt to woo her tennis teacher, but I was so busy being ‘in love’ that I forgot to be ashamed.

Still, every once in awhile, I would inadvertently overhear snippets of her ridiculous boastings.

“How was your tennis lesson?” one of her cougar friends would ask.

“Oh, you should have seen his jaw hit the ground when he saw me in this,” my Mother would brag, staring pointedly at me.

But I continually failed to give her any sort of satisfying reaction. Instead, I would shrug my shoulders and think to myself, Only my Mother would show up to a tennis lesson in a tight tank top, short shorts, and a pair of fucking high heels.

These thoughts would be fleeting, of course. After all, I had to run to the clubhouse and meet my men. In fact, I was so oblivious to the happenings of anything outside of my little dream world that I didn’t even notice when Rob started following me.

I think Hilary did try to forewarn me once, by cornering me in a public restroom and enthusiastically informing that Rob had asked her about me. However, I merely responded with a vague ‘Hmm’ before I breezed out the door effectively ending any further correspondence.

Apparently, Rob became frustrated with his lack of results after sending my supposed ‘friends’ for more information. He finally decided to come speak to me himself and managed to track me down a mere block away from my cabin as I was headed home for a quick bite to eat.

After greetings were exchanged, he asked me, “Why don’t you ever talk to me?”

“Well,” I answered thoughtfully, “I guess it’s because I don’t really know you.”

“You can go out with me tonight,” he teased, “And get to know me.”

I blushed. I hated the way he was making me feel. I had just spent a solid two weeks feeling like the most powerful girl in the world…only for him to show up with a smug grin and a voice smooth as honey, reducing me to nothing more than a stupid, inexperienced little girl again.

I mustered up all of my courage and curtly said, “No, thank you.” Then, I desperately attempted to walk away before I lost any more of my cool.

Do you believe that infernal man followed me again?

“Why not?” he questioned, “Don’t you like me?”

He lightly grabbed my elbow to slow me. I flushed again, this time inwardly annoyed with his arrogance, but not yet angry enough to offend.

“I like you, I guess. It’s just that I…I….” I scrambled vainly for an excuse, “Um…don’t you smoke?”

“You don’t like smokers?”

I shook my head, relieved. I couldn’t believe I had managed to get myself off the hook that easily.

“Then I won’t smoke anymore,” Rob replied glibly. He pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket, showed them both to me, and promptly hurled them across the street. “See?” he said, “I quit. Now will you go out with me?”

Not only was I thoroughly unimpressed with his grandstanding, but we had finally made it to my cabin. Inside, I knew my Mother was watching me. I was thinking about telling Rob I would go out with him…only to reject him later when I didn’t have an audience, when he said something that stopped me in my tracks.

“Is this because you’re afraid you won’t be allowed? Because I’ve already asked your Mother and she said it was OK.”

Shocked and dismayed, I spun my head in his direction, slid in the gravel, and landed squarely on my bikini clad ass. I blinked back angry tears. Just because I didn’t like Rob didn’t mean I relished being humiliated in front of him.

“Are you ok?” Rob asked, concerned.

“I’m fine, “I snipped back.

“Your hand is bleeding,” he answered tenderly, “Here. Let me see it.”

I recoiled away from him. “No. I’m going to go inside to wash it off.”

Before he could say another word, I flew into my cabin, hoping against hope that it would be empty and I would be mercilessly left alone to lick my mortified wounds in private.

I should be so lucky.

My Mother, her friends, and Lena all sat on the couch by the window were they had been obviously watching the exchange between Rob and I. I froze in the doorway, clutching my bleeding hand like a deer caught in headlights.

“Well, it looks like you and I need to take a trip to the clinic,” my Mother sneered.

“For what?” I squeaked.

“We’ve got to get you examined and on the pill,” my Mother responded crisply. “I had hoped you would wait a year or two before you started whoring around, but it looks like you can’t even do me that much of a favor.”

And I thought falling on my ass in front of an older boy was the worst humiliation a girl my age could suffer! Little did I know that having a Mother willing to harshly call me sexually promiscuous in front of both strangers and peers made a little clumsiness pale in comparison.

“I tried to tell him she was only 12,” Lena piped in, “But Hilary accidently told him the truth.”

“You told him I was only 12?” I demanded, “Why would you do that?”

“Lena was only trying to save your reputation before you slept with every goddamn boy in this place,” my Mother snapped.

“But I’m not sleeping with anyone!” I insisted semi hysterically. “I haven’t even….” I trailed off. If they were already accusing me copulation, it wasn’t likely they would believe I hadn’t even managed to wrangle my first kiss out of anyone yet.

Lena’s parents ducked their heads uncomfortably. Lena stared at me and seethed. My Mother ignored them all as she went rooting through her purse. Finally finding her jackpot, my Mother tossed a handful of condoms my way. They landed at my feet like a rainbow of silver dollars.

“There,” my Mother announced, “Use those until I can get you to a gynecologist. I’d hate to have to get you an abortion. By the way, you better hope you don’t have AIDS yet.”

I couldn’t stop myself from crying. “I don’t need these,” I sobbed, “I haven’t done anything. I’m-“

With a voice as hard as nails, my Mother interrupted me, “Pick. Them. Up. V.”

“Honey,” Lena’s Mother finally cut in, “If you’re going to do it, you might as well be safe.”

Hopelessly, I fell to my knees and gathered the condoms with my bloody hand. With trembling legs, I rose to my feet, mumbled something about peroxide, and finally escaped into the tiny restroom. Alone at last, I clutched the condoms to my chest and bawled.

My idyllic summer was ruined. The confidence I felt in my pink and black bikini evaporated. Worst of all, I could no longer stand the thought of all of my sweet faced suitors. How could I face them now that I knew what was being said about us?

The best summer of my life became the worst summer of my life. And all because some stupid man had the audacity to like me.

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