occupied, but Vinny spotted one in the back corner and we hurried to take it.
A middle-aged woman with a blond bun hurried over to bring our menus and take our drink order. We ordered the same as before, water with lemon for him and orange juice for me.
“Busy place,” I called over the constant chatter around us.
“Yeah, it’s always busy.”
“What’s good to eat here?” I asked, looking over the menu.
“The pancakes are good, but I usually just get the three egg breakfast. It comes with sausage or bacon and a side of toast and home-fries .”
I laughed at his exaggeration of home fries. The waitress returned with our drinks, then pulled her order pad from her red apron.
“What can I ‘getcha?” she asked me, stabbing an extra pen through her bun to hold it in place better.
“I’ll have the three egg breakfast, scrambled with sausage and white toast.” I answered.
“Home fries or hash browns?”
“Home fries,” I answered, grinning, “please.”
“And for you?” she asked, her intense blue eyes swiveling to Vinny.
“Uh...give me the same but can I get the fruit instead of home fries?”
“Sure.” She scribbled on her pad then turned and walked away.
“So, I gotta ask,” he squeezed his lemon wedge into his water, “why was Lindy so pissed off at you last night? It seemed more than just you leaving without telling her.”
I picked up the spoon laid out on my napkin and fidgeted with it. “I had a bad experience at a party once, back in high school.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked and sipped his water.
“Yeah,” I answered, looking down and turning the spoon between my fingers. I paused before I concluded, “A guy forced himself on me and she was afraid that happened again.”
He coughed into his fist and drew my gaze to his face.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting that answer.” he said, drinking more water and setting it aside. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable last night…”
“No, you didn’t, I had a nice time,” I assured him. “It happened a long time ago, in my freshman year of high school.”
“ Freshman year?” his eyes widened.
“Yeah when I was fourteen,” I answered feeling heat creep over my face. I looked down at the spoon again to avoid his scrupulous stare.
“Did you press charges on the kid?”
“I didn’t want to, but my mother made me.”
“Did you know this guy well?”
I looked up and saw sympathy in his eyes. It made me feel like he understood and I felt comfortable enough to elaborate.
“Not well enough to give him my virginity,” I shrugged. “It’s a long story, but he was a star soccer player and I was nobody. I was drunk when it happened so his parents fought the charges. And since we are from such a small town, he got off and got to keep his perfect persona while I was labeled a slut and shunned.”
“That’s fucked up.”
I took a long sip of orange juice, trying to drink away the emotion surfacing inside of me. “Yeah it was.”
“There was no way you could prove it? Did he leave any…evidence?”
I knew what he meant and I blushed harder.
“Well…” I frowned as I drew deeper on the memory. “The reason we pressed charges in the first place is because my mother saw the bruises on my arms where he held me down. She took pictures and used them against him, but it didn’t matter. He was from a prominent family and Hamilton High’s best soccer player, so he could do no wrong.”
Vinny snorted and shook his head. “What a little asshole.”
“Lindy felt bad because she was at the party, but she wasn’t there when it happened. She didn’t check her phone all night and when she finally found me, I was passed out in the bathroom. It wasn’t her responsibility to protect me though. I shouldn’t have went to the party…I was high…I was stupid.”
“Bullshit. It’s not your fault. That little prick forced himself on you. He knew what he was doing.”
My eyes burned with tears and I looked
A middle-aged woman with a blond bun hurried over to bring our menus and take our drink order. We ordered the same as before, water with lemon for him and orange juice for me.
“Busy place,” I called over the constant chatter around us.
“Yeah, it’s always busy.”
“What’s good to eat here?” I asked, looking over the menu.
“The pancakes are good, but I usually just get the three egg breakfast. It comes with sausage or bacon and a side of toast and home-fries .”
I laughed at his exaggeration of home fries. The waitress returned with our drinks, then pulled her order pad from her red apron.
“What can I ‘getcha?” she asked me, stabbing an extra pen through her bun to hold it in place better.
“I’ll have the three egg breakfast, scrambled with sausage and white toast.” I answered.
“Home fries or hash browns?”
“Home fries,” I answered, grinning, “please.”
“And for you?” she asked, her intense blue eyes swiveling to Vinny.
“Uh...give me the same but can I get the fruit instead of home fries?”
“Sure.” She scribbled on her pad then turned and walked away.
“So, I gotta ask,” he squeezed his lemon wedge into his water, “why was Lindy so pissed off at you last night? It seemed more than just you leaving without telling her.”
I picked up the spoon laid out on my napkin and fidgeted with it. “I had a bad experience at a party once, back in high school.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked and sipped his water.
“Yeah,” I answered, looking down and turning the spoon between my fingers. I paused before I concluded, “A guy forced himself on me and she was afraid that happened again.”
He coughed into his fist and drew my gaze to his face.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting that answer.” he said, drinking more water and setting it aside. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable last night…”
“No, you didn’t, I had a nice time,” I assured him. “It happened a long time ago, in my freshman year of high school.”
“ Freshman year?” his eyes widened.
“Yeah when I was fourteen,” I answered feeling heat creep over my face. I looked down at the spoon again to avoid his scrupulous stare.
“Did you press charges on the kid?”
“I didn’t want to, but my mother made me.”
“Did you know this guy well?”
I looked up and saw sympathy in his eyes. It made me feel like he understood and I felt comfortable enough to elaborate.
“Not well enough to give him my virginity,” I shrugged. “It’s a long story, but he was a star soccer player and I was nobody. I was drunk when it happened so his parents fought the charges. And since we are from such a small town, he got off and got to keep his perfect persona while I was labeled a slut and shunned.”
“That’s fucked up.”
I took a long sip of orange juice, trying to drink away the emotion surfacing inside of me. “Yeah it was.”
“There was no way you could prove it? Did he leave any…evidence?”
I knew what he meant and I blushed harder.
“Well…” I frowned as I drew deeper on the memory. “The reason we pressed charges in the first place is because my mother saw the bruises on my arms where he held me down. She took pictures and used them against him, but it didn’t matter. He was from a prominent family and Hamilton High’s best soccer player, so he could do no wrong.”
Vinny snorted and shook his head. “What a little asshole.”
“Lindy felt bad because she was at the party, but she wasn’t there when it happened. She didn’t check her phone all night and when she finally found me, I was passed out in the bathroom. It wasn’t her responsibility to protect me though. I shouldn’t have went to the party…I was high…I was stupid.”
“Bullshit. It’s not your fault. That little prick forced himself on you. He knew what he was doing.”
My eyes burned with tears and I looked
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