At thirteen
He brought me
Behind the baseball fields,
And we stood there,
Anxious.
Knowing.
It was quick-
A fleeting touch
That left me giddy.
And I went on my way
To tell my friends,
And they all blushed
With wide smiles,
And we giggled all night.

Freshman year.
Another ‘He’
Walked me to class
And called me
Every night.
I went with him,
With A slight premonition,
And I let him kiss me
Harder.
And I went on my way
To tell my friends,
And they eagerly asked
For details,
And they listened all night.

Later on,
A friend introduced me
To ‘Him,’
And he came off
Strong,
And I was not
Completely comfortable.
But I let it happen,
Drawing the line
Where a line was needed.
And I went on my way
To tell my friends,
And they exchanged a look,
And avoided the subject
All night.

Another night,
Another ‘Him.’
He told me he loved me,
And that I shouldn’t be
Scared,
But I was.
I let him do it,
To make him happy.
To make him stay.
And I went on my way,
And I told my friends,
And they looked at me,
Shocked,
And talked about me
All night.

Seventeen,
At a party.
A vicious ‘Him’
Bore his teeth
With beer on his breath
And a goal in his mind.
I stood my ground
And told him no,
But he wanted it to happen,
So it did.
And he went on his way,
And I wanted to tell my friends,
But they were no longer
My friends.
They still heard,
And they rolled their eyes
And ignored me all night.