Bent, Not Broken

Any Girl

I woke up in the morning and found everyone else still asleep. It had been almost a full day since I was with the Pogues, and almost two nights since Rafe had raped me.

Rafe raped me.

Sure, this might not have been the first time that it happened, but I had never admitted it to myself, even in my mind. I had always believed that Rafe was misunderstood, that he just had a bad day, and that one day he would wake up and be perfect. It wasn't his fault, was it?

Snapping out of my psychological warfare, I got up from my hammock and started to leave, planning on walking home through the cut. As I took a step forward, I heard a gruff morning voice from behind me.

"Trying to sneak out before everyone wakes up? You know, that is a great way to say thank you for, hmm, I don't know, protecting you." JJ stated, voice filled with sarcasm.

"I figured you guys didn't want a kook with you for too long, so I was just going to head home. You and your friends are welcome to stop by anytime." I replied, still planning on leaving.

"You're planning on walking home? Good luck finding your way back through the Cut," JJ replied snarkily.

"Well JJ, if you're really that concerned with my safety, then why don't you walk with me? I can show you my big ass house on Figure 8, and then we can go shop-" I teased, before being cut off by the blonde haired pogue himself.

"Sounds great, let's go." He quipped.

"What? Aren't you going to say goodbye to your friends?" I questioned incredulously.

"Meh, I sometimes dissappear. It's nothing new," JJ continued. "Plus John B would be pissed if I let the only good kook get lost in the cut."

"Wait what about Kie? Isn't she a kook too?" I questioned, because I sincerely had no clue.

"Nah, Kie's a pogue. Just like us. Now c'mon because I gotta get back here before everyone else wakes up or else everyone will give me the whole 'you like someone' face."

"Okay," I replied cautiosly and we began to walk. I hadn't fully been alone with a guy since Rafe raped me. I mean, it wasn't the first time he forced himself inside of me, but it was different this time. This time, I was fully aware of what was being done to me, and I wasn't strong enough to stop him. I'm weak. I'm pathetic.

JJ and I were almost halfway there towards my house, having walked the entire time in an awkward silence.

We walked on for a couple minutes longer, all the time with JJ trying to figure out what to say. He kept starting off a sentence and stopping, and it was driving me to insanity.

"You know, John B thinks you're pretty cool. Kinda seems like you're the little sister he never had. I've never seen him act like how he did with Rafe last night. It was weird, man," JJ piped up.

"Really?" I said, genuinely confused.

"Yeah, I mean Pope thinks you're nice. Kiara's still on the fence about you, but she'll come around," He confessed.

"And you?" I dared to ask.

"Me what? Oh, how do I feel about you? Well I think you're pretty cool, you know, for being a kook and all," He replied sarcastically, to which I just chuckled at.

We then settled into a comfortable silence, as we were almost at my house.

"Thank you. For letting me stay with you guys. I know about all the class warfare shit, but I still like you pogues. I haven't met a single other pogue besides you guys," I confessed.