Linda's Story

When You're Fifteen

Linda O'Shea had graduated--almost. She was only moving from the tenth grade to the eleventh grade, but there was still a ceremony. It was mainly the parents talking together and the kids goofing off. She stood by the food table, eating grapes and orange slices before blowing the good calories with sugary sweet treats. Her boyfriend- Mark Zimmerman- walked up to her. "Hi," she smiled widely at him.

"Hey. Listen, my family is going to the beach for the summer. Wanna come along?"

"Do I!" She cleared her throat, "I mean... that sounds very nice. Relaxing, even. But I don't know if Tony and Marni would swing for that."

"I'm not inviting them."

She blinked. "Just me?"

"Just you, and me, and the beach."

Her cheeks flushed. "What about your parents?"

"They own a restaurant down there. They'll be busy with that, but they'll be there."

"When are you leaving?"

"Two days."

"Then I better start begging."

Mark smirked. "Would you beg for me?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she put her plate on the table.

"For you?"

"For me. To me. At me." He kissed her lips possessively, gripping the back of her dress. He played with the tie at the back of her dress and pulled the fabric up a little bit.

She started to feel very uncomfortable. Her heartbeat felt like it was off the charts, and her stomach was queasy. Nausea hit the back of her throat, and she swallowed it down quickly. She was getting nervous- she did not want him getting the impression she wanted this.

"Mark." It was supposed to be a protest, but it sounded more like a breathy moan. Before he could kiss her again, she put her hand on his chest. "Not here. People are watching."

"I want the world to know you're mine."

She smiled. "Later."

Mark kissed her once more, and shoved his tongue in her mouth. She wasn't comfortable kissing like this in public. He discreetly whacked her butt, making her feel even more uncomfortable, before leaving to talk to his friends.

Linda grimaced as she wondered what she would tell Marni.

**********

"Mom..." Linda knew it was bad to take advantage of her Mom after so many drinks, but she knew she wouldn't be allowed to go otherwise. It wasn't like she was sneaking off to do drugs ir have sex or anything like that. She just wanted to spend the summer at the beach. "Would it be alright if I spent the summer with Mark?"

"Mark?"

"Zimmerman? He's got a beach house on the beach, and he invited me over for the summer. Can I go?"

Marni didn't answer for a moment. "Sure. Whatever. Do what you want."

"Thanks, Mom," she ran out of the room before Marni realized what she had agreed to.

*********

Two days later, Linda and Mark were loading her suitcases into the trunk of his van. Mark was older than Linda- he had already graduated last year. He didn't have a job and he wasn't in college yet, but he wasn't a freeloader either. He was going to move into an apartment during the start of next school year. He was also looking at jobs in the restaurant area.

"We'll hit the beach after we get settled in the house." He tossed a suitcase into the back.

"Are we gonna get lunch?" It was ten in the morning, and she had eaten a decent breakfast, but she was getting hungry.

He nodded, "sure. We can grab something on the way there. I'm really glad you decided to come."

Linda looked at her house before climbing into the van. "Me too," she said, buckling her seatbelt and smiling at him, "me too."

**********

"Wow!" Linda was in awe of the beautiful beach house. It was big and spacious, and looked like something out of a fairy tale. "Mark, it's beautiful!"

He smiled as he grabbed her suitcase from the back of the van. "It's okay. Nice and roomy."

"Oh, I bet it has a beautiful view!"

"The view's pretty nice from here," he flirted, putting his hands on her hips from behind. He turned her around, "I'd say it's a very nice view."

"Mark..." she blushed, and he kissed her a little too roughly for her liking. She pulled back, and promised, "later."

**********

'Later' came in the form of a movie near the beach two weeks later. Linda and Mark were sitting in his van, his arm around her shoulders. The night was warm, and the moon was shining brightly in the star filled sky.

He looked over to her, she seemed thoroughly uninterested in the movie. She was twirling her hair around her finger, staring at something off in the distance. "Hey," he called softly.

Linda looked at him, her expression still a little glassy and unfocused. "Hm?"

He pressed her lips to hers, his fingers winding in her hair. Her fingers found his wrist as the kisses intensified. Heat came to her cheeks when his other hand rested on her knee. His fingers snuck beneath the hem of her skirt, and she shifted in an attempt to get his fingers away.

"Stop," Linda pushed at his chest, and he grabbed her wrist and pressed it into the seat.

"I know you want this," he put his hand beneath the hem of her skirt, and quickly shoved it to the front of her panties.

"Stop!" The tears started to burn her eyes as she tried to push her boyfriend away. He persisted, and she managed to free her wrist of his grip. She slapped him then punched him in his solar plexus, making him cough. It was enough time to get the hell out.

Linda jumped out of the van and slammed the door shut. She ran and ran until she found a pay phone near all the restaurants. She reached into her pocket and found just enough quarters to call her siblings. She nearly dialed Wendy's number, but then remembered that she was in California. So she dialed Jimmy's number and prayed that he was home.

Tears once again stung her eyes as the phone kept ringing and ringing. She groaned and slammed the phone down. "Dammit, Jimmy!"

She sniffed, willing herself not to cry, as she walked to the bus station. The busses probably wouldn't be running this time of night, but she could still be hopeful. "Excuse me."

The guy looked at her, "yeah?"

"When's the next bus?"

"The next bus is in fifteen minutes."

Linda looked at the clock on the wall- 11:15. She pulled out the money she had in her pocket, "will this get me to Staten Island?"

He counted it out, "yeah. This is just enough."

"Can I have a ticket then? Please?"

He gave her a ticket, and she sat down, and waited for the bus to take her home. She'd have to get Jimmy to take her back to the beach house to get her stuff. He wouldn't be happy about it... but what could she do? How was she supposed to know Mark was a slime ball?

When Linda was fifteen, and Mark told her he loved her, she believed him. She swore she wouldn't let a guy get to her the way she let Mark get to her. She had no idea that promise would be out the window when she bumped into a cute guy on her first day at her new school.