"Another Way"

"The Last Tear"

The tear falls and my body leans forward my eyes closed. As a small wave of regret comes over me. But I know I can't go back now if I wanted to.. But suddenly I feel something pulling me back. Not something, someone. Strong arms wrap around the back of me. The pull me back and I push myself into there arms . Not caring who it was I start to sob uncontrollably into the shoulders of the person as I hold tight to them I realize it is a man. But it doesn't matter. I keep sobbing. Tears of sadness & relief . The man wraps his arms around me which makes me feel safe. Even though I have no idea who he is. It just makes me feel nice that someone does care about me. Even if they don't know who I am.

Finally my sobs slowly stop and I get control of myself and I unwrap my arms from the man. I look up finally to see what the man looks like. He looks around the same age as me but has bright red hair. Obviously dyed. His eyes look kind and caring but also worried. As I go to open my mouth to talk to him I realize my voice is still shaky & I still have tears running down my cheeks. But I talk anyways. "Th-thank you so-o m-much." I say to the man as more tears come out. I can see he is about to say something but I lean into him more because for some reason that is the only place I feel safe right now. I wrap my arms back around him . "You really didn't want to do that, did you? " He asks softly as he rubs the back of my jacket. "I - I " . I have no short answer to the question. But I can't take holding things in anymore. My mouth opens and I begin. "My - my parents they want me to change who I am so they can have the daughter they want, the one who fits there lifestyle . Not the one who doesn't come out of her room for the parties they throw or one who doesn't have a book in her hand all the time. A-and so they found this guy who asked me out and he's - he's just as bad as they are, no he's worse. He drags me to all these parties with people who don't even know me and if I try to stay home he comes into my room and - a-and he'll just start -start hitting me and then when I finally say yes he kisses me and says how much he loves me ." But I think the worst thing of all is I can't tell my parents because they don't believe me he's just like them so they believe he would never do something like that to me. But he forced me to go to this party last night and it was hardly a party at all everyone was at this hotel and had this one huge suit and everyone -eh-everyone was having sex, and he forced me on the bed and no one even looked up!! They heard me crying! They just didn't care and he finally let me up and said he understands if I'm not ready. But you know the saddest part is that I actually believed him. So he was driving me home and pulled onto the side of the road into some old gas station and made me lay down and he did it. He - he-he  sex with him. But it was hardly consensual he would slap me every time

I'd move wrong and he was over top of me and just just -just ." I had to stop talking because the tears had gotten worse and I had started sobbing again but I tried to continue. " I finally got my clothes on and I ran out and I ran to my house and I told my parents knowing that they had to believe me now. But they didn't!! They didn't believe one  word coming out of my mouth so they sent me up to my room and they had brochures of rehabs they were going to make me stay at. And not just for a couple weeks or months , they were going to keep me there for 3 years!!! Three  years when nothing is even wrong with me. " I sobbed more into his soft shoulders clinging to his leather jacket. He rubbed my back one more time then picked me up In a cradle position and got me off the dumpster stepping on old crates that made a stairway. He then put me down and wrapped his arms around me . "You can stay with me if you want." He says kindly . "I am not letting you go back." "Even if I just met you ." He helps me walk down the alleyway & I tell him my name. "My name is Colynns Bule. " we walk along the alleyway walking around puddles for a couple minutes too he finally says something. "I'm Michael." He says. "And I may look like a punk and all but I'm not ." I won't hurt you ." " My place is just a couple blocks from here ." "I like walking instead of driving to my house sometimes just to clear my head." He says smiling at me. Michael. That's a nice name I think to myself.

I feel better after crying but I have a horrible uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach from what I had just attempted to do minutes ago. I try to push the thought aside. We walk for a couple more minutes and then we come to a big building that appears to be a hotel. "You live in a hotel?" I ask him. He laughs softly. "Well I don't live here I am just staying here until I can find an apartment I like." " My buddies & came here last year and I knew I wanted to move here." He says looking around at the other huge building and the moving lights of everything in the city. We walk into the hotel and I look around at the huge lobby. I wonder what kind of job he has ? That he can afford to stay in such a luxurious hotel! He must notice me looking around because I hear him say " Yeah I know it's big , but I thought it was nice." He says. "Yeah I this is my favorite hotel. My favorite suit is the constellations suit. It's so beautiful just looking up and seeing the night sky." He looks at me with curious eyes. "You've been here before?" He asks. "Yeah, my uhm, my parents they host these get togethers every year for all the top ambassadors of their company and they fly in from all over the country." "Of course it's mandatory for me to go because one day I will be in my mothers shoes." I say rolling my eyes. "But over the last few years I would sneak into the constellation suit and just lay on the bed looking up and it would just make me feel so calm." He watches me as I talk and I feel like I'm boring him. "I'm sorry." I say. "I can tell that this isn't something that interests you." I say with a chuckle. The lady finally arrives back at the front desk and checks him in and hands the card to Michael. He takes the card and we walk toward the elevators. "You weren't boring me." He smiles as we walk into the elevator. The elevator doors close and for some reason I feel uneasy. I can't tell if it's because of the feeling of going up or that I'm alone in an enclosed area with a guy. The last guy I was alone with tried to rape me. With the thought on my mind I casually move away from Michael. But of course he notices. So I look down trying to avoid eye contact. "I understand why you aren't comfortable." You don't have to worry that I'll try something because I won't. I'm not like that." He says leaning against the elevator wall . He gives me a look of understanding and smiles. It seems like forever till we reach the right floor. But finally the elevator comes to a halt and we walk out into the halls. "Do you want me to get you your own room or what do you want to do?" Michael asks. "I can sleep on the couch. There pretty comfy." I say as I laugh softly. "Alright then after you." He says kindly with one hand holding the door open and one with his hand pointing towards the inside of the room. I smile and walk in.