I'm In Love With A Rebel

Snoopy-Nose Donaldson

That night, at dinner, I hardly ate. My parents had told my older siblings the truth, and they were all devastated. I had told my younger siblings the bathtub story, as they didn't see me till the morning after the whole thing.
"Aren't you hungry, Becky?" Corky wondered innocently.
"Uh... no. No, I'm not..." I shook my head.
"But it's your favorite! Shrimp Alfredo!"
"I know... I don't feel well, that's all...." I looked at my parents. "May I be excused? Please?"
They nodded, and I headed to my room. I sat on my bed and stared at the floor, my mind not really thinking about anything. Mindlessly, I held my necklace charms in my hand. I had moved Jesse's charm to my journalism necklace. I sighed, and let my tears flow down my cheeks. I cried for a little less than half an hour.
There was a knock on my door. "Becky! It's Corky! Can I come in?"
"I'd like to be alone, please."
"Please, Becky?"
"Please, Corky, leave me alone, okay?"
"Okay..." there was a moment of silence before he said, "I'm just worried about you! That's all!"
"I'm fine, Corky! Just a headache..." Which wasn't entirely inaccurate; I did have a headache, but not the kind Corky thought I meant. The kind you get when you're really sad was plaguing my mind. My heart also ached, along with everything else.
"I hope you feel better! Want me to bring you some ice cream?"
A small smile crept across my face. "If you do, I'll let you in."
A few minutes later, Corky kicked the door. "It's me!"
I stood up and unlocked the door, letting my youngest brother in. He had two bowls of ice cream- one for each of us. I closed the door as I took the bowl from him. I sat on my bed and motioned for him to do the same.
We ate in silence for a few moments, until Corky broke it.
"Can I be honest with you, sis?"
I nodded. "What's on your mind?"
"You said you fell in the shower, but I don't think those scrapes and bruises came from porcelain."
I looked weirdly at my eight year old brother. "Well... what do you think happened?"
"It looks like you were smashed up against the wall." He took a bite of his ice cream, waiting for an answer. "Well?"
"Well what?" I played dumb.
"Were you smashed against a wall?"
I sighed and nodded.
"By who? Was it that fat ugly dude who's got the hots for you?"
I looked at my brother who seemed to know almost exactly what happened. "How'd you know that?"
Corky shrugged and there was more silence. "Becky?"
"Hm?"
"What does 'rape' mean?"
"What? Where did you hear that?"
"From Mom and Dad. They said, and I quote, 'poor, Becky. Almost getting raped by that...' and then Daddy said a bad word... is it true? Did you almost get raped?"
I didn't answer my favorite brother.
"Didja?"
I nodded slowly, staring at my melting Rocky road ice cream.
"What does that mean?"
"Corky..." I sighed. "Please believe me when I say that you're too young to know."
"How come?"
"It's a grownup thing! Something only married people do."
"So... do Mom and Dad rape each other?"
"No... it's only rape if someone you don't know does it to you, or if someone you do know does it to you." Huh?
"Huh?"
I was fed up with the questions, so I accidentally told him the truth. "It's when someone forces you to have sex with them! Against your will!"
Corky nodded as I felt tears sting my eyes. "Becky?" He asked after some silence.
"What?"
"What's sex?"
I sighed. "If it's all the same to you, Corky, I'd like to go to sleep now..."
"Okay..." he reluctantly honored my wish. "G'night, then."
"Yeah..."
Corky was about to walk out the door when I stopped him. "Oh! And, Corky?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Mom and Dad what I told you, okay? Don't tell anyone, you hear?"
Corky nodded. "Cross my heart, hope to die! Stick a needle in my eye!" He crossed his heart and closed the door behind him.
I cried myself to sleep that sad night....