Football players are assholes. I know; I'm related to their king. My older, and annoyingly overprotective, brother Jake is the star quarterback at Santa Cruz High School. I love him but hate living in his shadow. Everyone worshiping the air he breat...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
TW: This chapter contains content depicting sexual assault which may be triggering and not suitable for all readers.
If you've experienced sexual abuse or assault, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contactthe National Sexual Assault and Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit www.rainn.org.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Here goes everything."
My voice was no louder than a hushed whisper, but it warmed my throat. I took a deep breath in and exhaled through pursed lips. Butterfly sensations flapped in my stomach, my heart hammered to break out of my chest, and an electric pulse raced in my veins. I tilted my head at the beautiful, white-stone exterior of St. Mary's Catholic Church. A central monolithic spire jutted into the early evening sky over two arched wooden entrance doors.
I wasn't sure how I felt about being here. Uncertainty dominated any relief from checking off another event. I couldn't focus in school today. Instead, I circled through a continuous loop of unanswerable questions. Would I perform the charity tasks as instructed and slip out to go home or linger for help? Would I find help here? Did I want to find help here? It seemed selfish to ask, given the premise I set up to come here.
Dear Ms. Harrison,
Your final volunteer event is for a charity of your choice, which must be an actual charity, as defined in Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Attached is an event completion form for your charity of choice.
Also, there is a 500-word essay due with your six event completion forms. It is to gauge your feedback from this invaluable experience. I'm sure you'll appreciate this opportunity to provide insight and influence to empower future students' involvement in this program.
Thank you for your participation. I look forward to reading your essay.
-Principal Jans
Principal Jans' email prompted me here, but I stared at those arched doors as if they would open automatically. Finality was an invisible barrier I should've happily leaped over but faced with these doors, I was immobile. They were stained dark chocolate, not dark enough that the natural wood striations blended away. I couldn't open them, not because of emotion seizing my heart or fear of resurfacing the pain I'd buried and ignored for years, but because my damp palms clutched a pile of boxes to my chest.
