Class Of 98

I sit up thinking for a while about Professor Thomas's proposal. There was the possibility that he could be lying and still tells Sean and my family a lie. That would tear Sean and me apart forever. That could be his plan to do. I get out of bed, put on a thin robe, grab my cellophane and walk outside. I have Professor Thomas's number in my hand. I dial and he answers.

"Hello." He says.

"I have thought about your proposal." I say.

"What is your choice?" He asks perking up a little.

"You swear you will never bother me, Sean, and my family again, right?" I ask wanting to know what he really wants from me.

"I swear to god." He says.

"When and where?" I ask trying to keep my voice from sounding tear filled.

"My place tomorrow night." He says and gives me the directions after that we hang up with each other. I did not think at the time it would be such a bad idea because it kept pain away from my family and everyone else. I walk back in to the house and walk up stairs.

I walk in to the front room and look in to the front bedroom. This is my mothers room I watch her sleep. I have always tried to do what she wanted me to do so I could become more than what she was. I go in to Jackie's room and watch her as well. She has been more like a little sister than just a little cousin to me. She has looked up to me so many times. I walk in to the kitchen and look in to my grandmother's room. She has always pushing me to do my best and not to take and fool around. She has also pushed me to reach for what I most desire. She is the glue that has always held this family together. I walk down stairs to find Sean sleeping.

Sean is the only guy in my entire life that liked me for me and my personality. He is everything I could ask for in a fiancé. He is sweet, kind, gentle, sensitive, and cute. He is the perfect guy. I put the phone down next to the bed. I slide in to bed next to him and curl up against him. He puts his arm around me and squeezes. I fall asleep.

That night I dream about what would happen if everyone found out what happened. My family turns away from me and Sean hates me for the rest of my life. I suddenly jump awake. Sean wakes up beside me. "Hey what wrong?" He asks.

"Nothing bad dream." I say looking over at him.

"How dare those nasty dreams come? Come here I will make those nasty dream go away forever." He says pulling me down close to him in his arms. Here I feel warm and safe. All my life I have been the victim. But I just want to know when will I not be the victim anymore? Now I am going to lie and do something I might forever regret to save everyone I know and love pain. But will I save them that pain or create a new one?

The next day I act like it is any other day. I drive my cousins to school again and because Jackie had classes I drive her to. I tell Sean I am going to stay at Melissa's house.

"Why didn't you tell me before about this?" He asks as I pack.

"Because Melissa and I decided to do it last night." I lie. "Since you can get to know my family more tonight with out me here to hinder the bonding process."

"Please take me with you." He begs looking scared. "They might off me."

"Please, begging does not suit you very well." I say kissing him on the cheek. "Besides they know not to do a thing to you."

"Oh well I guess that won't work. I guess I will bond with the family after all." He says disappointed.

"It won't work." I say closing my suitcase. "Bye." I say picking up my suitcase and kiss him good-bye. I go out and get in to my car, start the car and drive off. I follow the directions that Professor Thomas gave to me. I drive up in front of a huge apartment complex and turn off the engine. I grab my suitcase and get out of the car. I walk up to apartment number 18 and knock. Professor Thomas answers quickly.

"I am so delighted that you took me up on my proposal. Please come in." He says opening the door more. I walk in. Professor Thomas closed the door. "Here let me take that for you." He says taking my suitcase.

"Thank you Professor." I say.

"Call my Kevin." He insists.

"Ok Kevin." He leaves the room and enters what I think is the bedroom. This room I will probably be visiting in a little while. I look around the first room. A small table has a bottle of wine and two wineglasses. Kevin comes back in to the room.

"Come over and have a seat." He says sitting down on the love seat. I come and sit next to him. He opens the wine and pours it in to both glasses. "Parie de Contur, 1887." He says handing me a glass. "Last night I saw that you have become quite the wine expert with your order."

"I have spent a lot of time in Paris trying to expand my business." I say taking a sip of the wine. "The wine was bottled at the beginning of the grape season in 1887. In a small villa a few miles out of Paris."

"Well. You could teach a class at the college about wine." He says sipping his wine.

"Enough about the wine. Why did you want me here tonight?" I ask.

"You were always questioning my actions in class. The last time I only took what I wanted and gave you nothing. This time you will have all of it." He says getting close to me. "The last time I saw you, before last night, I was being dragged off by the Cicero police. I want to leave you with something else other than that."

"You did leave me with something. You left me with a secret to hide from my fiancé and my family plus the humiliation of what you did to me that day in your office. Isn't that enough?" I ask.

"I never meant to hurt you. I swear to god." He says.

"Don't bring god in to this conversation. He has nothing to do with this." I say. "The only reason I am here right now and not at home with my fiancé and family is so that they don't ever have to know about this."

"As I said you and your family will never hear from me again." He says leaning towards me. "Now for a taste of something I never had before." He kisses me. "Well that was nice. This night will be better than the first time you and I were together." He takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom. The rest of the night I blanked out of my mind because like the first time he took advantage of me I felt humiliated.

At the same time at Amy's home in the attic Sean is sifting through a box that she kept of things from elementary, high school and college. In the box there are pictures of friends, family, awards, two autographed books, and the first book she ever wrote. Small momentous, programs from choral concerts, a wrist corsage from her graduation, cap and gown from her elementary school graduation, cap from her high school graduation. All of her high school yearbooks, deflated birthday congratulation and get well soon balloon. Pictures of her and him together at different places. At the bottom of the box there was a black diary. He opened it up and started reading it. It was the same old kind of diary that any teenager would keep except for the entry when she came back to school after being sick:

April 16, 2000
Today was the most humiliating day of my life. Professor Thomas raped me. I cannot believe this happened to me. This is something that Sean and my family must never know about this, it would tear them apart.

Sean slams the book shut and storms out of the attic and down to the basement room he and Amy share. He sits down trying to take and figure out why she did not tell him about what had happened to her that day. After a few minutes he calls Melissa's. "Hi Melissa can I talk to Amy?" He asks.

"She is not here Sean. Why would she be here?" She asks him.

"She said you were having everyone over to talk about the old days." He says.

"Well I never thought about that idea." She says.

"Well thanks a lot for the help." He says.

"Ok. I hope I see you at the reunion with Amy. Bye." She says.

"Bye." He says hanging up the phone. He thinks about talking to her family about it but then decides not to. There has to be a perfectly good explanation about why she never told any one about the rape. After two hours he is to tired to try and think anymore so he finally falls asleep.