Anonymous City Girl – Wow, that’s rough. I couldn’t even acknowledge my own shit until I was well into my 20s. Thanks for stopping by.

Took me right back to hight school when there was a scandle about a local boy scout leader raping a boy on a camping trip. Everyone was following the story… everyone assumed the “boy” was a young camper.

One day a guy friend of mine (who I had a huge crush on and would spend countless hours with everyday during and after school) was installing a new radio in my car, I was asking him some questions about the story since I knew he was some kind of lower level assistant leader thing in the scouts. He simple said he knew the kid and the guy.

Immediately after that he completely ignored me. Avoided me at every turn. And when I continued to pursue some kind of answer, he simple became frighteningly cruel. He tore into me and tore me apart. I didn’t know what hit me.

Weeks later I found out he was “the kid”. He was this big, strong, athletic guy and he had been raped by a man who was suppose to be the guardian to young boys in his charge.

All the hurt and anger I felt from the way he treated me fell away without a second thought. I was still angry, but at the man who hurt my friend. Who took my friend away.

I tried to get close to him again. I wanted to be there for him, but being 17 and still so confused by everything, it was just a mess. What he thought was pity and disgust in my eyes, was love (for him) and anger (for “the man”). I never once saw him as a victim or “less than”, just my friend in pain.

I never saw him after graduation. I think about him every now and then and just hope that he is happy in his life.