Revealing Lennon ✔

43 || Lennon

Word spread quickly through the halls about Bradley being arrested on rape charges. People were pointing fingers and naming about every single girl in our school. Everyone was asking the same thing. Who did Bradley supposedly rape? Not that it was anyone's business, but the truth was bound to come out somehow.

I didn't know whether school was better without Bradley there or not. With the reason for his arrest out in the open people where being very quick to judge without hearing the whole story.

With all the rumors I was glad that school was almost over, I was so ready to get out of there and go home. I remembered to go back to my locker to grab my backpack so I wouldn't have to make another trip back before walking back to my eighth hour class.

Rowan had been texting me through the day, worried about me, making sure I was doing okay. I kept reassuring him that I was fine or at least as fine as I could possibly be. When he saw me break down after learning that Bradley kept my underwear from that night, he was worried that it would make my progress deteriorate. But I was managing it. I was going to concealing every Saturday despite what my mind wanted. I had to get better.

The class was so boring since we had just finished taking a test. We were able to have a free hour to do homework or just talk. I didn't have nothing really to do and there was no one in my class for me to really talk to. Rowan was in a different class and wasn't allowed to use his phone.

I saw a group of girls and boys forming in the back corner of the classroom. My mind wondered as to what they were doing but by all the whispering, I figured it had to have been about Bradley and more gossip. I moved a little closer to hear what exactly they were saying because I knew more than likely nothing they were saying was true. I might as well hear what rumors were going to be spread around next.

Moving my pen across my notebook, I tried to make it look like I wasn't listening in to their conversation.

"Did you guys hear? Bradley is in jail for rape." A boy, whose name was Max, said. His comment got everyone hyped up on the subject and I knew that I probably should have just ignored what they were saying and moved on to something more productive. I shouldn't have let it ruin my day.

"Does anyone know who the girl is?" Someone asked.

I watched from the corner of my eye as they all shook their head, no. "Why does it matter who the girl is? She's probably just lying and doing it for attention. Some sick joke. We all know that Bradley isn't capable of raping anyone."

Those words stung the most. I used to think that about everyone in my school, but it's funny just how much you really don't know about people, even those who have the best reputations. No one is perfect. Never assume that you know someone, because in the end, you don't know who they really are. They could be some psychotic murderer or in my case a rapist who drugged his victims.

I always heard on the news about the victim of the crime being harassed, but I never thought any of it was true. Who in their right mind would tell the victim that they made all of it up? Believe me, I wished I made it all up, that this was just some nightmare that would end once I woke up and opened my eyes. But the sad truth was it did happen and it wasn't my fault.