"Today, however can change things for better or worse. The outcome depends on you."
When a marriage fails the residue trickles down to everyone in the family. Sixteen-year-old Daya Nicole Johnston must fight to understand what is happening in her li...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
********
Shocked! I was shocked to say the least. Completely stunned by the fact that slut shaming still goes on and the double standards that comes with it. Liv was humiliated and bullied so badly that she fled her hometown and school. While those guys had participated in those actions as well but feel they could judge her for it.
It's unfair.
And even though I understood her better, she was still a bully. She was bullied by the people at her former school, so she comes here for a new start. And what does she do with that new start? She continued the cycle of hurt by doing the same thing to me.
"Did you reach out to her after?" I was looking down at the ground and holding onto myself.
"I've barely spoken to her since she got here. Plus, she got a boyfriend within a week of her being here. I can't say for sure, but I think that's why she got with him so quickly. She didn't want to be seen as that girl she was in Pine Point. That girl wasn't girlfriend material," he spoke honestly.
"But, when I first saw her again I wanted to be there for her and show her around because she didn't know anyone here. Basically, I was told that it never happened and we don't know each other. She said that I reminded her of how she was in the past and that she wanted to leave all that in Pine Point. I can respect that, so I left it there."
"If she... wanted you back, even just for a night, would you take her?" With all this new information, I needed to know that part of him was gone.
"I'm always going to remember what happened between us. We were both in such an emotional place and it brought us together. That whole thing taught me so much about myself. But, no, that ship has sailed if that's what you're worried about."
When I looked over at him, he seemed so disappointed in himself. "I'm not holding that against you, it happened before we even met. I know that you have a past and as long as it's over I'm not... it's okay. Still, I'm worried. You've been with Celia, Liv and others presumably. Now, you have your sights on me," I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I'm not proud of all that I've done, but I was a different person back then. I like to think I've grown. That wasn't the best time for me and I wanted to lose myself in all the extremities. New parties every night, drugs, alcohol, sex galore. But, I can't go back and change any of that for you."
Of course, this wasn't what I wanted to hear.
He hung his head low and put his hands over his face. "I'm never going to be that pure, virgin without a past for you to share all your first with, if that's what you're looking for. That's not me. Daya, you have to accept me with everything I've done or not. Who I was back then is not who I'm trying to be now. I'm not trying to make you my latest conquest. I haven't been with anyone for a little bit. Seriously, random hookups get boring after a while. I can handle something real now and that's what I want."
