Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Fairytales
Joyana Peters October 9, 2002
A common misconception in society today is that life can be lived like a fairytale and we will all have happy endings. Society has an obsession with love and romantic beginnings. This obsession can be greatly attributed to the childhood ideas of most little girls. Most young girls grow up watching Disney Classics where Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty are all rescued by their prince and ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. This therefore, plants the dream, “Someday my prince will come” and we’ll all be swept away to his castle. What exactly do all these girls want to be rescued from? The fairy tales depict these lives to be perfect, but they really are just picturesque mirages that do not exist. So are we all doomed to sit here waiting for what will never happen?
Young girls grow up watching movies and reading books that portray these helpless girls that need to be rescued. It constantly is the same story, helpless girl gets in trouble, and knight or prince rides in on their white horse and saves her. Most stories do not show a strong feminine character that can handle herself. This is an idea that supports the misconception that women are not as strong as men. Most women are not aware of what they are capable of achieving, or are not given credit for what they do achieve.
Women are constantly trying to prove themselves in a man’s world. They deal with prejudice and stereotypes everyday. They then can think back on the childhood fantasy of their prince riding into their life to save them from this harsh world. Usually even the toughest woman still has her fairy tale wedding planned in her mind just waiting for the right groom to reveal herself.
Hollywood plays on this fairy tale fascination by making adult movies that remind women of this dream. For example, in the movie, The Wedding Planner they have the main characters meet when Matthew McConahey saves Jennifer Lopez from a dumpster rolling down the hill at her. They then proceed to fall in love and live “happily ever after”. This is just one example of the countless other movies that employ the same idea.
An added detail that escapes most people’s attention is that Hollywood always ends the movie before the audience sees what “Happily ever after” means. We never get a real definition of the famous quote. We just see the happy couple kissing at the end and usually the screen blacks out leaving us to imagine a happy wedding, lots of kids, and the perfect ending. People do not think of the fights or possible divorce, although there is only a 50% success rate of marriages in today’s society. People want to get carried back to the happy land of “make believe”.
There are also the enticing real life stories of Princess Diana and Grace Kelly. These were real women that got their dreams to come true. A young kindergarten teacher who came from a poor part of England, managed to meet and fall in love with the Prince of Wales. The wedding was publicized on TV as every woman and young girl wept and thought “how lucky”. Most people tend to gloss over the affairs and sticky divorce that Diana and Charles went through and the fact that both women died tragically in car accidents. They still have that hope that it really can happen.
These stories could have been the real fairy tale come true, however “happily ever after” did not happen. This shows the first glimmer of a doubt. Does “happily ever after” exist? Hans Christian Anderson and Walt Disney built these princes up pretty well allowing girls to build high expectations. Will real men ever be able to fulfill these expectations?
Most people will never have the answers to these questions. However, we keep feeding our young girls the same movies and stories beginning the cycle again. Society may never escape the obsession with the fairy tale romance. Until then could men just try to at least remember roses on Valentine’s Day and mark the anniversary on the calendar? Another thought could be just to read your own daughter the Grimm fairy tales instead where everyone just dies at the end.
Joyana Peters October 9, 2002
A common misconception in society today is that life can be lived like a fairytale and we will all have happy endings. Society has an obsession with love and romantic beginnings. This obsession can be greatly attributed to the childhood ideas of most little girls. Most young girls grow up watching Disney Classics where Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty are all rescued by their prince and ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. This therefore, plants the dream, “Someday my prince will come” and we’ll all be swept away to his castle. What exactly do all these girls want to be rescued from? The fairy tales depict these lives to be perfect, but they really are just picturesque mirages that do not exist. So are we all doomed to sit here waiting for what will never happen?
Young girls grow up watching movies and reading books that portray these helpless girls that need to be rescued. It constantly is the same story, helpless girl gets in trouble, and knight or prince rides in on their white horse and saves her. Most stories do not show a strong feminine character that can handle herself. This is an idea that supports the misconception that women are not as strong as men. Most women are not aware of what they are capable of achieving, or are not given credit for what they do achieve.
Women are constantly trying to prove themselves in a man’s world. They deal with prejudice and stereotypes everyday. They then can think back on the childhood fantasy of their prince riding into their life to save them from this harsh world. Usually even the toughest woman still has her fairy tale wedding planned in her mind just waiting for the right groom to reveal herself.
Hollywood plays on this fairy tale fascination by making adult movies that remind women of this dream. For example, in the movie, The Wedding Planner they have the main characters meet when Matthew McConahey saves Jennifer Lopez from a dumpster rolling down the hill at her. They then proceed to fall in love and live “happily ever after”. This is just one example of the countless other movies that employ the same idea.
An added detail that escapes most people’s attention is that Hollywood always ends the movie before the audience sees what “Happily ever after” means. We never get a real definition of the famous quote. We just see the happy couple kissing at the end and usually the screen blacks out leaving us to imagine a happy wedding, lots of kids, and the perfect ending. People do not think of the fights or possible divorce, although there is only a 50% success rate of marriages in today’s society. People want to get carried back to the happy land of “make believe”.
There are also the enticing real life stories of Princess Diana and Grace Kelly. These were real women that got their dreams to come true. A young kindergarten teacher who came from a poor part of England, managed to meet and fall in love with the Prince of Wales. The wedding was publicized on TV as every woman and young girl wept and thought “how lucky”. Most people tend to gloss over the affairs and sticky divorce that Diana and Charles went through and the fact that both women died tragically in car accidents. They still have that hope that it really can happen.
These stories could have been the real fairy tale come true, however “happily ever after” did not happen. This shows the first glimmer of a doubt. Does “happily ever after” exist? Hans Christian Anderson and Walt Disney built these princes up pretty well allowing girls to build high expectations. Will real men ever be able to fulfill these expectations?
Most people will never have the answers to these questions. However, we keep feeding our young girls the same movies and stories beginning the cycle again. Society may never escape the obsession with the fairy tale romance. Until then could men just try to at least remember roses on Valentine’s Day and mark the anniversary on the calendar? Another thought could be just to read your own daughter the Grimm fairy tales instead where everyone just dies at the end.
Closing My Eyes
by: Joyana Peters October 9, 2002
“Bye I love you too!” I sighed as I hung up the phone.
“Ok she’s finally out of my hair for awhile. You ready to go?” I asked.
“Why did you tell your mom there would be no drinking?” Becky asked.
“Because if I told her the truth she never would have let me go. Besides I’m always careful. I’m sure I’ll only have 2 or 3, wait awhile and then drive us home. It’s a foolproof plan, I’ll sneak in, go straight to bed, she’ll never know” I answered.
“I don’t know bout this” Becky said.
“Well you can back out now if you want but I’m going” I responded. Becky sighed heavily but got up and followed me out the door. We blasted the music the whole way to the party and sang along to our favorite songs. Becky soon began to loosen up.
We got to the party and saw all of our friends in the corner. The place was kickin. The music was blasting, and lights were strung about. There was a huge keg in the middle of the backyard. Todd, the kid having the party, was making mixed drinks, at a makeshift bar in the back corner. People were already buzzed. Becky and I decided to jump in and catch up.
-An hour later and two mixed drinks later- Becky and I were giggling with two guys from another school. Our other friends were already hooking up with three other guys under the trees. The party was really rolling now. People were starting to strip down to their boxers and bras and underwear and jumping into the pool. The guys with Becky and I suggested joining in. Becky and I looked at each other and laughed. Why not?
-Two hours later, a beer and two more mixed drinks- I was sitting dripping wet, and half naked, on some guy’s lap feeling pretty good. Becky was missing, and come to think of it, I wasn’t quite sure where my other friends were either. Oh well, I had made another one, I thought as I leaned over to kiss the guy again.
-Two hours later, and two more beers later- After all I was slowing down to one drink an hour now because I had to sober up; I saw my x-boyfriend walk in. Oh great, I thought. I was dry again at least, but I was still in just my bra and underwear. I looked around the party and realized I was not the only one. When had the party gotten so out of control? Poor Todd…the yard was trashed. People were throwing beer cups and things everywhere. Clothes were being thrown in the pool along with people. I realized that drunken people in a pool might not be a good idea. The music was still blasting and I finally looked at my watch for the first time in awhile. Wow was it really 2 a.m. already?
“Hey” I looked up. It was him.
“Hi” I said and tried to stand up, succeeding, while only slightly tripping.
“I saw your car out front. How are you planning on getting home?” he asked.
“I’m driving” I answered.
“Oh no you’re not. You’re trashed” he said,
“I am not and you have no right to come over here and start with me. We’re not together anymore” I answered.
“We might not be together, but I still don’t want to see you drinking and driving and getting into an accident” he replied. I started to walk away from him and gather my clothes. The party was definitely going to suck now that he was here and I was ready to go. I started to call for Becky and I saw her coming out of the house.
“We’re gonna go now ok?” I asked her. She nodded and went to grab her bag. I started to dress myself and he came walking over to me.
“Seriously, where are your keys? I’ll drive you home” he said.
“And how would you get home? This is ridiculous; I’m fine” I answered. Becky came out and we walked over to my car. He followed us and started grabbing at my bag. Becky was leaning on my car completely wasted.
“What are you doing?” I screamed.
“Trying to save your life” he replied.
“I am driving home myself” I said and got in the car and locked the door.
“He is unbelievable” I said to Becky. I turned on the car and started to pull out. While driving down the street, I checked my rearview mirror, to see him driving behind me. I realized he was following me home.
“Unbelievable” I said and slammed the accelerator. I started to try to lose him. I was nearing the main road…I didn’t even see the headlights coming at me on the driver’s side. The car must have been going about 70 or 80 m.p.h.; we went flying. My car flipped in the air and landed on the driver’s side. I saw his face peering through the windshield and heard him screaming my name. I saw him standing in front of the car calling 911 on his cell phone. That’s all I remember before closing my eyes to the darkness.
I woke again to a bright light and hearing people counting to three and feeling myself being moved. I couldn’t move my body. I saw him standing next to me along with doctors and paramedics. I realized I was at the ER. He was crying and holding my hand. I felt him squeeze it. I wanted to squeeze back, but I couldn’t make my hand do it. I looked into his eyes. I wanted to tell him I was sorry and that I still loved him and always would. I think he understood because he nodded and mouthed I love you too. Then the doctors escorted him outside. Soon after my eyes closed to the darkness again.
I woke again in a bed with tubes coming out of me everywhere. He was again sitting next to me holding my hand. This time I had a tube down my throat so again I couldn’t say what I wanted to say.
“I know you love me. I love you too and I hope you know that. I called your mom; she’s on her way” he said. Oh my mother I thought. She’ll be so disappointed. Then I thought of Becky. Where was she? Was she ok? I looked at him and he saw the fear in my eyes.
“Becky’s fine.” He said. “Barely a scratch on her. The car hit your side and your car landed on your side” he said. Then my mother came running in crying. He got up and left us.
“Oh my baby” she said patting my face, “I love you so much.” I wanted to tell her
I loved her too and that I was so sorry for disobeying her. Then I heard the loud buzzer go off next to me. The doctors came running in with the nurses. I saw his face appear next to my mother’s and felt his hand holding mine again. I saw their faces begin to cry and felt their tears falling on my face. I saw a bright light begin to come towards me and felt my body begin to lift in the air. I took one last look at their tear stained faces and then my eyes closed as I was lifted into the light. I realized then, that was the last time my eyes would close. They would never open again and I would never see their loving faces again.
by: Joyana Peters October 9, 2002
“Bye I love you too!” I sighed as I hung up the phone.
“Ok she’s finally out of my hair for awhile. You ready to go?” I asked.
“Why did you tell your mom there would be no drinking?” Becky asked.
“Because if I told her the truth she never would have let me go. Besides I’m always careful. I’m sure I’ll only have 2 or 3, wait awhile and then drive us home. It’s a foolproof plan, I’ll sneak in, go straight to bed, she’ll never know” I answered.
“I don’t know bout this” Becky said.
“Well you can back out now if you want but I’m going” I responded. Becky sighed heavily but got up and followed me out the door. We blasted the music the whole way to the party and sang along to our favorite songs. Becky soon began to loosen up.
We got to the party and saw all of our friends in the corner. The place was kickin. The music was blasting, and lights were strung about. There was a huge keg in the middle of the backyard. Todd, the kid having the party, was making mixed drinks, at a makeshift bar in the back corner. People were already buzzed. Becky and I decided to jump in and catch up.
-An hour later and two mixed drinks later- Becky and I were giggling with two guys from another school. Our other friends were already hooking up with three other guys under the trees. The party was really rolling now. People were starting to strip down to their boxers and bras and underwear and jumping into the pool. The guys with Becky and I suggested joining in. Becky and I looked at each other and laughed. Why not?
-Two hours later, a beer and two more mixed drinks- I was sitting dripping wet, and half naked, on some guy’s lap feeling pretty good. Becky was missing, and come to think of it, I wasn’t quite sure where my other friends were either. Oh well, I had made another one, I thought as I leaned over to kiss the guy again.
-Two hours later, and two more beers later- After all I was slowing down to one drink an hour now because I had to sober up; I saw my x-boyfriend walk in. Oh great, I thought. I was dry again at least, but I was still in just my bra and underwear. I looked around the party and realized I was not the only one. When had the party gotten so out of control? Poor Todd…the yard was trashed. People were throwing beer cups and things everywhere. Clothes were being thrown in the pool along with people. I realized that drunken people in a pool might not be a good idea. The music was still blasting and I finally looked at my watch for the first time in awhile. Wow was it really 2 a.m. already?
“Hey” I looked up. It was him.
“Hi” I said and tried to stand up, succeeding, while only slightly tripping.
“I saw your car out front. How are you planning on getting home?” he asked.
“I’m driving” I answered.
“Oh no you’re not. You’re trashed” he said,
“I am not and you have no right to come over here and start with me. We’re not together anymore” I answered.
“We might not be together, but I still don’t want to see you drinking and driving and getting into an accident” he replied. I started to walk away from him and gather my clothes. The party was definitely going to suck now that he was here and I was ready to go. I started to call for Becky and I saw her coming out of the house.
“We’re gonna go now ok?” I asked her. She nodded and went to grab her bag. I started to dress myself and he came walking over to me.
“Seriously, where are your keys? I’ll drive you home” he said.
“And how would you get home? This is ridiculous; I’m fine” I answered. Becky came out and we walked over to my car. He followed us and started grabbing at my bag. Becky was leaning on my car completely wasted.
“What are you doing?” I screamed.
“Trying to save your life” he replied.
“I am driving home myself” I said and got in the car and locked the door.
“He is unbelievable” I said to Becky. I turned on the car and started to pull out. While driving down the street, I checked my rearview mirror, to see him driving behind me. I realized he was following me home.
“Unbelievable” I said and slammed the accelerator. I started to try to lose him. I was nearing the main road…I didn’t even see the headlights coming at me on the driver’s side. The car must have been going about 70 or 80 m.p.h.; we went flying. My car flipped in the air and landed on the driver’s side. I saw his face peering through the windshield and heard him screaming my name. I saw him standing in front of the car calling 911 on his cell phone. That’s all I remember before closing my eyes to the darkness.
I woke again to a bright light and hearing people counting to three and feeling myself being moved. I couldn’t move my body. I saw him standing next to me along with doctors and paramedics. I realized I was at the ER. He was crying and holding my hand. I felt him squeeze it. I wanted to squeeze back, but I couldn’t make my hand do it. I looked into his eyes. I wanted to tell him I was sorry and that I still loved him and always would. I think he understood because he nodded and mouthed I love you too. Then the doctors escorted him outside. Soon after my eyes closed to the darkness again.
I woke again in a bed with tubes coming out of me everywhere. He was again sitting next to me holding my hand. This time I had a tube down my throat so again I couldn’t say what I wanted to say.
“I know you love me. I love you too and I hope you know that. I called your mom; she’s on her way” he said. Oh my mother I thought. She’ll be so disappointed. Then I thought of Becky. Where was she? Was she ok? I looked at him and he saw the fear in my eyes.
“Becky’s fine.” He said. “Barely a scratch on her. The car hit your side and your car landed on your side” he said. Then my mother came running in crying. He got up and left us.
“Oh my baby” she said patting my face, “I love you so much.” I wanted to tell her
I loved her too and that I was so sorry for disobeying her. Then I heard the loud buzzer go off next to me. The doctors came running in with the nurses. I saw his face appear next to my mother’s and felt his hand holding mine again. I saw their faces begin to cry and felt their tears falling on my face. I saw a bright light begin to come towards me and felt my body begin to lift in the air. I took one last look at their tear stained faces and then my eyes closed as I was lifted into the light. I realized then, that was the last time my eyes would close. They would never open again and I would never see their loving faces again.
The Lacey Story
By: Joyana Peters
“You promise not to say anything Leigh? I know it’s hard. Especially for you, but you’re really helping me more by staying quiet. He’ll get angrier if he finds out you know. He doesn’t mean to do it. I swear. He loves me.”
These were the words of my best friend Lacey two months ago. Sound familiar? I’m sure they do. They’re the desperate words of thousands of girls across the world. Lacey had come to my house that night with a black eye, huge bruises across her face and red marks around her neck. I started crying when I saw her. I had been suspecting for awhile that her boyfriend Jake was beating her, but it had never been this bad. She had always been able to hide it. She just nodded and confessed the whole thing.
Jake had always had a temper. He was the quarterback for the football team. He was picture of the perfect, all –American guy. He was good looking, popular and two years older than Lacey. He was already well known as a junior at Darwinter High when Lacey and I entered as freshmen. She fell for him immediately. After three months at school he took her under his wing and that was it. You never saw them apart after that.
Everything was good the first year. I dated one of his friends for awhile, but it didn’t work. Lacey gradually became more popular on her own; other guys liked her and wanted to date her. Her circle of friends was expanding also. We still stayed close, but her relationship with Jake began to change. She didn’t need him as much, and she was becoming more independent. Jake, however, did not like this. He began to get jealous. That was when the fights began.
I remember one time we were at a friend’s house over the summer. We were all hanging out by her pool, when Jake accused Lacey of flirting with some guy. He got so angry he pushed her in the pool. They played it off as a joke afterward. I knew better though. I had known Lacey my whole life; I could see some of the fear in her eyes. Unfortunately, whenever I asked her about it she clammed up. She always said they were fine. He loved her and she loved him.
So when she finally came to me I thought she was ready to end her problem. Instead she swore me to secrecy. My response was that if she wanted it that way, I’d keep it quiet. It tore me apart; she used to be such a vibrant, happy person. Everyone loved her. Now she was quiet and subdued. She only wanted to please Jake. Yet, he was becoming more possessive and demanding. I quietly stood by and watched. I didn’t know what else to do. Whenever I tried to talk to her about it, the fear came back into her eyes and she told me to stop badgering, she was handling it. She swore that things were getting better. The reality, I now know, is that she was in denial. She wanted to hold on to the love that she once had with Jake.
Time continued to pass by. Suddenly, we were in the month of May. The prom was coming. Things had been getting better. Jake was excited about the prom and Graduation. Therefore, Lacey was happy and more of her old self. I couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. Maybe things could go back to the way they were. After all, Jake was leaving for college in August anyway. We only had three months left with him.
Two weeks before the prom Lacey and I went dress shopping. We were both in the best of moods that we had been in for awhile. We took a pile of dresses with us into the dressing rooms. She called me in to help her zip up the back of one. That’s when I saw it. I just gasped. Her entire back was bruised. I caught her eye in the mirror. I asked her what had happened and she told me that she fell down the stairs. I asked her if Jake was involved. She swore he wasn’t and then changed the subject. I didn’t believe her, but what could I say? The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight with her. Then I’d be pushing her away from me also. If only I had followed my instincts.
The two weeks flew by and soon it was the night of the prom. We all went to Jake’s house before for pictures. Then we all piled into the limos and went to the prom. Everyone was happy and getting along. Then the night turned sour. A senior boy, who I didn’t recognize, came over and asked Lacey to dance. In the spirit, she laughed and agreed. Jake’s face went dark. I tried to calm him down, but I could see he was not going to listen. The prom ended and we all got in Jake’s car for the ride up to the cabin. He drove dangerously fast; I clutched my seat and prayed for my life. We finally arrived unscathed and walked up to the party. Jake went off and started drinking with some friends. Lacey turned to me and I could see her big, terrified eyes. She told me that she was more frightened than she’d ever been. Later Jake came over to us and grabbed her arm roughly.
“We have to talk Lace,” he said. She nodded and followed. They walked down to the dock by the lake. I stood on the hill above to watch. I prayed to God that she would tell him it was over, to get away from him for good. They began to argue. Their voiced got louder and louder. I began to get nervous and I slowly started to walk down the hill a bit. Then Jake grabbed her arm. I began to run. I tripped over my high heels and fell. By the time I got back on my feet and down to the dock I saw Jake cracking his bottle of beer over Lacey’s head. She was struggling to get away from him. She tripped on her dress and fell into the water.
“Oh my God, Lacey!!” I screamed. I pushed Jake out of the way and ran to the edge of the dock. At this point other people had noticed the disturbance and had come down to the dock. Someone had taken out their cell phone and was calling the police. Most importantly of all was that Lacey was not coming back up. I was crying and screaming frantically.
“Oh my God, why isn’t she coming back up?” My date, Greg, took off his jacket and dove into the water to look for her. I turned around to face Jake. He was standing there in shock.
“How could you? This is all your fault!!” I screamed. People came to restrain me as I lunged at him. The police showed up ten minutes later with an ambulance.
They finally found Lacey that night. She was dead at the bottom of the lake. She had a concussion from the hit on the head from the bottle. She also got tangled in her dress and drowned. From all of our statements Jake was tried for manslaughter and convicted. As satisfying as that was, it still didn’t fill the void; it couldn’t bring back Lacey. A girl died from one boy’s problems, and feelings of inadequacy. The worst part of all is that I could have stopped it.
By: Joyana Peters
“You promise not to say anything Leigh? I know it’s hard. Especially for you, but you’re really helping me more by staying quiet. He’ll get angrier if he finds out you know. He doesn’t mean to do it. I swear. He loves me.”
These were the words of my best friend Lacey two months ago. Sound familiar? I’m sure they do. They’re the desperate words of thousands of girls across the world. Lacey had come to my house that night with a black eye, huge bruises across her face and red marks around her neck. I started crying when I saw her. I had been suspecting for awhile that her boyfriend Jake was beating her, but it had never been this bad. She had always been able to hide it. She just nodded and confessed the whole thing.
Jake had always had a temper. He was the quarterback for the football team. He was picture of the perfect, all –American guy. He was good looking, popular and two years older than Lacey. He was already well known as a junior at Darwinter High when Lacey and I entered as freshmen. She fell for him immediately. After three months at school he took her under his wing and that was it. You never saw them apart after that.
Everything was good the first year. I dated one of his friends for awhile, but it didn’t work. Lacey gradually became more popular on her own; other guys liked her and wanted to date her. Her circle of friends was expanding also. We still stayed close, but her relationship with Jake began to change. She didn’t need him as much, and she was becoming more independent. Jake, however, did not like this. He began to get jealous. That was when the fights began.
I remember one time we were at a friend’s house over the summer. We were all hanging out by her pool, when Jake accused Lacey of flirting with some guy. He got so angry he pushed her in the pool. They played it off as a joke afterward. I knew better though. I had known Lacey my whole life; I could see some of the fear in her eyes. Unfortunately, whenever I asked her about it she clammed up. She always said they were fine. He loved her and she loved him.
So when she finally came to me I thought she was ready to end her problem. Instead she swore me to secrecy. My response was that if she wanted it that way, I’d keep it quiet. It tore me apart; she used to be such a vibrant, happy person. Everyone loved her. Now she was quiet and subdued. She only wanted to please Jake. Yet, he was becoming more possessive and demanding. I quietly stood by and watched. I didn’t know what else to do. Whenever I tried to talk to her about it, the fear came back into her eyes and she told me to stop badgering, she was handling it. She swore that things were getting better. The reality, I now know, is that she was in denial. She wanted to hold on to the love that she once had with Jake.
Time continued to pass by. Suddenly, we were in the month of May. The prom was coming. Things had been getting better. Jake was excited about the prom and Graduation. Therefore, Lacey was happy and more of her old self. I couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. Maybe things could go back to the way they were. After all, Jake was leaving for college in August anyway. We only had three months left with him.
Two weeks before the prom Lacey and I went dress shopping. We were both in the best of moods that we had been in for awhile. We took a pile of dresses with us into the dressing rooms. She called me in to help her zip up the back of one. That’s when I saw it. I just gasped. Her entire back was bruised. I caught her eye in the mirror. I asked her what had happened and she told me that she fell down the stairs. I asked her if Jake was involved. She swore he wasn’t and then changed the subject. I didn’t believe her, but what could I say? The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight with her. Then I’d be pushing her away from me also. If only I had followed my instincts.
The two weeks flew by and soon it was the night of the prom. We all went to Jake’s house before for pictures. Then we all piled into the limos and went to the prom. Everyone was happy and getting along. Then the night turned sour. A senior boy, who I didn’t recognize, came over and asked Lacey to dance. In the spirit, she laughed and agreed. Jake’s face went dark. I tried to calm him down, but I could see he was not going to listen. The prom ended and we all got in Jake’s car for the ride up to the cabin. He drove dangerously fast; I clutched my seat and prayed for my life. We finally arrived unscathed and walked up to the party. Jake went off and started drinking with some friends. Lacey turned to me and I could see her big, terrified eyes. She told me that she was more frightened than she’d ever been. Later Jake came over to us and grabbed her arm roughly.
“We have to talk Lace,” he said. She nodded and followed. They walked down to the dock by the lake. I stood on the hill above to watch. I prayed to God that she would tell him it was over, to get away from him for good. They began to argue. Their voiced got louder and louder. I began to get nervous and I slowly started to walk down the hill a bit. Then Jake grabbed her arm. I began to run. I tripped over my high heels and fell. By the time I got back on my feet and down to the dock I saw Jake cracking his bottle of beer over Lacey’s head. She was struggling to get away from him. She tripped on her dress and fell into the water.
“Oh my God, Lacey!!” I screamed. I pushed Jake out of the way and ran to the edge of the dock. At this point other people had noticed the disturbance and had come down to the dock. Someone had taken out their cell phone and was calling the police. Most importantly of all was that Lacey was not coming back up. I was crying and screaming frantically.
“Oh my God, why isn’t she coming back up?” My date, Greg, took off his jacket and dove into the water to look for her. I turned around to face Jake. He was standing there in shock.
“How could you? This is all your fault!!” I screamed. People came to restrain me as I lunged at him. The police showed up ten minutes later with an ambulance.
They finally found Lacey that night. She was dead at the bottom of the lake. She had a concussion from the hit on the head from the bottle. She also got tangled in her dress and drowned. From all of our statements Jake was tried for manslaughter and convicted. As satisfying as that was, it still didn’t fill the void; it couldn’t bring back Lacey. A girl died from one boy’s problems, and feelings of inadequacy. The worst part of all is that I could have stopped it.
