She lost her virginity -- and it was awful

Finally, shamefully, she muttered, “I had sex with Steve.”

It was the last thing I wanted to hear. My insides boiled.

I didn’t respond, so she just continued, “It was two nights ago, when you all left for Spring Break without me. I was angry, and lost, and I thought it would make me feel better.”

“Did it?” I spat out. Her head drooped, eyes avoiding mine.

“No. It was awful. He acted like I wasn’t even there. Like I was just a toy for him to play with. I broke up with him the next morning.”

Tears were running down her cheeks, now, but I couldn’t bring myself to comfort her. There was still an invisible wall between us. Corrine managed to lift her head and meet my eyes as she choked out words:

“I am sorry for all the horrible things I said to you, Ian. And I’m so, so sorry about, you know, about what I did.”

“You mean, when you tried to blow me as practice for your boyfriend?!”

“I didn’t mean to humiliate you.”

“Well you did! You can’t even imagine how humiliating that was.”

Her eyes met mine, and in a flash I realized that she could do better than just imagine it. She could remember it. Thanks to Steve’s bungled, selfish lovemaking, Corrine knew exactly how she had made me feel.

“I was lost,” she pleaded, “All you guys were getting these college acceptance letters and going off to have these amazing lives. Well, how about me? I’ve got nothing waiting for me once I graduate. What’s my future look like? All I had–ALL I had—was you guys. And you’re all leaving me behind.”

Something in her voice made me snap. Furious, I opened the door and got out of the car. Corrine hurried out after me, through the darkness and the rain, our feet splashing across the grassy area overlooking the beach.

“Ian, wait!”