Close Call.

She’s at a party and she’s drunk.
Can in one hand, beer in the other.
‘The innocent one.’
Never kissed a boy before.
She’s dancing
Laughing
Singing to her friend in a cubby house
All the while
Oblivious
To how close she came.
He’s wearing a dress
(It was a themed party)
He’s kissing her
Borrows his friends keys
‘I got a girl; can I have your car?’
They go out the front
She doesn’t know what he’s thinking
‘We’re only going to kiss’
She tells her friend
The friend tells her not to go with him
She says no
A boy comes up and abuses the boy in the dress
‘He’s a creep!’
He tells the innocent girl
She doesn’t listen
Two girls come and yell at the boy in the dress
‘You stay away from her!’
‘Get off the road’
Someone says.
She is picked up and moved off the road
‘No, we’re only going to kiss.’
‘Do you seriously think that’s all he wants?’
‘I’m strong enough to fight him off’
‘No you can’t, look at the size of him
And look at the size of you.’
‘No!’
‘Listen to me!’
‘But I can’t just leave now, I’ll look stupid!’
‘Grab my hand, I’ll drag you and you can pretend to resist’
She is dragged away by her friend
‘No, stop it!
I’ll be back soon’
She tells the boy in the dress.
‘No you fucking will not’
The other nice boy tells her.
They go back to the party.
A girl walks up to the boy in the dress
‘I’m watching you’
She says.
The innocent one still doesn’t know
How close she came
To the things we hear about
And think
‘It will never happen to us.’