Jackie sat on the steps of her sorority house crying. Her
clothes were disheveled and her hair was pulled partially out of the ponytail
she had once donned. Her makeup was streaked from tears. Her friend Tammy
stepped outside when she heard the crying.
“What happened?” she asked sitting down next to Jackie. She
placed her arm around Jackie’s shoulder.
She turned to her friend. “I shouldn’t have gone to that
party with Pete.”
“I thought you were breaking up with him because he kept
trying to get you drunk,” Tammy said.
“Yeah, but he invited me to a party that I never would have
been otherwise. I thought with all those people around it would be safe,”
Jackie admitted.
“Oh no,” Tammy said. “College parties are too rowdy for
anyone to pay attention to someone else’s safety. What did he do?”
“I made myself a drink and Pete tasted it. He made a face
and said I had made it too strong. He told me he would dilute it for me and
just grabbed it and walked off. He came back about a minute later with it. When
I tasted it, it was a little bitter. He said he might have put the wrong soda
in it. I swear I only took two sips, Tammy, and my legs just went out from
under me.”
“The bastard spiked it,” Tammy said. “What did he do after
that?”
“He mumbled something about helping me walk it off to
someone and took me to his car. I tried to stop him but I was helpless. I could
think, but I couldn’t fight him off. I started to scream but he slapped me.
Then I just closed my eyes and turned my head away. He shook me and told me he
wanted to watch. When I looked out the window instead he slapped me again. He
yelled, ‘I want you to see me do this!’”
Tammy pulled her closer. “I am so sorry. Do you know what he
gave you?”
“No. He actually had the nerve to say I probably wouldn’t
remember it tomorrow but to make sure I wasn’t pregnant! What the hell am I
supposed to do about that?”
Tammy sighed. “You need to go to the cops.”
“I can’t, Tammy. My parents will blame me and the school
will never back me up. You know how the campus police works. They take the
report and somehow it magically disappears.”
“You need to go to the actual cops and let them forward a
report to the campus police. That way it will go where it needs to. Don’t let
the school bury it to keep their stats low. Your parents can’t blame you. Rape
is never your fault.”
Jackie bawled. “I’d be so embarrassed. How will I face
everybody?”
“With your head held high. Do not let them intimidate you. I’ll
be with you.”
“Tammy, will you go with me?”
“Sure I will. Let me grab my keys. You haven’t taken a
shower have you?”
“No. He held me up and walked me to the steps and just left
me here.”
“Can you walk?”
“I’m starting to feel steadier. I don’t think I drank enough
of whatever it was to work for long.”
Tammy helped Jackie walk into the police station where she
gave her statement. A female officer accompanied her to the hospital where
blood was drawn and she went through the hours-long process of having a rape
kit performed, photographs taken, and evidence gathered. They took her clothes
and gave her hospital scrubs to wear.
Tammy took Jackie back home where Jackie got a shower and crawled
into her bed and cried herself to sleep.
Word spread all over campus about Pete’s arrest. The college
president and the dean of students had a meeting with Jackie to ask why she
didn’t go directly to campus police.
“I didn’t want it buried. I wanted him gone and not doing
that to any other women,” she answered.
“Jackie,” the dean said as she was walking out the door, “This
was not your fault. It was his. The blood test came back. He put Quaaludes in
your drink.”
“Thanks,” she called back over her shoulder. “I have an
appointment with a rape counselor in thirty minutes. I really have to go now.”
