| As new freshmen in high school, I thought I knew | | | | lost going back. Of course it was my fault because I |
| what needed to be done. I was looking for a | | | | didn't remember the way back. It was storming that |
| boyfriend. Everybody had a boyfriend in high school. | | | | night and he was driving. The car got struck by |
| If you didn't then there was something wrong (at | | | | lighting and stopped working. As soon as it stopped |
| least that was how it seemed to be). | | | | he got out of the car and came to my side, drug me |
| My freshman year of high school I found a boyfriend. | | | | out of the car and beat me. |
| It was great at first. I though that I was in love. The | | | | Another incident we were at department store and |
| first year seemed to be ok. He seemed to be a | | | | arguing about something and he told me I didn't |
| good guy. I was wrong. | | | | deserve to live. He cut up my social security card and |
| It all started when my parents would not allow me (a | | | | my birth certificate. Then if that wasn't enough he |
| 16 year old) to stay with my boyfriend. | | | | slammed my head against the concrete building and |
| They wouldn't let me go to parties or anything. So I | | | | my head was bleeding. It was cut. I never went to |
| thought the only way I was going to keep this guy | | | | the hospital for any of these instances because I |
| was to not follow my parent's rules. It was all | | | | though that I was in the wrong. Thank God they |
| downhill from there. I was lying to my parents. Telling | | | | were bad enough that they didn't close on their own. |
| them I had to stay after school and make up work | | | | There were many instances that came after that for |
| (I never missed a day so what work did I have to | | | | 4 years. I was just so crazy to me because this man |
| make up)? | | | | had complete control of my life. Everything that he |
| My parents knew I was lying. Soon the abuse | | | | said I thought was true. He would tell me that I was |
| started. Because my parents wouldn't allow me to | | | | ugly and no other person would ever want to be |
| spend the night at his house the next day I got it | | | | with me because of that. I had knife in my face |
| from him. It was a constant abusive relationship for 4 | | | | (thankfully never stabbed). But the beatings were |
| long years. In public places I was getting abused and | | | | enough. |
| not one single person said a word. The arguments | | | | One day (after graduation) I thought to myself what |
| we got into were about thing like stuff I didn't do | | | | am I doing? This is not what I need to be going |
| right, thing that I wasn't able to say in front of | | | | through. I then broke it off with him and got a |
| certain people, they were all really stupid things to | | | | restraining order against him. Thankfully my parents |
| get into an argument about and beat someone. One | | | | were there and took me back in after I had left to |
| of the arguments that we had was when we were | | | | live with this boy and him family. I was now free. |
| on vacation. | | | | Never again will I allow myself to go through that |
| His parents had a property that they rented every | | | | again. Nobody on this earth should every go through |
| year. We went to the beach and wanted to stay | | | | it. Everybody deserves to be happy and not abused. |
| longer at the beach then his parents. So we drove | | | | An early warning sign for future abuse could start |
| separate cars. I thought that I remembered how to | | | | with someone trying to be in control of everything. |
| get back from the beach to the property. We got | | | | As soon as that happens you have to leave. |