Rosita

Gloria admired herself as she stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror. She stepped into the shower feeling gratification in knowing she could get laid whenever she desired. With the shower curtain open she belted out "Moondance" by Van Morrison as she bathed. Gloria's showers tended to take a rather long time, this was because she used three different types of exfoliate: One for her feet, one for her body, and one for her face. Also she used salon quality shampoo and conditioner. Shaving took awhile too; She shaved body hair as though it was the Vietcong, and she was on a search and destroy mission.

Once Goria finished up her shower routine she dried off, and walked naked through her apartment and into her bedroom. The room was spick and span, consistent with the average Chi Omega sorority girl; pictures posted on bulletin boards along the walls, and Greek Chi Omega letters decorating her room. Gloria's closet, however, was a mess. Clothes were strewn about the small room in no specific order. Gloria searched the disaster area for some pajamas. It took some navigating through the mess, but she found something wearable and put them on. Despite her plan to go out to the bars later, it was unnecessary to get dressed up just yet. A fashionably late entrance would be in approximately two hours, plus she wanted to watch an all-new "The Real World".

As the show started, Gloria called for her roomate Rosita to come watch the show with her. It was ritual for them to watch "The Real World" together. They had become quite close over the past several months and Gloria considered Rosita her best and most loyal friend.

Most of Gloria's friends were guys-- she tended to stay in-touch with the majority of her ex-boyfriends and random rendezvous partners. Gloria considered most of these relationships a form of protection, as well as a way to get off.

Once the show began, the two females sat together in focused silence. One of the characters was a sexy blonde who was a rape victim. Her name was Joanna, and Gloria always thought that a rape victim could never be as happy as Joanna appeared to be.

Gloria had mentioned as much to Rosita during her most recent cries about her own brutal rape. Rosita was the only one Gloria told she had been raped. It made Gloria feel as though she wasn't completely alone. Completely alone was how Gloria felt as she laid in her hospital bed after she had become a victim.

Someone called Gloria's cell-phone. "Sweet Home Alabama" was the phone's ring tone.

"Hello," Gloria answered.

"Hey honey, how are you?" It was Gloria's mother on the phone. "How'd your test go the other day?"

"Hi mom. I'm doing well. The test was good, I got an A on it."

"Oh that's great sweetie. What about your diet? Have you been losing weight?"

"Not really mom, I haven't focused too much on it."

"Sweetie it's important that you stay skinny so that you can find a good man."

"I know mom, I know. I'm fine though."

"Hold on a second Gloria, your father wants to say hello." There was a short pause. "Hey sweetheart! How's Daddy's little angel."

"I'm good dad, how are you."

"Oh, I'm just fine. Did your mother tell you I closed another business deal? It was a big one."

"No she didn't. I'm happy for you dad." Gloria humored her father even though she didn't care. "Can I call you tomorrow or something though? I'm watching TV."

"Yeah sweetie that's fine. I'll tell your mother you said goodbye. Have a good night."

"Bye"

"Goodbye"

In the two years following the rape, Gloria had un-successfully attempted to tell her parents what had unfolded many times. Gloria figured if her dad found out, he might have a heart attack. They would pull her out of college and bring her home to Chicago to protect her. So the rape remained secret. Outside of Rosita, nobody knew that anything had ever happend to her. This included the law enforcement at Gloria's school in Bloomington, Indiana, which never recieved a report of the case.

Gloria had never gotten the nerve to report the rape because the rapist had warned her he would kill her if she reported it. He had even told her that he would kill her parents if she went to them for help. She knew her parents would learn all gruesome details of the incident if they found out and she went to trial. Gloria did not want her parents perception of her to change.

"The Real World" ended and Gloria decided it was about time to get ready to go out. As she shut the door to her room behind her, she felt a sudden rush of blood to her head. The images of that night filled her head. He had come in through the front door. It was unlocked. She tried to run and scream, but he lunged at her and grabbed her. He put a knife to her throat and told her to obey him. He pushed her through her bedroom door and threw her down on the bed. She kicked and fought and tried to stop him. He punched in the face to shut her up. She remembered the blood dripping down her legs.

Feeling a perpetually expanding hole in her stomach, she collapsed onto her bed and buried her face beneath her pillows. She screamed hysterically, "I did not deserve this. How can someone do this to me and get away with it. I am all alone in this world filled with evil people. I wish I was dead."

For Gloria, killing herself had seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to do on many occasions. She had even considered the pros and cons of each method of suicide. Going through with it never truly seemed realistic to Gloria though. She was reassured that dying of natural cause was worth the wait for two reasons. One was thinking about the pain she may have felt on a botched attempt. Two was the pain her suicide would inflict upon her parents.

Gloria regained control of her emotions, took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. She then went about putting on her makeup and getting ready for a night on the town. She was hoping she would get to meet up with her friend Chad. She didnt necessarily like Chad very much but she definatley enjoyed sleeping with him. It wasn't really the sex; it was the companionship and safety that a lover offered. Gloria could not remember the last time she had a good nights sleep. She would wake up in a panic and check to make sure the doors and windows in her apartment were locked. Gloria appreciated knowing that someone was lying next to her in case she needed to be protected.

Once Gloria finished putting on her makeup, she went about looking for something to wear. She picked out about six shirts, and a trio of pants. After much deliberation, she went with the red halter-top that made her boobs look big, and the black pants that made her ass look small. She dried her short blonde hair and put it up into a ponytail.

Gloria finished up getting ready to go and put on her sexy black boots. She admired herself in the mirror, knowing that she looked hot. She made sure that her dog's bowl was full of food, filling a cup with puppy chow and pouring it into a dog bowl labeled "Rosita". She picked up her purse and headed towards the front door. Before Gloria left she picked up her dog and gave it a kiss. Rosita replied with a lick to Gloria's cheek. "Be a good puppy while I'm gone Rosita," said Gloria as she locked her front door and headed out for a night of drinking.