Virgin Girl


    L was heartbroken when her mother was killed by a drunk driver. They’d been very close, and L was devastated. For weeks, she could barely get out of bed. It should have been an exciting time for her. School was out, and she had the whole summer to look forward to. But her mother’s death was a dark cloud that shrouded the poor girl like a deathly shadow she couldn’t escape. She hadn’t even left her room on her birthday.


    One night, L emerged from her bedroom and padded softly down the carpeted hallway into the darkened living room. A soft blue hue flickered from the television, barely illuminating Jack, her stepfather, who loungedfortably on the sofa in his boxer shorts.


    “Daddy?” L asked, wondering if he was still awake.


    “L!” he answered, thrilled to see her outside her room. He sat up and made room for her on the sofa.


    “What are you watching?” she asked, sitting beside him.


    “An old movie,” he answered. “It was one of your mother’s


    favorites.”


    “Oh, I remember this one,” L said, her voice faltering at the memory. “We watched it together when I was about eight.”


    L’s eyes stung harshly, and the bridge of her nose began to tingle. She bit her lip and tried to contain the flood of tears she knew was imminent.


    “Oh, L,” Jack whispered, seeing the glistening in her eyes. “Come here.”


    L moved closer to Jack and buried her head in his strong chest. She felt his strong arms wrap around her, and she rxed. His embrace was warm andforting, just as it had been for as long as she could remember. She nuzzled her soft cheek against his bare chest and she felt his arm strengthen around her.


    “I miss her so much,” L whispered.


    “So do I, honey,” Jack said softly.


    A tear squeezed out of L’s eye and slowly crawled down her cheek, dripping into the soft patch of hair on Jack’s chest. She missed being a child. She missed sitting in hisp watching movies with him and her mother. She climbed slowly into hisp and rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    “I love you,” she whispered into his ear.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room was thick was tension. Jack shifted ufortably and cleared his throat.


    “What’s wrong?” L asked, her glistening blue eyes searching his for answers.


    “Nothing, honey,” he replied, avoiding her gaze by ncing at the television.


    “Do you want me to get up?” she asked.


    “No, L. I don’t want you to get up,” he answered. “I just…”


    “What?”


    His mouth hung open for a moment as though he wanted to speak, but he couldn’t find the words. Then he shook his head, sighed, and leaned his head back against the couch, closing his eyes.


    L shifted her body in hisp and took his face between her delicate hands.


    “Look at me,” she demanded.


    His eyes opened, and he lifted his head, but his eyes gazed somewhere behind her. He refused to look at her.


    “Look at me!” she repeated forcefully.


    “L, I can’t!” he snapped, attempting to push her off onto the sofa.


    She clung fast to him, refusing to be shoved aside.


    “What’s wrong?” she shouted.


    “I can’t do this,” he muttered, and he stood up, wrenching her arms away and storming down the hallway.


    L looked longingly after him, her jaw ck with shock. Her vision grew hazy as tears stung her eyes and threatened to spill. She hoisted herself from the couch and padded quietly down the hall. Stopping in front of his bedroom door, she paused with her fist in the air, and then she rapped carefully on the wood.


    “Daddy?” she called.


    When he did not answer, she gently turned the knob and pushed the door open. Jack was lying on his back with his arm over his eyes.


    “Daddy, are you alright?” she asked, creeping into the dark room.


    “Not now, L,” he groaned.


    “Daddy, please,” L begged. “Talk to me.”


    She crossed the floor and lied down on the bed beside him, but she kept some space between them.


    “Talk to me,” she urged him.


    “I can’t talk about this,” he insisted.


    L put her hand on his bare chest as she had so many times before, and he recoiled. She jerked it back quickly.


    “What is wrong?” she demanded angrily.


    “L, please just leave me alone for now,” Jack begged, his arm still covering his eyes.


    “Why? I don’t understand!”Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    “L, leave me alone!” he shouted, sitting up and staring angrily into her eyes.


    Her eyes shimmered, and her jaw went ck. The bridge of her nose began to tingle, and she turned away so he wouldn’t see. She scooted off the bed and fled from the room.


    “Wait!” Jack called after her, but she mmed the door behind her and was gone.