52
LIKES
Medeia Sharif
YA Paranormal/Evernight Teen/@ 47K
*Editor's Pick*
Synopsis
14+ due to adult situations
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Excerpt
With the girls closest to me, I see
their Picomatic profile page, which is a reminder that I have a direct message
on there. “Did you DM me on Picomatic?” I whisper to Cookie.
She shakes her head, briefly looking
up from her notebook. I should be writing too, but can’t concentrate on the
five questions Ms. Garland wrote on the board. She’s seated behind her desk as
a student approaches her to ask a question. The student is blocking her face,
so she can’t see me at all. During times like these, when teachers are busy, I
whip out my phone.
I slide my phone out of my pocket
and into my lap. It used to be a wonderful distraction that entertained me
during boring lectures and educational videos. Seeing others on Picomatic, I’m
now dying to know what the DM is about. Even if it’s an inappropriate or
harassing one, I need to see it. If it upsets me, I’ll report it as spam. If
it's extremely bad, pertaining to that night, I have to tell someone, even
though last year the school didn't do much in the way of protecting me from the
trio, which was the quartet back then since Hector would play their vicious
games.
I open my Picomatic page. Selfies
abound, some from a few seconds ago. Most pictures are from P.E. or some other
class where teachers don't supervise as much. Some people are taking pictures
of work that has been graded, bragging about A's or criticizing teachers who
gave them F's. I tap the corner, where the direct messages are. If it’s a
graphic with THOT or some other message on it, I need to know that’s not who I
am. I never was. Be brave, I urge myself.
There’s a DM from someone named
2beautiful. I can’t recall any friends who use that handle. Where the profile
pic should be, there’s a close-up of an eye. The eye is lined, with heavy
mascara and purple and blue eye shadow. It’s an attractive picture, although
eye pics can be deceiving. Sometimes the rest of the person isn’t as pretty. I
don’t recognize this eye, although anyone’s eye can be transformed like this
with the right makeup.
I scroll down to see the picture
message she sent me. I frown, unsure of what this is, who this is. It’s almost
pornographic, but not really since it’s just a sliver of skin, although there’s
a hint of the girl’s V between her legs.
The picture is of a slender, yet
curvaceous naked hip. The bone protrudes slightly and I can tell the girl is
pear-shaped. I’m also pear-shaped, which is especially noticeable around
Christmas time when I gain five pounds from eating too much during winter
break.
This photo of a girl’s hip has 52
likes. I gasp. Is it a photo of me? Did someone take a picture of me at home or
in the shower? Then I think back to the rape, of the flashes of light…I thought
it was lightning, but I could be wrong. He had pulled me down to the floor and
knocked me around. The room was dark. Maybe I didn’t notice every single thing
he had done to me. Had the rapist photographed me?
Meet
the Author
I’m a Kurdish-American author who
was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami my home. I received my
master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming
a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many
genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I'm a MG
and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer,
I'm a middle school English teacher. My memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.
Website: http://www.medeiasharif.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharifwrites
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sharifwrites
Giveaway
Character Interview
Who do you turn to
in times of need?
I’m fortunate to
have three strong women in my life at the moment: my mom, my best friend
Cookie, and Brenda, the counselor who visited me the night I was raped.
What is one big
lesson you learned recently?
I learned that
there are good people around me and that I’m never by myself during the worst
of situations.
What is something
you’d like to say to the people who harassed you last year?
You don’t know me,
the real me, so don’t act like you do.
Give a piece of
advice to someone who’s been through your situation?
Always report
things to the police. Don’t think about letting it go and allowing the
perpetrator to be free as if nothing happened.
And what about
social media? Will you continue using it?
I don’t use it as
much anymore, not since what happened last year when people circulated pictures
of me. I’ll only use it with friends.
Definitely college,
and perhaps something in criminal justice. After what I’ve been through, I want
to help other girls who’ve been in my situation.
Oh my gosh! I feel like I have to read this. Where did the idea for this story come from?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tanya. I got the idea from reading news items and seeing how teens today are fixated on social media.
ReplyDelete