It was early spring.

Winter was just ending, and the idea of spring gave me hope. My life had already starting going downhill — I was failing all of my classes and spent most of the days high or working myself to death at an underpaid kitchen job, but I was trying to get sober and was taking online classes so I could graduate on time. I had just started hanging out with some new older friends. They were college kids who knew the best parties and could get me in. I didn’t even like them; they were shallow and had no sense of reality but I had no one else in my life and I would do anything to not be alone. My parents were gone most weekends and my sister had already moved out. I worked morning shifts on weekends so I would usually drive to the parties when we would go out. I didn’t want to go out that night. I had to work at 6am the next morning and the idea of hanging out with a bunch of frat boys made me want to stay in bed. I finally decided to go, got dressed in a cute new dress, and was actually starting to get excited to be around people and get out of the house. As I was driving to the house party I decided that I wasn’t going to drink. I loved my job and didn’t want to be late because I blacked out or would still be drunk the next morning, I arrived before my so-called friends, grabbed a cup of soda, and tried to find the least crowded corner in the house. My friends weren’t answering their phones and I wanted to leave. Just then, a somewhat handsome man sat down next to me. He was charming, older, and made me feel less alone. I will never forget his face, his voice, or his smell. But more on him next week.Read Part 2 here.