Warning: A Crime Against Humanity

The Girl had somehow been expelled from the same boarding academy that I had also been expelled from. We knew each other from the time we had snuck out of our respective dorms one night and rendezvoused to smoke something together. And now here she was.

She was then living in a foster group home called ___ ____ Ranch, just a few miles from the local public High School; my local High School, where I was back with my old friends, home again.

The custom GMC Carryall with 2 extra doors, group home name painted on the side, and long horns as hood ornament which served as a bus pulled up in the drop off round about. She spotted me standing there where I had just recently gotten off my bus. She was sort of skipping in a happy sort of way and smiling.

She had her hands together between her thighs, rocking slightly as she said, "I'm so glad to finally see a familiar face. I don't really know anybody at the Ranch. I don't make friends easily. But now we can be friends, right? Wouldn't that be cool? We've already got so much in common; we've been through the same place."

I was already feeling cool though, because I was on my home turf, like the king of the world, I didn't need any orphan friends. So I responded with, "I've already got all the friends I need." Then turned and walked away.

I don't even remember her name. I don't know what ever became of her. That picture though, of a totally crushed hope on her face. That can't be made up for. There is no District Attorney seeking an arrest warrant; no one to bring me to justice to answer for my crime against her. This kind of behavior has no law against it; no penalties.

It just isn't fair! It just isn't right!

a reply to: pthena

You have a constitutional right to be an ass to anyone you choose. Having said that I think how you acted was a dick move. All she wanted was a familiar face to become a friend and you went with the other choice. Choices are a part of free will and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Some good some bad just a part of living and learning.

Everyone at some point or another faces a choice of this nature you are not alone. When the same thing happened to me years ago I didn't make a big deal of it I just thought what a dick. Years later I came across the same person he was now living in his car and had a flat and no money I was kind enough to lend a hand. The man had nothing but apologies for how he acted in the past and we are friends to this day. Hopefully you get the chance at a second encounter and are able to make amends with that person. Moral of the story being a dick rarely ever pays off and you will feel bad for how you treat others at one point or another. Be kind to your fellow humans you never know when you will need some help.

a reply to: pthena

If I had a Nickle for every cute guy that blew me off in the day...I could have bought a lot of penny candy, like a ton of it!

Looking back at the stupid mistakes we make growing up, the people we hurt or the people we missed out on. It's tough! Hindsight and maturity eh.

a reply to: pthena

Powerful story and something to ponder about.

As a naive child I was on the receiving end of this scenario; just friendly and wanting a friend. The rudeness does however, serve a purpose. It made me have a thicker skin and not be so open; which actually protected me from being taken advantage of by people with bad intentions.

a reply to: pthena

You (your character - since this is a story) regret, it eats at you after all of this time and you must have liked her at least as a friend even if you did not then want to be seen with her.

A knife sometimes cut's two ways but sometimes we don't know we have cut ourselves more deeply until much time has passed, some day we may all meet up again in some eternal realm or maybe we won't but you regret and that is the first step toward repenting of your cruelty, you don't know what became of her and that has left a hole in your own soul, one with tattered edges and self recrimination were you realize the cruelty of your action but you and she were just kid's, it was a long time ago and kid's grow up so it is really just one of those thing's.

The fact you regret is to your credit, it shows you have the capability for remorse and empathy and that mean's no matter how bad your past mistakes may have at times been you have the ability to be a truly good and wise person as you grow older.

Some of the best people I know were arseholes as kid's, some of the worse arseholes I know were nice kid's, we are on a forge called earth, we all make mistakes and we all have the ability to turn good or bad.

You are made from good metal in that you have that ability to regret, to feel guilt over past event's and to learn from them, if you were made from bad metal (metaphorical metal of course) you would not have that ability.

Every day is a lesson.


A good metaphorical tale, a hidden parable about shame and past mistakes and there are lesson's well taught for any reader that read's this to see and learn in themselves.

a reply to: LABTECH767

it shows you have the capability for remorse and empathy

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

I've never been an orphan like she. I've always had family somewhere that I could connect with.
I've never been homeless like that. In the story, I'm in my home turf. Even times when I was technically homeless, living in my car. There was still the knowledge that if I chose, I could go somewhere and be with friends or family. She didn't have that.

I knew this 19 year old who grew up in the foster care system, bouncing from place to place. When he got sick and needed medical attention he turned himself in at the jail, because there was a warrant out for him, and they had to take him in.

Isn't there a saying that "home is that place where the people there can't turn you away." ? Jail as home?

There was a time when I was living alone in the woods and commuting to work. Someone at work said "Oh you're camping."

And I said, "No. Camping implies a temporary arraignment from which you return home. No, I live in the woods." But I was wrong. It was camping.

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It wouldn't have cost me anything to accept her friendship. And she had nothing to lose already.

The unfairness is I get to learn from it.

I can't fix it or make it go away or pretend it didn't happen. The only thing I can do is avoid doing that to someone else in the future.

Does that help her?
I don't know.

a reply to: Sookiechacha

If I had a Nickle for every cute guy that blew me off in the day...I could have bought a lot of penny candy, like a ton of it!

But if you had a penny for each time then you'd only have 400 lbs.

So I've been listening to Jethro Tull most of the day.

I think this speaks to the situation somewhat:
'Cuz there was that second chance, other than that though.

Lyrics:

My first and last time with you
And we had some fun.
Went walking through the trees, yeah!
And then I kissed you once.
Oh I want to see you soon
But I wonder how.
It was a new day yesterday
But it's an old day now.

Spent a long time looking
For a game to play.
My luck should be so bad now
To turn out this way.
Oh I had to leave today
Just when I thought I'd found you.
It was a new day yesterday
But it's an old day now.