What Kind of Person Are You?
Kevin Jonas
What kind of person are you?
(That's the only question.)
"I..." Kevin's brow furrows and he bites his lip slightly, hands fluttering a little in his lap. "I was maybe thirteen. Almost thirteen, probably.
"There's this baseball field at this park on Garcia, back where I come from. It's a popular hang out for high school students because no one really uses it anymore.
"I was riding my bicycle a few yards away from it, going past one of the dugouts when I saw them--this girl a grade above me, and these three guys who must've been about... sixteen. They were behind the other dugout, talking. Talking.
"I saw them get closer to her, saying things that weren't very nice. Weren't polite."
His forehead smooths out and he focuses on the corner of the room. "I heard her get upset, hear her tell them, 'I told you you could look. I only said you could look.
"It was horrifying, but I was frozen. I stood there, foot on either side of my bicycle as they got under her shirt. 'Stop touching me. Stop touching me.'"
His eyes close for a moment, and he takes a slow breath before he blinks them open again. "I'm not sure how long I was there after she went down, but they hadn't left by the time I did.
The silence drags for almost a minute. "I've never told anyone about that.
One, two. "I guess that's the kind of person I am."
(That's the only question.)
"I..." Kevin's brow furrows and he bites his lip slightly, hands fluttering a little in his lap. "I was maybe thirteen. Almost thirteen, probably.
"There's this baseball field at this park on Garcia, back where I come from. It's a popular hang out for high school students because no one really uses it anymore.
"I was riding my bicycle a few yards away from it, going past one of the dugouts when I saw them--this girl a grade above me, and these three guys who must've been about... sixteen. They were behind the other dugout, talking. Talking.
"I saw them get closer to her, saying things that weren't very nice. Weren't polite."
His forehead smooths out and he focuses on the corner of the room. "I heard her get upset, hear her tell them, 'I told you you could look. I only said you could look.
"It was horrifying, but I was frozen. I stood there, foot on either side of my bicycle as they got under her shirt. 'Stop touching me. Stop touching me.'"
His eyes close for a moment, and he takes a slow breath before he blinks them open again. "I'm not sure how long I was there after she went down, but they hadn't left by the time I did.
The silence drags for almost a minute. "I've never told anyone about that.
One, two. "I guess that's the kind of person I am."