An Excerpt from "The Teacher's Pet"

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 I am pleased to share an excerpt of my latest book, "The Teacher's Pet".  The book will be available soon. I ask that you read it with an open mind and reserve judgment. 

The whole thing still seemed so surreal. I walked down the hallway that afternoon accompanied by detectives of the Chicago Police Department. My secret was now out and the rumors that spread rapidly that morning were now confirmed.

I felt safe with the detectives that surrounded me as we waded through dozens of stunned and confused students. I couldn’t bear to look them in the eyes as they rushed off to find the closest person that they knew.

“See I told you so!! It’s true! He did get arrested !!!” I heard one student whisper.

I felt relieved that the detectives were protecting me. I wished that I could have hidden or made myself invisible, but the truth was now out. The thing that scared me the most was what would happen to me when the police left?

The bell rang as students scattered off to class. I wasn’t sure where Coach Jackson was at that moment, but at that point, I didn’t care. My future was much to hard for me to comprehend.

This too shall pass, rang over and over again in my mind.

“Can you show us where it happened?” the detective asked, snapping me out of my daydream. I nodded that I could and showed him the stairwell near the gym office. I choked back tears, as the detectives looked the area over. It was the first time I had seen the place since Friday afternoon...after the final incident. The only comforting feeling that I had was that I was never going to that place again. It was finally over.

The detectives asked me a few more questions before we walked down the now empty halls. The school was under strict supervision by the police. I was informed that the media had descended upon the school desperate for sound bites and more information.

One detective turned to me.

“How are your grades?”

“I’m an honor roll student. I’m practically involved in every school club and extracurricular activity here.” That answer seemed to shock him. He leaned down and got in my face.

“You’d better be telling me the truth Sonya.” I was taken aback. It was the first time that anyone had questioned my story since everything came out.

“Sir, if you don’t believe me, my name is on a bulletin board downstairs by the main office. I’m on the A/B Honor Roll. You can check the yearbook to see all the clubs I’m in as well. They’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

That detective looked at me for a moment before turning away. We continued down the hallway without another word being uttered. I’m sure when he left that day, he checked that bulletin board to see if I was telling the truth.

In the next few days I would learn that he wasn’t the only one that had openly expressed doubts. I don’t blame them though. The story was so crazy, I wouldn’t have believed me either.

That was the day that I officially lost my name. I was no longer Sonya Dickerson. Sonya had died a long time ago. I was forced to take on a new identity now, one that would follow me until this day. At the ten and twenty year high school reunions or whenever one would open up a yearbook to reminisce; my new identity became, “The Girl That Cried Raped”.

Dealing With the Aftermath of Sexual Assault

I never intended to write a book about my experiences, but so much in my life has changed. When I was diagnosed with Lupus, I knew that my time on Earth could be limited. I have already had a near death experience that has reminded me that life is precious and should never be wasted.

I had to get my truth out. Being faced with the decision to go back to school and get a degree, I had to face the reason why I vowed to never step into a classroom again.

I was sexually assaulted in school by a teacher.

I was bullied, harassed, intimidated, and rejected. I committed social suicide by coming forward and telling the truth. No one paid the price more than I did for doing so.

The advice that I have for other women?

• Report what happened to you and save all the evidence that you have.
• Go to a hospital so that you can get checked out. 
• Seek counseling right away.
• Understand that if you do come forward with your story, expect that there will be people that will demonize you, get you to recant your story, harass, threaten, or intimidate you. But know that there is an amazing amount of support out there as well. You are not alone and there are many people out there that know what you're going through.
• Staying silent won't help the next potential victim. 
• There will be triggers at times. Sometimes the smallest things will take you back to that place. Seeking help can actually help you to deal with the emotions.
• Ignore the apologists that want you to just "get over it". People fear what they don't understand. Give yourself distance from these people and allow yourself to heal in the time that you need to. No one else can tell you when you've had enough time to grieve.
• There is no particular way that a victim of rape "acts" although you'll hear a lot of opinions. Everyone is different and so you will get many different behaviors. 
• It's not your fault and you didn't deserve what happened to you regardless of the circumstance. If you walked out of your house naked every single day of your life, you are not "asking for it."
• If you have participated in apologist behavior, educate yourself. Ask yourself,"Why do I think this way?" Then educate others.

Sometimes women can be the biggest rape apologists on the planet. Why? Fear. People destroy what they fear. They may try to destroy you. Some women try to justify a rapist's actions because the world is an easier place to live, if they can find fault with you.

She wore that little skirt. She was out jogging late. Why wasn't she walking with someone? She let him do that to her! She was asking for it. She is an attention whore.

If they can blame you, then the world makes sense. It's like saying, "Hey if I do all the right things, then I won't get raped!" If only it were that simple.

When we demonize the victim, we give him the green light to do it again. And again. And again. 

You can get through this. You're not alone. 

Buy Teacher's Pet

Coming soon to Amazon.com

November 2012