If He Says It

There's something about him

that nobody knows.

It happened last summer.

But if he tells...

No, he's gotten along just fine

Without anyone detecting a change.

They think he showers twice a day

Because he's always sweating from constant sports.

If he says it,

If they knew,

They would send him to a shrink.

They would worry about him constantly.

Besides, he's fine.

Nightmares are manageable.

If he works hard enough during the day,

Some nights he's too exhausted to dream.

To them his sudden obsession with fitness

Is him putting his loser past behind him.

He's finally social.

He's a "normal teenager".

With this new school,

This new town,

He's making a new him

And his parents are so proud of his hard work.

To them his need for

Strength,

Speed,

Confidence,

Is not his way of making sure it will never happen again.

He's popular now.

All the girls want his attention,

Something he's never dealt with before,

Something he certainly doesn't have a problem with.

If he says it,

He'll lose everything.

If they don't see him as a wimp,

He'll be tainted and no one will want to be near him.

If not that, he'll be someone to pity.

And their pity is the last thing he needs.

He's fine.

He'll deal with it like he has all year.

He has everything he ever wanted at his old school.

If he tells, everyone will know.

When nobody knows he's not reminded of it all the time

By whispers as he walks past.

If the words never escape his lips,

It could still be true

That the whole thing was just a nightmare.

If he says it,

Everything will change.

If he says it,

He can't run away from it anymore.

But none of that matters

Because he's fine...

Reviews

[Relic]

My guess is he may have been raped. The signs point to it for me. Most people wouldn't want to admit to a thing like that out of shame.

The showering to wash it off, the fitness to escape it. I'm wondering if I'm right?

In any case, it's just one interpretation.

Nice writing.

[NotaRabbit19]

You're right. And thanks