“Grant Patterson,” I say. My voice breaks and I tear up. “He is in my dorm every week. I don’t know what to do.”
“There isn’t much you can do outside of talking to the school and seeing if you can get your room changed.”
“It’s too late in the year,” I sigh.
“That park is owned by the school so they will find out about the rape, if they don’t already know, so they’ll do their usual bullshit of offering you an advocate instead of holding their students responsible for their actions.” Keith says.
“Is this a problem?” Abigail asks.
“Students getting raped in the park?” he asks. “Yes. They refuse to warn students to stay out of the park at night because they don’t want to scare anyone apparently.”
“Why were you in the park?” she asks.
“I cut through there to get to my car, but I also want to be able to help. Almost every single weekend a girl from that school gets raped in the park. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone in the park at night when I cross through to go home,” he says.
“What is this advocate thing?” she asks.
“Oh, they will ask her if she wants an advocate to help her with school. It’s basically everything from getting from class to class to getting home. Anyone can do it.”
“Can you?” I ask. “Be my advocate?”
“If you want,” he says. “The school will want it to be a female.”
“They aren’t the ones who have been holding my hands since they found me,” I say and Abigail smiles. “I don’t trust anyone in that school. Right now, but I do trust you.”
“Well, I'm also a licensed therapist so I suppose that is not the worst idea,” he says.
“Therapy is one of the things I was going to bring up. Talking about these things is highly beneficial for survivors,” Abigail says.
“Can I leave?” I ask.
“You can. I have your information for both of you. I will be in touch in the next day or two. I’ll have a meeting with the dean a little later on in the day.”
“How much will he be told?” I ask.
“Why?” she asks.
“Uhm… he is Grant’s Uncle,” I say, and she sighs. “That’s bad, huh?”
“It means he’s not going to do anything to protect you,” Keith says.
“Is there any way she can move to online classes?” Abigail asks Keith.
“Yeah. Most professors give the option if the class doesn’t have a workshop,” he says. “I’d like for her to be in class with me, but I can find a way to manage online if I need.”
“I’m okay with going to your class. Sociology I only go in for tests. I’d have to ask about the others,” I say.
“If you need, I can talk to them and we can just have you avoid going to the dean for anything,” he says, and I nod.
“Do you have someone you can stay with to get you out of the dorm?” she asks.
“No, the only person I could move in with is my dad, but he’s hours away.
“I have a guest room,” Keith says to me. “If you want, you can stay as long as you need.”
“Here in the next few weeks, I’ll have access to my trust from my mom’s will, so I can get into my own place then,” I say.
“Don’t worry about how long. I’m not concerned,” he says.