Female

You know that moment in your life when you look back and think "I should have listened to my mother"? Well, I experienced that moment and for the life of me, I wished I would have listened...

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My name is Irmingard Isabelle Weber. Yes, my name is Irmingard! I know what you are thinking. Nevertheless, it is a family name, so even though I was born in the United States, as were my parents, the name carried on. I am 16 years old. I admit I am a bit naïve: Boy did I figure that out fast. Naïve or not this is what I learned in my 16 years of life.

I am a billboard that flashed through the night, always changing my colors to better attract the eyes of those who watch. I am silent because silence is what makes those Watchers curious, what makes those Watchers tick. Sometimes I may come up short and forget to cover the space around me. But that's alright, I just leave it to those watchers to let me know, give them space to add or to take as they please.

"Do you want to know a secret?" I tease those watchers because it's fun, I tease those watchers because it's easy. I want them to jump to their feet when I am close, and when I am out of reach: I want them to call, to shout my many names. "Why, you might ask?" Because I was born female, and being female gives those Watchers a tingling in their depths and those Watchers feel it is their job to teach us where we belong.

At least this is what the Watchers believe I think..

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This is where my story starts. This is the reason I woke thinking I should have listened to my mother...

"Hey, Izzy"

I turned toward the guy calling my name and with a quick flip of my hair I saw

"Josh!" A little too loud, Iz. "What's up?!" I could feel my heart race as he walked closer.

"You want to check out this party with me tonight?"

My first senior party! I couldn't believe I, Irmingard "Iz", was personally invited to my first senior party and by the best Varsity Lacrosse player in the school...cute to boot!

"Sounds good"

"Great, I will pick you up around 9, at your house." Before I could agree, Josh turned and walked away with a smirk on his face, looking as hot as ever.

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The night was a blur, the music sounded throughout the room, it felt like we were all inside of a large kick drum, nevertheless, with ever hit your eardrums vibrated a little less. Soon enough you were just flowing with everything around you, blending in with the waves of music.

Almost every popular person was here, give or take a few non-poplars, and some people I don't believe even go to our school. But what's a party without random party crashers? This is what high school is all about, those people you meet, those memories you make, good or bad.

"Hey, I'm Kate" speaking of strangers, one just happened to walk up to me and introduce themselves "Hey Kate" as I extended my hand "I'm Iz" I felt like a moron. Who tries to shake hands in the middle of a high school party?! I do apparently...

"Iz... I like it. How old are you?"

A little embarrassed, I answered Kate "um...16" I could feel my face start to flush as a thousand thoughts ran through my head, OMG is it hot in here? I am such a dork; do I act like I'm too young to be here? How embarrassing am I?

"Cool, I'm only 17 myself. Want a drink?"

"Um...Sure?"

"Great, I'll be right back!"

I wonder where Justin is. I scanned the room while I waited for Kate to come back with the drinks, but Josh wasn't around.

"Here, Iz" As Kate returned with our drinks and I nearly jumped at her voice, I am pretty sure she noticed. "Thanks"

"Looking for someone?"

Yup, she noticed. "Oh, just this guy I came with"

"Oh, did you find him?" Kate looked around for the mystery guy. "No, I'm sure he's around somewhere"

After we finished our drinks, Kate got more and we danced to the music until I got dizzy and had to sit down. Kate left me to talk to a couple other people across the room. I felt too sick to stay where I was though, I needed to get outside. I'm not going to make it! I was about to pass out right here in front of everyone. Right before I fell Kate caught me and helped me out the door.

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I woke up to a dark room, not knowing where I was and no one was around. The room looked lived in, so it had to be someone's room, right? I got out of the bed, I'm pretty sure I had all my clothes on other than my shoes. I felt a little hung over and a little sore, my head had a small bump, I could just imagine what I looked like, there was no mirror that I could see. Before I could reach the door, the handle started to turn and I automatically backed up holding my breath as my heart rapidly beating.

I woke to a light room, not knowing where I was and no one was around. The room looked lived in, so it had to be someone's room, I dragged out the end of the word as I felt like I was having Deja vu. I heard voices but I didn't know if I should open the door, I didn't want to find out how screwed I was...but I needed to know where I was...but I needed to know where I was... This stress is going to send me into a panic attack!

"I'm going to go check on her" her? me? is he coming in here? I looked around the room for an escape, but all I saw was a window that would cause me more harm than good if I jumped.

I watch the handle slowly turn and hear the creaking of the hinges as the door swung open revealing... I let out a deep breath "Josh?!" "What's going on?"

"Where am I?" I wanted to ask a thousand questions, but Josh stopped me and answered the first one to calm me down "We are still at Jim's house, I look at him like who is Jim? But he answers that question before I ask, the one who had the party, this is his room.

"Okay, and what happened? Why am I still here?"

Josh had a move toward me and I felt my body move back, Josh put up his hands and stopped walking toward me, as he answered my question his voice lowered into a calm slow voice "You passed out Iz"

I remember feeling dizzy and like I was going to throw up. I remember trying to get outside and someone holding me up as we walked, I heard the engine of a car and nothing after that. "But why am I here?" Now Josh was the one to look confused at my question.

"I told you...you passed out" "I get that, but someone was bringing me home." "I remember going to a car, I remember someone saying I got her?" I hate that everything is so foggy and that I am so confused, I hate that I let myself get that drunk and put myself in this position. I put my head in my hands and sat down on the bed and Josh asked: "Are you okay Iz?" I didn't know what to say...yes? No? I don't know? But instead, I said: "I shouldn't have let myself get that drunk" "I didn't even think I drank that much..." When I opened my eyes, Josh was right in front of me, to close, but before I could move, he squats to my height and he didn't feel so intimidating anymore.

"Iz, I think you might have been drugged"

"Drugged?"

"I am pretty sure your drink was spiked"

"You think I was ROOFIED?!!" I couldn't believe my ears, "how would someone have roofied me?"

"Did you leave your drink unattended?"

"No, I had it in my hand the whole time"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Kate went to get drinks and we drank them and went dancing, with our cups in hand!"

"Kate? Kate who?"

"I don't know, this girl I met at the party, I never saw her before until last night"

"Can you remember what she looked like?"

I was getting frustrated, I just wanted to go home, I wanted this day to be over, I wanted to scream. Instead, I heard my voice go up a couple notches as I tried not to yell at Josh about all the questions.

"What is up with the 20 questions?" "I should be asking you questions, like: Why am I still here and not home!?"

"I don't know, I panicked I guess" "I didn't think you would want me to bring you home in that state" or you didn't want my parents to think you drugged me...

"Well can you bring me home now?" Josh stood up and took a step back before he said something I didn't expect "No"

"What?!" I stood up and took a step toward him, I wanted to run.

He put his hand to his head and shook his head "I mean No, not now Iz" "Let me explain!"

Not like I had a choice but to let him explain, I doubt I couldn't out power the best Varsity Lacross player in our school and get away alone. I took a seat back on the bed and crossed my legs and my arms, I felt I needed to protect myself at that moment. I didn't say a word to Josh I just looked at him with hateful eyes and waited for him to speak.

"Thank you" I just sat there, no response and waited for the explanation for why I couldn't return home.

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Alright Miss Weber we need you to look at the line up and tell us if any of them look like this girl Kate you met at the party. "Okay" Now we can see them but they can't see us, so don't be afraid. "I'm not" "Ready?"

"Yes"

The mirror in front of us goes from black to clear and shows me a lineup of around 7 women they are all of similar height and skin tone and most of their hair is close to the same shade. I view the lineup to see if I can identify Kate, but my heads so foggy from all of this that I am worried I will get confused and chose the wrong girl.

Then I spot her, no doubt in my mind that is the girl that tried to kidnap me and stick me into the back of a van, before Josh and some one of his friends ran out after me. They ended up grabbing me out of the van before anyone could react and take off with me. That's how Josh ended up with the black eye and I ended up at the police station identifying me could have been kidnapper.

"That's her, that's Kate number 5."

"Are you sure Miss Weber?"

"Yes, positive."

The officer turned off the two-way mirror, told the other officer something and then said to me: "Thank you Miss Weber" "You are lucky you know, you could have ended up in serious danger."

Traffickers...who would have thought? I can just hear my mom's voice in my head now, "Never take candy from strangers"...

END