A few days ago, I went to an amusement park with two of my friends. With three being such a bad number in those types of situations, we were rotating who was sitting alone, and it was my turn to sit solo on a ride I particularly didn’t like because it jolts you around. (I’ve got bruises from the seat before.) Moving on. As my friends and I were getting in line, I noticed two guys come up behind us to stand in line as well. They were both 15, as I later found out. It wouldn’t have been such a bad situation if they had taken a step back. Even so, they were practically right on top of my friends and I. (Mind you, they were both pretty tall and I’m about 5’2ʺ.)
So we’re minding our own business and we’re waiting in line. My friends are smiling and I’m smiling; we’re all having a good time. Which is very rare for me.
I’m not sure if it was my smile that lead them on, but because my friends had their backs to both boys, I could easily look over their shoulder and see or make eye contact with them. And I did so about 15 times. The taller one (we’ll call him B) even whispered to his friend while maintaining eye contact. It was quite obvious to determine they were talking about me; his friend made eye contact with me only but a second later!
They didn’t say anything in line, though I knew something was coming. I’m usually not the person in my friend group to get hit on; this was my first time going to the park and actually being able to be myself. I felt radiant. I felt empowered and so so happy. I suffer from bipolar depression, severe social anxiety, ADD, and insomnia.
So we get on the ride and it flips, twirls, tosses, and jolts us all around. I was shaking by the time we got off. (It is that bad, but I rode it because my friends wanted to.)
I totally forgot about the guys behind us in the line until we walk out to look at our pictures. I don’t even bother to search for mine amidst the other 10 screens, I decided beforehand that it was terrible.
So my friends and I walked away before everyone else, the crowd was all looking for their pictures, and we got a few steps away before stopping to try and decide what we wanted to eat. I turned so that I was facing both of my friends and it was easier to converse, and once again, over their shoulders, I see the same guys from the line, which was usually normal, but B was looking around as if he lost something. And because I was being self centered (which I would later have every right to be) and thought he was looking for me, I turned around and starting urging my friends to walk to a restaurant that I know had good food no matter what you liked and didn’t like; it had everything.
We had created an even bigger distance between ourselves and the tortuous ride we went on, before I noticed the two guys, once again, out of the corner of my eye. They were looking at me, but I didn’t make eye contact with them, because they weren’t even trying to hide the fact that they were both looking at my ass.
Inwardly, I knew something was going to happen, and the thought sent my mind into a frenzy.
B moved around my friends so that he was now walking backwards in front of me. He asked me for my name, and I, so frazzled at the time, answered honestly. My name is Sarah.
He turned around then with a smile on his face, mumbling my name. I thought he was done. But no, he moved to my side, so that we were now walking beside each other and our arms were brushing absentmindedly. I tried to move away but not even my friends knew what to do. I was on the brink of having a panic attack. Tall and muscular guys quite honestly scare me, and B was just that. He smiled, but it didn’t soften his demeanor.
B walked beside me for a minute before turning to me once more.
ʺWell Sarah, do you wanna make out with me?ʺ he asked, a smirk on his lips. I was shocked and flattered (because this doesn’t happen often to me) and disgusted and scared, all at once. I went with my instinct and clearly said no, my voice unwavering and my eyes remained in contact.
He asked again, and it fazed me because my seconds of being confident were over, though I expected them to tell him off for me alone.
This time, I stuttered because B looked sad that I had turned him down. I still said no, but my faltering pride have him an advantage.
ʺWhy-why not?ʺ he asked with a playful smirk, one that told me he was conceited enough to think I was lying. I told him it was because I didn’t know him, and they only made me sound as if I had known him, I would’ve taken him up on the offer. But honestly, I was just really caught off guard and didn’t know how to respond. B sensed that.
He told me his name and where he was from, adding a chipper, ʺ..and now you know me!ʺ onto the very end. I didn’t respond, and decided to just keep walking. He kept pace. He grabbed my hand loosely, to which I pulled away easily.
He called my name once I had finally managed to lose him walking-wise, and he had drifted back to his friend.
ʺAre you sure you don’t want to make out?ʺ B had asked, and I shook my head no. In response, I asked for his age, and he told me fifteen before I turned around with an exasperated sigh.
Both guys continued to call my name until I was out of earshot, and I made my friends practically run along with me to get away from them.
– Sarah
Location: Amusement Park in Ohio
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
