Tears fill my eyes as I read the words on my screen. The world seems to stop spinning for the slightest second as I re-read the anonymous message over and over again, gripping on to the hope that the words will magically disappear. But they didn’t. Anon had done it; they’d figured out that the only way to make me take off my hijab was to call my hair ugly. My one weakness.
A tear streams down my left cheek.
Eight years of academy hijab training…wasted. I had to prove this extremely relevant and good-looking anonymous person wrong, I cared too much about what they thought. How could I live my life knowing that there is one person out there who thinks probably my hair is ugly maybe? How could I look myself in the mirror? How could I face my family? My shoulders shook as I cried silently, and my chair squeaked ever so slightly at the vibrations; as if it, too, was crying in sorrow.
It wasn’t until that moment that the second part of the message dawned on me… how would I prove them wrong without breaking the rules? Was it really against the rules? I reach into my hijab and pull out a scroll. At the very top, in cursive jet-black inked letters, the word ‘Rules’ stares back at me. My heart is racing as my eyes frantically read the scroll.
‘Rule #1: no killing people,’ it reads. I let out a whimper. There go my evening plans.
Suddenly, my eye catches the next words. The scroll is rustling in my trembling hands as I turn my face away, tears spraying out of my eyes like the spit of a white person as they try to justify racism. The cursive words felt more like a curse of words, vivid and refusing to disappear as if I were still staring at them even through my closed eyes.
‘Rule #2: don’t show ur hair girl it’s ugly lmaooooo’
If you are a minor, do not, under any circumstances, trust an adult who is making romantic or sexual advances toward you.
If you’re 15 and they’re 22, don’t trust them. If you’re 17 and they’re 30, don’t trust them. There is a world of maturity and life experience between you, and there is no good reason for them to be interested in somebody so much younger than them unless they’re looking to exploit you and take advantage of you.
I’m saying this to you as someone who’s nearly 29, who had crushes on adults when I was a kid. It’s fine to have a crush on someone who’s older, but don’t trust someone older who is pursuing you.
Don’t buy any lines fed to you about how you’re not like other kids your age, you’re special, you’re so mature – because none of that changes the fact that you’re a minor, and they should be viewing you as a minor. I respect teenagers, I view them as people, but I would never view them romantically or sexually.
To me, you’re a kid. A great kid, an awesome kid, and I would be glad to be your friend, but I know that a relationship would be wrong. All adults know that it’s wrong, unless they’re looking to get something from you because you’re not experienced enough to be wise to their tricks, because you’re young enough to control and manipulate. Decent adults know that’s wrong, so only indecent adults would try to date you.
Even if you have feelings for this person, you can’t trust them. Caring about someone or loving them isn’t more important than your own safety. Nothing is more important than your safety, so get the fuck away from adults coming onto you.
sorta related but i dont like that tumblr has made “unhealthy relationship” mean “one person is an abuser and the other is a victim”
unhealthy relationship means just that. a relationship that is unhealthy. whether because a party is uninterested, both parties bring out the worst in eachother, theres just no more spark, etc
just stop using “unhealthy relationship” as if its perfectly synonymous with “abusive relationship”
abusive relationships are DEFINITELY unhealthy relationships but not all unhealthy relationships are abusive, ya dig?
Important post.
Not everyone you don’t get along with is an abuser.
NOT EVERYONE YOU DON’T GET ALONG WITH IS AN ABUSER.
tumblr archive 