In the book Friendswood by René Steinke, Willa, a 15 year old girl, was raped at a party. Willa is a smart and unpopular sophomore who, like all the other girls, had a crush on Cully. Cully is a senior and the star of the football team. He is the complete opposite of Willa, but somehow she was still head over heels for him. One day, after school, Willa accidentally ran into Cully and he invited her to come to the Lawbournes' for lunch. She agreed, but didn't know that it was actually a party. At the party, people were popping pills and drinking alcohol, which were not things that Willa usually did. She was the only girl and in order to impress Cully, she started drinking but only remembers having a few sips. She got really drunk and woke up the next morning naked and alone on a bed. She doesn't remember anything that happened at the party and was really confused. When she got out of bed to get dressed, she noticed that she noticed that SLUT was written across her thigh. She didn't remember it then, but Willa had been raped that night by Cully and his friends.
In the morning, Mrs. Thompson, who was checking on things while the Lawbournes were away, saw Willa in bed all alone. Mrs. Thompson must have seen how confused and upset Willa looked but instead of comforting her, she makes petty remarks. Mrs. Thompson tells Willa that she'll tell her mother what she saw. She should have assessed the situation and understood what had happened. Mrs. Thompson should have been there for Willa and stood up for her. She should have asked what happened and been there to support Willa. Mrs. Thompson should not have been judgement towards Willa and fought for her. Even though Mrs. Thompson didn't know Willa, she should have been there to fight for her. Most rape victims don't want to talk about their experience, but if they know that there is someone to speak up for them, they will no longer feel alone.
