***Trigger Warning:

If you or someone you know has experienced Sexual Assault and/or violence, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673

Hey girl,

So, I know that the things you've gone through have been hard, and downright traumatic. Please hear me when I tell you this: You did nothing to deserve being assaulted. What that boy did to you was not your fault. You are not dirty, you are not gross, and you are not disgusting—what happened to you was. There is nothing, I repeat nothing, inherently wrong or gross about your body.

But here's the thing: You don't have to stay stuck in that scared and fragile mindset. You will meet the kindest people who will show you how to love yourself again. There are people in your life who are here to help you, but you have to let them. You don't have to heal on your own; you're not alone in this. It's going to take years of work, but you will be okay again. Let me repeat that: you will be okay again.

You will graduate high school with honors, you will go to college, and you will do so much more in life.

You will write and publish two (or more) books, you will sign a merchandise deal, and you will fall in love with the world around you again.

You will learn how to compose amazing songs, and you will learn how to expand your musical abilities—you will fall in love with music again, and music will help you heal.

Life is so much more than the pain that you're going through right now, sweet girl. You deserve all of the love in the world, and the boy that did what he did to you most likely didn't even love himself enough, let alone have any semblance of love to give to you. You are not what happened to you, and you are not your pain.

You have the amazing opportunity to take your pain and turn it into something beautiful (two books, a small merchandise line, and the possibility for so much more). You have the power to take your story back, and you have the power to use your voice to create powerful change. Yes, you were the one out of the four women that get assaulted, but you are not just a statistic. Your pain is not meaningless, your pain will help shape you into the courageous, brave, strong, and fiercely independent woman you will become.

I am so sorry that you feel like you're drowning in your pain right now, and I promise you, it gets better. It takes time, and years of hard, soul-searching work, but you will be okay again.

You will survive, and even more, you will thrive.

Yours truly,

Brittany