5 years ago: 

Cassie's steps were firm as she walked toward the principal office. She lifted her lovely ocean-blue floor-length fishtail gown off the floor to hasten her footsteps.

Walking through the quiet hallway to the principal office, she could already hear one of her colleagues ending their speech and her steps fastened as she wondered why the principal would send for her at a moment like this.

But wait, could it be her parents would be here soon or they were already here and wanted to see her privately that was why the principal sent for her?

That thought brought a smile across her lips. Getting to the door, she forgot the habit of knocking due to happiness.

Her dainty palm came in contact with the door knob but before she could open the door, it was pulled open from the inside, making her trip over her gown and Cassie could swear that she would facepalm the floor, well, until those strong arms caught her.

She heard a gasp from the principal as the woman also thought the same. Fear caught up with Cassie as she imagined what would have happened if she had ruined her hair and makeup now the party was on.

She could imagine the disgusted look on her parent's faces if her appearance embarrass them.

"Learn how to walk," a deep baritone voice spoke above her before pushing her aside. Cassie stood straight with a smile.

The man walked away from her before she could see his face but she could tell he was handsome just from his voice.

And now she regretted why she had just buried her face in his chest. That was the moment she would have caught a glimpse of his face.

It was just a split second but he smelled like heaven, making her unable to raise her face off his chest. Not letting her see his face, he closed the door behind him after walking out of the office and she could only bite her lower lip at her loss.

This was her last day here and maybe, he was sent by God to bless her sight concerning guys when she would finally get into college but she just missed that blessing.

"Ahem," her principal cleared her throat behind her and that brought Cassie back to reality, "He doesn't like people staring,"

Cassie's face turned beet red. She had forgotten she was before her principal. Fixing her glasses well on her nose, she smiles at the woman.

"I'm going to miss you," Cassie declared. The principal nodded and spread her arms apart for the girl to come in.

Cassie smiled before going into the woman's arms, "My parents did not come, right?" she asked from the hug.

The principal nodded before stroking Cassie's hair in downward strokes, "They called earlier and that was why I sent for you," she parted the hug and stared directly into her favorite student's eyes, "But for now you have to get going. Your turn is next," she said and Cassie just nodded.

She was with her phone and if she meant something to her parents, they would have appeared here or at least called her.

"Don't feel bad, our relationship doesn't end here. You can still reach out to me whenever you want to," she assured Cassie with a smile before pulling her into another hug.

The principal stepped away from the hug and kissed the crown of Cassie's head, "Now, go and do what you know best. You can talk to them after this,"

With a new spirit in her, Cassie nodded at the woman before leaving the office. Getting to the hall, it was already her turn, and without wasting much time, she climbed the speech auditorium and began her speech.

"REAL MEN DON'T ABUSE WOMEN!" her sweet crispy voice rang through the hall, effortlessly arresting her audience's attention.

With a graceful smile on her lips that made her beauty more extraordinary, she continued, "Yeah! I'm sure you got the vibes, maybe the topic attracted you to digest this fascinating, soul-searching and if I must add thought-provoking sermon," she started at the audience with her calm ocean blue eyes as if searing into their soul.

The hall was in hushed silence as they waited for her to continue speaking. Reading their body language, the girl's smile widened and she continued,

"Now let me think! Who is a real man? As in, I am talking about authentic masculinity. Let's say it has to do with a man's financial worth. His height, six packs or maybe one?"

She took a short pause and continued immediately, "Can we measure masculinity by the quality of a man's wardrobe or his shoe rack? Maybe, we can define it by the number of pretty ladies he sleeps with every weekend or his delicate mannerism? Or maybe, his potential encumbrances or status in society? Do all these define a real man?" she asked

Not expecting an answer, she went on again, almost immediately, "To the best of my knowledge, the attributes of a real man transcend outward encumbrances to the content of his character. It has more to do with his confidence in making or managing situations or his sense of honor and dignity."

"These qualities forbade a man from abusing a woman and these qualities define a real man,"

Her voice became softly firm as she continued, "Now, talking about abuse, we are all aware that worldwide, women and girls are passing through excruciating inhuman pains and conditions."

"I mean women and girls including your mother and sisters because they are also the female gender. The questions are how and in what ways,"

She walked down the speech auditorium, "To the former, ours is a male chauvinistic world where gender-based violence reigns and unfortunately, perpetrators of these crimes are walking freely on our streets without any qualms of their conscious."

"We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, and even alone in gender. Are you one of them? Are you one of those people who think this way? I mean have you ever abused a woman?"

"To the later, the record shows that violence against women and girls causes more death and disability for women and girls between the ages of 15-44 than cancer or any type of other sicknesses would ever do," she shook her head, "It is estimated that one in three would be sexually abused in her lifetime, and one out of five will experience rape."

"This situation leaves the female genders insulted and lost in layers of their self-pity and plugging stigma after their ordeal with these never do wells. Doesn't it chokes you?"

She went back to the stage and continued, "Do I still need to say that rape and all forms of sexual intercourse by force or molestations have been reoccurring in our political communities?"

"It seems the concept of male chauvinism reigns supreme and society has equally devised a way of blaming the girl child in every rape escape, thereby unwittingly exonerating the serial rapist."

"Unfortunately, women, mothers, and in the worst cases mem are the ones championing this practice in most communities,"

"How may we understand the idea of child marriage? To think that a highly spirited man either young or old could descend so low and walk down the aisle with an underaged is the highest form of madness I have ever experienced."

An inaudible sigh left her lips before she continued, "Guess, marriage is no longer a union contest between adults,"

She took another short pause.

"I think it's high time we the female gender start getting our voices back to make things right. We can't afford to be global citizens and still regulates our female gender to the background."

"The choice is with us, either we speak up against gender-based violence in our various societies or we let it go on,"

Leaning further into her mouthpiece, her voice went to an appealing tune, "Silence is destruction and our voice is golden. Letting this go on would only make things worst for our generation so whoever you are or wherever you are hearing this,"

"_I urge and plead with you all to know that your voice is golden. One voice alone can make a difference so don't wait for the whole world to first back you up,"

Taking a light bow, she ended her speech by saying, "Once again, this is Cassie Tyler,"

The moment she was done, there was a heartfelt standing ovation from the crowd and an awesome shout-out to her as the parents joined their kids to honor her well-scripted speech.

Cassie beamed as she arranged her bangs to stay off her face. She looked around the hall and among the people who gave her a shout-out, she searched for her parents but to her dismay, none of her family members were among the crowd and tears left her eyes. Lucky she, her transparent anesthetized glasses helped hide her tears well.

The school principal came forward. Giving Cassie a well-done smile, she announced, "That was from our most outstanding outgoing student, Cassie Tyler,"

At her shout-out, the claps increased and Cassie could only force out a smile. This was her final year but it seems not to matter to her parents.

She left for her seat among her fellow graduating students as she left the stage open for the next student but the crowd cheered her on as she left.

She wasn't the first speech speaker but her talent was raw and the topic went deep down into their soul.

However, not for a particular individual. To his hearing, the speech was extremely boring and doesn't deserve the time everyone invested in it.

His piercing earth-green eyes stared intensely at the clumsy human he just met and with a sneer, he glanced away from her so he doesn't get more pissed just by staring at her.

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