Tina jumps out of bed. She feels as though she may explode from anticipation. She spends the morning practicing poses in her bathroom while putting on all her makeup. Her outfit was already laying out, she picked that out days ago. After perfecting her makeup and facial expressions she decides to head out.
Tina arrives at her destination with her mother in tow. Her mother is acting photographer for the day. Tina strips off the top layers of clothes until there was nothing left but a tan two piece that some may say is a little too revealing. Her feet are bare as she wants to show as much skin as possible. Tina finds a doorway of an old building that's in the middle of the city and decides that is the perfect spot.
Tina spends the next several hours making poses while her mother photographs. Every few shots Tina runs over to the camera to make certain the photos are high enough quality. Tina uses all her feminine might to pose as provocatively as possible. She does the splits to expose her femininity, she caresses herself, she teases the camera with the possibility of one of her breasts being exposed.
Tina is oblivious to the stream of passersby, most of whom don't know what to make of the situation. A group of older women walk by, half are overcome with disgust while the other half are overcome with sympathy. Men stop to ogle her; some can't look away while others can't seem to bring themselves to look. It's not every day you see a barley clothed woman posing provocatively in public while her mother photographs.
Tina lives in a world where self-esteem is earned through a beauty contest that can never be won. She has been taught her entire life that she only matters if others think she's beautiful. She can't have any flaws, she can't have any fat, she can't have any blemishes. She needs to be a certain size and shape. Tina knows that the sexier the pose, the more likes she'll get. The more skin that is showing the more likes. If enough people like her, then she will know for sure that she matters.
Tina has noticed recently that men seem to look at her more often. She noticed that her friends have been treating her different lately too. Men have been so sweet and kind to her. Some women are mean to her, but she knows they're just jealous of her beauty.
Tina doesn't understand why her entire life has changed and why everyone around her treats her differently so unexpectedly. Tina is aware of the fact that people seem to like to look at her body and the more of her body that can be seen, the better. Tina doesn't understand why her world has been flipped upside down all because "she's a woman now" according to her mother.
Tina had recently turned twelve. It feels like yesterday she was having tea parties with her stuffed animals. Before she knew it, she got her period and became a woman. Her breasts started to grow and for the first time in her life, people were paying attention to her.
Tina is blissfully unaware of the fact that her world sexualizes children. She doesn't have the slightest comprehension of what sex even is, all she knows is what she learned in health class which is basically here's a penis and here's a vagina and they go together to make a baby.
Tina has no idea that her world views her as a sexual object. She just wants to be liked, and she knows that being "sexual" will make people like her. It won't be long before she finds out what sex is and what her world is like. It won't be long before a man old enough to be her father tries to feel her up in the mall. It won't be long before she doesn't even feel safe walking alone. It won't be long before she's had her heart broken by a guy who swore he Loved her, only to leave after she opened her soul up to him. It won't be long before she believes that no man will ever Love her for who she is and the only way to get Love is by letting people use her.
Tina never stood a chance.