I decided I'd try out a one shot. This is about Tom.
He scratched at the scars. Picked at them. Washed them until his skin was raw. But Tom's scars wouldn't fade, or disappear, or anything. They were signs that he hated himself. In other worlds, they were medals. Signs that you were important. Here? They just showed you were too weak to man up and face the facts, like him.
FLASHBACK
The boys pushed his weak figure to the ground, over and over. One of his sleeves rolled up, and he winced from the impact of another push. They laughed at the marks. He tried to get away; but they held him down. He tried to stay strong; he simply could not. He started to whimper. "Scared, are we?" They taunted him, laughing at his misery.
The boy who had shouted fell forward in a flash. A tall, lanky blonde boy stood in front of him. One of the year tens. "You just.. stay away from him, alright?!" The boys scurried off, and the year ten boy's friends helped him up. "Are you okay? I'm Rose. Rose Gupta, year ten." His confidence rose slightly. "Tom Tupper.. year seven." She smiled sweetly, before turning her attention to his scarred, and now slightly bleeding arm. "Tom, lift up your other sleeve.." He looked at the ground, before doing what she asked. The three gasped, wide eyed. The other girl spoke first. "We need to get you medical attention!"
END OF FLASHBACK
The first time he had seen Frank, that day, Frank gave Rose, Carrie and Oscar THAT look. The disappointed look everyone gave him as they all cleaned him up. He felt like being sick.
After 3 years of counselling, and after Rose left the school, he wanted to as well. But his family could not afford any nearby school fees, and although he could easily hack into a bank, or something, his parents would find out. As he sat on his bed, he pondered. Reaching into his drawer, he thought about if Rose remembered him.
The knife seemed to look into his eyes and bring out all the moments he'd been weak. Hot tears threatened to flood his room and he fell back onto his bed. Then he remembered what he was doing. Before he could cut again, he raced to his computer, one of his suspenders sliding off his shoulder. The image came up of the Mars Rover. Before he got to do anything, several people came in, and blindfolded him. He flailed around, but got nowhere.
The blindfold came off. The first thing Tom saw was a grim, dark room, like the things he thought of daily. The dust made his throat burn as he swallowed. He turned to look at the face, whose eyes widened. Frank. The things he was trying to escape.. were back to haunt him. Next to him sat a dark skinned girl, and a blonde haired boy. Was this a depression intervention, or something? Or worse yet, the police? Then he saw the uniform logo. No.. it couldn't be.
"Welcome to M.I. High, Tom."
