***Casey's thoughts***
***Olivia's note******
***Song************
She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holding back
An eight year old Casey Novak walked down the steps of her house in a suburb outside of New York City. She pulled her long sleeved tee shirt further down her arm, so it ended midway past her hand. Her sister had taught her that trick. She wasn't sure if she loved her sister, Alex (who was actually her half-sister as a result of her mother's first marriage). She taught her so many tricks to get through the pain, but when push came to shove, Alex always found a way to be out of the house, leaving Casey to take the blows. She walked the two blocks from her house, where she caught up with her friend from school, Fin.
"Hey Casey, how was your weekend?" he asked
It sucked. On Friday, My dad came home only to find out that I hadn't folded the laundry yet. I sure paid for that. Alex slept over her friend's house all weekend. She's never a help to me anymore. "Fine. You?" I say.
"Alright. I finally beat my brother at basketball, but he's convince he let me win. He so did not!" Fin said as he gave me a playful punch on the arm, it wasn't very hard, but it hurt like a mother.
"Ouch! Don't do that Odafin!" I scold.
"Geese Casey, so-rry. I didn't think it was that hard. And don't call me Odafin."
"Oh please, you only want to be called Fin 'cause your cousin calls you that and you act like he's Jesus"
"You know he plays COLLEDGE basketball, hockey, and lacrosse, right? Do you have any idea how cool that is. Oh, forget it Casey. You wouldn't understand. You stink at sports."
Not true, I rule softball when it doesn't hurt to move. I sigh.
"Oh come on, THAT didn't hurt your feelings, did it? 'cause I didn't mean it. I was just sayin' it. You're fine at, um, math"
"One, math's not a sport. Two, I'm not mad at you. I'm just…tired."
"You're ALWAYS tired. And- hey, what happened to your face?" Fin asked. He reached out and touched my left cheek. I remembered what happened to it. I was kind of mad. Alex usually does a better make-up job.
"Oh, that. I, umm, fell" I stammered out.
"You FELL? On your face? What happened to your arms, forget they were there?"
I sighed. "Come on, we're gonna be late"
0O0
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
"Casey?" Mr. Cragen, my science teacher, asked.
"Yes?"
"Can I see you in the hall?"
"Um, sure" I say as my face gets red and everyone stares at me.
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble" he said with a smile. The majority of the class lost interest after that, with the exception of a few people; Dean, who still felt the need to trip me on my way to the door and a couple of my friends who exchanged worried and confused glances- a perfect student like Casey Novak was never called into the hall.
"Casey, what happened to your face?" he asked when we were in the hall. I touched my cheek- it hurt to be touched. I heard Alex's words in my mind, you have to make it believable. It can't always be 'I fell'. That's how people get suspicious. But it can't be unrealistic like 'I fell off my pony'.
"I was playing catch with my sister, and I missed and the ball hit me" I said. He studied me for a minute and then found my excuse acceptable. I was dimissed form the halway and allowed back in class. I found a note in my desk.
What was that about? Olivia's handwriting.
I turned around to face her and gave her a shrug. She saw through that though. She gave me a face that told me she'd expect the full story later. Great, just what I needed. Another person poking into my personal life.
0O0
What do you think? Please review sorry, I suck at updating