"You think this is funny? You think this is some kind of joke?" he screamed in frustration
She opened her mouth but she couldn't speak. She hated it when he got like this. It wasn't his fault though; he had a long hard day at work, and she could hold that against him. But there was no way to control him. So she backed against the wall to keep him in view and kept her eyes down on the floor, holding back her tears.
"You answer me when I'm talking to you!" he demanded. When she didn't look up, he felt all his emotions boil to the top and he burst. He clenched his fists down by his sides so hard that his knuckles turned white and before she knew what happened, everything went black.
The next morning, Jessie fumbled around her cluttered bedroom looking for something decent to put on for school. Her stepdad never did laundry and could care less about anything in Jessie's life. Finally, she came across a slightly wrinkled shirt tossed carelessly on the back of her desk chair. She grabbed it, smelt it, and put it on.
Since her stepdad had already left for work, she made herself some breakfast, a piece of dry toast and a slightly rotten orange. She rolled her eyes at the fact that there was never anything good to eat in her house. On most days she just got by with some water and to-go pizza that she would pick up from the gas station convenience store on the corner.
Jessie grabbed a quick glance at the half-cracked clock that hung crookedly above their tattered window curtains and realized she was going to miss the bus if she didn't leave now. So she grabbed her bag and flung open the trailer door and listened to the stairs squeak as she took in a breath of the cool morning air.
"Hey Jess!" shouted Greg from across the front of the school yard. Greg and Jessie had been best friends for as long as either of them can remember. Greg's chestnut skin and short cut wavy brown hair contrasted with Jessie's pale skin and long almost black pin-straight hair. Maybe that's why they were so close, opposites attract.
Upon getting a few steps closer, he realized she had a black eye, a few cuts, and a bruise on her arm.
"What happened? Did he do this to you again?" he asked with a mixed of anger, disgust, and worry.
"It's fine. It was my fault. I shouldn't be bothering him after he's had such a long day at work. And besides, it probably won't happen again." She said avoiding eye contact.
"You know he'll do it again! Why do you always defend him? What has he ever done for you other than given you a black eyes and a belt imprints?" he said frustrated, but also with sympathy.
Jessie just stared at the ground. She knew Greg was right, but what could she do? Nothing. And that's why things would never change or get any better.
After a few minutes of silence, Greg let out a sigh and slid his arm over Jessie's shoulder and began to lead her inside the building.
"So what are you going to tell everyone this time? Did you fall down the stairs? Run into a wall?" he said semi-jokingly.
"I haven't really thought that out yet." She mumbled weakly.
"Well, it better be a damn good excuse because this is the 5th time and I don't think you're going to be able to convince anyone that your that carless and clumsy." He replied.
Just as Jessie opened her mouth to respond, the first bell rang and the two of them took off running to their first period class. And though she didn't let Greg see it, she was really worried. "What am I going to tell everyone?" she thought to herself.