I got the idea for this story just by chance, really. Everyone has problems and they all deal with them differently.
Brief Summary: Gabriella needs help. She has so many problems that she has to take care of. But how does she deal with it all? She takes out her knife. (Full summary inside)
Extended Summary: This story is about Gabriella, obviously. She has a lot of things to deal with and they are taking a toll on her. Her birth father, whom she hasn't seen for ten years, wants to catch up with her. On top of that, she has to deal with her mother dating this jerk who abuses Gabriella. Think that's it? Well, Gabriella doesn't want to be seen as the smart girl anymore, but she doesn't want to disappoint her mother either, so she has to work on keeping up her grades even when she doesn't feel like trying. Poor innocent Troy is sort of stuck in the middle; he loves Gabriella a lot and would do anything for her. Did I happen to mention that Gabriella gets through all of this by cutting herself? Yeah…
Gabriella's POV.
I got home from school today, and my mother's boyfriend, David, was sitting in the kitchen. I don't recall my mother telling me that she gave him a house key…
I tried to make myself unknown, quietly stepping up the stairs, but that stupid creak in the fifth step announced my presence. I could hear David stand up, the sound of the wooden chair grazing the tiled floors of the kitchen. I caught my breath, trying to run up the stairs before he noticed I was home. If I could just reach the top, I could dash to my bedroom and escape through my balcony.
But it was too late; I could hear David's bounding footsteps coming closer. It would only be a matter of seconds before he caught up to me. I decided to play like I hadn't seen his car parked in the driveway, and maybe then he wouldn't get mad that I didn't come say hello.
"Gabriella?" His shrill voice bellowed.
"Oh, hey, David. I didn't know you were here." I tried to make my voice steady, but the last couple words came out uneven.
"How did you miss the bright red SUV sitting in the driveway?" He demanded.
"I guess I was just too busy thinking about stuff to notice it." I tried.
"Stupid girl…and your mother told me you were some sort of genius!" He sneered. I winced, slowly backing up to the top of the stairs, hoping to make a break for my bedroom, before he could hurt me.
I tried to make my movements swift and unseen, but David caught on too quickly and before I could get the door shut in my bedroom, I was lying on the floor, clutching my waist. All I remember seeing was an angry face looking down at me as a fist knocked into the side of my left cheek. My eyes began to tear as I grazed my knuckles across the flesh. I closed my eyes as another wave of pain surged through me, this time it was at my neck. I could feel fingers clenching at me. They were begging to suck the breath right out of me. But luckily I was spared, the front door was opening downstairs and David let go of me. His eyes widened and he dropped his arms to his sides. He looked out the bedroom door, and then back down at me. He took a step back, and then collapsed on the ground next to me, whispering in my ear in that devilish voice, "Don't tell your mother." I had heard those words all too often to have them tattooed in my mind forever.
He left the room a minute later; I was still on the floor. Tears were spilling from my eyes as I tried to stand up. The pain in my waist was unbearable; it felt like he hit me with a metal fist. I willed myself to get up, and walked over towards my bathroom, at least it was in my room.
I turned on the water, and grabbed a clean washcloth. I soaked it in the coldness and pressed it against my cheek. I finally looked at myself in the mirror, and I knew I looked bad. My left cheek was bright red and swollen, it stung like mad. My eyes were still letting tears escape, and the mascara I had put on earlier this morning was staining my face with little wave-like marks. I rinsed the washcloth and layed it on the towel rack beside the shower. I lifted up my shirt, daring a look at my waist. It didn't look as bad as it felt, but it would surely bruise over in a couple of hours. Like my cheek, the flesh covering my hip was red and swollen, but it didn't sting. I pulled my shirt down over it, careful and slow. I picked up the washcloth I had just used and re-wet it. I began to wipe the mascara off of my face and hoped it would make me look a little better.
I heard a car start outside, and two car doors close. I sighed, placing the towel back on the drying rack. I fixed up my face a little, re-applying mascara so it wouldn't look like I had been crying. My cheek was still a little puffy, so I chanced going downstairs to get an ice pack. Sure enough, David and my mom were gone. I quickly grabbed the ice pack and a bottle of water. I ran back upstairs to my bedroom and locked the door behind me. I wonder what my mother would say if she knew what he does to me. Would she break up with him? Call the police and have him arrested? Or would she think I deserved it and have me sent away? I stopped thinking and changed the subject in my mind. The only escape I had right now was thinking of Troy. I began to wonder what he would think if he knew. But I stopped myself when I thought of how he would dump me and think I was a baby for not being able to take pain. "I'll show him." I thought. One of these days, the abuse I get from David wont bother me anymore. I've found a way to get used to the pain.
I leaned over the side of my bed, placing the ice pack against my skin softly. I reached over and opened the drawer of my nightstand. Inside the black pencil case was a sharp kitchen knife. I pulled it out and a smirk appeared on my face. If I kept hurting myself maybe it wouldn't hurt so much when David did it. I took off my arm socks and let the blade caress my skin enough so that a bit of blood appeared, slowly coming into view, resting on the most outer layer of my skin. I sighed, enjoying the feeling. I cut two more long marks across my arms and then wiped the blade off on the red towel I had inside the same drawer. I placed both the knife and the towel back inside and closed the drawer. I watched the blood on my arm harden and dry against the air surrounding it. I sighed again, placing the colder side of the ice pack against my cheek, which was now throbbing with pain.
A few hours later I heard a car pull up in the driveway. I stiffened in my bed, but recovered in a second. I quickly crept out of my bedroom and went down the hall to my mother's room. I looked out of the curtains and saw a familiar blue truck in the driveway, and an even more familiar boy with soft hair leap out. I smiled, it was only Troy.
I hopped out of my mother's bedroom and ran down the stairs, getting to the door just as he was. I threw it open with a smile on my face. Of course, when he saw me, that goofy grin of his appeared on his face. I stepped out of the doorway and took his hand, closing the door behind us. I led him in the house and up the stairs to my bedroom. When we got inside, I closed and locked my bedroom door and turned back to Troy. He smiled at me, taking my hands in his and intertwining them together.
"Miss me?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I giggled, replying, "Of course I missed you."
He smiled his irresistible smile and planted his lips rightfully on mine. I pressed my body against his, letting my hands find their way to tangle up in his gorgeous hair. I felt his arms snake their way around my waist, and winced ever so slightly as they hit the spot where David had hurt me. I could feel Troy open his eyes and start to pull away. I regained control of his lips and deepened the kiss, hoping he wouldn't ask questions. When I felt his eyes close, I knew I had changed his mind. He kissed a little more urgently, and I kissed back with all of my strength. I pulled away this time, letting my right cheek lay against his chest. His heart was breathing fast; as mine was I'm sure. I closed my eyes again and let my breathing even. Troy's kisses knocked the wind out of me, always in a good way of course.
Troy's arms moved higher, slowly away from my waist. They settled on the small of my back instead, and he pressed his body against mine. I leaned in as close as I could into the embrace. He did the same, wrapping his arms tightly against me. His hugs were another thing that always helped me forget everything. Sometimes that's all you needed, a hug.
When we eventually pulled apart, Troy focused on my face. He asked me why my left cheek was a little swollen, I told him that I had accidentally walked into my door again. He seemed to accept my answer as he leaned down for another, quick kiss.
I led Troy over towards my bed, and we layed upon it together. I cuddled up to Troy's side and layed my head on his chest again. His left arm wrapped around my and layed on my waist, but it didn't hurt this time. I laced the fingers of my left hand with his right hand and let my left arm reach under his back to hold his waist. I closed my eyes and Troy kissed the top of my head. I smiled again, enjoying his company.
The next thing I knew it was seven o'clock and there was laughter coming from somewhere I could not see. I untangled myself unwillingly from Troy's embrace and tiptoed to my bedroom door. I opened it and it wasn't as dark in the hallway as it had been in my room. I quietly crept down the stairs and peeked around the corner, analyzing the scene in front of me. My mom was sitting on the couch, or rather on top of David. They were laughing, and kissing. I was used to the normal little pecks here and there, but right now they were making out and David had his shirt off. My mother was rubbing his stomach, and made a disgusted face.
I returned to my room, where Troy was still asleep. I snuggled myself against his body again and then I felt him wake up. I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. He smiled at me and yawned. I sat up a little, placing Troy's arm on my lap. I played with his fingers.
"We fell asleep, I'm guessing?" He asked, groggily. I nodded.
"It's after seven already?! Wow. Are you hungry, do you want to go get something to eat and head to the park?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood for real food, so how about we get some ice cream from the dairy stand and then walk around the park eating it?" I suggested, placing his hand against my cheek and closing my eyes. He chuckled and I felt him sit up, placing his other hand against my other cheek. He pulled my face gently towards him for a mind blowing kiss. Oh, how I loved those kisses of his.
We went into my bathroom to take a look in the mirror, hoping we didn't look like we just had a good make out session like my mother and David were probably still having down stairs. I applied a little blush to even out the color on my face. My left cheek still had a little color so the blush helped make me look normal. I pulled a brush through my hair and lifted it into a high ponytail. Troy ran his fingers through his hair so it didn't look so disheveled. When we looked good enough, we walked out of my room and down the stairs. Thankfully my mother was sitting on her own cushion and David had put his shirt back on. They glanced up when they saw we were there and my mother smiled at me. David gave me a malicious smile and waved, acknowledging Troy's presence with a small hello.
I told my mom where we were going and unwillingly answered David's question about what Troy and I had been doing upstairs for all this time. My mother trusted me, but for some reason David didn't. Since it was Friday, my curfew wasn't there and I was free to sleep over at Troy's house tonight. I figured that I would come back to the house later and grab my clothing.
Troy grabbed his wallet out of the extra pair of jeans in his truck and we walked towards the center of town. When we got to the ice cream shop, Troy ordered his favorite and I got mine. When Troy paid, after insisting it was his treat, we started our walk to the park, a few blocks away. I kept one hand firmly tangled in Troy's as my other hand held the ice cream cone I was licking. Troy, next to me, chuckled. I looked over at him.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"You just look so cute when you eat ice cream. You look like a little girl." He said. I nudged him with my shoulder, not moving him even a centimeter away from me. He laughed and, with his finger, swiped some ice cream off of his cone and placed it delicately on my nose. I laughed, and did the same thing to him, but instead placed my finger in his mouth to let him get a taste. His warm tongue licked up the ice cream on my finger and then his soft lips kissed the ice cream off of my nose. I love how adorable he is.
We walked quietly closer to the park, and since it was still light outside we walked towards the path that crisscrossed through the tall oak trees in the park. By now we had finished our ice creams and we were wrapped up in each other's arms. Troy's arm was around my waist as was mine around his. I leaned against him so there was no space between us and kissed his bare skin. I looked up at him to see his goofy, grinning face looking down at me. I realized we stopped and I tore my eyes away from his gaze. I looked around, and a feeling of warmth came through me. We were at our special spot. The place no one else knew about, other than us. I grabbed Troy's hand and led him towards the little bench we had made from large rocks scattered around the forest grounds. I sat down and he sat next to me. I looked into his eyes again and was just about to kiss him when my cell phone started ringing in my pocket. I groaned and looked at the caller ID. It was my mom. I picked it up.
"Mom, what do you want?" I asked, trying not to sound annoyed and disappointed that she had ruined my special moment with Troy. Her voice sounded worried on the other end of the line.
"Gabriella, you need to come home. There's no time to explain, just hurry." She said.
"I'll come only if Troy stays right by my side." I replied, looking at Troy's confused face.
"Fine, just hurry." She said.
I hung up the phone and told Troy what my mother had said. He smiled slightly and lifted himself off the rocks. I stopped him, pulling his body down towards me. I don't care how important it was, Troy and I were at our most cherished spot in the world. There was no way we were leaving without a make out session, it was tradition after all. I planted my lips against Troy's. He pulled apart and asked me what I was doing, why I wasn't running towards my house right now. I just shrugged and told him that I wasn't leaving our sacred spot until we fulfilled the rules that we had made.
When we first found this spot, we made up some rules. After we created our coven, we decided that we wouldn't tell anyone else about this place, so only we knew about it. We also made a promise that we would kiss here so we could always have a fond memory to think about if we were in a bad mood. I wasn't going to go home and have my mom tell me something horrible and then go to think about making out with Troy at our special place only to come and remember that we didn't. It was one of my only escapes.
I told this to Troy, and we kissed urgently, but got lost in the moment. It was fast, feverish, and longing. I kept kissing him hard and I didn't want to stop. My hands were running through his hair, along his shoulders and along his cheeks. I couldn't help it. It was never this good. I was just about to deepen the kiss more when my cell phone rang and pulled me back to reality. I panted as I answered the phone.
"You had better be breathless from all that running you are doing to get home!" David's voice rang through my ear and I stiffened, letting go of Troy's waist and standing up. I shut my phone and started running, pulling Troy alongside me.
"Sorry to cut it short, but you know how David gets when I don't do something he wants done." Troy stopped.
"What do you mean how he gets? I've never seen him mad before." I stopped too; I forgot that whenever Troy or anyone else was around, David was the perfect guy. He was always nice and well-mannered.
Was I ready to tell Troy what David does to me? I shook my head, knowing Troy would rip David limb from limb if I ever told him what he does to me. No, it would have to be another time I told him, if I ever did…
But I owed Troy that much to tell him everything about me. One day, yes, one day I would tell Troy everything. I would tell him about how I cut myself, and how David abuses me. I would tell him that he's the only thing keeping me sane. I would tell him how I need him now more than ever. It won't be today, but it would be soon. I owed Troy that much.
So, do you like the story so far? I had to stop there because if I didn't stop writing now then I would end up writing the entire story and it would all be one long chapter. Tell me what you think of the story and give me some suggestions! Thanks for reading!!