AN : Here's the next one!
Disclaimer : I own nothing.
"Wake up!" my dad yelled, flipping the mattress so I toppled to the ground. Unfortunately I face planted and my nose started to bleed from the pressure. I held my hand over it in attempt to keep more blood from dripping onto the carpet. My dad smacked my hand away and gripped my wrist so tight I could already feel the bruise forming. I chanced a glance at the clock and realized it was 4:50 a.m.
"What'd I do?" I asked, still tired.
"Not what you did. What you are going to do." he said as he shoved me onto the couch.
"Huh?"
"You're going to tell your coach that you're resigning from the team." he said.
"What!" I grimaced, knowing my tone would anger him. He didn't disappoint. He grabbed my hair and yanked me down to floor beside the couch and kicked me hard in the stomach.
"Do it or I will. And believe me you won't want to deal with me if I do." he said before walking out the door and heading to work. I laid there for a minute then got up slowly. At least he didn't use the belt like last night..
I walked to the bathroom and noticed the dried blood on my face, neck and shirt. I pulled it off and wiped at the blood on my neck and face, disgusted with the red tinted orange mark it left behind. My fingers twitched and I took a deep breath as I pulled out one of the side drawers and reached to the very back, finding what my body was craving.
It gleamed in the light and it's sharpened edge was begging to be used. I bit my lip and set it down on the sink, deciding to take a shower before I indulged myself.
I turned the water on to an almost boiling temperature before stepping in. I hissed in slight pain but it soothed the welts on my back and chest. I cleaned myself off and washed my hair, deciding I had enough time to stay in until the water got cold and I was wrinkly. I wrapped the towel around my waist and noticed that the bruises my dad left were getting darker. The steam on the mirror had long since been gone. It couldn't prevent me from seeing someone I didn't know. I saw who I'd become in such a short time. I sighed, looking down to my solace. It laid there, begging, taunting…comforting. I pulled out a band-aid and a few tissues before picking up the thin blade. I picked an unmarked space and pressed down, sliding the blade across ivory skin and smiling as it became stained with red. The sense of euphoria made my breath hitch and my mind became blank with pleasure. I made another mark below it and two more above, relishing in the feeling before rinsing off my blade and wiping away the blood. I decided the band aid wouldn't be able to cover all of them so I pulled out some gauze and wrapped my arm where the stinging scars were.
I walked to my bedroom and saw that I was already close to 6:00. Had I really been in the shower that long? I shrugged and went to my phone, seeing a missed call from Chad and a few texts from Donnie. I texted him back and called Chad as I picked out some black skinny jeans and a plaid, gray and black, button up shirt.
"Hello?"
"Yeah Chad, you called? I was in the shower so I didn't hear the phone." I explained as I pulled the sleeves down over my arms and buttoned the cuffs.
"Oh no it's fine, Coach wanted to talk to us before school so how fast can you be ready?" I had already pulled on my socks and some gray vans and was walking to the bathroom to blow dry and straighten my hair.
"Give me like 15 minutes." I said while I brushed out the damp strands.
"Kay well Troy and I will be there in 20. Cool?"
"Yeah." I hung up and finished up in the bathroom, pulling on a black beanie and a necklace I've had since I was about 5. I remembered it was a gift from a friend. It was a bottle cap with the word best on it hanging of an adjustable string. I couldn't remember who'd given it to me but I could never bring myself to take it off unless it was necessary.
I had been in the middle of dropping my iPod into my shirt behind my back and pulling it out to my front pant's pocket, adjusting one ear bud under the front of my shirt and the other in my ear, under my hair, when I heard Chad honking outside. I quickly pulled off the safety guard thing from my phone and ran to the bathroom, grabbing my razor to slip it inside before snapping it back on to my phone . I grabbed my backpack and went outside, plastering on the smile I've had enough time to perfect.
CHAD
I waited with Troy and Gabriella in front of Jimmie's house for a minute until he came running to the car. Jimmie's house was nice. It was one story, white, and pretty big. There was a porch and a small rose garden. The backyard was huge and his grass somehow managed to stay really green. The door opening brought me out of my thoughts and Jimmie sat behind Troy, next to Gabriella.
"Hey Jimmie." she smiled in that way only she could and he waved a bit in return. I looked at Troy and laughed because he was knocked out against the window.
"We're gonna go pick up Taylor now, you don't mind riding in the middle do you?" I looked back at him. Something flashed in his eyes. Fear? I couldn't tell because it was gone as soon as it came. He nodded and gave his Jimmie smile that most of the freshman and sophomore, even some junior girls fawned over, but I've never seen him pay mind to anyone other that Sharpay. I smiled back, turning and starting the drive to Taylor's house.
Gabriella made small talk with him, but he never said more than he needed to, which, for Jimmie, was unusual. He looked out the window a lot and I noticed his finger twitching in the slightest. I parked in front of my girlfriend's house and resigned to poking Troy until she came out.
"What? Where's Jimmie? Did we pick him up already?" Troy asked in a sleepy daze. I smacked him upside his head.
"Yeah now wake up." I smirked at his glare, oblivious to Jimmie's reluctance to move to the middle once Taylor got in the car.
"Hey everyone!" she smiled. I blew her a kiss that she pretended to catch and Troy turned back and waved to both her and Jimmie. Gabriella smiled at her and they Taylor looked down at the iPod Touch in Jimmie's hands. They liked him, I could tell. He was young, playful, mischievous, almost like a puppy. They thought of him as a little brother of sorts that they could help with homework and girls and stuff like that. He was pretty much Troy's protégé. As annoyed as he acts around Jimmie, Troy loves the kid like a brother he didn't have.
"So Jimmie, how's English with Mrs. Darbus?" Troy asked. Jimmie glanced up and shrugged.
"It's going good I guess. We're doing poetry right now. She had us memorize our favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem and if she we didn't have one, she would assign them. We have to recite them today." he said, never looking up from his iPod, which again, was strange. Lately it's like he won't look anyone in the face unless he has to.
"So did you get or choose one?" Taylor asked. I could tell she noticed something was off.
"Chose." he said.
"Well.. Which one?" she asked.
"Um.. Annabel Lee." he said and she smiled.
"Oh I love that one! You have it memorized?" he nodded, "Oh could you please recite it?" she asked. He looked at her, thinking about it and nodded, pulling out the headphone and taking a breath.
"It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee;-
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee-
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud
Chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulcher
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me:-
Yes! that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of a cloud by night, chilling
And killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in Heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:-
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
In the sepulcher there by the sea-
In her tomb by the sounding sea." he recited, putting an emotion into his voice that went well with the poem. It was husky, yet smooth and I'm pretty sure would give more reason for girls to fawn over him.
"Wow Jimmie, that was amazing." Gabriella smiled and patted his shoulder, which he smiled and moved slightly out of her reach. It didn't go unnoticed but no one said anything.
"Thanks." he said. I drove into the parking lot and found a spot by a new black mustang. I figured we had a new student and it wouldn't be long until word got around. We all got out and started heading to the school.
JIMMIE
"So what does Coach wanna talk about?" I asked, placing one of the buds in my ear and walking to catch up to Troy.
"Not really sure, but no worries man, no one's getting cut." he smiled and clapped his hand between my shoulder blades. My vision blackened for a second as white-hot pain shot through my entire body. I bit my lip and turned, walking backwards away from the offending hand. I laughed a bit to show that I'd gotten his joke. I was going to say something but Jenny, a sophomore with curly, black hair and big, gray eyes, porcelain skin, rosebud lips , called my name. I stopped and waited for her to catch up and noticed that the others had stopped as well.
"Hey, do you have a partner for the lab today?" she asked and I smiled.
"Nope, but I'm guessing that now I do." she rolled her eyes and smirked.
"You have no choice Zara. See you in science." she waved and walked off. I liked Jenny, she didn't throw herself at my like a lot of other girls. Why they do, I really don't understand. But Jenny was different. She laughed at my jokes when she thought they were funny and called me an idiot when they weren't, she didn't pry into my business and actually listened to what I said. I'd be lying if I said I thought she was attractive but I couldn't see her as more than a friend. She said she saw me more like a best friend herself and I was fine with it.
"So Zara," Chad smiled.
"Yeah?" he was starting to say something when the intercom interrupted.
"Will James Zara report to the office? James Zara, report to the office." I looked at the others with a confused stare and walked to the office.
My eyes widened and my throat went dry when I opened the door. My dad stood there, wearing the face he wore for the public. I gulped and walked forward. He motioned for me to follow him to the hallway which was empty as classes had already started.
"So, Jimmie, did you talk to your coach?" he asked, the underlying anger in his tone unmistakable.
"N-no but I was going to I swear it." I stuttered and he chuckled, placing his hand on my upper arm.
"No need. I already did." he squeezed painfully tight and I already knew there would be a new bruise. He dragged me to the bathroom and made sure no one was inside before locking the door. I bit my lip, knowing what was next.
He said nothing. He shoved me against the wall and punched my stomach hard enough for me to double over and hit the ground. He kicked me a few more times and when he finished, walked out like nothing happened. I fought to breathe right and stood shakily.
Black spots clouded my vision and I stumbled into a stall, emptying the contents of my stomach. I felt a bit better afterward and I walked to the sink to rinse my mouth out. A familiar urge took over and my fingers twitched with anticipation. I started to unbutton the cuff of my shirt and the door opened. I snapped my head towards the sound, fearing it was him again but I sighed in relief. It was a junior, Mike I think his name was simply taking a break from class.
"You won't tell will you?" he raised a brow as he pulled out a cigarette box and lighter. I shook my head and he pulled one out. I buttoned the cuff again, the sudden urge gone, when the cigarette box was in my line of vision. I looked up to see him holding out to me.
"You look like you need one." he said, an understanding in his eyes that kind of scared me to be honest. It was like he knew something he shouldn't, something about me he wouldn't tell me he knew. I looked down at the lone cig, waiting to be smoked and bit my lip.
'Fuck it,' I thought, 'I'm not on the team anymore.' I reasoned and took the cigarette from the box, taking the offered lighter as well. It wasn't like I never smoked before but it was never a habit. Something told me it was different now. As I took the first hit, letting the tar filled smoke fill and blacken my lungs, I thought to myself, 'Your losing yourself.' In three weeks I went from being a shoe-in for captain of the basketball team next year, to being beaten on a daily basis, cutting, and smoking in the school bathroom. I exhaled and watched as the smoke spilled from my lips, dancing, disappearing to pollute the world unbeknownst to everyone else.
"It gets better." Mike said, taking the last hit of his stogey and putting it out on the sole of his shoe.
"What?" I asked, watching as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. He pointed to my covered arms and repeated himself.
"It gets better." he said, turning and walking out the door. I shook my head.
"No it doesn't." I stated to no one in particular, finishing off the cigarette and heading to English.
AN: Review?
