A/N: /Warning/ Degrading words, bullying, and deep details of suicide and depression in this chapter.
Leave now if you're sensitive to these subjects.


Sapphire wakes up.

She only hoped that everything that happened to her was only just a bad dream, but it was all a sick reality. She sits up in her dark room. She hasn't open her blinds in a whole year. She stares at the giant scar on her right palm, forever haunting her for the rest of her life. Reminding that, even though her rapist has graduated and she'll never have to see his face again, he's freely walking outside. Reminding that, her parents have scolded and turned away, rather than be there for once. Reminding that, everyone believed that she was attention-seeking and was simply a little whore.

It was August once again. August 2005. First day of her Sophomore year. She didn't feel up for school, she hasn't felt up for school ever since, but she needed something to do. She gets up from her bed, leaving it messy.


At school, the now-Junior trio was with Ruby, now also a Sophomore. They were early at school because they didn't want to get cheered on by the ASB club. Ruby hasn't changed much, her hair managed to be held back into a ponytail, but her giant grandpa glasses was a signature.

"I don't think Sapphire will be going through that gate ever again..." Jenny said, gloomy.

Ruby has heard of what happened to the girl she next to in Swedish from these three. She remembers shooing away everyone in that class; every time a student threw a crumbled ball of paper at her head while Mr. Kjellberg wasn't looking, Ruby threw it back at them, snarling and hissing at them to back off. She didn't expect anything in return, she just wanted to indirectly let Sapphire know that someone was on her side.

"Where does she go through?" Ruby asks, curious.

"The back of the school, through a broken part of the fence," Jenny pointed to where the back of the school is.

"I don't think we have classes with her either," Buck fixes his glasses.

"Rubes, if you have Sapphire in a class again," Jenny directs her attention to the Sophomore, "Please protect her."

Ruby blinks and nods.

"Well, here's to another year." Ruby adds. She was never able to talk to her, as Sapphire gave her the cold shoulder, but Ruby will do anything for her, regardless.


Sapphire has never covered and secured all her clothes as much as she did now. She ran from her home to school, her keys in-between her fingers as a weapon, and to the risk of spending extra time to go around and go through the fence. She has since then grown more mature-looking, still short, but a more womanly figure. It made her more insecure.

She hasn't seen the front of the school in a long time. She hides in the back of the school, not checking time and listening to her heart race for what feels like hours. She looked at the horizontal pole along the ceiling. She can't remember how many times she thought about hanging herself up there, knowing no one won't find her for a long time. She can't remember how many times she wanted to cut into her skin, as deeply as the wound on her hand, lying to die. She blinks behind her bangs, standing against the wall of W-buildings. She still goes to this school, due to her parents basically not giving any shits.

Then, the bell rings. Sapphire ran again, making sure she's the first one into her first period class.


Ruby split from the three, telling them that she'll hang out with them later.

She quietly walks to her first class, Chemistry. She really couldn't wait to make things explode and burn. She felt giddy and excited on the outside, but inside, if she has this class with Sapphire, she can only imagine the harm everyone around can do to her. She simply balls her hands into fists.

She looked ahead, determined to help her.


This year, thankfully, Sapphire did secret summer schooling to not do Chemistry and PE this year. She was one step ahead, getting harmful subjects out, but she still has to deal with everyone else. Seeing the classes again, every hurtful line rushed back into her memory:
"FUCK OFF, WHORE!"
"GO DIE IN A DITCH!"
"FUCKING BITCH, NOBODY LIKES YOU!"
"LISTEN, SLUT, THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE!"

She shakes it off, not letting her emotions get to her now.

Sapphire, for a split second, saw Ruby walking alone. She looked angry and furious about something. She didn't stop, though. She kept going to her first class. World History.


In the class, as expected, every moment the teacher looked away, papers get thrown at her, even physical abuse like getting slapped in the back of her head, but she didn't let them know that it hurt.

She'll never give anyone that satisfaction of her weakness.

She continues to write her notes, ignoring passing notes like "fucking die" and "kill yourself" and never-ending calls of her being an attention seeker and cum-guzzling slut.

Her eyes fill up with tears, but she continues to stay strong and not look back. In the midst of everything, she couldn't help but think about her friends. Heck, even Ruby. She always knew that Ruby was protecting her in class, and she'll always be grateful of it, but she can never look her in the eye. She can't help but feel as though she's only helping her out of pity. Her friends? Maybe still only around so she wasn't so alone. That made her heart feel swollen and stabbed over and over again. She was falling apart in the class.

She straightens her back and held her emotions in.

"Ms. Johnson," the teacher calls on her.

"Y-yes?" Her voice was shaky, but was able to reply.

"Take this," he gives her an orange slip, "Go to your counselor."

Sapphire didn't realize that paper deliveries have already come, but she's glad that she didn't have to stay any longer.

She packs all her stuff quickly and leaves quietly, glad that nothing hit her on the way out. She speed walks. She looks ahead as her bangs moved around, uncovering her vision. She crossed her arms, tightly holding on to the thick jacket she wrapped onto herself, watching her every step and watching whatever is ahead of her. To her relief, her counselor is still willing to help her. She can't stay there long, but it keeps her sane.

Upon walking into the counseling office, the secretary directed Sapphire to her counselor's office.

She goes right away.

Her counselor was a man, between ages late 20's to early 30's. He's quite gracious and offers a lot to help, but there's only so much he could do.

"Hello, Ms. Johnson." He greets with a smile.

Sapphire smiles weakly and returns the greeting, "Good morning."

"So, it's your first day of school," he starts, "Take a sit. We must discuss what we can do."

Sapphire does so, the seat was cold, but it had a nice cushion to it.

"What we can do about what?" She asks.

"Well, we're still aware of your unfortunate incident, Ms. Johnson. Every student hasn't forgotten, every new student learned, but we want to try to help you as much as we can."

"Thank you," Sapphire was uncertain, "But, I don't think I would need help. It wouldn't be necessary."

"On the contrary. We don't leave a student behind. We're here if you ever need to talk."

"Thank you, but it really isn't needed. I grow stronger everyday, sir. I wouldn't need help."

Her voice sounded sharp at the end, but she's only trying to keep herself stable.

She keeps lying to herself, everyday. She only ever grows weaker than stronger, but she cannot let herself go so soon.

"Let's talk, Ms. Johnson. I don't want you to be so uncomfortable."

Sapphire nods. Only to stay away from class.


After the long talk, Sapphire leaves. She stayed in there until after third period. She holds the orange slip in her hand, walking slowly and looking down at the ground. She held the slip between her index and middle, unsure of what to do now. After talking, she just wants to sit down and think about what she wants to do.

She does so. Her eye catches the black janitor's door open, most likely forgotten to be closed, and she rushes over there. The proctors had their backs turned away. It was her chance.

Without a single person noticing, she was able to get in. It was dark, cold, and had various supplies and items inside. She closes the heavy metal door, shutting out all the light, only slightly shining in through the vent at the bottom.

There was a light switch, but she didn't turn it on. She sets her bag down with a loud thump, dust and dry dirt puffing on impact, and she sits down with her back against the vent of the door. Now the room was completely dark, her ears ringing from the lack of sound, but she savored it.

No papers thrown, no abusive hits to the head, no words to bring her down.

Complete silence.

Her bag had things like a razor blade, bottles of painkillers, and a rope, to go the extra mile. She has never used them, but her need to get rid of pain was much like a demon who won't leave her alone. Let her bleed on this dirty school ground, slowly dying by overdosing, hanging her body by the neck in front of the whole school. Maybe even jumping off the highest building.

But she has not.

She knew she was stronger than that. She knew that if she did, people would take pictures and record her. It was all the permanent solution.
She just wasn't sure if it was the temporary problem.

Muffled, the bell rings again.

It was now lunch. Everyone was loud, even from that far of a distance.

"Hey guys, where's Sapphire?" She didn't realize that her friends' last class was nearby.

"I haven't seen her," an unfamiliar, yet familiar voice, "I was looking for her."

Sapphire kept quiet, as if putting up a wall for even her friends.

"Why do I feel like she's in there...?"

Sapphire covered her face.

She can't face them.

Someone knocks on the door.

"Sapphire?"