Usually when Ashley got home, she wrote in her journal about her day. But today was different. She was not up to reliving that awful day. It got harder and harder for her to go through school with no real permanent friends; she was alone all the time.
Nobody was home, and there was a note on the fridge.
"Taken Toby for a doctor's appointment. Be back in a few hours (I'm taking him out for dinner after). Order a pizza if you want, money's on the counter. Love you, Mom and Jeff"
Ashley said a silent prayer of thanks. She loved her family, she really did, but sometimes she needed a break from them. They just hung around all the time! It was hard even getting her mind to think straight. She liked the solitude.
After she had headed upstairs to change her clothes, Ashley decided she didn't really want pizza for dinner, so she pulled out some of the veggies in the fridge. "A salad would be good," she thought to herself. "Maybe I can cheer myself up. God I hate Paige!" She couldn't help but let a tear escape. She knew she promised herself she wouldn't cry, but today had been especially horrible. "I can't believe Paige would do that to me! Tripping me in the middle of the lunchroom! My clothes will be stained forever. But the humiliation...knowing everyone knew why Paige hated her..." Ashley stopped herself. "I promised myself I wouldn't think about this," she scolded, out loud.
But she couldn't help it; her mind just kept reliving the horrible embarrassment. And then...
"Ouch!" she cried, accidentally cutting herself with the knife she was using to cut up veggies. "Damn, that hurt!" She headed over to the sink to wash out the cut; it was bleeding an awful lot. Just as she was about to stick it under the water, she paused. The cut was really deep, and the blood was coming out along a thin red line, before spilling into drops in the sink.
"It almost...feels good," Ashley whispered to herself, fascinated. She felt like the day's events were draining with the blood, she felt so calm and relaxed for the first time all day.
The moment didn't last too long.
"This is sick!" she exclaimed, giving the cut one last glance before washing it off and covering it with a band-aid. She quickly finished up the salad she was making (being extra careful not to cut herself) and told herself to put the thought of the cut out of her mind as she ate the salad.
Nobody was home, and there was a note on the fridge.
"Taken Toby for a doctor's appointment. Be back in a few hours (I'm taking him out for dinner after). Order a pizza if you want, money's on the counter. Love you, Mom and Jeff"
Ashley said a silent prayer of thanks. She loved her family, she really did, but sometimes she needed a break from them. They just hung around all the time! It was hard even getting her mind to think straight. She liked the solitude.
After she had headed upstairs to change her clothes, Ashley decided she didn't really want pizza for dinner, so she pulled out some of the veggies in the fridge. "A salad would be good," she thought to herself. "Maybe I can cheer myself up. God I hate Paige!" She couldn't help but let a tear escape. She knew she promised herself she wouldn't cry, but today had been especially horrible. "I can't believe Paige would do that to me! Tripping me in the middle of the lunchroom! My clothes will be stained forever. But the humiliation...knowing everyone knew why Paige hated her..." Ashley stopped herself. "I promised myself I wouldn't think about this," she scolded, out loud.
But she couldn't help it; her mind just kept reliving the horrible embarrassment. And then...
"Ouch!" she cried, accidentally cutting herself with the knife she was using to cut up veggies. "Damn, that hurt!" She headed over to the sink to wash out the cut; it was bleeding an awful lot. Just as she was about to stick it under the water, she paused. The cut was really deep, and the blood was coming out along a thin red line, before spilling into drops in the sink.
"It almost...feels good," Ashley whispered to herself, fascinated. She felt like the day's events were draining with the blood, she felt so calm and relaxed for the first time all day.
The moment didn't last too long.
"This is sick!" she exclaimed, giving the cut one last glance before washing it off and covering it with a band-aid. She quickly finished up the salad she was making (being extra careful not to cut herself) and told herself to put the thought of the cut out of her mind as she ate the salad.
