Mirror
by Keruseyu
chapter two
'Talk to him'
===
REVIEW MORE. ^^!
===
Neal watched as the silent, dark form settled gracefully into her seat. She winced when her elbow hit the desktop, but did not falter as she carefully flipped open her book and began to work.
He stared. He felt drawn to the girl, who looked frail and beautiful underneath her inky clothing. She turned, sensing his gaze. Fear, tainted with guilt and regret, crossed her hazel orbs.
Neal turned back to his classwork, confused. Why was she scared?
She appeared so... alone. The way she moved spoke of hidden agony- maybe family trouble?
He didn't know- but he'd find out soon enough.
===
Why the hell is he staring at me?
He's cute. And he looks nice... But why would anyone be interested in me?
I mean, sure, I wear black.
Big deal. I want to talk to him. Be friends.
But that could never happen. I mustn't take risks. It might slip out.
'Would that be so bad?'
Damn my little, evil conscience.
'I don't think it could be that bad.'
You don't know.
'... I do.'
Leave me alone.
'Alone. *Giggle* That's funny. You're always alone, Kel.'
Not when you're here.
'But am I not you? I am simply the part of you that confronts reality.'
That's bullshit.
'Is it? I'd never know the difference. That means its the same as your- our- current condition, yes?'
Shut the hell up.
'I'm trying to help you.'
I don't need your help.
'Really. That's why you suffer pain from that ignorant, stupid fool you call "father"?'
No. It's not like that.
'Yes, it is. Face it, one day you'll have to tell somebody. Or are you too scared?'
After you've lived through hell, nothing scares you.
'Right. I want a favor.'
Depends.
'Talk to him.
I dare you.'
...
Alright.
'Yes! That's the spirit.'
But only if he talks first.
'...'
===
The bell rang, bringing me back from the shadowed slums of my mind.
Looking down at my paper, I see that I've had completed the whole assignment.
Maybe thinking isn't such a bad idea...
"Hello! I'm Neal!"
I glanced up, startled.
"Oh, um... Hi."
'See? He talked first!'
My inner self is giggling madly- probably thrilled it won for once.
'HEY! I've won more than once.'
How many times?
'Two.'
....
A hand tapped my shoulder. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking."
"I said, do you need a guide?"
Wait. This can't happen.
He'll find out.
He'll hurt me.
An image appears in my mind. I drift back to fourth grade- the worst year of my life.
*Flashback*
"Hey, Mom, Dad! I'm ho-ome!" I shouted, skipping cheerily into the living room.
No one was there.
"Mom? Dad?"
No one. Not even my baby brother, or his Nanny.
'Oh well. I suppose they went out.'
Smiling, I went up to my room, lugging my backpack.
Taking out my homework, I completed it in record time. I picked up my diary, prepared to write about my eventful day at school.
'Dear diary, today was the most perfect day ever! I won the spelling bee, and it's my birthday, too. Tommorow we're all going out to dinner and a movie with Naomi and Rika. (My best friends!) Dad invited grandma and grandpa, and they're flying all the way from Tokyo. It's going to be the best!'
Downstairs, the door creaked.
'Oh, hold on. Dad just got home!' I wrote a huge smiley on the paper and scrambled downstairs.
"Dad!" I called, voice overflowing with happiness.
"You're home!!!"
I ran up to him, holding my arms out for my usual hug and the "How was school, honey?".
But it never came.
He just stood there looking dejected and furious.
"Daddy, what's wrong? Is Mommy all right?" I used my pet names, as I did when afraid.
He stiffened at my words, and looked at me, and face full of hatred.
I took a step back. "D-daddy? Are you all right?"
"You..."
"I what, Daddy?"
"You KNEW!!!"
His hand came out of nowhere, landing a bruising slap on my cheek. The force of his blow sent me sprawling back.
My Dad had never, ever slapped me. Never harmed me in any way. He always said I was a good girl. That I was his little angel. A single tear trickled down my cheek from the pain.
"I- I knew what?"
"That she was going to leave!!!"
"Who, Daddy? Who left?"
He thrust something at me- a piece of grimy notebook paper.
'Dear Kel,
I can't deal with this any longer. All the frustration from that stupid father of yours. You like him, and he's always been nice to you.
But you don't know him. I'm sorry, dear, but I'm taking your brother and leaving. I can't handle this relationship anymore. With you or your father.
I can't stand it any more.
Goodbye.'
I stared at the note.
"What?"
"She left becausew of YOU!!!"
He seemed to forget the note mentioned him.
But... why leave me?
I had always been perfect.
Straight A's, every grading period. I was always the smartest.
I was the captain of the Soccer team, class president, and I had recieved the 'Terrific Kid' award at least once a year since I turned five.
Why? I had good friends, helped around the house. My room was always clean, I never whined. When I wanted something, I'd either ask nicely or earn the money to get it.
So... Why?
The thought haunted her mind as her crazed father slapped her around. He grew enraged at her lack of reactions.
He slapped her harder.
His blows soon turned to kicking and punching.
And I woke up the next day, in my bedroom floor.
The ripped pages of my diary fluttering around the room.
I never did get my birthday party.
In fact, I haven't had a birthday party since then.
The only thing I got that year was pain.
Pain, pain, pain.
And when we moved, my friends suffered too.
===
"No thank you, I am quite capable by myself."
He glanced at me, startled. "Sorry." He mumbled.
I made my way slowly and carefully through the desks into the crowded locker.
===
Neal stared after her, stricken.
"Jeez. What a snob." His best friend, Owen, murmured.
Alanna, another of his friends, made a face at Kel's retreating back. "Bitch is more like it."
His girlfriend, Yukimi, spoke up. "She seems very troubled."
They all turned to look at her.
"What?!" She protested. "I'm not pulling that out of my ass. It's true."
They all just shook their heads and left.
But she had talked.
And that's what gave Neal courage.
===
YAY! Another chappie!
by Keruseyu
chapter two
'Talk to him'
===
REVIEW MORE. ^^!
===
Neal watched as the silent, dark form settled gracefully into her seat. She winced when her elbow hit the desktop, but did not falter as she carefully flipped open her book and began to work.
He stared. He felt drawn to the girl, who looked frail and beautiful underneath her inky clothing. She turned, sensing his gaze. Fear, tainted with guilt and regret, crossed her hazel orbs.
Neal turned back to his classwork, confused. Why was she scared?
She appeared so... alone. The way she moved spoke of hidden agony- maybe family trouble?
He didn't know- but he'd find out soon enough.
===
Why the hell is he staring at me?
He's cute. And he looks nice... But why would anyone be interested in me?
I mean, sure, I wear black.
Big deal. I want to talk to him. Be friends.
But that could never happen. I mustn't take risks. It might slip out.
'Would that be so bad?'
Damn my little, evil conscience.
'I don't think it could be that bad.'
You don't know.
'... I do.'
Leave me alone.
'Alone. *Giggle* That's funny. You're always alone, Kel.'
Not when you're here.
'But am I not you? I am simply the part of you that confronts reality.'
That's bullshit.
'Is it? I'd never know the difference. That means its the same as your- our- current condition, yes?'
Shut the hell up.
'I'm trying to help you.'
I don't need your help.
'Really. That's why you suffer pain from that ignorant, stupid fool you call "father"?'
No. It's not like that.
'Yes, it is. Face it, one day you'll have to tell somebody. Or are you too scared?'
After you've lived through hell, nothing scares you.
'Right. I want a favor.'
Depends.
'Talk to him.
I dare you.'
...
Alright.
'Yes! That's the spirit.'
But only if he talks first.
'...'
===
The bell rang, bringing me back from the shadowed slums of my mind.
Looking down at my paper, I see that I've had completed the whole assignment.
Maybe thinking isn't such a bad idea...
"Hello! I'm Neal!"
I glanced up, startled.
"Oh, um... Hi."
'See? He talked first!'
My inner self is giggling madly- probably thrilled it won for once.
'HEY! I've won more than once.'
How many times?
'Two.'
....
A hand tapped my shoulder. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking."
"I said, do you need a guide?"
Wait. This can't happen.
He'll find out.
He'll hurt me.
An image appears in my mind. I drift back to fourth grade- the worst year of my life.
*Flashback*
"Hey, Mom, Dad! I'm ho-ome!" I shouted, skipping cheerily into the living room.
No one was there.
"Mom? Dad?"
No one. Not even my baby brother, or his Nanny.
'Oh well. I suppose they went out.'
Smiling, I went up to my room, lugging my backpack.
Taking out my homework, I completed it in record time. I picked up my diary, prepared to write about my eventful day at school.
'Dear diary, today was the most perfect day ever! I won the spelling bee, and it's my birthday, too. Tommorow we're all going out to dinner and a movie with Naomi and Rika. (My best friends!) Dad invited grandma and grandpa, and they're flying all the way from Tokyo. It's going to be the best!'
Downstairs, the door creaked.
'Oh, hold on. Dad just got home!' I wrote a huge smiley on the paper and scrambled downstairs.
"Dad!" I called, voice overflowing with happiness.
"You're home!!!"
I ran up to him, holding my arms out for my usual hug and the "How was school, honey?".
But it never came.
He just stood there looking dejected and furious.
"Daddy, what's wrong? Is Mommy all right?" I used my pet names, as I did when afraid.
He stiffened at my words, and looked at me, and face full of hatred.
I took a step back. "D-daddy? Are you all right?"
"You..."
"I what, Daddy?"
"You KNEW!!!"
His hand came out of nowhere, landing a bruising slap on my cheek. The force of his blow sent me sprawling back.
My Dad had never, ever slapped me. Never harmed me in any way. He always said I was a good girl. That I was his little angel. A single tear trickled down my cheek from the pain.
"I- I knew what?"
"That she was going to leave!!!"
"Who, Daddy? Who left?"
He thrust something at me- a piece of grimy notebook paper.
'Dear Kel,
I can't deal with this any longer. All the frustration from that stupid father of yours. You like him, and he's always been nice to you.
But you don't know him. I'm sorry, dear, but I'm taking your brother and leaving. I can't handle this relationship anymore. With you or your father.
I can't stand it any more.
Goodbye.'
I stared at the note.
"What?"
"She left becausew of YOU!!!"
He seemed to forget the note mentioned him.
But... why leave me?
I had always been perfect.
Straight A's, every grading period. I was always the smartest.
I was the captain of the Soccer team, class president, and I had recieved the 'Terrific Kid' award at least once a year since I turned five.
Why? I had good friends, helped around the house. My room was always clean, I never whined. When I wanted something, I'd either ask nicely or earn the money to get it.
So... Why?
The thought haunted her mind as her crazed father slapped her around. He grew enraged at her lack of reactions.
He slapped her harder.
His blows soon turned to kicking and punching.
And I woke up the next day, in my bedroom floor.
The ripped pages of my diary fluttering around the room.
I never did get my birthday party.
In fact, I haven't had a birthday party since then.
The only thing I got that year was pain.
Pain, pain, pain.
And when we moved, my friends suffered too.
===
"No thank you, I am quite capable by myself."
He glanced at me, startled. "Sorry." He mumbled.
I made my way slowly and carefully through the desks into the crowded locker.
===
Neal stared after her, stricken.
"Jeez. What a snob." His best friend, Owen, murmured.
Alanna, another of his friends, made a face at Kel's retreating back. "Bitch is more like it."
His girlfriend, Yukimi, spoke up. "She seems very troubled."
They all turned to look at her.
"What?!" She protested. "I'm not pulling that out of my ass. It's true."
They all just shook their heads and left.
But she had talked.
And that's what gave Neal courage.
===
YAY! Another chappie!