welcome back, before u slide in just know that these first two chapters are mostly character-building and story-building so i have a place to hop from when writing, but!

here you go

+ BIG NOTE, im not really sure how to write stuff like self-harm & doctors, etc... so im so sorry if i get anything wrong/ offend anyone bc i'm definitely not trying to, i'm just REALLY bad with this kind of stuff so feel free to let me know

"Mrs. and Mr. Lovato, thank you for meeting me," Dr. Lockwell began, placing his clasped hands over his desk. "Were you aware that your daughter has been self-harming herself?"

Mrs. Lovato dropped her purse, eyes widened. She laughed nervously, "Oh Doc, always trying to pull a fast one on us!"

"No, I am completely serious," the man proceeded, eyes full of concern. "When she was admitted yesterday in the afternoon, several cuts were found on her wrist and upper-thighs, and they were very obviously self-harm scars. The phone-source says that they believe she self-inflicted the locker-accident, which would make some sense considering her scars."

The couple raised their eyebrows, glancing to each-other nervously. Her father spoke, "We had no idea, had we known…!"

"Most parents do not know," the doctor interrupted, searching his face. "This could be a result of school situation, or a home one,"

"Are you implying we beat our child?" Mrs. Lovato stepped into the conversation, eyes full of fury.

"Of course not, Ma'am," the doctor placed his hands out to calm her, " She could also have some variation of a mental disorder that is causing this, but if the home situation is not it then school is most likely the issue."

"Nothing is wrong with her, she is just going through a phase," her mother stated clearly, pushing herself up from the seat. "You are ridiculous. We are leaving."

"Ma'am, please! This could be very serious," the man tried to get the two back into their seats, but they had left before saying anything. Dr. Lockwell let out a sigh, pressing his temples in angst. He paged his assistant, asking her to call the number on their medical file daily about the condition; hoping that it would do something for the poor soul that lay in the hospital bed.

"Are you kidding me, Demetria?" her mother had said when they got home, her keys clinking as she shut the door.

Her father joined in; it was the usual. Ten punches, three slaps, one ear-pinch. She was blocking it all - she didn't want to talk. She just wanted to shut up, take her beating, go upstairs and cut away all the insults and bruises they left on her skin. There were more, one more of each, but she kept on ignoring it. Somehow, she imagined herself in the locker rooms again, Selena tucking another strand behind her ear. This time, however, she did not get beaten - they locked hands and frolicked through the sakura-spread hallways.

Smack.

A slap to her neck this time? How insubordinate, she could almost laugh at her thoughts, before, "Get the fuck out of this house."

She had not been listening, she was up and high in her own thoughts. Her eyes widened, surely her father was joking! The dimmed freckles on her cheeks darkened almost, and she tried to give her father a weak smile, hope dimming at his serious expression. "What are you waiting for? A fucking escort? Leave!"

She stumbled over her own feet, scurrying out of the door before her father hit her again. Her face was black-violet now, the moonlight sparkling the blood that stained her cracked lip. The only place she knew where to go was the park near the diner; it was a whiles away but she knew of just the spot where she could cry and nobody would ever hear her.

Luckily, she managed to walk the whole way without crying, or getting mugged. She avoided every glance, lucky that the swaying trees shaded her bruised, pulped face with tones of gray and black - well enough to get little to no suspicious glares. When she arrived at the park, Demi let her knees fall to the sand, the pebbles cutting up her knees more than her razorblade ever did. With that, out of her mouth escaped a hoarse cry, at first - but after a few seconds of sobbing, she screamed. She screamed out all of the pain that she could never scream and let out before; she screamed like she was being roasted alive, pierced with spikes, and lashed with a scalding whip. Unfortunately, life had done all of those things to her, and now Demi was screamed at the sky, screaming at the sand, screaming at herself. Because nobody could hear her; and she wasn't sure if she liked that anymore.

"Of course, Hank!" Selena assured her coworker she'd be okay one more time, the loose apron around her waist swishing as she moved to the hook. "It's just the next two weeks off so i can focus on my studies, I have extra money to support myself during to week."

"I guess," Hank sighed, rolling his shoulders, resulting in a few cracks of relief.

Selena untied the back of her apron, slinging it over the hook. Luckily, Hank was locking up tonight so she could go home early. She planned to hop into bed and fall right asleep, nothing more. However, she paused on the way to her car when a sob emitted from the park beside her cafe.

"Shit," she cursed, squinting to try and see who it was. Whoever it was happened to have a familiar voice, but the cicadas buzzing seemed to mask it pretty well.

Selena began to trod closer to the voice, making out features one at a time. Firstly, whoever it was happened to be on their knees, head in their hands. Secondly, her face was hidden, but Selena could make out freckles and bruises the more she got closer. My god, what if it was a girl who ran away from an abusive boyfriend, or something? Poor girl! Selena tried to hushed her footsteps as she got closer, but the girl's head shot up and she tumbled back, hands straight and pushed into the sand, back arched. Selena still couldn't make out her face, since it was pulped and black with bruises.

"Hey, you okay?" she squinted a bit, but the girl ducked her head and dipped her matted hair over her features.

"Are you satisfied?" she asked carefully, and Selena saw a glazed tear drip into the sand between her legs.

"What?" Selena squinted, not understanding.

"I'm kicked out of the house, I probably have a concussion, and I've lost all hope for myself." Demi lifted her head fully, facing her tormentor with teary eyes; and Selena's eyes gaped.

"Demi?"

Demi scoffed, shutting her eyes and letting tears slush from them.

"You're kicked out of the house? Why?" The girl asked, trying to gulp down her guilt.

Bruised, she let out an angry breath and stood up, the moon hitting her freckles gallantly. Selena had never seen her with such little makeup, she was always caked and hidden. Now, she understood why - without it, her face was violet and blue, her eyes bloodshot and her lips cracked. Demi put her head in her hands again and turned away, putting her forehead against one of the playground streetlights.

"Don't worry, I'll do it myself." Demi parted her sticky forehead from the black metal, proceeding to slam it back into the pole.

"Hey!" Selena screamed, dropping her purse and rushing forward. The girl pulled the other girl back, one arm around her collar bone and the other oppositely around her waist. "What the fuck?"

"What's the point?" Demi struggled, managing to reach another slam before Selena yanked further back.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Selena shouted, twirling the girl around and pushing her backwards into the sand - watching her skid and shoot up sand pebbles."What do you think that's gonna solve?"

"Why are you acting nice? More emotional trauma? I've had enough! Just kill me if you're gonna do it!" Demi shouted, itching her wrists with her nails.

"God, you're fucked up," Selena gripped Demi's arm, yanking her up. "Come to my car. Ugh, the things I do just to kick your ass."

Demi fit her feet into the sand, restricting Selena's pull. Unluckily, Selena yanked once more, but harder, slipping her hand to the newest cuts on her arms.

"Fuck!" Demi shouted, writhing her wrist around painfully. Selena squinted, pulling up the sleeve of the girl's shirt, eyeing the criss-crossed scars and the bruises that turned the red scars into bulging, pulsing pockets of pain.

Demi half-expected her to say something guilt-filled or apologetic, but instead she looked down and crunched her teeth together, "You're a mess. Come on, loser."

Demi would assume she did not care, but noticed that Selena had opted to wrap her fingers around her knuckles-not daring to hold her hand, but close enough-instead of stay in the painful spot.

do not worry,,, we will get to the JUICY bits in a bit ;) but as usual thanks for hopping by,,, if you wanna review then wow go for it i'd be honored