D: Damage

Summary: Shenzi is causing some physical damage. Not to her family, not to her friends, but to herself! Can Chuckie and their friends snap her out of it before she could go too far?

Warning: Contains self harm, the reason for the collection's change in rating. Don't say I didn't warn you.

"Nobody likes you."

"You may as well kill yourself."

"You'll do the world a favor."

"You're a disgrace to your family."

"Chuckie's only pretending to like you. He's actually embarrassed to even know you exist."

The horrible words ran through 13-year-old Shenzi's mind as she sat on the bathroom floor. The last two statements really hit hard when they were said to her; Chuckie Finster was her best friend since their crawling days, and she happened to have a huge crush on him. It most likely sprouted before she even knew what a crush was. After those words were said to her, she laid face-down in her bed, completely tranquil. While not looking, she grabbed the first object her hand felt and squeezed hard on it to relieve her tension. That object happened to be a pair of scissors, and she didn't grab the handles. Startled from the sudden sharp pain, she shot up and saw her hand bleeding from the blades. But strangely, other than her first reaction, she didn't feel any concern or fear. She felt... comfort.

That was 4 years ago, and yet she never stopped cutting. She somehow found comfort in the pain she caused. She knew how risky and stupid it was, but for some reason, she couldn't stop. Although instead of scissors, she used razor blades. The words said to her had cut deep, and stayed in her brain all these years. And she managed to keep it under wraps, so her family and friends were completely unaware. But soon... that was going to change.

One night, after changing into a black and red buffalo plaid nightgown with long sleeves, she did what became her nightly routine; She hid in her room, took the razor blade, and cut her emotional pain away. She wrapped her arm in gauze that she stole from her mother's first aid kit, hid them with her sleeve, and went to bed as if nothing happened.

The next day, she wore long sleeves, despite it not being that cold out, and went about her day like normal to avoid suspicion. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt with slashes on the sleeves and chest, a white and black lips-printed crop top cut from a bodysuit under it, a black velour hoodie from Juicy Couture, matching boot-cut velour pants, all black Converse high-tops, black rose earrings, and a white extension in her long bangs.

"You fall down the stairs again?" Lil DeVille asked her while they were in the cafeteria with their friends. The gauze was visible from the slashes on her sleeve, but she didn't think anyone would notice.

"Huh?" Her head snapped up, "Oh um, y-yeah, I did. Clumsy me," She giggled nervously.

"You seem to be injuring the same arm every time, almost in the same place, yet your other arm is completely unharmed," Chuckie remarked, "You sure you're being honest with us?"

"Yeah!" She nodded nervously, "I am! Completely honest! Wouldn't lie once! Get off my back!" Now feeling pressured, she grabbed her lunch tray and changed tables, leaving the others puzzled.

"That was wack," Phil DeVille remarked.

"Yeah, I've never seen her freak out like that," Tommy Pickles remarked, then turned to Chuckie, "Especially towards you."

"Something's got to be bothering her," The redhead assumed, "Usually she's calm and happy, not prone to bursts of anger like that."

"Where's Shenzi at?" Frankie asked them as she sat at the table, "I had to use the little girl's room."

"She was sitting here, but I asked her about the bandages on her right arm, and she freaked out on us and changed tables," Lil explained.

"Really?" The blonde raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That doesn't sound like her."

"Well, that's what she did," Chuckie shrugged, "We all saw her. She just yelled at us to "get off her back", then changed tables. She's over there." He gestured to a formerly empty table, where a nervous Shenzi was sitting by herself.

"I'll talk to her when we get home," Frankie decided, "You all can come."

"Okay, I will" Chuckie nodded, and everyone else agreed, "I hope she's alright." Secretly, he had a crush on the black-haired girl, ever since... forever. He thought she was the sweetest, and most beautiful girl in the whole world. He actually had dreams and fantasies of marrying her, and starting a family with her. He even thought of her as the love of his life. Overall, she was amazing.

After arriving home, Shenzi quickly hid in her room with the door locked. She had overheard her friends' conversation, and was terrified when she heard Frankie decided on talking to her about the bandages. She didn't want to tell them, or anybody! They'll make her stop! And it was the only thing that took her pain away! Without this addiction, she'll have nothing to help her. Her friends wouldn't understand, and Chuckie didn't like her. As Savannah Shane told her, he was embarrassed to acknowledge her existence, so turning to him was definitely out of the question. So she had only one choice left: Hide in her room forever, and cut herself until she died from excessive blood loss.

After relieving some stress with physical pain, she flinched upon hearing gentle knocks on her door. "Shenzi?" It was Frankie. Uh oh! She stayed still and quiet. "Shenzi? You in there?" She didn't make a peep. "Hello?" Nothing. "Shenzi, I know you're in there! Open up!" Frankie sounded angry. The emo girl flinched when her sister attempted to open the door, but to no avail. "Shenzi, unlock this door! I need to talk to you!"

"No!" She accidentally blurted out.

The door jiggled harshly. "Shenzibeth Callie-Belle Tuck, open this door now!" Uh oh. She used her full name; She meant business. "I'm not playing! Open up right now, or else!"

"Or else what?"

"Or I'll bust the door down!"

"I dare you!"

"Alright, you asked for it!" Shenzi heard a harsh bang on the door, followed by a yelp of agony. She stifled involuntary laughter at that, but a string of blood ran down her arm from her hand over her mouth. She quickly wiped it up with a Kleenex wipe upon noticing. She jumped when there was another bang on the door, but it sounded stronger.

"Shenzi, open up!" She froze at the voice addressing her; It was Fridge Kaminski. He was like the big brother she never had, but at the same time, she found him intimidating. He was the jock extraordinaire at their school, and he definitely had the look for it. But under that intimidation was a platonic/familial love for his sister figure.

"No!"

"I'll bust the door down!"

"I'd like to see you try, Kaminski!" She hated yelling at him like this, but she had to keep them out. She jumped at another bang on the door, and to her terror, it was starting to break. He was stronger than she thought.

"This is your last chance!" Her heart pounded at that voice; It was Chuckie! "You can open up on your own, or we will!"

She didn't want to do either of those. Both would result in her secret being exposed, and being forced to stop cutting. "Try me, Finster!"

"You heard her," Chuckie said, to whom she didn't know, "Do it." And with that, Fridge successfully busted her door down! Before she could hide, Frankie jumped in and blocked the door with Kimi and Lil assisting. Chuckie, Phil, Fridge, Tommy, and Dil were in her room at the time. Phil had his arms around Shenzi's waist so she couldn't try to run. Normally Chuckie would've restricted her, but she gave him a look that could kill, so he backed off and let Phil step in. They all looked flabbergasted at what they saw on her arm; Especially Chuckie, who looked like he wanted to throw up. Even Fridge looked horrified.

When Frankie saw her arm, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in horror. She had cuts all over her wrist, some old and scarred, while others were much more new. The one was still bleeding. And they didn't look accidental in the slightest. Shenzi gave her a protesting gesture, but she screamed one word that she dreaded. "DA-A-A-A-A-A-AD!"

Her heart froze at the pounding footsteps coming towards the room. She managed to escape Phil's hold, but was then trapped in Frankie's. She struggled, but her older sister held her scarred arm out as Friar Tuck ran in the room after Kimi and Lil stepped aside. When he had the same reaction as Frankie, the emo girl gazed down at the floor defeatedly to hide the shame in her eyes, or eye. "Shenzi, what did you do?" He asked her, but she didn't answer. She barely even moved while Frankie held her bleeding arm out. "Shenzi?" She stayed quiet, and he was not happy about it. Not at all. "Answer me!" He snapped at her, and everyone except her flinched in surprise. She merely responded with a look that would've made any weak person pee themselves with fear. "Shenzibeth Callie-Belle Tuck, if you don't..."

"You wouldn't understand!" She snapped, startling everyone. "None of you would!" Everyone stayed quiet at her outburst. She sat on the foot of her bed, but didn't say a word.

"Shenzi, why are you doing this to yourself?!" Chuckie grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Why would you do something as stupid as cutting yourself?! You're smarter than this!"

"Don't talk to me, Finster," She growled angrily.

"Wha-what's wrong?"

"Why do you care?" Her eyes narrowed. "You're obviously embarrassed to know me. Why do you care about what happens to me?"

"Wha-wha I, what?!" Chuckie was at a loss for words. "Who said I'm embarrassed to know you?!"

"Savannah Shane."

"She's lying to you!" Chuckie snapped at her. "I would never be embarrassed to know you! You're the greatest friend I've ever had!"

"Don't lie to me," She glared.

"I'm not!" He yelled in frustration. "I would never lie to you! You're my best friend! If anything, I would be embarrassed to not know you if I didn't!"

"And why are you cutting yourself?!" Frankie asked her.

"Because it takes the pain away!" Shenzi blurted out.

"You take away your pain with pain?" Phil raised an eyebrow. "And they say I'm the dumb one." He yelped in pain when Lil smacked him on the head, hard. "S-sorry."

"No," She shook her head, her voice now quiet, "You're right; I am dumb."

"No you're not," Chuckie went to sit next to her, but her menacing glare made him back away a bit. "There's a difference between being dumb, and acting dumb."

Fridge sat next to her, and luckily for him, she didn't try to kill him with her eyes. "Shenzi, there are betters ways to deal with emotional pain than hurting yourself on purpose." She looked up at him, but she didn't look angry. "The next time you're feeling the urge to... you know, just call me. I'll be there for you."

"We all will," Dil chimed in, as Frankie sat next to her sister, "It's what friends and family do."

Shenzi stayed quiet again. "Shen, don't listen to anything Savannah tells you," Chuckie laid his hands on her shoulders again, but was more gentle this time. "She has no right to say things like that to you, or to anyone." He continued when she didn't say a word. "And more importantly... please stop hurting yourself like this." He ran his fingers through her dark hair. "It pains me to even think about it." Everyone else agreed with him. "Like Fridge said, if you're feeling down, whether it's from a bully or anything else, just call any of us. We'll make you feel better."

Shenzi let out a sigh, before she finally spoke. "I, I'm sorry, guys."

"How long have you been doing this?" Friar Tuck asked her.

She hesitated for a second. "F-four years."

Chuckie's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. "Four?! Shenzi, you're lucky that you didn't go too deep! You could've died from blood loss!"

"Okay, she gets it," Lil cut in, "She knows now." She turned to Shenzi. "Right?" She nodded. "G-good. Now, one step in beating your addiction: Giving up the tool. Where is it?"

Shenzi hesitated, but stood up and took a bloodied razor blade out of a drawer. She reluctantly put it in Lil's hand. "You'll be alright," Chuckie laid a hand on her shoulder, and was relieved when she didn't protest. "We'll help you get through this."

"But don't think that I won't tell Mom," Frankie chimed in, and Shenzi nodded, "She'll help too."

"Th-thanks guys," She gave Chuckie a firm hug, along with everyone else in turn, being careful to not get blood on their clothes.

"Now, where's the gauze and tape at?" Tommy asked her, "Because that needs to be bandaged up." The emo girl grabbed the said items, gave them to the purple-haired boy, and sat on her bed. Tommy sat next to her and carefully, but tightly wrapped her wrist with some gauze, then secured it with tape. "There you go. Now it won't get infected."

"Thanks Tom," She smiled shyly. "Hey um, Ch-Chuckie?"

His heart skipped at her addressing him. "Yes?"

"Um, on-once I'm better, d-do you want to... get a hamburger?"

"You mean like... a date?"

She nodded. "Uh huh."

He let a shy smile grow. "I'd love to. But we don't have to wait. We can go whenever you're ready. Just call me."

"Will do." She stood up, and hugged him again.

Some time later, Shenzi met with Chuckie at the mall for their first, official date. "Shenzi, I-I'm glad you got over... you know what," He remarked as they ate their respective burgers.

"Me too," She smiled shyly.

"But like I said before, don't listen to Savannah or any of those mean girls, okay?"

"Okay." She blushed when he leaned forward, and gently kissed her cheek. She was wearing short sleeves, so the gauze was completely visible. She received a few stares, but ignored them, like how she was going to ignore any mean girls that tried to hurt her.

(A/N: Well, I hope this was good! You know the disclaimer.)