Waking up was the hardest part. It always was after any beating. It was almost as if you were fighting for your life but it was a lazy kind of battle. You were being pulled further under the warm and terrifying blanket of sleep. But you couldn't stay there you had things to do and number one on that list was to survive.

Survive

Why? It hurts.

...

Lazily you blinked open your eyes only to clamp them shut again. That dim hall light was shining too brightly for your taste. Again you opened your eyes and this time forced them to adjust. Slowly you lifted your head up off the ground.

A horrid smell hit your nose and you notice that you were laying in a puddle of dried barf. You shook it off.

Ouch

A crick was embedded deep in your neck from the odd position you had passed out in. Sitting up you ignored the flames eating away at what you subconsciously assumed was a cracked rib. As you adjusted to your new wounds you tried not to move your torso at all.

You went through a few movements, testing your arms and wiggling your toes. Seeing as your were fully functional you collapsed back onto the wall behind you. This action jarred your entire body and your cracked rib. You went to scream but thought better of it and sufficed with slamming your teeth into your tongue. A low whine left you as you tasted something warm and metallic. Closing your eyes you huffed sending even more pain through your chest.

Wheezing softly through your nose you checked the watch that you never took off. Being the nerd you were, the watch was a gadget of sorts. You had to twist the gold ring around it and the top would pop up. The inside contained the actual clock and a picture that was so very dear to you.

6:54

Looking into your room you saw that the sun was just rising. It was morning... School started at 7:30. Internally panicking you staggered your way to your feet, all the while your rib protesting. You grabbed a towel from the linin closet and quickly wrapped your head to get the barf dried hair away from your face. Quickly you made your way to the kitchen and flung the fridge door open.

Please be food, please be food, please be food!

You mentally begged. No the possibility of food was not for you but for the women passed out on the couch surrounded by beer bottles and hard liquor. You had to make her breakfast, after all she was your Mum, or that's the reason she gave you. You didn't see any benefit in it other than avoiding a beating.

Still searching the fridge you found spoiled milk, spilled orange juice, and...EGGS!

You ripped them from the fridge and giddily began to cook them, sunny side up, how she liked them. You were as silent as possible with only a few clanks here and there, but you were skilled in this art. If you could do one think right, it would be cooking.

You finished quickly and slipped her food into a not so dirty plate. On your way from the kitchen you grabbed a little too ripe apple and made it to the bathroom where you learned heavily onto the countertop. Turning on the cold water you lifted your shirt a little to see your new would. It was all blue, fading out to purple and then to red. Looking at it made it hurt more. You turned and inspected your back, the bruise wrapped all the way around, and...Oh look, your shoulder was also throbbing and purple.

Staring into the mirror, Shake it off, you told yourself. The wounds didn't make you feel any better. You put down your shirt again.

Next you looked at your damaged face...Face...FACE! OH SHIT, NO, NO, NONONONO! Tears sting your eyes as you looked at your bruised face. The right side of your face looked ass if you were hit with a brick. Tears streamed down and stung the cuts you had littered there.

Suck it up

And that's what you did. You swiftly turned away from the mirror, trembling lips held high, and turned on the shower. Not bothering to wait for it to heat, you stripped and plunged into the fridged stream of water.

Five minutes later you sprung from the now burning water and immediately shuffled to your room, whilst drying. Checking your watch again you saw the time

7:10

Quickly you threw on your cleanest hoodie and a pair of paint splattered jeans. You slipped on your "vans" and made your way to your single mirror. Looking at the bruise again you thought

I guess I'm going emo today

Grabbing your brush you quicky did up your hair in a horrible attempt to hide it. Grabbing some concealer you tried your best to cover the open cuts, hissing as you went.

Better

You thought as you revaluated yourself. Grabbing your backpack, and a duffle bag you slipped two small black and silver objects into the duffle, quickly you opened your window and jumped out, landing on the fire escape. Letting your window down you cracked it ever so slightly for later access.

No time to spare you flew down the many steps to the bottom and not even bothering with the ladder at the final step, you jumped and hit the ground running.

You made it to school in record time, albeit sweaty, panting, and aching. You stumbled to your locker, once again ignoring all of the gum wads and post it notes. You unlocked it quickly and shoved everything inside, including the duffle bag. Youo somehow ignored the pain coursing through your chest.

Checking your watch again you turned to head to class, but was stopped as you ran snack into someone. Looking up you saw the boy you ran into yesterday. " Hey there toots~" he said slyly, attempting to appear attractive.

"What do you want gappy?" You asked really uninterested in his attempt at flirting.

Laughter bubbled up behind him and you looked to see the red head as well. Raising an eyebrow you waited until she composed herself. "Haha- I told- haha- you-*gasp* she didn't- haha- want you*breathes* Casey"

"Casey..." You said trying out the name.

"At your service m'lady" he said once again appearing in front of you. He clasped your right hand and set to kiss it. You quicky pulled it away, wiping it on your hoodie, causing your rib to flame.

The red head snorted and smiled at you,"Sorry if we got off on the won't foot, yesterday included," she said referring to you mowing them over previously. She extended her hand, "Hi, my name's April O'Neill, and that moron over there is Casey Jones-" he cut her off

"Hokey extraordinaire, master of charm, good looks, the tamer of beautiful women, such as yourself, High School student by day, vigilante by night-oof" he ended his ramble there as April elbowed him in the ribs. You nearly collapsed at the thought of a pointy elbow jabbing you in the side. Back to April, she smiled too brightly, "Don't mind him, he's just a creative writer with childish fantasies."

... silence...

You all awkwardly stood there until you realized that April was analyzing you, more accurately, your face. Your eyes widen in realization "Hey is your fac-" you didn't hear her finish her question, because you had already bolted, down the hall, up the stairs and to your class. Breathing, you ignore the sharp flare ups , and checked your watch out of habit.

7:26

Earliest I've ever been

Your small victory didn't last long as you realized that the red hea-, no, April could tell that something was wrong. Checking your watch again your morning caught up with you and everything at once began to scream, it was going to be a long day.

At least I get to go do the thing after school.

And with that thought the bells rang, and the teacher began her lecture.

_
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