Saint Ambrose Academy: Unlikelies

10

NOVA

I woke up just a few hours after I finally fell asleep. I drew myself an ice bath needing to numb the pain that is all over. I lay in the tub, and sink myself into the water entirely, watching the world from under the water, letting it dull my senses. I screamed under the water, angry about the events of yesterday, angry because I was so weak. I scream until I can't anymore because I'd risk filling my lungs with water.

I hear a knock on the door bathroom door and Kai announces himself. I slowly get dressed to meet him outside of the bathroom and guide him to the balcony to sit with me.

"What are those bruises and scars? They weren't from just last night." He misses nothing and takes no chances of easing into the topic, instead choosing to confront me directly.

"I'm-m c-clumsy" I whisper under my breath and curse myself for stuttering.

"Bullshit," he raises his voice but then continues much calmer.

"That's bullshit Nova, look if you aren't comfortable talking to me, talk to someone. Please Nova, please you have to tell someone. However, or whoever is doing that to you, you need to tell, and you need to get away from it. If it's dance, if it's a person, you need to get away. Please." He was so desperately worried about me, he cared so much and I don't understand what I did to deserve this treatment from him.

"I'm trying Kai, you and I are the same age, you may even be older than me if you've already turned fifteen, I skipped a grade though, and I intend to skip again so I can leave here sooner. I know I can't keep this up I can't stay here, but I can't go home either it's worse at home. I can't go there, I just need to graduate and go far away from it all." I plead with him.

"I promise I'll tell someone but please I need to stay here till I graduate." I need him to accept this.

"Fine, but please, take my number, call me if someone so much as breathes on you the wrong way. Contrary to last night I can fight when the guys aren't ginormous." He offers me a smile, and I return the favor.

We talk for a little while and he gives me his number, he's the first friend I've made since Lia. I don't let my hopes get too high, since, making friends was only half the battle, and my track record showed it was keeping them that I was unsuccessful in.

Matteo texted me that Big J had been dealt with and that if I changed my mind about the doctors to text him. He's still oddly quiet, but I don't give it much thought because I want to keep whatever semblance of peace of mind remains intact within me.

I know that both Kai and Matteo have valid points in why I should go to the hospital or see a doctor. But frankly, I just can't risk being benched from dance or my volunteer work, because of my injuries. I need them, not only are they the only places I feel free, but I need them to enact my plan to graduate early.

After my talk with Kai, I got ready for the day, fully prepared to go to classes and training, and my volunteer program. I'm moving around slowly and I can't use my left wrist so I use the splint from when I sprained it last spring to stabilize it and keep it from accidentally bending. It's not the best but it's all I've got I need my left hand to take notes in class. My ribs I wrap tightly in an ace bandage and use concealer to hide any visible bruises on my arms, neck, and face. I add a little makeup and straighten my hair, trying to feel better about myself. Accepting that it's as good as it's going to get, I exit the bathroom, and leave through the back door of my dorm, not feeling ready to go back to the scene of the drama last night.

~

It's noon now and I'm beginning to think maybe coming to classes wasn't the best idea I'd ever had, I couldn't focus, the pain in my body so intense I'm seeing spots. But I stay there, in class, because I can't afford to miss any more days. This splint is kind of useless and I want to throw up from the pain of using my hand to write my notes.