She Hides Behind a Smile

The Difference

"Natalie-"

"Present." She answered hoarsely.

The teacher scanned over Natalie, noticing her face being covered with a hood. A sigh befell from her lips, and she walked over to her desk.

"Sweetheart. Take off the hood." The teacher stated softly.

Natalie shook her head and looked down, flinching and leaning away after the teacher reached for her hood. Natalie whimpered as she felt her shoulder being grabbed, the principal having walked into the classroom.

"Miss Briggs. My office please. This instant."

Natalie nodded without a word, and she stood up. She scooted around the teachers and students, doing her best to keep them from seeing her limp and her swollen left ankle. The principal followed behind her with a raised eyebrow. He watched her walk, and then noticed her flinching and reacting nervously whenever she touched a locker or someone touched her.

Once they got to his office, he made her sit beside his desk as he pulled out a folder. It had pictures it in from the day Wendell ambushed her in the library. Natalie went pale at this, and then turned away with her head down. She felt ashamed and disgusted for it, and she tightly gripped the sleeves of her jacket.

"Natalie. You've always been a good girl with no suspensions of bad conduct... but I've noticed a decline. You don't talk to anyone, and you haven't smiled in months. You always wear a hood, and now, I see that you've been doing mischievous things inside of my school building. If I find something like this again, I'll have to bring another punishment down upon you like your uncle has asked of me."

Natalie sat quietly while he spoke to her, and tears rolled down her bruised cheeks. She nodded, and she put her hands into her lap and closed her thighs tightly.

"I-I'm sorry sir.. I won't ever do s-something like this again.." Natalie whispered.

The principal nodded at her and put the files away. He then sighed, and he began unbuckling his belt. Natalie gulped, closing her eyes tightly as she expected him to push her over his desk and have his way with her body. Instead, he gently pat her on the head before wrapping the belt around her neck tightly.

"It better not happen again... and if anyone finds out about this, I'll make sure the entire school knows what a little whore you are for your boyfriend.." He growled into her ear angrily.

Natalie was gasping for air, her hood falling off her face as her head was yanked back by the belt. Her face was covered in bruises and scratches, and her salty tears stung in her open wounds. The principal loosened the belt as soon as he saw her face, and he took the belt from around her neck.

"Oh hell.. so you get into so much trouble that your uncle has to beat you this bad?" He asked.

Clearly he had been fed a many lies, being told she was a trouble maker that needed constant disciplining. He reached to touch her face, and she whimpered in terror as she leaned back so hard she fell out the chair. A soft whimper came from her again as she landed on her wounded back, and she rolled over on her side starting to cry.

"I-I'm sorry sir!" Natalie said instantly while she got on her feet.

The principal was shocked, watching as she could barely keep herself standing. She looked down at the floor, scared to make eye contact with him. She thought he would glare down at her, making her feel insignificant and small. Instead, he pulled her into a gentle hug and ran his fingers through her long black hair. Natalie yelped when he did so, thinking he was about to hurt her again. Her eyes were closed tightly as she covered her face in a defensive posture.

He sighed. Obviously from her behavior, she had been abused. Of course, none of the teachers thought to pay attention since she kept to herself all the time. And once she lost all her friends, her teachers suggested that she had done something to drive them away from her. So, they told off her behavior to her uncle and the principal, assuming she had become a troublemaker due to her hood. Lo and behold her uncle went along with the assumptions and lies, then used it against her. There was a huge difference between the lies, and how Natalie really acted.

"Natalie... please forgive me-"

"I-It's fine sir! Please don't apologize I don't deserve it..." Natalie quickly pulled away from him, her skin pale as she looked down.

"Natalie your uncle-"

"D-Don't tell him! Please I'm sorry!" She closed her eyes tightly, expecting to be slapped across the face.

The principal put his hand over her mouth gently, and he used his other to gently rub her cheek. Natalie flinched as he touched her battered face, and she whined in pain.

"There's a huge difference between punishment and abuse Natalie. From the looks of it, you've been abused too much. I'm so sorry." He said and pulled away from her. "You can leave early for the day or stay in my office. You're welcome to sweetie. And I won't tell your uncle about this. That's a promise."

Natalie slowly backed away and nodded, not sure if she actually believed him. She grabbed her things and began limping away, crying softly to herself. She pulled her hood back over her face, her gaze at the floor. Natalie began waking down the street, limping really down the street. Just as she was walking, she bumped into someone.

A soft shriek of fear left her lips as a hand was reached down to her, and she slowly looked up at the person. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw Wendell, and she started scooting backwards from him. Wendell sighed as she scooted away, since she hadn't seen him since their incident in the library and the few weeks after. Natalie couldn't stand long enough on her ankle, and she scooted back against a wall. Her hands were bleeding and scraped, and Wendell kneeled down to her.

"Natalie I'm sorry... I think we should break up. You're just not the right girl for me anymore."

Natalie gulped and nodded, and she shrieked in fear again. He had grabbed her by her hoodie and pulled her onto her feet again. He slapped her as hard as he could across the face and huffed, knocking her out before picking her up bridal style in his arms. Wendell then grabbed her things and began to walk down the street to his house.

"You're not the right girl for me... you're the perfect girl. And I'm sorry for what I've done. There's a difference... and a reason why I did what I did. Hopefully you'll understand in the future Natalie." Wendell whispered.

His words were faint to Natalie, but she heard him as she was unconscious in his arms.

"There's a difference... what's the difference in being worthless and a complete failure? There isn't one.." Natalie said to herself in her head.