Invisible

Marie -15

Every breath I took was difficult. I shot up from my position in bed, sweat covered my body. What had just happened? I searched for my mum and brother in the darkness. I could see them lying fast asleep in bed, unaffected by my sudden outburst. Pulling myself out of the bed, I walked to the small bathroom and splashed my face with cold water. I glanced over at the small clock that was dimly lit up. I struggled to make out what time it was but it was definitely past half past 6. I'd need to get ready for school soon, I thought as I pulled the duvet back on me. I layed with my face staring at the ceiling. I shut my eyes, but couldn't seem to get to sleep. What was the point? I'd need to be up in thirty minutes. My eyes locked onto a point on the ceiling that was slightly illuminated by a little light escaping the wall that was the curtain. My brain processed everything that had been going on. I guess it wall started to go down hill that day at school. When was that? Two weeks ago? I'd lost track. Everyday felt like a decade. A decade of waiting and boredom and anxiety. A decade full of fear, not knowing what could happen next. That's probably what scared me the most. The fact that so much could change in a single second. My dad may not wake up, ever. That would surely change everything. Mum would be different. And not a nice 'different'. She'd be quiet and wouldn't smile, unless it was fake. I'd probably have to look after Alex mostly. Mum would have to get a job. I was doing this again. My mind took the best of me. It took hostage my feelings and emotions and I felt a stabbing pain in the back of my throat and stomach as a cool salty tear flooded my eye. I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout so loud. I didn't care if anyone could hear me. I wanted this all to end. Or did I just want me to end? I rolled around, plunging my face in the flimsy pillow and let it all out. My mouth opened wide, like I was about to bite into a burger. No sound came out, which I guess was good since my mum and brother were fast asleep in the bed next to me. I got up, again, and crept back to the bathroom to sit on the toilet. I caught a glance of my face. It was a crimson red and shiny. My eyes looked like they were covered with rivers of blood. I bit hard into the side of my lip. I felt the skin start to rip and blood entered my mouth, but it stopped me from crying. It felt like forever until my face had completely cleared up, but I heard no noise coming from the room next to me. As I opened the door slowly, the light that flooded the room blinded me. I quietly looked through my bag for my phone. The colours entered my eyes and I saw the time appear.

"09:57!" I gasped in my head... if that's even possible. I'd been in that bathroom for like two hours and my mum wasn't awake. School started an hour and half ago. My mum is not the sort of person to allow me to not go to school but she was still fast asleep, holding my brother in her arms.

Suddenly, her limp body shifted around and her head turned to my gaze. Her mouth started to open, licking her dry lips and started whispering,

"Good morning, Marie."

I lifted up my hand to create a sort of wave.

She lifted Alex off her arm and got out of bed. Her slick black hair was pulled back into a messy pony-tail. She was still in yesterday's clothes and a fresh cut was painted across her smooth face. She was actually quite pretty. I've never noticed that. The cut on her face that had dried up blood around it actually made her look quite like a badarse. I'd never seen her like this. She seemed hurt but was acting all strong.

"What time is it?" she asked as she walked into the bathroom.

"Ten."

"Oh my god." She had noticed the massive scratch across her face. She dabbed at it with her fingers and flinched.

"How did it happen?" I questioned. There was no point in asking. I don't know why I did. I was there. I saw it all. My head shot over to the double bed as we both heard grunts coming from it. A little boy sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Hi honey!" my mum smiled and gave him a massive hug.

"Where are we?" He searched his surroundings. A worried look was plastered across his face.

"Well," my mum loosened her grip on his waist, "We're at the hotel." she smiled.

"Oh yeah," he looked up, as if searching around in his brain. He flopped back under the duvets and snuggled up next to the plain white pillow. My mum started scrolling through her phone, her eyes opened wide.

"Oh my! The time!" she stopped for a second, "I'll just tell your school you'll be a little late. They'll understand." She walked over to the bathroom, her phone up to her toasted-almond coloured lips.

I pulled off my clothes and put on my crumbled white shirt and blue skirt. I started brushing my knotted hair and let it loose. It's not like it was long, it was only just above my shoulders, sticking down as straight as a sheet of paper. It's not like my mum's hair. Hers is a glossy jet black colour that covers her shoulders like a wave of water on the beach. I got dad's plain brown hair and brown eyes.

An hour and a half later, we actually got into the car for school. It was now almost 12. We threw the bags inside the car and made our way to school.

We first drove over to Alex's primary school. My mum walked in with him and left me alone in the car. Presumably to tell the office people about why we are late. I don't think it'll surprise them though, surely 70 percent of our town has heard what happened since this sort of thing never happens. And those remaining 30 percent are probably newborn babies and people who are still asleep... at 12 o'clock. Our car was parked up in front of a massive pastel yellow wall. I had not gone to that school for a while now. All the memories flooded back to me. Meeting Carlotta, doing tests and having the Year 6 leavers pizza party. I couldn't help feeling a strange feeling of melancholy, realising how happy and carefree I had once been. I was forced out of my self-pity session as I noticed my mum walk over to the car.

"Let's go to school!" she smiled.

I returned the smile. It was as fake as her.

I trudged into the wide front doors. A couple of the older kids that were near some lockers glanced at me. I was the weird twelve year old kid who's dad was in a coma because he'd been stabbed in her family home. I ignored them all and just kept my head down. I walked down to my locker and pulled out some exercise books for my next lessons.

I got to the class and turned around the scratched door knob. I saw 24 pairs of eyes look at me like I was a unicorn parding in a small village. It felt like I had shrunk and was being trodden on.

They all knew what happened.

They must've.

Help me.

"Hi sorry I'm really late," I muttered. I lifted up my hand to form some sort of pathetic wave in the direction of Carlotta. She looked up from her work and smiled. I dropped my bag down next to my desk and sat down. The french teacher walked over to my table and put down a sheet of paper with the work.

"If you need help, just ask," he said.

I pulled out my pencil case with the letter 'M' keyring. I clicked my pen and attempted to translate the French sentences. I wasn't the best at french but I wasn't the worst but the letters were soaring across the page. I couldn't focus. I glanced at the boy next to me and copied his first sentence. He shot me a death glare.

The bell rang for break. Everyone rushed off, ignoring the teacher calling out about homework due for Monday. I slowly packed my bag and saw Carlotta make her way towards me.

"Hi."

"Hey Marie. How are you?"

I don't know, honestly.