Invisible

Carlotta - 16

NFW - sorry this is so short!

Have you ever just randomly started crying because you have been holding all of these emotions for so long and you've been pretending to be happy for too long?

I had to tell her. She made me. Well, that's not actually true, she wanted me too and I did. It would make things easier. I knew there would probably be some sort of court case. My mum asked me to tell her all about what happened. Just so she could tell someone... like a lawyer I guess.

Well, are there court cases for what happened? Was it abuse? I mean it did go on for a while, I guess. And he did hurt me. Emotionally and physically. He is the reason for my black eye and multiple bruises since my parents divorced. I guess since I was eight-ish then.

"Please, just tell me. Tell me everything," she got me a drink of squash and a bowl of crisps. She smiled and pulled out a notebook. It was like I was at a therapy session.

The next hour was full of tears and awkwardness. Flashbacks took my head by storm. The swearing. The slapping. The screaming. The pain. She kept an emotionless face throughout the whole thing, every now and again scribbling something down on a little notepad. It was quite off putting, honestly.

So yeah, that's what got me there, sniffing every second and tears falling down my flushed face. I was smothered by my mum's soft arms.

We'd finished. She told me I didn't have to do any of my homework. My mum said that she'd email my teachers explaining the situation. I just nodded but inside I wanted to die. Why? Why would she tell my teachers? They'd act differently, like pretending to favourite me. They don't. To them, I'm just another troubled kid whose parents can't afford housing, let alone decent schooling. The teacher's don't care. All throughout my first year there, this boy in year 10 was being bullied to the point where he actually jumped into the frigid sea from a 40 metre cliff edge and miraculously survived. He has since then transferred to some expensive private school when his parents realised. That's just an example! There must be so many other unknown stories from kids who have suffered and can't speak up! Me! These people don't care. The only reason we are there is to learn, graduate then drown into the abyss of bankruptcy and alcohol! Just speaking the truth.

I went into the bathroom and dabbed my eyes. I splashed cool water on my face and walked across the hallway to go to my room. I slumped my restless body on my baby pink duvet and picked up my book from the side of my pillow. Reading always makes me feel better. Or my violin. Except that's at my dad's. Like some of my clothes, books, toys and possessions. I know you're not meant to become attached to materialistic items but I'm a thirteen year-old-girl whose most prized thing is her signed copy of a third edition of a Harry Potter book.

I became so engrossed in my copy of Persuasion by Jane Austen , I didn't notice the time when my mum came into my room.

"Wanna watch a movie?" she said softly, walking over to me, stroking my now sticky face. I was confused, tomorrow was Friday, meaning I would go to school?

"But, it's school tomorrow?" I sat up and placed my bookmark in my book.

"Don't worry, you can lie in on Saturday!" she winked and pulled me out of bed. A wide smile appeared on my face. She always makes me feel better.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The microwave was signalling for us to get the popcorn out. My mum was dressed up in her pastel yellow onesie and I was in my matching light purple one. I took out a packet of sweets from the cupboard. I didn't care what people thought. I didn't care if Skye or my dad thought I was fat. I didn't care. I was half happy and that's better than nothing. We flicked through the endless selection of films.

"What d'you want?" my mum said, focusing closely on the buttons. I shrugged and sunk into the plump.

"Ooo! Something scary!"

"Okay!" I exclaimed. I sat up properly.

Someone was killed. Stabbed.

Another person screamed. The eerie scream echoed in my lounge. Was that the fear Marie felt when she saw her dad?

Oh.