Secrets You Bleed

ℍ𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪

The next day I found myself back in the same classroom waiting for it to be over. I opened my book and started writing.

The paint strokes filled the canvas, it was filled with as much pain as her heart. She stepped back to look at what she had created. Rage filled her heart as flipped the painting and smeared paint all over it. She lay by the canvas for hours crying, thinking about him. Her heart craved him, but she knew she could never be with him. Her husband walked into the room. To her, he was just a body, no face, no words the band on his finger a cage she was trapped in.

"Pick up this mess," he said and then walked away. Like a cup overflowing her heart exploded as she stormed out of the house the doors swaying behind her as if saying goodbye to her. She got in her car and pressed on the gas, her vision blurred by her tears."I'm coming Tristan!"

"Stuck in your own little world again ms.l/n?"

I jerked my head up out of my book closing it immediately. I pulled it towards my chest before she snagged it from my hands. "HEY-" I yelled cut off by her words, "you can get this back when you turn in your late work. I suppose that would finally give you something to do in this class that some people actually have to pay for." She glared at me. I was furious, I felt my blood boiling. "Give. It. Back." I said, noticing the scene I was beginning to create. All eyes were on us and neither of us seemed to let it faze us. I stood up and her response was to turn around and walk away. I swung my head back and let out a loud groan admitting defeat and mumbling curse words into my desk.

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Mystery POV

The bell had rung which meant my free time was over. I walked out of the library and towards my class, I looked at my watch and thought to myself, this might be the first time I'll be early to a class. The halls were swamped and people moved from one location to another. I made it into the classroom when I saw y/n having a heated conversation with my teacher.

"Maybe focus on your schoolwork like I said and you'll get it back." She said to her smugly.

"I'm an adult you can't just take things from me like this is grade school!"

"Well I'm sick of you taking this class for granted, there are people who want to be here and here you are taking up a slot for someone who might actually want a career in this field."

Her hands balled into fists and she turned around making eye contact with me before looking away and storming off.

"What was that about?" I asked her

"A spoiled rich girl getting put in her place that's what." She said bluntly. I couldn't put my finger on why that made me so upset but for some reason it did. I sat at my desk and pulled out my notebook when I glanced over at the teacher again.

What did she take from her?

I moved my attention back to her desk and saw the notebook, the same one she dropped in the hallway. I remember the blush that consumed her face, it makes me laugh thinking about it. I stood from my seat and moved to the front of the class, a desk right next to the teacher's desk. Once the class started I waited until the students poured in and the class finally started. For about 30 minutes I took notes on the lecture doodling little nothings on the corner of the paper.

"Alright, this is all the information you're going to need for the assignment, I leave the rest in your hands. If you need any questions answered you can ask me after I return from the restroom." She walked out of the room the door closing behind her. When I heard it click, I waited for a second then stood up and walked over to her desk picking up the book as if it belong to me, a couple of students gave me weird looks but I brushed them off and put the book in my bag. Just in time too as she returned a few seconds later. The rest of class went by fairly fast and soon I found myself in the library again. I looked around to ensure the coast was clear and pulled out the book.

The book had a leather case with spiral engravings and roses littering the corners. On the spine was y/n's name in a beautiful cursive font. I debated opening the book, I knew it was an invasion of privacy but maybe there was information inside that would clue me in on how to return it to her. I could also just hold onto it until I see her again, but I don't know when that would be. I'm just making excuses at this point I know what class she has I could just find her after that class tomorrow. I had to admit it to myself finally, I want to look.

I opened the cover to be greeted by a sketch of a hand drifting so effortlessly. I flipped the page to find her handwriting and what looked like water stains. As I read the text it became more apparent that they were from tears. I placed my fingers on the watermarks and felt a pang in my heart as I read the text.

It happened again, he hit me. I shouldn't be surprised it's just something I should get used to. I'm an object something to be sold off. Apparently, my price tag is on clearance for his stupid business. When I graduate it's over, my life is over. I don't know what Im going to do. I could never love anyone but him, even if he doesn't love me. The only thing in my life I have control of is the words in this book and yet I still see a world in which it will be taken away from me. I feel like I'm going to puke. I can't stop thinking about marrying a stranger and having to... I can't even write it down, I can't do that not with anyone but him.

I flipped through more pages finding short stories scattered in between her spilling her heart out. She talks to the journal like it's a person like she has no one else to talk to about it. The further I got the more I felt my face contort. She began talking more frequently about killing herself and hurting herself. Writing different ways she'd accomplished doing so without anyone noticing. Giving herself poke and stick tattoos, drinking herself sick, starving herself. I had to stop myself when she described the 30 minutes she spent with a loaded gun in her lap. I threw the book back in my bag and ran to the parking lot. From across the street, I saw the bus stop. It was loading its passengers when I saw her step on. I ran as fast as I could trying to reach the woman that would be my wife when she graduated.