A Thousand Miles and A Million Years

Chapter 11

Mae

13 Years Old

I look around the cafeteria slowly, chewing my lip hard as I try to find somewhere to sit since Mark was now in another school. I sigh and slowly make my way to an empty table, sitting down at the same pace. I pulled out my sketch book and flipped to an old sketch that could use more detail.

It was Billy Corgan singing and it was definitely my favorite work I've done. I move and darken the outline slowly as someone stands across from me. They slam their tray and I jump, my pencil sliding across the page. I move and frantically try to erase it as they laugh, their little click behind them joining.

"Aww, I messed up the shit stains drawing." She says in a mocking voice. I sigh under my breath when the voice pulls a name that happened to match the biggest bitch in the school's. I move and set my book under myself and keep my head down, my short hair covering my face. She scoffs and circles the table to me.

"J-Just leave me alone. Please." I whimper quietly. She laughs and grabs my hair, pulling my head back.

"What was that? I couldn't hear your whining ass." She hisses into my ear so the teachers wouldn't hear her. I shake my head and close my eyes, refusing to say anything else. "Oh, come on. Elmo got your tongue?"

I gasp in pain as she slams my head into the table and crosses her arms. I slowly pull my face away from the table, looking at the blood on it. She makes a sound of disgust and throws a napkin at my head. "Clean the table and get the fuck away from it. It's mine."

I nod and slowly clean it up before I grab my things, my hands shaking hard. I stand and quickly rush out of the cafeteria and into the bathroom. I lock the door and let myself cry hard, looking at my nose in the mirror. It seemed to be broken and I grab some paper towels and press them to my nose as I grab my phone, my hand shaking harder than before as I try to dial Mark's number.

After I manage to get it up and call it quickly, crying hard into the phone as he answers. "M-M-Mar-Mark?"

I hear him rushing around, the cafeteria loud over the phone. "Mae? What's wrong?"

I sob harder and shake my head. "I-I-I wan-want to leave. Please!"

He shakes his head and I can hear him rushing around. "What happened? Are you okay?"

I shake hard and shake my head, sniffling loudly. "I-I got - I got hurt! Please come get me!"

He sighs and I can hear a car starting in the background as my hands begin to tremble uncontrollably. "Where are you at school?"

I sniff hard and then begin to throw up into the sink, dropping my phone. I finish and rinse my mouth before I pick up the phone. "The - The bath-bathroom near the cafeteria."

He hangs up and I shake my head, crying harder as I try to stop my nose from bleeding. I wait a few minutes, the only sound I could hear was myself crying until someone knocks on the door. I stop and sniffle. "Mae, open up."

I move and crawl to the door quickly, pulling myself up to unlock and open the door. Mark moves and hugs me tightly, picking me up and grabbing my things before pulling me out of the school before we get noticed.

"What happened?" He whispers urgently as he sets me in his car's passenger seat and hands me a tissue. I sob and cover my nose, shaking my head.

"N-N-Noth-Nothing." I sob hard, shaking my head. He sighs and hugs me tightly.

"I'm bringing you to the hospital." He says and I shake my head quickly and look at him desperately.

"They'll call my parents!" I whisper. He curses and nods, kissing my head.

"My house then." He stands and shuts the door, walking and jumping into the drivers seat. I move and curl into the seat as he speeds to our houses quickly. I hold my nose with the tissue and slowly begin to calm down as Mark hugs me, parking the car in his driveway and pulling me out. "You're okay."

I nod and cling to him, tugging myself closer to him by his shirt as he hugs me and pulls me into his house. His mom looks up at us and frowns, walking to me. "What's wrong? What happened this time?"

I cringe at her last sentence and begin to cry again as Mark explained everything he knew. She nods and moves the tissue, checking my nose. "I-Is it broken?" Mark asks quietly.

She shakes her head and rubs my cheek. "No. Get her upstairs and clean her up."

He nods and picks me up better, walking me up into his room. I shake hard and cry silently now, looking down. He sighs and sits me on his bed, slowly cleaning my face up. I close my eyes as he rubs my cheek slowly.

"You should tell me what happened." He whispers. I shake my head and pull away slowly, rubbing my eyes. He sighs and sits beside me, hugging me to his chest. "Okay. Just lay here on me and get better."

I nod slowly and lean into his chest, staying quiet. He moves and runs his hands through my hair as he pulls us back and lays down, turning on his music.

"H-Hey, Mark?" I ask quietly after an hour or so. He moves and looks down slowly, smiling. I smile back lightly and kiss his cheek. "Thank you."