Family

NINETEEN

Time may heal the soul but scars will always remain.

Past || Leonardo

Sniffling, I wiped my tears as I gazed at my reflection in the bathroom attached to my dorm. A deep, crimson line ran down my eye and burned my skin even though the wound had been created only a few days ago. My hands itched to rub it but that would only make the pain worse.

I can't go out like this, what do I do?

Panic struck me and my breaths started coming out in pants. My chest tightened and the walls began closing in on me. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead as I collapsed onto the ground in a heap, wrapping my arms around my body, trying to comfort myself.

As I rolled back and fourth, I didn't register the figure entering the bathroom and kneeling down on the tiled floor next to me.

A hand gently touched my hair and I flinched, backing into the wall, trying to shield myself from whoever this was. The beatings here had begun on my first day and my body screamed in pain every time I moved.

"It's okay I'm not here to hurt you," A comforting voice soothed.

I raised my head slowly to be met with a pair of emerald eyes, shining with warmth. The woman cast me a small smile, slowly inclining closer to me.

"That cut looks pretty bad," She remarked," Should we get it patched up?

Shaking my head, I buried my face into my knees, hoping she would leave me alone.

"Child, you haven't left your room or attended any of your classes. You're lucky it's me who came and not the head of the school." She sighed.

"I'm Lisa and you're Leonardo yes?"

My lips remained shut at her question, not wanting to talk because I knew the moment I opened my mouth, my voice would give away what I was feeling and I would end in tears.

"How about I bring the school nurse over since you don't want to leave?" She coaxed.

Gingerly, I bought my head up and slowly nodded at her.

Lisa smiled at me and nodded before standing up and leaving. It only took a while before she came back with the school nurse. She gasped when she saw the state I was in and hurriedly got to work, gently cleaning my cut before placing ointment on it.

"It'll probably scar," The school nurse mumbled, her eyes held pity.

"Do we inform the head?" She questioned, glancing at Lisa who stood with a sorrowful expression plastered on her face.

Lisa shook her head," I'll take it from here thank you."

The nurse nodded before handing me a tub and instructed," Rub some of that on your wound every night before bed, it'll help with the swelling and any itchiness."

I nodded in appreciation and watched as she left, closing the door with a soft click.

"Want to tell me how you got that wound?" Came Lisa's soft voice.

Shaking my head, my eyes filled with tears once again at the question, memories resurfacing.

How could he? Was I that bad? They all hate me, all of them. I'll never get to see any of them again. I'll never get to apologise for hurting them, for making them hate me.

Sobs racked through my body as countless thoughts went through my mind.

I'm a mistake, I'm a mistake, I'm a mistake, I'm a-