Sadie, Someday...

Chapter 3 - Wretched Reminders & Broken Skin

Chapter 3
Wretched Reminders & Broken Skin

A/N - Picture to the side is of Tally :)

“I don't mind it, I don't mind if you're overrated, Or if you're staring at the edge of the world. But keep in mind that I'm a sore eye, with blurry vision but I can see, yeah it has to be you love, that I've been dreaming of. And if we climb this high, I swear we'll never die.” ~ My Understandings – Of Mice & Men

“I’ll see you tonight?” Caden asked, giving me that knowing and soft glance.

“Always,” I nodded, my face still impassive as it always had been. He kissed my head gently before walking down the hallway. On the way, I watched as he sauntered into that walk of his and high-fived a few friends of his. The girls watched with lust in their dark eyes as he grinned softly at them and waved at a few.

I swallowed almost audibly and started down the hallway slowly. My lungs already felt tight and the need to run flowed through to my legs. This place scared me more than it should any person my age. The shrill fear was so potent that it made the hair on my arms stand on their ends, goosebumps lining my pale skin. I clenched my hands into small fists, the nails digging into my palms, as I walked to my locker. Everyday, I felt as though I was being watched. It always seemed as though I was walking around with a large target on my back, just begging to be tortured.

All of the taunting and carrying on started well before middle school. I was the girl with the frizzy brown locks and freckles more than evident on her cheeks. Far from the other girls in my classes, I dressed in ragged hammy downs at first. They would point and laugh as I walked into class each morning, making fun of the dirt stains stuck in my jeans and the distressed ends of my t-shirts. When middle school finally approached, I managed to borrow some of my sister’s current wardrobe without her noticing. None of that made things better, because they still looked too big on me and I was still the girl who seemed physically larger and more prominent than those around me.

I wasn’t even sure I could make it past the double doors on the first day of high school. Growing up in such a small town, every one in the county knew my siblings and everything they had accomplished so far. They were the popular ones by the time I made it to their school, but Isla never bothered to call off the bullying and the abuse. She was far too busy juggling her extra-curriculars, school work and friends to notice what was happening to me. Mason was too busy with football and parties, but he did notice that something was bothering me when I started wearing looser clothes and long sleeves.

“Sadie Monroe,” her cryptic, fairly skin crawling voice made me jump at my place in front of my locker door. I almost dropped the books in my hands, pulling them tightly against my chest to build some kind of wall to make her leave.

“What’s wrong? You’re looking a bit pale today,” she urged, the small grin taking over her face as she sensed the fear coming from my now shaking hands. “So,” she continued, throwing her long blonde hair over her shoulder and keeping her eyes steady on mine. “How’s Caden?”

“He’s…fine,” I swallowed, bringing the books further to my chest and backing against the lockers as she approached me, closer this time. My eyes slid shut when my back hit the cool metal, signaling that I had no escape this time.

“Remember that little talk we had before? Or should I say…multiple times before?” she asked, her heavily done eyes emitting delight as she watched me cower. “I told you to back off of Caden, didn’t I?”

I nodded. “But Tally, we’ve been friends for years…” I trailed off, my heart picking up the pace when she was just inches from my face. Her well-manicured nail came into view when I opened my eyes once again.