New beginnings

|9| Strange

- Madeline-

"Madeline, do you want breakfast?" Mom's voice floated up the stairs, followed by a knock on my bedroom door.

I groaned, rolling over and pulling the blanket over my head. My throat felt dry, my head buzzing faintly from last night.

"Madeline," she said again, this time opening the door. Her footsteps were soft as she walked in. "We haven't seen much of you lately. Are you okay?"

I peeked out from under the blanket, blinking at her. She was wearing one of her usual work blouses, already dressed and polished for her day.
"I'm fine," I mumbled, sitting up reluctantly. "Just tired."

Mom sighed, crossing her arms. "Well, Juliet and Julian are coming over for dinner tonight, and you need to be there. No excuses."

"Fine," I said, brushing hair out of my face. "I'll be there."

"Thank you," she said softly. Then, as she turned to leave, she added, "Make sure you eat something before school, okay? You'll feel better."

The door shut behind her, leaving me alone in the stillness of my room. I didn't bother to get up right away.

At school, I couldn't focus. The sound of pencils scratching against paper and murmured conversations blurred into static. My leg bounced under the desk, my fingers twitching against my jeans. By the time lunch rolled around, I didn't bother heading out to my usual spot behind the school.

Instead, I found myself in the bathroom, locking the stall door behind me. My hands moved automatically, pulling out the small baggie I'd hidden in my hoodie pocket. It was like second nature now, the way I poured out the line on the flat surface of my phone.

I bent down, inhaling sharply, and let the burn rush through me. The hum in my brain grew louder, drowning out everything else-the stress, the noise, the fear. For a moment, it was enough.

But then, out of nowhere, the memory of the night Dylan raped me and my escape to the bathroom came running back.

I was spiraling.

I didn't know how long I stayed there, curled up on the floor of the stall, my back pressed against the cold metal wall. Time felt slippery, like it didn't exist at all.

A knock at the door startled me, jerking me out of my haze.

"Madeline?" a voice called gently. "Are you in there?"

I scrambled to clean up, shoving the baggie back into my hoodie and wiping at my face. When I unlocked the door, I was met with Miss Laura, her eyes wide with concern.

Before I could say anything, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. The hug caught me off guard, and for a second, I froze.

"It's going to be okay," she said softly, her voice steady and warm. "Whatever it is, you're going to be okay."

My chest heaved as I tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill. "I'm fine," I whispered, but my voice cracked, betraying me.

Miss Laura didn't let go. "No, you're not," she said gently. "And that's okay too. You don't have to be fine all the time."

I don't know how long we stood there, her arms wrapped around me, but I didn't pull away. I didn't know how much I needed this hug until she gave it to me.

When she finally stepped back, her hands stayed on my shoulders. "You didn't show up to class, so I went looking for you. Are you sure you're okay?"

My cheeks burned with shame, and I looked away. "I'm so sorry," I said quickly, the words tumbling out. "I swear I'll try harder."