Clean

ten days

❀ ʚɞ Adeline ʚɞ ❀

January 10, 2005

Ten days.
It had been ten days since my world was turned upside down.

No one had noticed, or if they had they hadn't said anything. I'd spent the past ten days hiding in my room or in the dance studio.

Those were the only two places I felt safe.

"Addy!" My brother's voice came from the other side of my bedroom door, "We have to leave! We can't be late."

It was the first day back from winter holiday and I was dreading having to go. I felt like I was stuck outside of my body for the last ten days and I couldn't bear going to school.

"Yeah, I know," I called back, "I'll be down in a minute."

Applying a final layer of lipgloss, I tried to force a smile onto my face.

But I wasn't happy.
I was terrified, I was broken and I was dirty.

No matter how many showers I took, or how many times I washed my body, his hands were still on me. Holding me down on the mattress, telling me to keep my mouth shut or he'd kill me.

Taking five deep breaths, I pulled my school bag over my shoulder and my dance bag over the other and hauled arse out of my room and down the stairs.

"Finally," Johnny groaned, when I stepped outside, and flung open the rear passenger door.

"It takes time to be this beautiful," I joked, wondering if I would've said the same thing ten days ago.

Did I sound like myself?
Did people notice I was drowning?

"It sure does," Gerard turned around in the passenger seat and winked at me.

I climbed in the back seat and threw my bags next to me.

"Let's go," I sighed, waiting for Johnny to start the engine.

"Jesus," He rolled his eyes, "What's with the attitude?"

I don't know!
Your teammate just happened to rape me.

Those were the words I wanted to scream, but I instead muttered, "Sorry, I'm just so ready to see Grace."

Gracelyn Monroe or Grace, was my best friend in the entire world. She and I had met in fourth class when I transferred to St. Bernadette's from Dublin. We were both in ballet together and that had sparked up a friendship along with the fact that we were both pretty.

And not in a coincided way, but in an everyone always told us that way.

"How is Grace these days?" Johnny asked, his eyes looking at me through the rear view mirror, "She hasn't been by in a bit."

Because I knew she'd tell something was off with me, and I hadn't come up with a lie to tell her.

"She's good," I smiled, "We are both just busy."

"It's not been the same without you and Grace following us around all the time," Gerard frowned.

Gerard Gibson or Gibsie as everyone calls him, was my brother's best friend. They had been since they were in fifth class. The pair were basically joined at the hip and for as long as I can remember Gerard has been at every family event without fail.