SKYFALL, Johnny Kavanagh

No secrets

Maeve's Point of View

I got at school early like usual, but instead of coming to class I stayed outside.
I couldn't bare to have Shannon stressing over me for one more minute, so I just stayed seated under a tree until I felt like I could breathe again.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I entered the classroom.
They know something is wrong with you my head screamed at me and I ignored it.
I had enough problems without adding the rest of the world to the mix.

As I sat down, I could feel the skin under my make-up itching.
I wanted to disappear, to sink below the floor where no one could look at me and finally have some peace.
Had it not been for Shannon's relentlessness and for the fact that Tedy was at the house today, I would have stayed in bed.
But there was no chance in hell I was staying in that room while he was roaming around the house with anger brewing under the surface, I had learnt my lesson.

"Are you okay?" said Niamh who was next to me, snapping me out of my trance.
I hadn't even noticed she was here.

"Yes, just tired." I lied but she looked like she didn't buy it.
I didn't blame her.
I could feel the stiffness in my movements and the fact that I was trying my best not to look her in the eyes was probably not helping my case.
My whole body felt like one big bruise and my ribs ached every time I breathed.
Probably because Teddy kicked me there multiple times.

The rest of the class passed by in a blur, one second Niamh was sitting next to me, the other Johnny Kavanagh was.
I hadn't even registered it until Mr. Sullivan said something about a project to complete with the person we were sitting with, and I found his eyes instead of Niamh's.
Accepting the fact that I was screwed, I waited for the bell to ring and ran out of that class as fast as I could when it did.
That project was a problem for another day.

My body moved on autopilot.
I needed to get out.
To breathe.

So I ran to the bathroom, past a group of girls who looked at me weird for whatever reason, and locked myself in one of the stalls.

You're safe here I kept repeating to myself. You're safe.

But my body didn't seem to get the message because I couldn't seem to stop shaking.

As I could sense panic taking over the rest of my body my cell vibrated in my pocket.
I took it out and saw a message from Niamh.

The better twin
Where are you?

I couldn't ignore it, she'd worry so I used what bit of sanity I had left to reply.

In the bathroom, I needed some air.

The phone chimed again.

Do you want me to come with you?

I stared at the message for a long instant before replying.

Yeah.

I couldn't tell anyone about what had happened.
If I did, it would reach Joey.
I couldn't tell Shannon, Aoife or Casey about what my uncle had done to me on Monday, about what he had carved into my skin.
Gibsie and Johnny both knew my brother and would tell him about something like this, not to mention the fact that they would call the police on Teddy.
But what about Niamh?

Are you okay? She texted again

I'm fine.

I felt like I was about to explode.
I had to tell someone.
But I couldn't.
The raw burn of the T etched into my skin flared up, and I felt my grip on the little bit of calm I had left slip away.