Inviting the Virgin: Dealing With the Aftermath (Old Version)

Three :Getting Off Easy:

There was a light knock on my door. Of course I had heard the preceding foot-steps up the wooden stairs along the side of my apartment but I laid on my bed wondering if I could get away with ignoring it.

                     I hung my head off the bed letting it dangle in the space between it and my floor. Usually my hair reached the floor but now it barely flowed over the sheets. Glancing at the door I saw upside down Anna peering through the small window. On her tip-toed she barely viewed inside.

                     She knocked a second time, this time more persistent knowing that I was there.

                      "Come in," I sighed as I heard her reach for the key to open the door. Although rather annoying; it was a younger sibling's job to do so. At least mine was courteous to the do not enter rule.

                       "What happened?" Anna asked closing the door behind her.

                      I stared at her from my upside down position wishing I could steal the hair off her head.

                        I had spent the rest of my day at school avoiding everyone's awful glances and whispers. My eye had turned from red to a darkened shadow around the socket. My fat lip stung, split off to the side. But the worst of all was my hair. I had been growing it out for graduation and now I was forced to live with this short bob. I might have been able to handle it if I hadn't been pinned down and beaten during the process.

                     "I don't wanna talk about it," I insisted letting all the blood collect in my skull. I could feel the pressure building.

                       Anna, ignoring my harsh tone threw herself onto my bed, lying down beside me; her hair flowing and spilling onto the floor. She crossed her arms on her chest mimicking my posture as she laid there looking at me, probably contemplating if she could ask.

                      "Mom got a phone call from the school. She is pretty upset," she murmured.

                       I remember at the start of the day how Mr. Dom said my parents were going to be so proud of me when I got home for getting valedictorian. It's too bad that my only victory today was squandered by Nancy and her three R's. Now, instead of tonight being a celebration it was going to be filled with questions I didn't want to answer.

                       I could have easily told them that Sandra gave me a haircut once we got to school but explaining the black eye and bruised face, I don't think my parents would believe it. Neither of them were stupid and they cared about me, I knew that.

                       I let out a sigh pulling myself up onto the bed, resting on my elbows, "I just haven't figured out what to say to them yet." I looked at Anna who as well pulled herself up to rest on the bed. The vertigo made me dizzy as I settled myself.

                        Anna nodded her head as if she understood, "What did happen?" She questioned looking down at her thumbs, "Did Stella really hit you?" Her face only read concern although I knew she had heard everything else that was floating in the schools gossip fountain.