One Thousand Faces

Four

CHAPTER FOUR

For whatever reason, the beginning of the school year just loved to go by at a very slow pace. It was quite irritating, especially since it was my last year of high school and all I wanted to do was graduate and get the hell out of my father's house. I would no longer be his problem and most certainly will no longer me mine. Maybe even then I could tell my mother of the abuse? But just as soon as the idea came it was gone, and the fear of her finding out caused a huge lump to form in my chest.

School was the same, home was the same, everything was just the same. John continued with his abuse, even though he's actually been holding back on quite a few things and I think I could thank his workload for that. Brandy has still been trying to get me to warm up to her, which has probably been the most irritating thing in these past three weeks. It was like an annoying fly that just won't die, or move out of your face.

On nights when my father would work late she'd always come peeking in asking me several questions, such as if I wanted to watch a movie, or play a game, which sounded very ridiculous to me.

"Hey Cam," she said one night, as she peeked into my room with a small smile on her face. By then, her bruises were gone and her and my father were once again on good terms. That would probably last for at least another good three to six months before my father decided she needed another good beating.

I let out a loud sigh, purposely trying to get her to see she was bothering me, but either she didn't realize what I was getting at or just ignored it. Her smile continued to sit on her lips as I started to speak. "Yes? I'm a bit busy if you can't tell..."

She continues to ignore my irritable attitude and laugh quietly to herself. "Homework I see, for which class?"

I give her a look, to which she also ignores. I turn around in my chair and continue to look down at the blank homework sheet. "Calculus."

I hear her let out a light gasp before her feet begin to shuffle across the carpet, indicating she was making her way towards me. I stiffen when she places her hand on top of my shoulder. I can feel her presence behind me, and her breathe slightly fans my ear as she leans over my shoulder to get a look at the work I'm doing.

She hums a bit to herself before I hear her tongue cluck against the roof of her mouth. "Um...you need any help bud? Looks like you're struggling just a bit. You know, back when I was your age in high school, I was the math wizard of my class. Too bad I sucked at almost every other subject."

She begins to laugh, I guess trying to make light of the situation or because she actually thought her trip down memory lane was funny? Whatever it was, it annoyed me a thousand times more.

I simply stated, "I don't need help."

Her laughter then began to die down once those words left my mouth. "Are you sure, you haven't even written your name on the paper yet hun?"

My eyes narrowed, my blood was starting to boil and I honestly was very close to blowing up on her. I could slowly feel my hands balling into tight fists, digging into my flesh, as I brought them up to rest on the sides of my head. One of my elbows resting on my desk slightly moved a bit, causing the worksheet to wrinkle in the corner.

"Come on let me help, I'm actually very good at this Cammy-" she started to say as she reached for the wooden pencil lying next to my elbow.

Before her hand could reach the pencil, my hand quickly caught hers in a tight grip causing a loud squeal to escape from her lips. My neck quickly whips around as my face contorts to an angered one that is scrunched up so tight it feels like my skin could tear. My voice is low and very foreign as I growl at her. "Don't you ever call me that name again. Why don't you stop trying to be somebody you're not and conceive your own child!"