Broken

Chapter 1

"Ms. Lopez, am I interrupting something? Or is my lesson perhaps not intriguing enough to keep your attention?". I snapped my head up from my drawing pad. My anxiety rose as grins grew across my peers' faces. A few kids began to chuckle. "You must learn to stay focused Nicole. Or you will never get anywhere in my class, let alone life."

I feel like school has been a

skipping record for the past couple of months. Draw. Zone out. Scrape by with grades. Deal with mom. Blend in...

Nothing's wrong.

Ever since dad walked out on us, the last bit of academic motivation I seemed to have left flew out the window. Now all I do is zone out and imagine myself anywhere but in a class full of kids who can't even acknowledge my existence long enough to figure out why they hate me so much. Usually I wish I was with my dad...

Typical.

I mean he didn't want to leave me. It was him and mom's relationship. I remember staying up countless nights when I was in middle school listening to them fight. The fights had been about me on more than one occasion. Both of them always worked too much to actually spend time with me so they'd play the blame game for hours on end. All of the holes my dad had made and filled in the walls.

It made me feel horrible... And he knew it.

So he left me with his wooden artist's easel...

...his old t-shirt...

...a necklace I haven't taken off to this day, and was on his way. Never looking back.

That day after school, I walked home with Anthony. I eyed my hightop Converse as we trudged down the pavement. "Are you okay?" Anthony blurted out. "Uh... Yea I'm fine." I gave him a small smile and continued walking. We continued down the road until a sudden tug at my arm made me stop in my tracks.

"Listen, I know you don't like asking for help or admitting that something's wrong... But this is different", he spoke softly yet sternly with his gray eyes staring roughly into mine, my arm still in his grasp, "I'm your brother. You know you can tell me anything."

A beat passed as I debated on wether or not I should confide in him. "Yea... I know Ant." No. I wouldn't worry him with my bullshit. I need to figure things out on my own.

"Thanks."