I Watched You Drive By

Scarlett

I thought I was safe, that if I had just gotten home, everything would be alright. I would be alright. That the events from today would stay at the back of my conscious.
Why am I always wrong?
Getting home made nothing better. In fact, it made everything worse.

The whole day I was waiting for the last bell to ring, to let me out, to let me get home quickly before the storm began. I endured the notes day in Psychology, because it was way better than find a partner day.
The loud ticks of the clock made everything quieter than it normally was. The whole day, everything had been silent, like we were all waiting for something terrible to happen. I knew what was coming for me. I was never fast enough.

I bumped into someone on my way out of class. I didn't bother to look up or apologize, I just kept on running. I had to get home.
The rain started just as I made my first mistake. I ran smack into a Cadwell Prep student, one of blonde girls who, no matter what the weather was, was always chewing gum. She always stood with her Cadwell friends outside our school lines to make fun of us. Their school let out an hour earlier than ours did and they always had free time. So I was well aware of the CP kids, which is why I was running. I was running to avoid them, but like always, I ended up catching their attention.
They snickered as the first raindrop hit me in the face.
The blonde's personal sneer for me etched back onto her face. "Why are you always in a hurry?" She raised a dyed eyebrow, which was a different color every week. This week it was yellow; not blond but yellow eyebrows. You can imagine the surprise on face every time I see her, something that she takes as jealousy. "Is public school that terrible?" She pouted and her friends laughed like it was one of the most amusing things in the world.
Two more fat raindrops dropped against my face.
I hardly opened my mouth before the kid behind me pushed. I fell forward and caught myself into a crouch. Yellow eyebrows pushed me in the other direction and I was down. As soon as my body hits the floor, the others close in and my recurring nightmare begins.
I fall and no one helps me as I'm being kicked at. Sadly, it's not my first time in this nightmare. I inhale and lie on the dirty ground as the rich kids take their turns.

I thought I was fast enough today. Why am I always wrong?
The rain went from drops to a shower sooner than expected. The Cadwell Prep kids ran for their cars, leaving me on the ground. The rain was so instantaneous that I was already wet from head to toe in my T-shirt and jeans.
I struggled to get up. My left leg had been stepped on and it brought unimaginable pain shooting up my whole body.
I have to get home.
Ignoring my limp and pain, I ran as fast as I possibly could toward home.
On days like this, finding a place to escape the storm was hard.

My second mistake took place at home. My home, my own home, wasn't safe. I knew that as soon as I walked in.
There were items thrown everywhere. After taking off my jacket, I slowly made my way toward the living-room, keeping my eye out for any movement. The place looked like an annoying tornado went through it. The bookshelf was empty, the books lying open on the ground. There was trash from the garbage lying on the the carpeted floors.
As I made my way through the room, I spotted something behind the couch. Boots.
"Mom?" The black boots were her favorite footwear and she was always wearing them in the house. Even after I chastised her. They were her favorite kind of boots. "Mom is that you?"
There was a sharp intake of breath and I ran toward the boots. "Mom!"
My mom was lying face down on the carpet. She raised her head slightly.
"Scarlett?"
"Mom get up," I helped her up and onto the couch. Mom's face was bruised and her lip was busted. "Where is he?" The ass couldn't be far.
She shook her head, wincing. "Scarlett, please. Please go and spend the night at your friend's house. Please." She grabbed my hand, something that she always did when she wanted my full attention.
I huffed. "No! Mom, tell me right now! Where is he?!"
"Scar--"
The door was opened and then slammed shut.
I pulled out of my mom's grip and flew to the entrance to the room. I was so pissed that I was starting to see red.
He walked in, a cigarette in his paws and an ugly sneer on his face.
"How dare you?!" I screamed. There was a hardcover book on the floor and I grabbed it, advancing toward him. "How dare you touch my mother?!" The book sailed through the air and caught him on the shoulder. Mom was off the couch running toward me just as he reached me.
"You ungrateful little--"
"Steve!"
Mom pulled me back, stepping in front of me. Her head reared back and my anger surged. I grabbed another book, this one larger than the other one. "Don't touch my mom!"
Steve ducked, his sneer getting uglier. Mom fell down. The red clouding my sight, I grabbed whatever I could get my hands on.
"Throw it. I dare--" Steve was cut off as I threw the object. It turned out to be a glass. The glass crashed into the wall behind Steve and broke into a thousand pieces. There was nothing but a few steps between us. I advanced toward him, despite the height difference between us.
"Layla. Please. Please, Layla, don't do this."
The antagonized words stopped me mid-step. Taking advantage of my stutter, Steve laughed and grabbed at me. I twisted out of his grip and glanced over at my mom. She lay on the ground, staring at me with cloudy eyes. Fresh tears started dripping down her cheeks. I turned around, heart heavy, and made for the door.
"You really should listen to your mother, Layla," Steve laughed.
"Go to a friend's house," mom whispered into the ground. I made it out of the house, before the distant thudding started.
But I don't have any friends, mom.
The rain had picked up more, and there was hardly anyone out, except for those who were rushing home. They had a place to call home.
I started running. I couldn't let the pain catch up. Not after all this time.
There was a place that always calmed me down. I had to get there fast. Very fast.
The limp didn't slow me down as much as I thought it would. I forgot to grab my rain coat from its rack and I only had a T-shirt and jeans on. I was freezing. But that hardly mattered.
To get to Tommary Bridge people had to cross a road. I ran right through the road without looking both sides. Bright lights pulled me up short on the road. And I just stood there. Waiting.
Would it hurt to go this way? Maybe.
I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for impact.
The person behind the wheel stopped a feet away. I sighed.
The bridge. My last resort. I had to get to the bridge.
I continued on with my limp toward Tommary. I wasn't sure when it happened, when I realized that I couldn't this life anymore, but it did. I didn't want this life. I didn't.
Tommary Bridge had a gigantic hole in the side. Perfect.
The rain hardened, as if it heard my thoughts.
I'm ready.