Sanity Siphoned

Ch11: Pain Relived

Chapter 11

Julienne really didn't want to go to school that Monday morning because she knew one way or another she'd see Michael. He didn't even have to tease, trip or mock her in anyway to get a reaction anymore. All she had to do was glance into those blue eyes and was a complete fool. She still couldn't believe it actually happened and they had sex. It was all because she got lost in those eyes and the crazy desires he made her feel. It wasn't safe to get that immersed and lose control. She didn't like how easily she surrendered but she did like the small amounts of peace she felt when she was with him. The past and all its tragedies weren't as suffocating.

She walked to her locker with her head low and arms crossed over her chest.

"Hey Xanax." Anna greeted, amused with her new nickname for Julienne.

"She's totally ignoring you again." Anna's friend, Janelle, commented.

"Yup I see that." Anna wasn't happy, her voice dripped with venom. She grabbed Julienne by the shoulders, turned her around and pushed her into the open locker.

Julienne winced and started seeing red. She hated when they thought they could strong arm her because she tried to avoid confrontation. Anna hadn't expected her to grab her by the hair and push her into the locker next to them. Still furious Julienne pushed Anna until she went flying to the floor.

"Fight!" one of the boys watching yelled.

"You bitch!" Janelle rushed to defend her friend; she was quick and threw all her weight into Julienne, both girls went flying to the floor.

Every bit of anger Julienne had been feeling moved forward and made her into a mad woman. She wanted payback and pounding into Anna and Janelle provided that. There was but so much abuse she was going to take especially at the hands of two girls that were worthless. They believed they were so superior to her when in reality their self esteem was worse, they just hide it better by following what the crowd said was correct and making their image into what they hoped boys would want.

By the time some teachers intervened Anna was sporting a black eye and Janelle's lip was busted. It had still been two against one and Julienne had her own battle wounds to tend to. Her arms stung from scratches and her head throbbed from her hair being pulled, none of it bothered her though. It was her knee that brought tears to her eyes.

Her knee had been shattered from the accident and had to be rebuilt with metal and screws. That damn thing always gave her discomfort and now it was screaming from Anna's kick.

The principle appeared and informed them they'd all face consequences for the fight and disrupting class then sent them all to the nurse.

Julienne sat on the floor against the lockers while the crowd cleared. She saw Michael amongst them and scoffed, of course he had been around and of course he didn't lift a finger to help her. Their time together didn't change a damn thing. A dirty little secret indeed. His disregard for her was the breaking point. She couldn't keep the tears inside anymore; she was in pain both psychically and mentally.

"Do you need some help?" a nervous male voice broke into her dark reverie. "You're grabbing your knee pretty hard, does it hurt?" he didn't want for an answer and started tugging her off the floor. With one arm holding her upright he extended the other one. "I'm Nick and I gotta say it was a pleasure watching Anna get what she deserved. Not in a pervert girl-on-girl type of thing, what I mean is I can't stand her so props to you for standing up to her." he was nervous, actually he was more socially awkward then she was and that was saying a lot.

Julienne looked up at her helper as they walked to the nurse's office and saw a pretty good looking guy instead of the messy nerd type she was expecting. What did he have to be awkward about? Ok so he had a four inch green faux Mohawk that might be it. "Why can't you stand her?" emotionally drained Julienne didn't bother with filters, she thought it and asked it. The guy was helping her to the nurse, how could he take what she says and hurt her?

Nick paused and decided what to say. "We used to date. It was before she realized high maintenance popular girls like herself didn't date average students like me, this was before I changed my look. We went from being pretty close to now I'm the gum on the bottom of her shoe that doesn't warrant acknowledgement." He glanced down at Julienne. "You didn't ask for all that right? Sometimes I talk too much. Sorry." His smile was nervous, his face turned bright red and his light green eyes stayed straight ahead as they started walking again.

Strangely enough in an odd turn of events Julienne felt sorry for him. "It's ok. Sometimes I don't talk enough."

Relieved that she wasn't weirded out by him he smiled. "Yeah I noticed that. We have a few classes together but its ok you didn't notice. It's easier to check out when you're in this place." If he noticed she didn't talk then he must've noticed how she kept to herself and hide in plain sight.

They made it to the nurse's office and she expected him to leave. Instead he sat next to her in the waiting chairs. "Don't you have class?" the walk from the lockers felt like a mile, her tears stung harder against her eyes.

"Free period. You're crying and look like you can use a friend. I always say you can't have too many and I'm in short supply, so I'm gonna sit here with you if that's ok."

He didn't really look it with his attractive looks but he was a social outsider too. Julienne felt like she could relate to him and it was a welcomed change to what she had been feeling. "Ok."

Anna and Janelle left the nurse's area together and didn't miss the opportunity to sneer at Julienne as they walked past. Anna paused for a moment after noticing Nick, she scoffed and walked away muttering. "The freaks are banding together."

If Nick heard it he acted as if he hadn't. He stood and helped Julienne to the examination table. Her pants were big enough that she could pull up the pants leg without taking them off.

The nurse winced. "It's very swollen, having you been having trouble with it before today?" she asked.

Julienne nodded. "I had surgery on it a few years ago."

"I can give you something to help with the swelling but you should get to a doctor as soon as possible." She said with a sweet sad smile most grownups gave her out of pity.

Ten minutes later she was out of there using a crutch to help keep the weight off her knee. Nick stayed with her until it was time for their next class.