~~~~~Short Story~~~~~
>>>>>All Rights Reserved<<<<<
+++++Copyright 2015++++++
-----Unedited-----
———————————————————————–
You see that girl walking right next to you, the one speed walking with her head down. She did that so her dark brown, wavy, shoulder-length hair will cast around her face, like a veil, to cover the bruise on her left cheek. See how she keeps pulling her mahogany, long sleeve shirt down to cover her body. She's hiding something.
Or that guy over there with his group of friends, how every time they crack a joke, he pulls his lips up just enough to pass off as happy. He's hiding something too.
Looking around at your surroundings, you notice the school, quite like yourself, is falling apart. The off white paint, dingy and old, covered the water damaged walls. The ceiling, peeling and disgusting, had multiple groups of welts by the stained, silver sprinklers. The once bright red fire alarm, now rusted and flaking. The dark blue lockers had specks of salt still on them from last years winter. Tan tiles covered the floor, once shiny when the building was young and new, was now dull as the murmur through the black, aged speakers bearing the morning announcements. Observing the student body, how it's buzzing with gossip from their summer vacation, you notice one third of the body doesn't have that spark in their eyes like they use to. You hear the silent acceptance knowing that you can relate to them, "Welcome to the one third."
You see a group of familiar people chatting while you were observing the crowd and you try to hide you face, but it's too late, they spotted you. You start to turn around in the other direction, but they've already shouted your name. If you turned away now, they would know something was going on, you can't let them know about me. So sighing, you make your way up to your friends who wave and cheer you over. When reaching them you plaster a fake smile on, hoping that it will do. Your friends pull you into a forced hug and greet you as if they have never seen you before. They're right, they haven't, you're not the same person as you were.
As the day progresses, each one of your friends pull you around to your shared hour with them. You laugh, a fake one, at their jokes they make and occasionally crack one yourself to prove to them that you're the same person. But you aren't proving it to them, you're trying to prove it to yourself. You can't, I'm here, I will always be here.
At lunch, your best friend notices there is something different about you. You can't let them know. They can never know. No one can ever know. Your best friend asks you what's wrong and if you're okay after noticing your unusual behavior.
"Of course I am." Is your response.
Lie.
You feel as if a weight has been placed on your shoulder. The guilt of not telling your best friend hits you like a freight train. You can't, they would never think of you the same.
"But, you aren't," I remind you.
Excusing yourself, you run into the bathroom, locking the door, and turn on the faucet to create white noise. You feel water splash onto your hands, does the ceiling have a leak? Looking up, there was no leak in the ceiling. Tears? Staring in the mirror you see that you, in fact, were the cause of the splash. Getting a paper towel to dry these betraying tears, more pour out. You begin to become overwhelmed with everything, releasing a loud, painful sob. While crying you ball up the wet paper towel and you throw it at your reflection.
"Stupid." Grabbing more paper towel you ball it up and once again throw it.
"I hate you." Again.
"No good." And again.
"Worthless." And again.
"Nothing." And again.
"Failure." And again.
You start to question everything and replay the horrific event from the summer that changed you and made who you are now. Dropping down to the floor and holding your knees up to your chest you let out a wordless scream filled with pain, anger, hurt, and betrayal. You finally come to the vrealization of why no one can ever find out about me and the answer is rather simple. I am your secret.
