In My Defense

Bullies and Coverup

Chapter 2

I rolled out of bed, my bones protesting against the movement.

Come on, I willed myself. You've been through worse.

I forced myself to roll over and get on with my day. My feet burned under my weight. Tears threatened to spill over, but I blinked them away. I grimaced with each step I took towards the bathroom. My eye was a little swollen and bruised. My hair was matted and sweaty. Dark bruises stood out on my tanned skin, covering my arms, legs, well. . .my entire body, really. I shrugged and turned on the shower, climbed in and let the memories of last night flow down the drain. Although, the sting was still there and burned more than anything.

I came out and attempted to brush out all the tangles. Eventually, I gave up and let it hang, in all it's thick and and tangled glory, on my shoulders. My hair was short and I liked it that way. It was kinda nice, having short brown hair. It was mostly curly; I got most of my looks from my mom. Sometimes I wished I was brave enough to change the way I carried myself, but most of the time I just didn't care. I layered foundation on my face, making sure not even the slightest discoloration was visible. After I made sure my face was in tact, I pulled on my oversized hoodie and loose jeans to cover the rest of my body.

"Raelynn! Get your ass down here!" My father's voice boomed up the stairs. I grabbed my backpack and rushed down the stairs.

"Hey, sweetheart."

I spun around on my heels to see Cherry, one of my dad's friends. She was a nice, big-busted blonde who visited me and my dad sometimes. She would even bring groceries every-so-often.

"Hey, Cherry." I smiled at her, avoiding looking at my father. I stood there awkwardly a few seconds longer. "Uh, I have to go to school."

"Have a good day, honey!" Cherry called after me as I rushed through the front door.

I jammed my earphones into my ears. A smile spread across my face when I recognized the familiar tune. I started humming along to the bridge when I was knocked to the ground by a pair of meaty hands. I yelped as my hands scraped on the concrete floor.

"Watch where you're going, freak!" A squeaky voice rang in my ears.

I groaned in disgust. "Leave me alone, Lena. I'm really not in the mood today." Not that I ever was in the mood, but today I was feeling especially shitty. I got up and dusted my hands off.

"Yeah, I don't think I asked." She cuddled closer to the guy I assumed pushed me down.

I scoffed. "New boy-toy for the week? Don't worry kid, you'll probably only last her a week."

He squinted at me, trying to be tough. "Shut up, freak."

I laughed, ignoring the pain in my palms and knees. "Very original." I started walking away. "Stay in school, kid," I called behind my shoulder.

Well, today was off to a lovely start. Haha. Not.