Home || afi

● 3 ●

I woke up the next morning and remembered what had happened the previous night. I looked at my watch. Still an hour till school. I got up off the grass and ran back home.

I opened the door as quietly as I could, went into my room, got changed, grabbed my school bag, went to the kitchen, got an apple whilst trying to ignore 6 men sleeping in a complete mess, went to the door, slipped my shoes on and left the house.

I walked and when it came to the split point, I had to go left because I was running late for school.

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It was last period. My eyes were glued to the clock. I couldn't wait to meet the curly haired boy from last night.

The clock ticked slowly while the Chemistry teacher blabbered on about whatever. I was just so impatient, waiting for the time to come, the bell to ring and running out of the school gates to meet that boy.

The bell rang.

I was probably the first one to get my bag and get out of the classroom.

I ran from school, and finally got to the lake. I slowed down as I saw the same boy sitting on the bench.

I came over and sat next to him, swinging my bag off and discarding it on the ground.

"Hey." I said.

"Hi." He replied, as he looked at me.

His eyes want straight to my wristbands. "Why do you wear so many of those?"

I didn't want to tell him the truth - that I wear them to cover up my scars from self harming. "I guess I just like wearing wristbands. I think it's fashionable." I lied.

He gave me a sad smile. "You know, I write a lot."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. What was he trying to tell me?

"Yeah," he said, "but my resources are unusual. I use my skin instead of paper and a blade instead of a pen."

"You self harm?" I asked.

He rolled up his sleeve a little so that I could see his wristbands. "I wear wristbands the same reason as you - to cover up my scars. Don't lie this time, you self harm, don't you?"

I looked down in defeat and nodded.

We sat in silence for a few minutes.

He held his hand out for me to shake. "I'm Ashton. Ashton Fletcher Irwin."

"Grace." I said, shaking his hand.

"What's your story?" He asked.

I should feel uncomfortable, but I felt something about this guy. He seemed like someone I could trust. Someone who knows what I go through and who I can share my emotions with.

I took a deep breath and told him everything, words and memories unstoppablly flowing out of my mouth.

He nodded in response. "It must be hard. I live a tough life too. I live as an only child with my mum. My dad sometimes stays overnight at home, but sometimes he's out sleeping with other women. And he let's all his anger out on mum and me. Mum and I don't talk much - she's working mostly. School's also though. Same as you really, no friends, bullied, getting picked last in team sports and all of that."

"And you let it all out with self harm. Just like I do." I said.

We sat in silence. He took my hand in his and our fingers intertwined. Shivered rushed down my spine. I rested my head on his shoulder. We sat like that for a while, looking at the river flowing.

"I should probably go now." Ashton said, breaking the silence. I lifted my head off from his shoulder.

"You're right," I said, "I should get going too." We got up.

"I'm probably gonna come here every day after school." Ashton said. "I only used to come at night because I thought people would come in the day. But I'll come here much more often."

I smiled, picked my backpack off from the ground and started making my way back home.

I went straight to my room when I got home. I swung my school bag onto my bed.

"GRACE! GET YOUR TINY LITTLE ASS OVER HERE!" I heard my dad shout across from the living room. My eyes widened and I froze. What happened? What did I do?

"DID YOU HEAR ME BITCH?"

"Yes. Coming." I said, shaking completely. Was I going to get a beating?

I went over to the living room. Dad was wearing his belt on his trousers. At least it wasn't in his hands.

"Yes dad?" I said, trembling.

"What have I heard from my friends?" Dad said, "Bret wanted pleasure from you, and what did you do? Get your scared little pussy out of the house."

I gulped. Dad came right close up to me. "Listen to me, you worthless piece of shit. You do what you're told, you hear me? I shouldn't have to hear shit like that."

I swallowed hard. "Yes dad."

"I had to apologise. Apologise. On your behalf. And this is what you get for it."

His large fist went high in the air, he swung it hard, and it hit my cheek. It happened so quickly, I was stunned.

"Go." He said as dismissal. I ran back to my room, shut the door and curled up on my bed, crying as quietly as I could; I didn't want dad to hear me.

I was definitely going to talk to Ashton about everything that happened today. Wait until tomorrow.