Øn yøur mind // Tyler Joseph

Scars

"Guess who's turning eighteen in a week?" I skipped around with Josh, we were walking me home as it grew dark earlier. My ice cream in one hand.

"You are?" He grinned.

"Yeah." I sighed as we stood on my doorstep. Bringing me back to reality, I didn't want to go back inside. I really didn't. Nobody had known about my life I now lived, about the beatings.

Josh noticed my sudden sadness. He was an observer. He noticed everything. "Rowan?" He called me by my full name and pushed a strand of stray hair out of my face. He glanced around nervously. "... Are you okay?" His soft eyes searched mine and I avoided his stare.

The front door rushed open. "Inside. Now." Dave showed his true side and Josh stood there shocked.

"Bye Josh." I frowned. His hand pulled away from my face.

"Bye Rowan." He looked scared to death for me. Or maybe he just thought I'd get in trouble, but it was so much worse than that.

He stood crossing his arms. Expecting me to apologize for no reason. Well, besides being out at five in the evening with a boy.

|-/

I sat sprawled out on the floor. My sides bruised. My face took another punch, one eye swollen shut. I cried and cried there, Dave looking down at me.

"Shut up, or I'll–" He threatened.

"–Kill me?! Go ahead." I laughed sourly. "I have nothing left to live for." It was true, my life was spiraling downhill fast, maybe the only thing left I had was just barely graduating school.

"I have nothing." I cried as I felt I was going insane.

He got up from his chair and I ran to my room, scared he might actually kill me. I sat on my bed, praying he didn't take me literal. Did I want to die? I don't know anymore.

But he opened my door with an ice pack. Placing it on my eye. I flinched against him, wanting him to leave me alone.

Was he crazy? He caused this and now he's trying to help me?

"Keep still." He muttered madly. But I also heard regret laced behind his words. So maybe he wasn't completely heartless?

"You're just doing this so my mom won't see my eye." I told myself but also him.

He sighed and didn't respond. He led me to believe it was true. "I'm sorry." He muttered as he turned and grabbed his keys, leaving the ice pack with me. Yup, crazy.

Now I should've been shocked at his change of mood. "Go to hell." I spat and he clenched and unclenched his fists, debating whether to hit me again. He sighed deciding not, and left.

By now it was routine, cover up the marks, even if they were not on the face. The eye would be impossible. I'd have to tell her. Today. The thought scared me.

I covered up as much as I could, both eyes supporting purplish black eyeshadow. Yuck.

My mom opening the front door, she was later than usual. "Ro?" She called and I sat upstairs. "I'm home!"

I stayed in my spot, panicking debating whether to tell her or not. She had to know.

She pushed open my door room where I pretended to be focused on my homework.