Broken (Edited edition)

Fight

The picture is Leah.

We got back to L.A. just on time for me to go back to school.  I actually haven't missed that much school, and I'm able to finish my missed assignments before the end of the day.  In Art class, Mr. Jackson congratulates me on first place.  I grin at him, and sit down in my seat."  I didn't know you one first place?"  Robbie asks, and I shrug."  I didn't know until Mark told me."  I say, and he grins.  Robbie was sitting on the steps of the school waiting for me this morning, and he gave me a giant hug."  I really missed you a lot."  He says, and I giggle."  I missed you too."

"I hear you had a visit to the hospital?"

"Yeah, Leah broke my ribs."  I say, and he stares at me in shock."  You get new scars?"  He asks, and I smile.  I think it's great how Robbie knows I can handle Leah now, and he doesn't treat me like a little kid anymore."  Yeah, look."  I say, and lift up my shirt.  He runs his fingers around the thin lines going across my ribs."  Any new damage?"  He asks, and I shake my head."  Just the scars."  I tell him.  The bell rings,and we all watch as Mr. Jackson explains the new painting we're going to do."  Lyca, I don't want you to draw today, because I know what happened at the competition."  He says, and I blush."  I didn't mean for that to happen sir."  I say.

"I thought it was funny."  He says, and it makes me blush even more.  The others are starting to sketch out their paintings, and I just lay my head down on the table."  Hey rat face!"  I hear, and see it's Leah talking to me."  What?"  I snap at her, my voice echoing through the room.  Mr. Jackson jumps at my sudden voice raising, and to be honest it scares me as well.  My voice is like echoed, and I've never heard myself shout like that before.  Leah stares at me shocked, and I glare at her.  Her eyes have a small hint of fear in them.  I lay my head back down, and shut my eyes.

Class turned into something you would see in a story book.  The main character has to go through bullying and torture before they can arrive to their safe place.  Home.  I was bullied by Leah's friends, and called names that I can't even repeat.  They're so fucking disgusting with their terrible torture ideas.  Pushing me into lockers, shoving my face into my food, ripping up my homework when the teacher passed it to me, etc.  I'm tired after fourth hour, and go to grab my things form my locker.  Leah's main girl, Taylor, shoves me into my locker as I try to grab my bag."  What, leaving so soon?  Thought you wanted to play with us a little longer?"  I glare at her, and shut my locker.  Taylor is one of those girls who thinks she is above everyone else, just because she's rich.  I pull the straps down on my bag as I put it on my back."  I have to go home for a dinner, so no I can't play."  I say, I'm so irritated I feel like I'm going to burst.  Every single word that comes out of my mouth, is one more word closer to ripping Taylor's face off.  I feel Taylor yank on my hair, and she grins an evil smile at me."  Come on Parker, I insist you stay!"  She snarls at me, and I feel myself go off the deep on.  My vision goes black.

I hear the echoes of me screaming, and also the echoes of the girls screaming.  They sound as if they're in pain, and are crying as well."  Stop!  I'm sorry!  We own't bother you anymore!"  Taylor screams, and then everything disappears from me.  My senses, my emotions, even time is gone.  I feel nothing, I sense nothing, I am nothing.

When I come out of my attack, I feel a gray fog over my memory.  Almost like a curtain covering my past.  I slowly open my eyes, and see I'm staring up at the sky.  It's bright blue, not one cloud in the sky.  My body is shaded by a large tree, and I smile I feel my back is pressed up against the warm grass.  I slowly sit up, with some pain, and look around to see I'm in the park.  Kids are playing with their parents, and are laughing away while playing.  I look down at my hands, and find my knuckles bleeding.  There are cuts and blood covering my arms, and feel a cut on my face.  I look at my side, and find my book bag at my side.  I grab the water bottle from my pocket, and wash off all the blood from my arms and face.  It stings after a while, and I pat down the places that I washed off blood.

I drag myself up to my legs, and start to walk out of the park.  My back hurts, and so does my head.  Everything feels as if it's been hit several times repeatedly, and I'm just exhausted.  I want to crawl onto my bed, and just sleep for a hundred years.  I walk through the streets, and feel myself shaking.  I'm hungry, I'm really hungry.  I didn't eat breakfast, and I had a bag of chips for Lunch.  I'm starving from hunger and thirst.  I walk up the steps of the apartment complex, up the stairs, and unlock the apartment door.  Nobody is there, and I'm just alone for once.  I grab a blanket from the back of the couch, and fall face first onto the couch.  I I press my face into the couch cushion, and fall asleep.

I wake up about an hour later, and I yawn while stretching my arms above me.  The room is extremely dark now, and I tell it was past dinner time.  But I'm still really hungry, and I know I need to get food into me before I pass out.  I stumble to the kitchen, pull open the fridge door, and eat anything that isn't raw.  I eat two baby carrots, half a jar of pickles, six chicken nuggets, a sandwich from Walmart, and melt cheese on french bread.  My stomach stops growling after a while, and I sit on the floor with a bottle of water.  I decide to look around for a note or something that Mark might've left.  But there's nothing, not a single thing to tell me where he's gone.

I scratch the back of my arm, and pull my phone."  He hasn't texted me, he hasn't called, and it scares me.  Has something happened, have I done something to him while I blacked out?  I start to shake, and I frantically dial Danny's number.  He doesn't answer.  I call Barry.  He doesn't answer.  Kevin, Suzy, Jack, Bob, Wade, and Ross.  They all don't answer.  I give Mandy, Bob's Wife , a try.  She answers."  Hello?"

"Mandy, it's Lyca."  I say."  Where is everyone?  I don't know where everyone is.  Nobody's answering, I can't focus, and I'm scared."  Please help me Mandy!"  Mandy tries to calm me down, but I can."  No, they're just gone!  Where did they go?"  I cry to her, and she hushes me to calm down."  I'll call Bob, then tell him to check up on Mark.  Just relax, get a bag of stuff and go to Danny's.  He should be there."  She says, and I wipe my eyes."  Okay, Okay.  I'll get to that."  We hang up on each other, and I pack up a bag of clothes and stuff.  I grab my keys, and lock the door behind me.  I have my lion toy in my arms as I walk down the street, and people give me odd looks.  They're probable wonder why there's a little girl walking down the street on her own.

A police officer at the stop light sees me, and he walks over to me."  Sweetie?  You lost?"  He asks, and I shake my head."  No, I'm going to my uncle's.  He's waiting for me."  I tell him, and something must've been wrong with how I said it."  Little girl is your uncle really waiting for you?"  He asks concerned, and I feel myself about to cry.  I wipe my eyes, and sniffle."  I don't know, my dad wasn't home, my other uncles and aunts wouldn't answer my calls, and I don't know where they are."  I say, and he takes out a napkin from his pocket.  I wipe my eyes, and thank him."  How about I walk you to your Uncle's house."  He says, and I nod.  He takes my hand, and we walk along the sidewalk together."  Thank you for walking with me."  I tell him, and he grins at me."  I wouldn't want my little girl walking on her own on these streets.  These streets change men."  He says, and I take my steps carefully.

Once we get to Danny's apartment, the officer knocks on the door.  There's a ruffling inside, and then the chain on the door opens.  Danny stands there with jeans on, nothing else.  His fluffy hair is mangled and messed up, and he looks as if he just woke up.  When he sees the Cop, he straightens up."  What can I help you with officer?"  He asks, and he notices me."  LycaPyca!"  He says, and I run into his leg."  Are you her Uncle sir?"  The officer asks as I continue to hug Danny's leg."  Yes Sir, thank you for bringing her to me."  Danny shakes his hand, and shuts the door after the officer leaves."  Lyca, what are you doing here?"  He asks, picking me up into his arms."  Mark hasn't come home, and I don't know where he is."  I say, and he hugs me close to his chest."  I'll call him, and see where he is."  He says, and I start crying in his arms."  No Lyca, don't cry.  It's okay."  He says, which makes me cry even more."  No, it's not!  I don't know where Mark is, I don't know where anybody is!"  I say, and he sits down on the couch with me in his arms.  He kisses my cheek, and rocks me back and forth.  I clutch onto his arm as I continue to cry, feeling as if it's the only thing keeping me going right now.