Beautiful Pain

1

"Today, we will be welcoming a new student in our class today," Mr. Hossenhier announces. Anna hears her peers murmurs, but she doesn't bother looking up. The new student probably would just ignore her like everyone else.

"Leo, please introduce yourself," she hears Mr. Hossenhier order.

"My name is Leo, don't mind me, " a small, husky voice whispers. That is what compels her to look up. She sees what the rumors were about, Leo was hot. He had black hair that fell in front of his dark eyes. He was tall and well built. However, even though his head was down, he had a tough guy aura surrounding him and his face was hard.

"Leo, there is an empty seat in the back next to, what's your name again?"

Laughter erupts around the room and Anna lowers her head, her cheeks heating up. She was embarrassed by Mr. Hossenhier, but not surprised.

"Anna," she whispers.

"Come again?" Mr. Hossenhier asks, causing everyone to laugh harder.

"Mr. Hossenhier, her name is little orphan Annie!" one boy calls out obnoxiously, the high-fives his friends.

"Enough Ravi," Mr. Hossenhier scolds,"Just sit next to the girl in the back Leo, I'm sure she'll introduce herself."

"No she won't!" a girl named Tiffany cackles, "She can't even speak! Come on, let the new kid sit next to me!"

"Enough!"

Anna flinches at his raised voice and hides behind her hair. She wanted nothing more than to disappear. She hears Leo slowly walking toward the seat next to her and pulling it out. A small hiss escapes his lips as he sits down. She glances at him through a gap in her hair. He was wearing a black hoodie and a dark shirt under it. There was a dark spot on his neck, a bruise? She shakes her head and pays attention to Mr. Hossenhier. She feels Leo looking at her the entire time and she shifts uncomfortably.

School is over quickly and Anna rushes out, anxious to go home. Some boys are loitering around her locker. She sighs and walks away, she'll just borrow textbooks from the library. As she walks away, she bumps into someone and drops her notes from chemistry.

"Sorry," she mumbles, bending down to pick up her notes. She can feel the person watching her silently. When she gets up, she is surprised to see Leo standing in front of her. He holds something out to her. a black book. She recognizes it instantly.

"My sketchbook?" she cries, and snatches it out of his hands, hugging it to her tightly, "How did you..."

"You left it in the classroom," he answers quietly, and walks away.

"Leo wait," she calls softly, he stops, "T-thank you."

He nods and continues to walk.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Leo arrives at his new home and begins to tremble. He thought his parents had been bad, his uncle was worse than even them. They had to drink and drive. They had to drive themselves and him into a ditch. He wishes he had died with them.

He swallows hard, remembering what his uncle had said the night before.

"You're the reason my brother is dead," Uncle Kang spits, hitting Leo one last time with the thin belt.

It seemed to cut through Leo's skin. Leo bites his lip to keep from crying out. In mere hours, Uncle Kang had done more damage to Leo's body than his parents ever dared. His clothes lay ripped on the floor nearby. He reaches for his shirt, for some kind of protection from the torrent of abuse, but his uncle steps on his wrist. Leo finally let's out a small whimper, so quiet he can't hear himself.

"My brother was right, you are just a pathetic waste of space," his uncle growls, "Listen to me closely flea. Tomorrow, you are required to attend school. You will go there, you will not speak to anyone, you will get good grades, and you will come straight back here, your new home. If you break any of these rules, if you are so much as a few minutes late, I will beat you bloody. Do you understand?!"

Leo nods. Suddenly, Uncle Kang grabs Leo's hair and yanks him up. He drags Leo behind him up the stairs and to a small room. He opens the door and shoves Leo inside, locking him in there. Leo searches for the light switch, but finds none.

"I hope you're not scared of the dark!" His uncle calls and walks away.

Leo struggles to stand, but collapses immediately, falling into a deep slumber.

Leo checks his watch, 16:29. One minute until he has to be inside. He swings the door open quietly and walks inside the huge house. From the outside it was beautiful, you would never suspect what was happening inside. His uncle was very wealthy and very feared.

Leo silently goes to the kitchen and starts to cook, hoping his uncle would appreciate his effort. His parents never admitted it but he knew they liked when he did.

His mind wanders to the girl next to him in Chemistry. He had looked through her drawings. They were very good, she had a gift. On the bottom of each of them was a carefully crafted signature, Anna. That must be her name. It bothered him that the teacher couldn't even remember his student's name.

Leo sighs, he just needed to stay out of it. He focuses his attention on cooking and ignores the screams of his body every time he moved.

"You worthless brat, what are you doing?!" Someone growls, and yanks him around. His uncle looked down at him with anger in his eyes. Leo lowers his eyes and shrinks away from him.

"You like cooking huh? Answer me!" His uncle screams, shaking him. Leo nods in fear, "Then how about I show you what cooked flesh smells like."

He rips off Leo's shirt and Leo let's him, utterly terrified. He knew he was strong, but his uncle's well built frame towers over his. So he doesn't move, even when his uncle throws him to the ground and presses the pan that had been on the burner into his back.