(Violet's POV)
~
David left hours ago, so that left my mom and I to cower in our rooms until he came back. I stare at my wall. I held a pencil in my mouth, and I had a notebook sitting in my lap. I looked at the clock. It was ten o'clock, and I still had school in the morning. There's no turning back now. I think of all the places I've been throughout my life.
One sticks out.
The forest.
I begin to pack my supplies in a bag, then set it in the corner for tomorrow. I would get dropped off at my stop, then I would get my getaway.
Interrupting my thoughts, I heard a car pull into the driveway.
David was home. I run to turn off my light, get in my bed, and shut my eyes. The crunching of the gravel makes me shiver. David enters the house, coming up the stairs. He opens my mom's bedroom door. After five minutes, I try not to hear my mother's screams. Whenever David comes home drunk things get 10 times worse. Why does he have to be so abusive? Maybe he is hiding something from his past.
A while later I hear the distant snores which signals that David is asleep. I glide to the light switch and turn it on. I go through my bag thoroughly and make sure I have everything I need. I creep down the stairs and walk into the kitchen. I open a cupboard and raid the granola bar box. While I'm down there I also grab two water bottles and fill them to full capacity. I also take advantage of the stash of apples. I then creep back upstairs. My hands are full so I try not to drop anything. An apple shifts its weight and falls down the stairs. I hear several thuds before it stops at the bottom of the stairs.
No. Damn it. I don't go back for the apple and pray David didn't hear me. I slip inside my room and gently push the door shut. I pack the food in a little lunch box that was stored in my room. I put it in the backpack.
Then, I went back to bed.
~
I woke up to an alarm blaring in my ears. I rolled over and turned it off, then got dressed and ready.
I felt excitement in the pit of my stomach as I thought about after school. I made sure I had everything in my backpack, and my other bag, and when I did, I went downstairs to make my lunch.
But when I reached the bottom of the stairs, the apple was gone, which meant someone picked it up.
David.
He was standing in the kitchen, looking at me and holding the bruised apple.
"What's this?" he asked.
"I dunno," I said, shrugging.
"Well, I found this apple at the bottom of the stairs,"
"Um.."
"And, I heard cabinets opening last night after I came in.."
"But, weren't you sleeping...?" I ask.
"No. But now, I see a second backpack on your shoulder?" He said, putting the apple on the counter and walking over.
"It's for gym class," I lied.
"Ok, ok." David walked past me. "See you after school, Violet."
I ran out the door and all the way to the bus stop. When it finally came, I climbed in, saying my final goodbye to my house.
~
After the beginning of a school day of once again sitting in the back of classes, I walked to get my lunch. I closed my locker, and turned towards the bathroom, but someone stopped me.
"Ms. Violet?" I heard Mrs. Jackson ask. "Aren't we having lunch together?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry."
We walked down the hall to her room, and we sat down at a small table with two chairs.
"So..." She said. "What's up?"
"Nothing," I mumbled.
"Is there anything you want to talk about?" She asked.
"No,"
"Let's talk about your 'family problems'," Mrs. Jackson folded her hands on the table and watch me eat my crackers. "I heard what Mr. Blake had to say about you about the troubles and late homework,"
"Oh, well...." I thought for a moment. "I don't want to talk about it,"
"You know you can always talk to me about anything, you know."
"Yeah, but no one needs to be involved," I said trying my best not to be rude.
"Well, if it's not that bad, I expect you get your homework done on time."
" My personal life isn't any of your business."
Should I confide? No. Keep it in. I avert my eyes to a corner in the room. I can feel that Mrs. Jackson is looking at me. My face gets hot and I begin to shake. My heart is pounding and and I can hear my pulse through my ears. Everything gets glassy and I'm trying to breathe. My lungs are failing me. "Ms. Violet? Are you okay?"
A/N
Hope you liked it!
Tell me what you think in the comments!
-Emily
