You're Not Alone

Amanda

I wake up to the sound of my mom's angry voice yelling in my ear. This can't be good. Opening my eyes, the sight sends chills down my arm. My mother is standing over me her fist bawled ready to hit me.
"Y-yes m-mother?"
"Did I ask you to talk?!" She sends a punishing blow to my stomach that takes my breath away. I stay silent after that praying for her to stop.
"I go to work everyday of the week! For you! You don't even deserve all the shit I do for you!" She swings at me again but I dodge it this time. "You know what, since you want to be a disobedient little bitch and run away from me you deserve this." She walks out of my room and returns soon after with a belt. "Don't move!" She flings the belt at me again and again and I cry out. "Shut up or I'll keep going!!" I quietly plead and pray for my suffering to stop. She just keeps hitting me.

Now I'm on the floor and she's kicking me and punching me without holding back. She stares at me with pure hatred and spits in my face. "Now I want you to go and have a good day at school, okay?"

"OKAY?"
"Okay, I w-will." I say whimpering.
"Good girl...good girl. Now get up and get ready for school. With that, she leaves my room. My whole body stings and I can feel and see bruises forming all over me from where she punched and kicked me.
I sob into my pillow not wanting my own life. I would rather die then live in this hell. Why did I have to be so imperfect and terrible for my mother to hate me. If only I was better then she would love me, but I do everything wrong.

Shakily I stand up and try not to limp. I throw my overly sized shirt on with a pair of jeans and grab my bag. I leave for school making no sound so my mom doesn't bother me.

As usual no one talks to me so I don't really have to hide but everytime I see Lizzy I make sure to run away so she doesn't mess with me again, but she can sometimes be hard to ignore.

It's last period and I finally get to go to gym and release all my tension and worries. I play for the 75 minutes we have in there. Then the bell rings and everyone leaves, but me.

I continue to shoot around and dribble practicing all of my skills I've ever learned. Then, I hear laughing. I look up in the bleachers for the first time and see Lizzy laughing at me. Once she notices I see her she gets up and walks over. Her crew follows.
"Do you think you are a boy or something? You are a girl and you should act like it." I reply.
"A girl can play basketball, playing a sport doesn't define my fucking genitals." She slaps me. Hard.
"Shut the fuck up! I didn't tell you to talk. And since you want to be a smart mouth you deserve this." Suddenly all of the girls jump me trying to throw punches and kicking me to the ground.

"HEY! Stop that!" I hear a familiar voice shout. It's Cole. He runs over and throws two of the girls off me. The other following.
"Since when are you defending this bitch?" Says Jessy.
"Since forever, she doesn't deserve this and y'all are all assholes. Get out of here before I call the fucking police." The girls all scurry at the thought of that and I smile to myself.

I try to walk away but Cole grabs my arm and pulls me back. "Hey," he says softly. "I haven't seen you all day, what's up?"
"Nothing." I mumble trying to loosen his grip. Damn he's strong.
"I can tell something's wrong. Look I'm sorry for yesterday.."
"No! Dont be sorry it's totally my fault."
"How is it your fault?"
"Uh, just trust me on this part."
"Well I have something for you to make it up anyways." He hands me two bags full of tons of candy.
"Oh my god. I think I just fell in love." I jump on him and wrap my arms around his neck. He smells soo good. I pull back and look at him. He looks back smiling and then a confused look washes over his face.
"What?" I ask him.
"What is this?" He brushes his cool fingertips over my collarbone at the massive bruise that appeared there from this morning.
"Um...th-thats from, the girl. I guess."
"Bruises don't form that fast." He says getting worried.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
"Okay...Shall I take you home my lady?" He asks.
"Why yes of course, you kind sir." I answer it a jokingly proper voice. We both laugh as we head back to our houses for the day.