The Bystander

Chapter Four

Alyssa

I hissed in pain as the doctors gloved hand tipped my chin back and wiped the blood off with an alcohol wipe, I stopped myself from crying out painfully. Mom gripped my hand worriedly as she watched the examination.

"Now open your mouth Miss Scott." He instructed gently.

I did so slowly, my teeth and mouth hurt as I opened wide enough for him. His fingers gently pressed down on the sides of my mouth. "Does this hurt?"

I shook my head as his fingers moved toward a few of my teeth. He peered into my mouth with a small flashlight in his hand, pressing down on a few teeth. Before pulling back and wiping the drool on the corners of my mouth with a wipe. "Mrs Richards-"

"Call me Leanne, Richards is my first husband's name." Mom interrupted.

He nodded understandingly. "Well Leanne, your daughters teeth appear to be normal there is no damage whatsoever. But I would advise you to get her wisdom teeth removed, the procedure will be free since your daughter is still under the age of 18. There is no tissue damage to the inside of the mouth, but a small scraping on her chin which should heal up just fine."

"So she's okay? Nothing's wrong with her right?" Mom gripped my hand harder.

"Yes she will be fine, try not to trip over anymore okay?" The doctor joked looking down at me. I smiled politely though I didn't find his joke in anyway funny.

"Your free to go." He dismissed us, holding the door open.

Mom grabbed her coat hurriedly, ushering me out the door.

I shut the car door behind me as mom took her place at the drivers side, her hands gripped the wheel before she backed out of the parking lot.

The drive was long as the doctors office was quite a distance from home. "Are you going to tell me how you got hurt?" Mom asked making me look at her, though her eyes were focused entirely on the road.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

"I fell mom." I answered quietly, keeping my voice neutral as my fingers knotted together on my lap.

"Ally I swear if you don't tell me who did this..." She trailed off angrily, letting out a low angry hiss.

"I told you mom, I fell." I answered once again.

She slammed her hands on the wheel making me jump in shock. "Damn it Ally!" I could tell how much she was stressing, her dark circles were barely being covered by her make up. I felt sorry for her.

She clicked her tongue, letting out a deep breath as we parked into a bus zone. "Look Ally, I'm worried about you okay? When you called me saying you needed to go to the doctor I almost had a heart attack, I just want you to feel safe to be safe. And if people are hurting you then you need to tell me. I can't help you if you don't let me." We paused for a minute, sinking everything in.

I looked down with great shame and guilt, I didn't like worrying my mother especially when it came to stuff like bullying. It was my own fault anyway, if I wasn't like this then I wouldn't be bothering her.

A loud horn made us jump as my mom was quick to drive onto the road and back home. We sat in total silence for I was afraid of speaking out of order until I grew curious of course. "How did you pay for the car?" I asked quietly.